I'm a dreamer and frankly getting tired of getting soaked on those 10-15-20 SW days, as our summers seem to be getting windier and windier. Not that a bay boat is going to be all that drier, but a center console will be less wet I'm sure. Happened to pull into my Lund dealer the other day to pick up a part I'd ordered and happened to pick up a flier on a 22 foot bay boat for yuks. So who makes the dryest, most stable, economically priced bay boat, that won't just be limited to bays; because if it is quite frankly I'm not buying it. I go out in 5-8 footers all the time, I'm forced to cruise naturally and have to be careful in any following sea and it's wet; but the Lund is a pretty nice ride in that stuff for an aluminum.

Most important to me is the ability to put a trolling motor on it, with space for 3 batteries forward for the 36V trolling motor, without the bow being so high up off the water (hense my interest in a bay style boat), large 4-stroke power, decent top end 40-50 mph, good gas capacity and dual life wells, with some "real" dry storage thrown in to boot. For the life of me I can't even remember the make of the boat in the flier, but others that have caught my eye in fishing shows and/or boat shows, are the Triton and Rangers. I've seen several flat style boats off Scituate, usually with long roders on board, but they look much to close to be that dry or stable in bigger seas.

Also high on the list would be a nearbye (south shore), or relatively close dealer and one known for being good and reasonable, especially after my most recent service with Bayside (ie; bend over and take down your pants) Marine in Duxbury.

Anyone on the site running bay style boats? Curious to know how they hand, trailer and cost.

Tight lines.

I dont know how dry your going to be in any 22' I have the 24' Hydra Sports Vector walkaround and when the wind is blowing Southwest 10-15 like it is almost all summer and I am in Buzzards Bay if I dont have my full curtain up I am getting wet. This is a 5400# boat with fuel, motor and accessories.

I think these are nice Bay Baots. Probably suit your needs too.
Bay Bolt (http://www.hydra-sports.com/Boats/Boats_Detail.asp?cid=2&bid=99&sn=2)

try popping up parker boats on-line an run down their line of boats.

Member Bigcat has one of them for sale check out the classifieds

your nuts :cool:

walk around cuddy with hardtop and full enclosures......tough to beat. I don't get the high end that you are looking for, but I'm pretty comfortable in rough seas.....Hydrosports 22' vector series walk around is what I have.

I fished in this boat for a weekend a few years back. It was solid 3-4's and we stayed dry. I don't think any bayboat is capable in 5-8's. Terry guides out of this boat, light tackle/flyrod.
http://69.93.108.13/StriperTalk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12834&highlight=mako

Great Boats from what I hear:

http://maritimeskiff.com/

I think if you want to use a trolling motor and go out in 5-8 seas and live to tell about it(stay dry at least) you are going to have to compromise something. The only way to stay dry would be a full encloser. I run a 211 pro-line walk and if I dont snap my encloser on(at least the front) If the wind picks up the spray will find its way in. If you can live without the troling motor(perhaps put a kicker in the back) you can get a lot more boat.


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W.Y.C. North Weymouth

I don't think there really is a "do all" boat.
They all do something better than the next.

As far as flats style boats in new england, they're great to fish from, but they're FAR from being dry. Take a look at some of the older styles of boats that have been fished here for years and you'll see what the logic was. :D

Like QD said, if you can go without the trolling motor you can get ALOT more boat for your money.

Skip the outboard and get an inboard (little turbo diesel like they're putting in the new Makos etc.).
You'll save yourself ALOT of money in fuel costs, you'll still have tube and worm trolling speeds, and if rigged right, you can go right ontop of boulders and not worry about your running gear.

Also repair for inboards/io's tends to be less than outboards for no sane reason.

C-Hawk makes a nice 22 for this style..
my buddy had a 25ft he had rigged with a 3hp kicker for trolling, sure you could do the same with elec. trolling..
Romarines (bristol built) arent in production anymore, but make a great, stable boat....

Old-school 23' Seacraft Tsunami, if you can find one for sale:D

Those HS Bay Bolts look nice. Im sure you could ask Blaine about his for some real world info.
Those ff flats boats look like they'd be real wet in any chop.

GS, is the Lund wet because of no flare or low gunnells?

The Lund doesn't have much of a flare at all and the fact it's a dual console means, either I'm getting nailed or my partner. I can live with getting wet, that's what they make foul weather gear for and I'm no stranger to climbing into it when needed. My next move is so I can have a center console so I can stand to run, because my back takes a beating in some of the stuff I push my boat through. I want a similar albiet slightly drier ride, a well built boat that will take what I can push it through, because if the motor's running a lot of it has to do with boat handling. That's the other reason I'd rather be standing to run, I'd be getting a better view of what is coming.

Yes the trolling motor is a must, I can't live without it, so all these high riding bows or walkarounds are out for me, it's a flats or bay style boat so I can run a 36V trolling motor off the bow. I only know the couple names from the fishing shows I watch and I happened to see the Ranger center console at the last fishing show I went to and it looked well built. That Triton I see in a lot of those red fishing shows down in the keys looks sweat, I guess I'll have to see about the boat shows this coming winter.

what's wrong with getting wet? it's only water, slow down, use your trim tabs,:confused: later LINK SR.:cool:

Blaine is selling his boat. www.fishingct.com (hope posting this is ok):)

Ya ever want a test run on mine just holler, and it won't just be a test run;)

My friend has a 19 foot key largo CC and he has a trolling motor on the front and a 90 horse 4 stroke honda on the back. He has to watch the weather but he goes out from marshfield to p-town, and has been out to stellwagon more than once. I have been on it and it rides nice. I have been also soked to the bone a few times. I will still take my proline any day of the week over it though. To each his own.

Hydro Sports used to make a bay skiff that looked like it could handle some rough water.

Kenner Boats also has an impressive line of bay boats, all have trolling motors as standard equipment. BassPro shops has them in their stable of boats.

I never get wet in my flat bottom skiff, but get pounded like a bastage:smash:

Check out the Pathfinders.

http://ctfisherman.com/data/13TheFisherman.JPG something like this? I would stay with aluminum

http://www.triumphboats.com/Boats/Boats_Detail.asp?bid=142

This boat is very similar to the setup of your lund, but may have more freeboard/ more beam/ deeper V and be a bit dryer....

I'm looking at that or the 190 bay as an upgrade in a couple years... maybe 4-5 years. Part of my thinking is additional family room, but would also work well for our type of fishing and more.

I'm gonna try some tube 'n worm just as another option and some bait trolling, so I may go with a kicker. And I like the idea of having the kicker to get in if the big engine fails.

Lots of livewell space... lighter than a fiberglass boat.

I haven't seen the boat in person yet, but want to check it out hopefully at the boat shows.

polar is the number one selling bayboat in the u.s. polarboats.com yours truly bc psi am looking at the 27ft.c.c