Pacific NW Boat ?

[Chris J]

Curious if anyone is running a bay boat up here in the Oregon/Washington area. I moved up last year from SoCal and used my 17 foot bass boat all year. It got kind of squirrely on the Columbia a couple times. I'd like to go to a larger boat, but I am not sure I want to go to a NW style boat. My primary fishing will still be bass fishing, fishing bays, and maybe poke my head out and fish rockfish on good weather days. Am I asking to much out of one boat? Opinions?

[rico]

How big of a boat do you want, and how much are you willing to spend? Ranger makes a saltwater boat that will work. check it out

[Marc]

I am considering the Ranger IntraCoastal myself for my next boat. It would be great for bass fishing and fishing on the Puget Sound and Columbia River.

You definitely can do it if you aren't careless.

ciao,
Marc

[Schneider Fishing]

I have a Ranger Z21 Intracoastal and I love it. I fish Fresh and Saltwater Bass tournaments.

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[crawdaddy]

Most bay boats have larger gunwales and sit higher in the water. If the winds in that area are anything like I have heard you will need several trolling motors to fish out of a bay boat. They have a larger above water profile and catch a lot of wind. I think this is the reason you see so few of them in the bass tournies. It would be ideal for a multi species platform but bass boats have been refined for the sport of bass fishing. Just my opinion. If I lived in Texas or Florida I would own one hands down due to the opportunities available on the inland waterways but not here.

[sro114]

I live on the Columbia and fish it several times a week. I have a Triton 20x3 and do just fine. I had a 17' tracker prior to this boat and there is no comparison as far as handling the rough water. I have the luxury of being able to use my dads jet boat also and you simply can't fish most of the areas I fish with it in the wind because you have to get on the kicker motor to stay in place. The electric will not do the job, it drafts a lot of wind. Of course this time of year the cover and heater are nice

[Paul W]

If you want a smaller bayboat that has a low-profile and doesnt cost a ton of cash, check out the Mako 18LTS. They are lighter than most bass boats, and a strong trolling motor will move that thing very well. It is the only bay boat under 20 feet that I have ever seen with a FULL flush rear deck. The in-water profile is quite low, definitely lower than many other bay boats. The standard motor is way underpowered, you would definitely want to upgrade that. Still it's no speed demon, but I have seen it in person and it's a damn nice boat. Check it out http://www.mako-boats.com/boat/?boat=3122


Paul Wolter

[Chris J]

Thanks for the replies guys. I was looking at the Champion bay boats or something like one of the Parker bay boats. When I moved up here last year I was talking to the guys at North River about pushing the forward helm back to be able to fish bass, but I don't think it will function the way I want it. I think something lower profile would be better. Nice intracoastal, I'll add that to the list to check out.

[pharmer]

Chris, as a fresh to salt cross over guy I went through the same search. The best ones hands down are the champion bay, and the triton lts. Put on a 250, and they should go around 55. The Ranger has a great lay out and would be the perfect boat except the gunnels are a little low for any kind of ocean type rough water. The makos are nice, but are a little narrow. Makes for a great ride, but not as stable as the wider models. If money wasn't an issue, the triton would be my first choice for a fresh /salt boat with a salt emphasis. Phil

[896J]

If I were going to fish for bass and still want to venture out on Puget Sound, I might look at the Warrior bass boat. Their bass boat has a 25-inch transom and were designed for a kicker motor to be an option for the muskie fisherman. Trolling flies on the surface for the silvers out on Puget Sound can be blast on light tackle . Here's a link to that boat:

http://www.warrior-boats.com/bass_boats ... nd_sc.html

[619]

Check out the Ranger fisherman series. Perfect for what your talking about.

Art Bailey
619-449-3474
Anglers Marine San Diego

[Bayou Boy]

I run a '07 Mako 2201 w/175 Suzuki and fish both Redfish and bass tournaments out of it... One awesome boat that does it all. Very smooth and dry ride (A must for my wife), 52.7 GPS mph @ WOT, Minn Kota Riptide 80 ST w/foot pedal , Lowrance 113c HD, 8' Power Pole w/remotes, dual livewells , tons of storage...cruise all day 4250 rpm / 32 mph /7.94mpg.

The boat is rated for 225 but I went with the 175 for weight (110 lbs lighter than 225) for shallow water purpose. I will be ordering a new Mako 2201 this year.,, only changes I will make or have are: I will go with the tunnel hull version and add tilt wheel.