# Poling Skiffs



## Sauce (Jan 30, 2010)

I have been tossing the idea around of purchasing a poling skiff and was wanting some feedback from the 2cool braintrust. I want something in the 16'-18' range with a 30-40 hp outboard- I want it as simple as can be- I have been looking at the Ankona Copperheads as well as the Salt Marsh 16 low country- I wanted to get some opinions on these as well as any others that you may have experience with- also wanting to see what some of the top end speed might be- won't be making many long runs but I am still curious as to the top speeds- also post up some pics of your skiffs for some ideas


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## texasislandboy (Apr 28, 2012)

After I sold my poling skiff I fished alot more.. I was always stuck on the back of my pathfinder 17T pushing my buddies around. I still look for another one all the time. I really liked the boat even to fish solo


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## txteltech (Jul 6, 2012)

Sauce I saw this the other day it looks pretty cool

http://www.2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=1312394


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

I see a lot of hull slap occurring on that low country 16. That would drive me insane. ECC has been making the Lostmen for almost ten years. Look for a used one of those or a Caimen or a Beavertail or certain Dolphins or even an old HB. All of those are stealthy.


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## TXPIRATE (Jan 28, 2009)

This one is for sale in corpus http://corpuschristi.craigslist.org/boa/4847631759.html

I just priced a Mitzi for 30k before taxes and any goodies from gulf coast marine. Ouch I always thought those were supposed to be the reasonable priced skiffs


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## Ripin' Lips (Jul 3, 2012)

From your post it seems like you want an economical skiff. Ive been searching small poling skiffs for about 2 years now and I think I have looked at almost every manufacturer and model out there. For small economical poling skiffs you have Saltmarsh, Ankona, Beavertail, Mosquito Bay and Skimmer Skiff. The Skimmer Skiff 14' is the old IPB. Wingmaster is a newer brand that Sam Root is pushing. These are some of the most well know but there are many more out there. I just purchased a 1444 saltmarsh for myself. I fish by myself 99% of the time and couldn't justify a 20K poling skiff until I had the chance to run the beavertail micro. What a sweet ride. For 10K less I can handle a little hull slap!, which is why I chose the Saltmarsh. I think Flip used to pole a semi v aluminum at one point in time but I'm not 100% certain. Some days the hull slap matters and other days it doesn't. 

The BT Micro we ran had a 30HP Etec and we ran about 24-25 knots with two large guys and a full fishing load. I've run a Mitzi w/ a 40HP Etec and the speed would be about the same as the BT micro, maybe a little faster. However, the mitzi has a larger profile and therefore catches more wind and is harder to pole on windy days. You may have better luck going to microskiff, the hulltruth, Saltyshores or skinnywater culture as they will have reviews of most manufacturers. 

Your best bet is to figure out what you want to do 90% of the time and then narrow down the selection. If you are crossing open water then a full V is a must for a drier and less painful ride.


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## duck commander (Sep 19, 2005)

I run a gulf coast skiff that is very similar to the salt marsh. You can get one striped with a 25 Etec tiller from Redwing for around 10k. Mine poles pretty good but it does have some hull slap. Never stopped me from hooking up with skinny reds on a fly rod.









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## captMike (Jan 30, 2006)

*poling skiff*

Call Billy Tremble he has some really nice poling skiff. They float super shallow and don't take much power to push them.
361-205-1266


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## [email protected] (Jun 25, 2005)

Take a look at East Cape Skiffs. Their build quality and fit and finish are second to none and their prices are well below the other popular brands of poling skiffs. I know on their flagship model they are 20 grand below the most popular brand of poling skiff's flagship hull.


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## 5moreminutes (Jan 14, 2014)

A base model wingmaster is running for $9k! And fits in a garage.
I will be looking for a poling skiff after I evaluate my trolling motor/cooler standing abilities in my 19' cat. Just waiting for spring time.


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## Alwaysinshorts (Jun 14, 2012)

I purchased an older model poling skiff last year. I had the intention of also poling around alot in the skinny water. The first month I did just that then I realized that the trolling motor was just as good for my boat. 

So here is my recommendation, if you really want to pole around make sure you get a narrow boat, mine is a little wider than normal and its a little difficult by the end of the day. 

Stay simple and it will be better for skinny water. That East Cape is a really good boat for skinny water. Ive been in one and they are great. Don't worry about hull slap as any skinny water boat is going to do that, as long as you have the water it is designed for you are fine. But be careful not to try and run across a large bay system in bad conditions. Like any boat you will have to be careful.


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

Alwaysinshorts said:


> Don't worry about hull slap as any skinny water boat is going to do that


Not true. My BT has zero hull slap while poling, nada, zip. None of the ECC models will have hull slap, nor will any Hells Bay or Maverick. People will say it doesn't matter, but it does. Can you catch fish from a boat with hull slap? Absolutely. Will you sneak up on and catch more fish in a dead silent boat? Absolutely.


