# Tran Baby Cat or Shallow Sport 15



## Retriever (Dec 17, 2004)

Looking at the Baby Cat and Shallow Sport 15. Interested in opinions on the differences between the two as it relates to hole shot in shallow water, turning in tight bayous etc., true draft, poling performance and rough water performance. Fish POC usually 2 sometimes 3 on the boat.

Have narrowed it down to these two as I think they are the best choices in the 16ftish range. If I have missed another hull that is in this class from a quality perspective, let me know.

Thanks in advance.

Tight Lines.


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## boltmaster (Aug 16, 2011)

Do a search for baby cat threads. there are a ton of them on 2cool. I run a BC and love it. As for the SS 15 it's a great boat too but I haven't seen near as many posts on it. If you have any specific questions on the BC lots of BC owners here that will be glad to help. Good luck on your search and comparing.


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## TEXASBACKWATER (Feb 24, 2012)

Are you wanting to buy new or used? I think they are both good boats, it just depends what you are looking for....the Baby Cat will take rougher water better, costs less because of the wood deck, and will run about as shallow as the older 15 Shallow Sports...The new Double Tunnel 15' Shallow Sport will run shallower, turn better in the shallows, pole better, get up way shallower, and is a lighter and much more stable platform....IMO...The resale on the Shallow Sport 15' is second to none on holding its value and you will always have a buyer for it...The Baby Cat is a good entry level boat that will get you across some deeper bay systems and over some shallow flats as long as you don't have to shut it down too shallow....And the boat has a "Low Compromise ratio" to it of being able to take some chop and run shallow, so some people like it, it just depends how and where you fish...I've fished them both and I purchased the 15' Shallow Sport.... so I am biased, but I have been also telling you the truth...I added a tower that leans over the front and a rear tower that leans over the back and it fishes three people like you are on a 18' Classic....I mainly fish the Lower Laguna Madre and I can't find much water this boat can't get out of....If I do, we just "Fred Flinstone It" over to a pot hole and add an inch and then get up.


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## billclemens (Jan 31, 2012)

TEXASBACKWATER said:


> Are you wanting to buy new or used? I think they are both good boats, it just depends what you are looking for....the Baby Cat will take rougher water better, costs less because of the wood deck, and will run about as shallow as the older 15 Shallow Sports...The new Double Tunnel 15' Shallow Sport will run shallower, turn better in the shallows, pole better, get up way shallower, and is a lighter and much more stable platform....IMO...The resale on the Shallow Sport 15' is second to none on holding its value and you will always have a buyer for it...The Baby Cat is a good entry level boat that will get you across some deeper bay systems and over some shallow flats as long as you don't have to shut it down too shallow....And the boat has a "Low Compromise ratio" to it of being able to take some chop and run shallow, so some people like it, it just depends how and where you fish...I've fished them both and I purchased the 15' Shallow Sport.... so I am biased, but I have been also telling you the truth...I added a tower that leans over the front and a rear tower that leans over the back and it fishes three people like you are on a 18' Classic....I mainly fish the Lower Laguna Madre and I can't find much water this boat can't get out of....If I do, we just "Fred Flinstone It" over to a pot hole and add an inch and then get up.


Seems I read somewhere where there's no wood in a Baby Cat.


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## TEXASBACKWATER (Feb 24, 2012)

When they say 100% fiberglass/composite they are talking about the hull....they still fiberglass a pieced together wood deck....not a one-piece nida-core liner deck like the Shallow Sport. Hence the 16' Baby Cat weighs as much as the 20 Classic SS.


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## boltmaster (Aug 16, 2011)

billclemens said:


> Seems I read somewhere where there's no wood in a Baby Cat.


Correct all trans are 100% wood free


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## finaddiction (Aug 8, 2005)

Texasbackwater, where did you get the information about the wood deck? It is my understanding that Tran builds their entire boat 100% wood free just like Five and others have mentioned.

fin


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## Number_Five (Feb 14, 2012)

*Wood?*

Then I've been taken!

