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  1. #1
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    Need Opinions on Inshore Boats

    I've got a 2017 Nitro Z18 and there's a chance (knock on wood) that I could be station in Charleston, SC by 2020. I'm in Altus, OK right now in the Air Force and a return to Charleston, COULD be in the cards for 2020. I do nothing but bass fish down here in Oklahoma. Texas and I love it. When I'm not fishing I'm rigging up stuff for weekend tourneys/trips. That being said, I'm debating on whether or not I will keep my boat if headed to SC. I've done a lot of online shopping and it looks like a 19' or 20' inshore boat could be what I'm looking for. That way, I don't have anything I really CAN'T do. So, here are my questions:

    1. What will I miss and will I miss it enough to have 2 boat payments to keep the Bass Boat?

    2. Which boat is the best of both worlds, Mako CPX, SeaFox Viper, etc.

    3. Is there anything a 19-20' inshore really can't do that a Bass Boat can? Besides draft 2" worse?

  2. Member Greg58's Avatar
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    Feb 2011
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    #2
    I live in springfield mo, we travel to Florida about once a year and fish the inland salt water. I ended up buying a Skeeter SX220 Bay boat 2 years ago. Best all around boat I have ever owned. I bass and crappie fish around here and can handle the salt water when needed. About the only thing I have lost is speed. The pluses far outweigh that though. I have owned bass boats since the early eighties, wish I knew about bay boats a long time ago. Like all the boats out there they have been greatly improved and with the new trolling motors bay boats can do anything a bass boat can do. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
    Vexus DVX19

  3. Member
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    #3
    Awesome, I appreciate it. Buddies keep telling me, I'm gonna regret it come Bass tournament time but I'm thinking a 19-21' boat would be just fine. My main concern is the brackish water and accidental salt water eating my Bass Boat alive. I'd rather have something that I don't have to worry about in that situation.

  4. Member Greg58's Avatar
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    #4
    You need to look at them to be sure, I know how hard that is being in our part of the country though! I was lucky and spent a lot of time crawling around a Skeeter while in Florida. Had to drive to Houston to pick up my boat. If you ever get to my area (Springfield) let me know!
    Vexus DVX19

  5. Member
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    #5
    A critical aspect will be the trailer. Steel trailers do not last long in the salt.

  6. Member Greg58's Avatar
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    #6
    That is the best thing about a Bay Boat, comes with aluminum trailers and all the hardware on boat and trailer are stainless. Wiring is even salt resistant. That is what people forget when taking a bass boat to salty water, all the little screws staple etc will rust after the first trip, no matter how well you rinse them. Salt water is nasty stuff!
    Vexus DVX19

  7. Ford Super Duty PATRO's Avatar
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    Aug 2006
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    Greenville, NC
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    #7
    I agree with what Greg has said, a bayboat is such a versatile boat that has many uses.

    When I quit fishing bass tournaments and started fishing saltwater I bought a 24' bayboat. A few times a year I would take my son bass fishing on it and had no issues. I sold that boat for an offshore boat and quickly realized that I had made a huge mistake. Just sold it and have a Blackjack 256 on order now.

    Only thing I would suggest is look in the 22' range if your budget allows. Not familiar with the Charleston area but around here the sounds/bays can kick up quickly and it's nice to have a couple more feet of hull underneath you. At most it might effect draft by an inch or two.

    Far as brands go there are a lot of decent builders out there so don't limit your choices to just two. No particular order here are some popular brands.
    Sea Hunt
    Sea Fox
    Key West
    Mako
    Nautic Star
    Tidewater
    Robalo
    Skeeter
    Triton
    Pathfinder
    Blackjack
    Shearwater

  8. Moderator adchunts's Avatar
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    #8
    You might also consider one of the intracoastal models. Ranger and Bullet both make them. Basically a bass hull with salt-friendly features. It’s not going to handle big water like a true bay boat, but might be an option if you want to stay more with a traditional bass style boat.

    I am in the same boat you are (pun intended). Seriously considering selling my Cat and going for a bay style. Once that salt bug bites you, it’s hard to stay away...