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## surfsideperson (Aug 22, 2005)

*Hull slap*

​stuart is correct- a dedicated poling skiff should have almost zero hull slap - it would defeat the purpose of a skinny water plying skiff
Just my two sense -


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## TXPIRATE (Jan 28, 2009)

I think it really depends on how "spooky" the fish are. I have never really noticed hull slap bothering fish. In skinny water you are making a lot of other noises not to mention other ambient noises form the environment. Sound carries MUCH better in water so what we hear and what fish hear are completely different. In my opinion fish spook a lot worse due to seeing the boat/person. This is times ten if you aren't paying attention to your shadow and it get to them before they actually see you.


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

It's not just the noise, it's the pressure wave the boat is pushing and fish supposedly pick up on that with their lateral line. In certain scenarios, people swear by a fly that "pushes" water to give the fish the ability to tell there's something close by that he needs to investigate. So, if a fly 3/4 inch in diameter can make a pressure wave that a fish can pick up on, a 17 foot boat certainly can. The fact that ALL of the "technical" poling skiff guys: Hells Bay, ECC, Chittum, Maverick, Beavertail etc go to great lengths to make a silent boat, tells you something. And no, I don't make any unnecessary noise when poling my skiff. If I'm poling on a hard sand or grass bottom, I can move along with absolutely no discernible noise. It's awesome. And I totally agree about shadows and movement, especially with those pesky sheepshead on the flats. I don't know how the heck they can pick up on the SLIGHTEST movements, but they can. I can be on the front with a fly rod in one hand and they will bolt when I slowly move my other hand from my side to grab the line in preparation for a cast. It's crazy.


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## Alwaysinshorts (Jun 14, 2012)

Your right on the hual slap for poling. I was a little off on my comment or explanation. I was referring to the ride not the haul slap during poling.


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## Sauce (Jan 30, 2010)

You fellas have any pictures of your skiffs?


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

Alwaysinshorts said:


> Your right on the hual slap for poling. I was a little off on my comment or explanation. I was referring to the ride not the haul slap during poling.


True that. My boat sounds like someone beating the side of a tin barn when I'm running a chop.


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

Sauce said:


> You fellas have any pictures of your skiffs?


Picture taken today. Keep your boats inside and they'll look like this 9 years later. 2007 Beavertail Skiff purchased new in November 2006, 50 e-tec tiller. Never once have regretted buying this boat. Have fished it from Laguna Madre to Florida.


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## Backcast (Jul 22, 2005)

*Mitzi 15 Tiller 2002*

Mitzi 15 tiller 2002

Joe


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## whistlingdixie (Jul 28, 2008)

There are reasons why some poling skiffs are more then others and why top guides and tournament guys pay for these high end skiffs. Fit and finish is a big reason but hull slap, being stealthy with out any pressure waves, stability, draft, and most importantly a quite deck are also very important features. You should be able to walk around a poling skiff and not hear any squeaks or hollow sounds. There are a lot of back yard builders building poling skiffs but until you step foot into a maverick, hells bay, ECC, and beavertail then you will never understand. Maverick has the most tournament wins then any other poling skiff on the market and they keep winning today. That speaks volume in the poling skiff world.


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## Whipray (Mar 12, 2007)




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## bmtsupra (Jul 19, 2013)

Not a high end skiff like the HellsBay, East Cape, or Maverick but she's good enough for me and gets the job done.


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## Tailshot (Jan 23, 2010)

HB Marquesa skiff, a lot to pole at the end of the day but handles reasonable trips across Galveston Bay.


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## Spec-Rig.006 (Nov 2, 2007)

Alwaysinshorts said:


> But be careful not to try and run across a large bay system in bad conditions. Like any boat you will have to be careful.


I do agree you need to know your limitations but - depends on the boat (not to harp on you - people keep retorting to what you're saying). I'll put my VHP up against ANY boat on any big body of water. The ride is plenty safe and more comfortable than I can describe.



Sauce said:


> You fellas have any pictures of your skiffs?


Si ... !


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

We have run across Matagorda Bay in some hellacious waves after a front hit and never once did the Maverick 17 HPX-T make me feel uncomfortable. It is all about how you approach the waves.


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## Bama1080 (Apr 25, 2013)

2007 Ecc Lostmen I bought back in June 2014 absolutely love it doesn't ride the best but when the engine is off is where a technical poling skiff like this shines. My bay boat doesn't get used near as much since I bought this boat








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## 223AI (May 7, 2012)

Spec-Rig.006 said:


> I do agree you need to know your limitations but - depends on the boat (not to harp on you - people keep retorting to what you're saying). I'll put my VHP up against ANY boat on any big body of water. The ride is plenty safe and more comfortable than I can describe.
> 
> Si ... !


