# Best Boat To Buy To Fish Laguna Madre



## Fishinrob (Dec 1, 2007)

What is the best boat to buy between 18' and 22'?

A Welded Jon Boat 72" bottom with sponson steps??
A Scooter type boat??
A Vee with tunnel???
A Stoner or Majak "flour Bluff" boat??

Thanks in advance...


----------



## great white fisherman (Jun 24, 2008)

Well, if fishing the lower LM you have to decide- Am I fishing from the boat, am I wade fishing am i doing both. If yes to all above then forget the jon boat and go with one of the shallow skiff boats. Jon boats are wet and pound you and make a lot of noise. Fishing a river is about all i would use a J boat for. If you don,t like to wade then that means you are not going to be in real skinny ( shallow) water, so maybe a all around V boat center console would be good. What about jetty fishing and things like that? Shallow draft boats are very special boats just for that kind of fishing. My son has a 23ft Hydra sport and we fish from it out of Port Mansfield. We fish the bay, the cuts, the jetties and offshore all in this one 23ft boat. So, to me your question is too broad, need more information. Are you taking a family are you fishing with several people. The lower bay gets windy and rough are you still going to fish anyway? We do!


----------



## Rob S (Jan 8, 2007)

If I fished down there more, or lived down there, I would get a majek illusion.

Rob


----------



## o_brother (Jul 26, 2007)

Great White is right on needing more info. to help with sugestions... Any flat bottom boat is going to be rough when the water is rough but will get you in shallow water. V-bow or a tunnel V will be smoother but will draft more. If you have family fishing with you then look for something with sides. If its just you and a buddy then low or no side skiffs may be what you want. Go test ride any boat you are interested in and look at all the options. By the way Rob S. I like the Majek Illusion myself.......

MIke


----------



## Mudwhistle (Apr 29, 2008)

That Laguna Tiger I hear is super sweet.


----------



## Shallow_Sport (Jan 22, 2008)

Look at the depths of places you'll be fishing. The deeper, the bigger the chop. For instance from PI to Arroyo the bay is real deep from PI to the bottom egde of the gas well flats. In what the forecast calls moderate chop, you're going to get hammered hard when you cross from lets say holley beach to the east side color change. It's all deep water, and even if you are in a Tunnel V you're sure to get wet at pounded with sometimes 2 foot chop.

I've found ways to avoid dealing with more of this chop than I have to in my Shallow Sport. I plan my fishing to keep me from crossing across the deep as little as possible and plan my driving route accordingly. You can run near long bar from PI almost all the way to Holley Beach, cross a bit of deep and you end up avoiding the miles of deep water if you were to head straight to Holley from PI. Same if going to gas well flats from PI...you cross to the east of the ICW and cruise in the shallower water all the way to the gas well flats, staying away from the color change and the ride is smooth.

I'm sure a TV is way smoother than a SS in chop but also ask yourself if your willing to modify your driving to fit the boat (like I do) or buy the boat to fit the biggest chop you'll encounter. I would have bought a TV but the smoother ride to me was not as important as knowing if I got my self into something real shallow I could go through it. I've already experienced this several times...If I had anything with a deeper draft while running I would've bogged. It's all priorities.


----------



## Shallow_Sport (Jan 22, 2008)

BTW I also fish off a small Jon boat, Alumacraft 1542 my dad and I modified.

__
https://flic.kr/p/2446712783
 It's wet in heavy chop, but it will be just fine for fishing areas not venturing too far from dock...mostly because it's much slower. Fishing Mexiquita flats, the color change holley beach it's all OK. It just takes longer to get places and big chop makes the ride crazy, so we stick to places close to PI. It will run in a foot and a half of water...no tunnel, and will float in 4 inches of water if you balance the weight forward.


----------



## FishinHippie (Jun 19, 2005)

I like the tunnel-V because they are do run shallow and can handle the chop fairly well. Of course the bigger the boat, the better it handles chop but sacrifices draft at rest. 

I drive a 19 Mosca Shallow Ghost that floats in 6" and runs in 5". Handles chop very nicely. The 22 Bay Raider is even better, but drafts 8" at rest and 6" on plane.

BUT.. a Mosca comes at a premium, new or used. Finding a used Mosca is very tough. A new one could take 6-9 months before you will take delivery, and it is worth the wait!!