Nah, just kidding, there is no wood on a Tran Boat.

Unless they just think this little decal is fun or cute.

Five


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## Shortmag71 (Apr 19, 2011)

Baby Cat, or Shoalwater 16 Cat, probably a better boat dang sure less expensive than a Shallow Sport.


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## bobfishbw (Feb 3, 2009)

I need more popcorn.


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## spook jr (Jun 25, 2008)

Tran does not use wood! I went to there shop trying to find some marine plywood a long time ago. He told me to call shoal water or mowdy.


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## flatsmaster14 (Mar 25, 2011)

spook jr said:


> Tran does not use wood! I went to there shop trying to find some marine plywood a long time ago. He told me to call shoal water or mowdy.


Lol thats good! No wood in my tran


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## Fishng (Oct 13, 2011)

*No wood or screws in a Tran*

I saw every step of my 20' SVT being built last year.
Two things a Tran boat does not have in it is wood or screws. 
Absolutely NO WOOD or screws. 
Every where something needs to be fastened down, it is either glassed in or through bolted with SS screws and brass nylok locking nuts.


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## KWillis (May 31, 2010)

i have a baby cat w/90hp suki and does it take off!! my buddy has a 18' shallow sport and I can out run his boat in choppy or calm water


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## Csafisher (Nov 16, 2010)

Might check out a 16' majek Texas skiff or a 16' shoalwater flats. Although both are rough riding


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## acoastalbender (Jul 16, 2011)

*You pay for what you get......*

Seems if either of these manufacturers was overcharging people they'd be spotted soon enough. They're both decent boats made with enough differences to be distinguished through price. Targeting different customers with different tastes/financials......

.


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## Number_Five (Feb 14, 2012)

Retriever I apologize, but I'm not able to provide you with hole shot numbers or top end speed, I run an SVT so the numbers will be a little different than the Baby Cat. I can tell you that my boat runs and gets up very well with a live load.

In addition to that Donny treats his customers right, and has always been there to answer my questions.



> Texasbackwater - The Baby Cat is a good entry level boat that will get you across some deeper bay systems and over some shallow flats as long as you don't have to shut it down too shallow


As far as Tran boats being good "entry level" boats, and Shallow Sport being on another level. If you want to think that, please do, you are entitled to you opinion. I happen to think Shallow Sport is a fine boat, just wasn't right for me and what I wanted to do.

Five


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## TEXASBACKWATER (Feb 24, 2012)

What is the decking then?....they do not mention it on their website and is it seven layers of bi-lateral hand-laid glass that they do lay? I do agree that they make a fine boat, I have a few friends that swear by them and they don't just shoot glass through a gun like a lot of boat manufacturers do these days, but depending on how you want a boat to perform.....and if you want to run the deeper chop, then any extra weight will benefit....a lot of guides I know like the extra weight of their older Shallow Sports because for only an inch of draft they could get a little better ride in the chop on their 18's and still get the skinnest performing boat.....the newer Shallow Sports with the Double-Tunnel allow the maximum performance in shallow water with the V force-fed tunnel....you can jack it to the 5 position mounted on the up bolts and they still bite water and shoot you out of the hole....you can run in 6 inches and not even muddy the water if you run it right....start tilting it too much at that position and here comes the heat alarm....pretty impressive what the Newer 15' Shallow Sport will do.


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

I have a 3 year old BC with the older T90 and it is a great boat and does anything that I want it to do. I hear that the new Tothatsu 90 with a better gear ratio does even better but about the only time mine did not do well was when Fishfinder went around some guys and tried to run in no water one time. 

Call Donny and go down and go for a ride. BC are nice little boats that run shallow, dry and stable for a 16 ft boat you think you are out in an 18 or 19 in rough water.


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## PTH (Aug 22, 2006)

Go run both of them and YOU decide.


