Types of Powerboat (2)

Freshwater Fishing Boats. Bass boats, so called because they’re popular in fishing for bass, are often high-performance hulls designed to travel across big reservoirs at speeds better than a mile a minute. (Fast fish, those bass!) Bass boats tend to be javelin-shaped and powered by big V6 outboards producing 150 to 225 horses. Most run on a narrow “pad” near the transom, which causes them to plane up on top of the water much like a slalom ski, increasing speed and reducing fuel use (but not reducing it much!). They’re usually equipped with a silent electric trolling motor at the bow to provide low-speed maneuvering as the angler probes cover for his quarry (see the following photo). Prices range from $8,000 to $50,000. Smaller boats, some with squared-off bows known as “jon boats,” are popular for pursuit of all sorts of finny critters from catfish to sturgeon. Most of these boats are lightweight aluminum, which means they can be pushed with motors from 5 to 40 horses. Overall prices are affordable, starting as low as $2,500 including a trailer but without a motor. (The motors are portable and can be added or removed as needed.)

Saltwater Fishing Boats. Coastal fishing boats fall into three general divisions determined by size, seaworthiness, and price. Most seaworthy are the biggies designed for fishing well offshore. They range in length from 22 to 55 feet and are priced anywhere from $25,000 to several million dollars. These boats have lots of freeboard, lots of beam, and usually twin engines. They can be center consoles, with the wheel in the middle of the boat and fishing space both fore and aft—the preferred arrangement for those who cast to their fish. Cuddy-cabin boats have a low cabin under the bow—usually space for bunks and a dinette, but not enough head room to stand up. Full-cabin boats have standup head room, usually a full bath or “head,” and a kitchenette or “galley.” If you dream of catching marlin bigger than a pickup truck, this is your boat. The “walk-around,” shown in the following photo, is a popular variation of the cabin boat. It has space around the sides of the cabin to allow anglers to walk to the bow to fish, thus giving it some of the advantages of the center console, yet preserving the amenities of the full “house.” Cabin rigs make it possible to spend the night afloat. Camping out on the water has a special charm (if the mosquitoes aren’t too thick) and cabin rigs make it possible to extend the range of your cruises beyond the distance you can travel in a day-fisherman. Bay boats have moderate vee bottoms, moderate freeboard, and usually a single engine. Lengths of 17 to 24 feet are common, and prices range from $15,000 to $70,000. They’re usually center consoles. These are boats designed to take on sizable waters, and they’re often used along the ocean and gulf beaches in moderate weather.

Flats Boats. Flats boats are designed to pursue trophy saltwater species in depths of one to four feet. Some of these boats float in only eight inches of water and can run in as little as a foot. Elusive, metallic creatures known as bonefish spend a good part of their time in water barely deep enough to float a tadpole. They are as neurotic as turkeys the day before Thanksgiving, ready to speed for deep water at the bump of an oar against a gunnel, very difficult to fool, and inedible when caught. In the perverse way of anglers, they are considered wonderful game fish. Similarly obnoxious species include the permit and the six-foot-long tarpon, also avidly chased by flats anglers. Flats boats are stealth fighters devised to sneak up on these species. Most have a nearly flat bottom (the boats,not the fish) to give them a shallow draft. Flats rigs have low freeboard so that they don’t catch the wind and drift excessively. Lengths range from 15 to 21 feet. Center or side consoles are common, although some are simply operated from near the transom via a tiller. Prices range from $7,000 to as much as $55,000 for special lightweight models with particularly shallow draft.