----------



## juanpescado (Dec 22, 2006)

A Welded Jon Boat 72" bottom with sponson steps??

Not a bad boat right there , get a center console , 18-20 foot , a 70 fourstroke , a jack plate and spend a little on some decent electronics with maps . These are very versatile and will last forever plus you will save tons on gas , plus you can get wild and throw a light rack on there for flounder gigging , you would not be dissapointed with this setup ...


----------



## FishinHippie (Jun 19, 2005)

juanpescado said:


> A Welded Jon Boat 72" bottom with sponson steps??
> 
> Not a bad boat right there , get a center console , 18-20 foot , a 70 fourstroke , a jack plate and spend a little on some decent electronics with maps . These are very versatile and will last forever plus you will save tons on gas , plus you can get wild and throw a light rack on there for flounder gigging , you would not be dissapointed with this setup ...


very good point here!! Remember that a tunnel-V requires alot more horsepower because the hull is ALOT slower than a flat bottom or any of the other options!! More horsepower = more gas.


----------



## MsAddicted (Jan 25, 2005)

FishinHippie said:


> I like the tunnel-V because they are do run shallow and can handle the chop fairly well. Of course the bigger the boat, the better it handles chop but sacrifices draft at rest.
> 
> I drive a 19 Mosca Shallow Ghost that floats in 6" and runs in 5". Handles chop very nicely. The 22 Bay Raider is even better, but drafts 8" at rest and 6" on plane.


It IS worth the wait unless you are in a big hurry. Thomas researched many boats before settling on the 22' Mosca. The tunnel V (IMO) gives it the best combo of versatility. It goes plenty shallow but also handles some really big chop. We fish the galveston system and havent found anything yet that the boat couldnt handle. We take it to the jetties on calmer days with no problem. It could handle a rough day out there but thats just not much fun. LOTS of floor space.


----------



## hollarfish1959 (May 18, 2008)

PARKER 23 BIG BAY!!!!!!!


----------



## Rob The Rude (Nov 12, 2005)

I also run a 23 TV and it will run shallow enough for to get you into trouble, or out of trouble if needed. Also it will handle the heavy chop pretty good, and get you out past the jettys on a good day. Like MsAddicted said they will handle the rough stuff outside the jettys, but it's not any fun trying to fish in those conditions. I have three small boys and never really worry about the low sides, and they have all been out on it since they were three. I just fill up the livewells and they play inside them instead of trying to play in the water over the side. You should buy what ever will keep you happy for now and years down the road. Just my 2 cents.

Rob


----------



## bowhunter63 (Dec 9, 2005)

21 haynie runs shallow and dry


----------



## chris coulter (Aug 3, 2006)

go out and scout the area see what people are running i have over 30 guides running that area they run the HAYNIE because it is fast dry and smooth the rougher the water gets the better the haynie will run you can demo any model we make just call one of our dealers for info are to set up demo
www.hayniebayboats.com


----------



## Capt Ryan Rachunek (Feb 16, 2006)

After this weekend, I have to say the SCB Stingray. Shallow water capibility, speed, and it can make it through the big stuff.....


----------



## Diamond Jen (Jan 3, 2008)

It totally depends on what type of fishing you plan to do. I agree with a lot of the feedback that you have received - good comments. You also have to consider your space needs, how many people will be on the boat, how many people would you like to be able to fish from the boat or do you plan to wade? Determine your exact needs and then test drive several boats before making a decision. Good luck!!!


----------



## SHOALWATER TV (Apr 8, 2008)

Capt Ryan Rachunek said:


> After this weekend, I have to say the SCB Stingray. Shallow water capibility, speed, and it can make it through the big stuff.....


Yea but really...not alot of people can afford a SCB ray,or a Mosca for that matter,I would have to pick a used Shallow Sport.


----------



## BC (Jun 27, 2008)

21' Kenner tv.......affordable and great boat


----------



## CalhounFishing (Jan 17, 2006)

Mowdy all the WAY V-22 !
This is my boat


----------



## FLAT FISHY (Jun 22, 2006)

if its going to set outside all its life and used hard go metal , if not get the baddest thing u can afford to feed . I have metal and glass if one was to go it would be the glass


----------



## txshockwave (Mar 6, 2007)

www.boatrightmarine.com

If you want an alum rig these are the best


----------