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## Coastline Marine (Jan 27, 2008)

I might be biased but.


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## Jetpadge (Mar 17, 2011)

Both are getting pricey new. I bought the Sholewater 14.5 cat. Great little boat (with wood) but after I rigged it out with a 70hp yammy, towers, wedges, low water pick up, custom props I was in it for over 23K. For that money I could have bought a used Newwater Curlew and called it a day with the Farrari of the flats. Both the BC and the SS will out perform my 14.5.


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## Slimshady (Jan 11, 2005)

I remember seeing this posted a few months ago after it was built. Very nice but also biased and have seen the difference. No affiliation.

http://corpuschristi.craigslist.org/boa/3035741501.html


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## nbiffle (Mar 26, 2012)

WOAH, im sorry texas backwater but who told u there was wood in the baby cat all of the Tran boats are 100% WOOD FREE! and if you dont believe me come by we are at 1729 first street in palacios, tx. The reason why the BC is heavy is bc we care about the quality of our boats and we use a reasonable enough fiberglass to make sure your boat doesnt fall apart when u go across rough water or get beat to death.


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## fattyflattie (May 20, 2008)

Those 15's are absolutley beautiful. 

I wish I could justify one as a second boat.


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## shallowgal (Jun 11, 2004)

I do agree the deck kind of looks like a rolled gunnel wood deck when I've seen them in the past. Maybe thats why? How is the deck made, what materials I mean? How many years have all of the decks been wood free?


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## shallowgal (Jun 11, 2004)

And just in case anyone wants to read something into my question that's not there....this is in no way a "bash" or anything, just genuinely curious.


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## flatsmaster14 (Mar 25, 2011)

shallowgal said:


> I do agree the deck kind of looks like a rolled gunnel wood deck when I've seen them in the past. Maybe thats why? How is the deck made, what materials I mean? How many years have all of the decks been wood free?


I have a 99 and it's wood free


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## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

for micro scooter shallow water performance and resale only.. Shallowsport 15' no questions asked. It looks fine and performs shallow as its name implies. If going bigger and wanting more comfy ride across a bay system, you have to look at the cats.


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## TEXASBACKWATER (Feb 24, 2012)

I know Fiberglass, but What other material is in the decking of a Transport? What is the fiberglass laid to? What makes up the hatches? How many layers of hand-laid glass do they use and who makes the glass and resins that they purchase? Do all boat models of Transport use the same materials in them or are they all built exactly the same? I can find all this information on the Shallow Sport website. I cannot find this information on the Transport website. Any correct information would be great.


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## boltmaster (Aug 16, 2011)

texasbackwater said:


> i know fiberglass, but what other material is in the decking of a transport? What is the fiberglass laid to? What makes up the hatches? How many layers of hand-laid glass do they use and who makes the glass and resins that they purchase? Do all boat models of transport use the same materials in them or are they all built exactly the same? I can find all this information on the shallow sport website. I cannot find this information on the transport website. Any correct information would be great.


call donnie or frank at tran. If not a trade secret i am sure they will tell you. All trans have a 100% wood free logo stenciled on the transom.


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## Capt Scott Reeh (Jan 21, 2006)

TEXASBACKWATER said:


> I know Fiberglass, but What other material is in the decking of a Transport? What is the fiberglass laid to? What makes up the hatches? How many layers of hand-laid glass do they use and who makes the glass and resins that they purchase? Do all boat models of Transport use the same materials in them or are they all built exactly the same? I can find all this information on the Shallow Sport website. I cannot find this information on the Transport website. Any correct information would be great.


Decking.....is handlayed layers of fiberglass. Glass is layed/glued to the stringers and tied/glassed into the gunnells.Don't know how many layers...call Donnie.Manufacturer of the glass and resin is unknown......does it really matter ?Hatches are all fiberglass.Same glass and resin is used in all Tran Sport boats.Like stated earlier.......call Donnie,Frankie or TV Tran for more info....361-972-6688.


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