Sugestions on small 2 man boat for bay fishing in Rockport Tx.

[tnq5546]

I am looking for a small 2 man boat for fishing the bays. This would be powered by a 7.5 hp motor. I am primarily a freshwater fisherman. All suggestions appreciated. Budget 1000-1500. I have a flatbed trailer that I am willing to use for transport.

 

[Woodonglass]

You might wanna check this out...http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/pelican-predator-10-3-fishing-boat/pid-12332

 

[alldodge]

I am looking for a small 2 man boat for fishing the bays. This would be powered by a 7.5 hp motor. I am primarily a freshwater fisherman. All suggestions appreciated. Budget 1000-1500. I have a flatbed trailer that I am willing to use for transport.

Don't know how ruff the bay can get where your at so if it is moderate waves, less then 2 feet, look at a 16 foot or so aluminum jon boat

 

[Texasmark]

Back when I was young I spent the summers there with my granddad. He had a 16' planked skiff and a 10 hp outboard. We would leave the boat basin and go SW down the bay for day fishing. In the afternoons the winds would pick up and there would be 2' waves with a reasonable trough such that the 16 was plenty of length since the wind and wave sources were to our rear (astern). Had it been the reverse it would not have been all that nice. The bays were shallow which was good if you got swamped but bad as it affected the waves.

Additionally, most afternoons contained a squall which is a spontaneously occurring, very short, intense, thunder storm with high winds, lightening and stinging, high volume, rain. If caught out in the bay in one of these, which we were on more than one occasion, the boat required bailing to prevent it from sinking...we had no flotation other than the fact that the boat was wood planked.....not that much.

I think it would be in your best interest to reconsider your aspirations.

HTH,
Mark

 

[tnq5546]

The academy boat looks interesting. I found an inflatable boat Newport Vessel 9' 6" that will accept up at a 10 hp outboard on amazon for $900. I just don't know if it would work as a fishing boat, and if the motor I have would move it.

 

[Texasmark]

I have been 10 miles off shore between Gulfport, MS. and Cat Island in a 13' runabout with a 22 hp Scott Attwater OB many times. The boat had a very large flare in the bow, with deck and windshield. The water was slow rolling in the morning, wind usually light on the way out heading due South from the launch and directly into the waves.
Cat island provided a refuge from the wind and waves once we got near it on the leeward side. In the afternoons the wind picked up just like in Rockport and you had larger waves but again you were going with them. Setting up the correct speed and making significant use of the flared bow made for an uneventful trip. I would not have attempted such had the boat been built differently or one of the conditions being any different. I did get caught out several times in squalls but the "Bail-a-Matic" bailer in the Scott and the protection offered by the island made it tolerable.

I personally would not recommend the boat you mentioned.

Mark

 

[Bullie]

I have a Pelican Predator. In fact, it is directly responsible for my new small outboard addiction. I don't think I would put the Pelican in really big water. If you have enough engine to move it along properly you may find that you have too much weight in the rear to take very much of a wave. I originally powered mine with a 6 hp Johnson...it was not enough to even get close to plane. I next bought a 15 hp Evinrude. Too much horsepower but not necessarily a bad thing IMO. I only recently got it running properly and haven't tested it on the Pelican. My most recent acquisition is a 9.9 Sea King. If I get it running properly it might be the perfect balance of weight vs power. I also tried it with a 9.9 Mercury 4 stroke. Too much weight. Would not plane the boat with just me in it. And, it would have been quite likely to take on water with much of any wave.

Fun little boat but maybe not in big water....

 

[airshot]

Being limited to a 7.5 hp motor restricts you to a max 14' aluminium hull rowboat. I would get a wide and deep one such as a StarCraft. I had one and it was a nice boat that could handle a light chop with ease. Anything bigger will need more HP. If it were me I would seriously consider a 16' with at least a 20 hp motor. A jonboat in the bay would be dangerous as they do not take waves well at all. Some of the V nose jons do better but they are quite pricey and well over budget.
You should be able to find a nice wide and deep 14 V bottom in your price range but do not expect much performance from your 7.5 motor.