Ideal boat for Tarpon

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Swells

Dang that girl is pretty - looks like a custom splash rail rob, and the designer knew what the heck he was doing. Yep, that's a tarpoon boat.

You can see the entire build from end product to the very beginning - here -
http://www.projecttarpon.com/boat.html

[freemanboatworks]

Originally Posted by Swells

I don't know why that is, maybe similar to how billfish like the sound of a diesel rather than an outboard. Or you can turn off the outboard and drift sideways, which does take some freeboard. The best tarpon boat I heard of was a hand-laid Freeman cat with an inboard, I think it was on a bluewater thread here on 2Cool.

No inboard Freeman built yet. I do know that occasionally my customers do fish for tarpon out of my boats and they do catch them.

I would think a boat laid out for kingfishing would work well for tarpon... full wide open 360 degree cockpit. Twin engines set apart wide for easy manuevering.... Different regions of the country seem to have different mindsets on what a perfect boat is.

[V-Bottom]

cost?

[capt mullet]

The Migration is beautiful for shore but this is my dream tarpon boat
http://gausebuiltboats.com/gallery.aspx?aid=61

[Scott]

Originally Posted by capt mullet

The Migration is beautiful for shore but this is my dream tarpon boat
http://gausebuiltboats.com/gallery.aspx?aid=61

Those are great boats too... all depends on where and how you like to fish.

[cpthook]

Originally Posted by capt mullet

The Migration is beautiful for shore but this is my dream tarpon boat
http://gausebuiltboats.com/gallery.aspx?aid=61

Nice boat, but again with an out-board you actually chase tarpon away from the boat, tarpon run from an out-board even quiet 4-strokes or an E-Tec like I have, whereas an in-board is almost like a shrimper culling, all fish around race in to the sound looking for food. So the perfect Texas Gulf tarpon boat in my opinion would have to be an inboard. No pun intended. Florida style fishing is completely different then here so the perfect tarpon boat there would most likely be like the gause.

[Scott]

Every boat is a compromise one way or the other. We built Migration to do one thing - tarpon fish. There isn't even a fish box on the boat. I have done the offshore thing, done the bay thing - time and family give me much more limited fishing times and options and I have to focus. So, focus we did..... For me, "it'll do just fine."

[Sweet Baby Cletus]

Those Gausebuilts (and Dorados) are fantastic boats based on the original Aquasport designs. These old AS boats are perfect Tarpon boats in my opinion and can be found configured with inboard power. A 19'6", 22 or 24 flat gunnel AS (real AS, not Wellcraft) can be purchased in good condition for cheap and rebuilt to your specifications with new power, tower, jackplate, wells, etc, much cheaper than you can buy a custom. They are very versatile, can handle rough water and are extemely fuel efficient designs. This is what I would do if I wanted to build a Tarpon boat.

[Swells]

Here's Capt. Todd Lohry's "Jetty Dog" of only 21 feet but is an inboard and he specializes in tarpon fishing at night. I have no idea what make or model it is.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Swells

Here's Capt. Todd Lohry's "Jetty Dog" of only 21 feet but is an inboard and he specializes in tarpon fishing at night. I have no idea what make or model it is.

Looks like an old Shamrock to me....