Likewise. I ran my VHP through West Galveston this past Saturday, which was as nasty as I wanted to get. 20 mph winds, rain, and very choppy bay waters. I was not prepared for how well the skiff ran....dry as a bone, soft, efficient, and it just ate up the chop. I even tried stuffing the bow, and I couldn't get the boat to take water on. I felt very safe in some of the nastiest bay water that I could find.

The East Cape crew kept telling me that I'd be surprised with the big water performance, and I absolutely was. Seeing is definitely believing.

Speaking of seeing, I took delivery of my Vantage along with Spec-Rig.006:


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## texasislandboy (Apr 28, 2012)

Thats a nice ride!


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

Ditch that glass push pole Bama.


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## texasislandboy (Apr 28, 2012)

Stuart said:


> Ditch that glass push pole Bama.


I even have a carbon on my 21' sport... But its only 14' long for poling from the bow... I do have a 19' carbon at stiffy I just need to pick up.


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## Bama1080 (Apr 25, 2013)

Stuart said:


> Ditch that glass push pole Bama.


Yea that thing will work you to death. I took the 18 stiffy that was on my 15t before it sold. I would love a 21 hybrid just haven't pulled the trigger yet.

Sent from my iPhone


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## whistlingdixie (Jul 28, 2008)

I saw 3 ECC on a truck crossing the Texas border late last week. Is there a dealer now in Texas?


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## Team FlatnSassy (Mar 26, 2009)

Much wider than other skiffs.....has served us very well in tournaments the last 7 years.....and guess what...for Sale!


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## Ripin' Lips (Jul 3, 2012)

ECC is direct to customer. They have shown no interest in brokers, dealers or distributors. 

I've seen days where just standing on a casting platform spooked fish and ive seen days where it didn't matter what you did on the boat the fish were going to eat. With that said there are more spooky fish days than there are they'll eat anything days. I agree that these skiffs are made for stealth and sneaking up on fish but I can live with a little hull slap every now and then. Poling into the wind/waves/ripples is where you get most of your hull slap so i try to avoid at all costs. Some days you just cant avoid it and have to deal with it. I'm not done putting the saltmarsh through its paces but i haven't noticed any noticeable hull slap yet. ive been more focused on the break in procedure for motor that i haven't poled for more than a few hours.


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

Ripin' Lips said:


> ECC is direct to customer. They have shown no interest in brokers, dealers or distributors.


Not entirely true. There is a least one dealer in Florida that ECC has allowed to buy slots in the production schedule. There's a video of Kevin and the dealer online where he has a couple of Glides in stock.


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## Ripin' Lips (Jul 3, 2012)

I could have sworn that Kevin had said on this forum that ECC would only be direct to customer but he may have been commenting on the Texas market.


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

Ripin' Lips said:


> I could have sworn that Kevin had said on this forum that ECC would only be direct to customer but he may have been commenting on the Texas market.


They are almost completely customer direct. The dealer in the vid was just down the street from ECC, well established etc. Not the norm I don't think, but I don't see anything wrong with it. It may put a customer in your boat that is simply not going to wait.


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## Salty Dog (Jan 29, 2005)

At one point I think Kevin sold some boats through a dealer in Rockport, too. Back when all they were building was the Gladesman.


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## East Cape (Feb 26, 2010)

Hey guys!
Just thought I'd drop in and reply as Glenn and Stu are correct! 
Back in 04' we did try a dealer over there but in the end it didn't work out so we brought the boats back to FL and sold them all hereâ€¦
Then fast forward to now, we did/do have a dealer nearby who came to us who wanted to buy slots in our production. So, we sold him slotsâ€¦he in turned sold them for a tad higher price than our msrp as he had the ability to have a boat right then/there and still get them custom rigged as the boats came back to us for custom rigging and final assembly.
As much as we want a dealer honeslty it's tough. We had a dealer who does post on here contact us about wanting to buy slots in our production, but in the end the owner didn't want to do it and the sales guy who was leading the idea is now unhappy with his bossâ€¦

Doing this "slot selling" to a dealer allows us to get a boat to those who don't want to wait which really isn't long to me ( 12-16 weeks on average ) or to those who can't get a conventional loanâ€¦
There is good anglers who can make the payments but for some its the banks not making it happen and having a dealer who CAN find secondary lending it makes that one angler have a boat. In the end being on the water is what we all want to happen. Hope this clears up some questions and maybe we will have that perfect relationship w/a dealerâ€¦in the meantime, we will continue to do what works for the last decade 
Kevin


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