I'll be moving to Texas in less than 90 days. Sometime later this year I will be buying a boat. We're going to be living in Kaufman and I plan on fishing pretty much all the lakes in north Texas and heading down to the salt as much as possible.

From what I can see the Mako 234 CC offers what I'm looking for in a boat. I need the higher sides to keep me in the boat because I have some balance issues. I want the dual motors for use in the salt.

The one real question I have and I hope someone can answer is this.

Can a trolling motor be mounted on the bow of this boat? I'd like to go with a i-Pilot system for fishing on the lakes. Also does anyone here have any experience with this boat?

Thanks.

For bass fishing that will be big time bad overkill. Forsalt it will be big time good stuff.
Mako is a good boat, just not for bass or crappie etc when it is 23' with twins.
It would be excellent on texaoma for striper though.

I know it's not the best boat for bass. But for sandies, hybrids, stripers and salt it should work pretty well.

It was always my dream to retire and get a bass boat and fish. Now with my back and balance issues a bass boat is out of the picture.

Once I get it Hop we'll go fishing.

Mako makes a helluva boat, they always have. I agree with Streetwalkers assessment as far as application goes, black bass fishing in a high sided deep V is mighty difficult to do even in deeper waters never mind the shallows. And yes you can get a long shaft trolling motor for just about any high sider but they can get pricey.

I wonder if Mako quality has suffered any since being bought by Tracker? I know they used to be quality boats.

Balance issues?

I had a bad case of Vertigo last Feb 1st that kept me in bed 4 days and off work for 3 weeks. It finally got better but my balance has never quite returned. The next month I tried standing on the front deck of my boat on a windy point when the lake was just barely white capping and I could not get my foot off the floor and put it on the foot control.

Its gotten better but still after almost a year my legs still start getting numb after standing on the front deck for just a couple of hours. I've almost thought about getting rid of my Allison and get a wider, more stable fishing platform. ALMOST.

Where do you plan on fishing at the coast?

Balance problems stemming from my back. Left leg is weak and I have problems with it.

Anywhere from the Louisiana border to Mexico.

That would be a nice boat on the coast. It would be hard to fish on a lot of the lakes due to stumps. I have a Wellcraft 238 and I have to put it in where there is a dock, so that I can get in and out of the boat. I do take it to Rayburn to run it but have to be very careful.

A bay boat may be better.

All the bay boats I've seen don't have high sides. Most of them are platform boats.

I have a problem falling also, I had to get rid of butt seat and use a regular seat to fish, and use one of those self inflating vest. I also learned to take the cellphone out of my pocket when I get in the boat, they don't like the water.

I would check out the 2014 21 LTS if you're sold on Mako over another brand like Blue Wave or Nautic Star. Unless you're talking way off shore, a 20 to 22 foot bay boat can be the best of both worlds.

Grew up in an older 27 with twin engines. Great fishing platform for rigs and trolling out of Grand Isle and Fouchon.

Plus if you're fishing RH or TW out of Kaufman, you're going to be fishing rocks and offshore structure now anyway. No water.

Towing a 23 foot twin engine boat from Kaufman to the coast is going to be pretty expensive, at least for me it would be. I would look at one of the other bay boats for local lakes as mentioned the 21 LTS. I have a Kenner 19vx which is big enough for me. When I get to go to the coast I hire a guide and use their boat and equipment. The guides know where to go.

Thanks for the tips. Looked at the 21 LTS and the 22 foot boats from Blue Wave and Nautic Star. I was going towards the 234 CC as it has higher sides and is more of a tub.

It is possible to get some rails installed on these other boats? They actually look to be a more comfortable fishing platform overall.

If you are planing to do inshore fishing that boat would be way to big and you would be very limited on where you can fish but if you are planing to do mainly offshore that would be a good boat