    There are tons of bay boat manufacturers, and many are niche players. What works well down here in Texas may not be the best in other coastal areas.
    Aaron Campbell
    Barling, AR
    2007 Bass Cat Sabre
    2011 Merc 175 Pro XS

  9. Member
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    #9
    I appreciate all of the info. The only reason I am looking at Scout is bc they're built 20 miles up the road from Charleston, SC in Summerville. I'm looking at the 231XS (https://www.scoutboats.com/boat-models/231-xs/) right now and it's up there in price once you get what you want on it but I feel like it doubles as a family cruiser. That should give me an extra 10-20k to spend w/ the old lady. I've been told by a couple guys not to get the T-Top bc of low bridges and it being a pain while bass fishing but I think i'd be missing out, if I didn't get it.

  10. Member
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    Apr 2016
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    #10
    Been fishing Charleston area for about 10 years now. Started with a SeaFox 20ft Center Console and switched to a Ranger Cayman 223 flats boat.

    Heres my scoop.

    4 main rivers Stono, Ashley, Cooper, Wando all flow into the Charleston Harbor.
    Most Bass tournaments are on the Cooper River (Cypress Gardens) or Lake Moultrie/Marion. You can access the lake from the river going up the locks at the dam so some tx's allow you to fish lake or river.
    Cooper also allows you to fish saltwater inshore by running down to the brackish area (Bushy Park). Drop in on the freshwater ramp run down for salt water fishing then run back up to fresh water. Motor and everything will be flushed from the run and your trailer will be fine. At 60mph it's about a 12-15 min run.

    Option 1: Keep Nitro and fish the Cooper bass tx's (lots of opens, 3+ tx's a week during summer and several very active clubs) with some brackish saltwater fishing (redfish, trout, flounder).

    Option 2: Inshore - Intercoastal Bass boat or Flats boat 20ft. Effectively Fish bass tx's and you can fish the harbor,jetties, and other rivers. Can also go shrimping, using live bait, throwing castnets, etc. Large Jetty Redfish, shark, trout, flounder, etc.

    Option 3: DeepV/Bay inshore/offshore boat 20-22ft+. Fish near shore wrecks and run out to the 60 and live bottom. Fish harbor much more comfortably.

    Option 4: Dedicated off shore boat 23+ ft DeepV Center Console. Fish jetties and harbor and rivers but excels at offshore. 40-60+ mile runs off shore, may even make it to the gulf stream or ledge. Long run.

    Boats are all about compromise. Go to big and you cant get shallow enough (we have a lot of shallow water), go to small and you limit big water possibilities. With that said there is a guy fishing a 23ft Sportsman center console in the bass tournaments.

    Some brands that are popular around here:
    Key West, the Bay Reef model would be a good compromise.
    Sea Hunt, very popular
    Sportsman, new company spawned off KeyWest
    SeaFox (had a bad rep but seems to be improving, my 20ft CC was a decent boat)

  11. Member
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    #11
    Friogatto,

    Thanks for the response, awesome info. I don't see myself doing any legit offshore stuff. I'd like to have a boat that can handle rough water if needed but I see myself Bass fishing a lot and then getting into some red and trout fishing. My In-Laws live on Murrells inlet, so I'd like a boat that can get around there pretty easily. A lot of the guys I've been talking to are telling me that 231 Scout is too much for what I want to do. It just knocks out all the family stuff and still allows me to fish. I liked the Sea Fox 200 Viper but it looks like a family cruiser w/ a little fishability. My original plan was to get the Mako 19 CPX and keep the bass boat but then I realized there's nothing I couldn't do on the CPX that I could do on the Nitro. I really haven't even looked at flats boats bc I thought they were bad in mildly rough water. I think I'm going to have to go to a boat show or something but if I had to put a number on it, I'd say I'm planning on 50/30/20 Bass Fishing, Red and Trout and Family cruising. That being said, you think intercostal or flats is the right move?

  12. Member
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    #12
    Spend some time on our waters before making any decisions. It's a unique area and varies dramatically from one area to another.

    There is plenty to explore in the Nitro to last a few years and plenty of saltwater fish in the brackish areas of the rivers.

    For Bass, the other rivers dont even come close.

  13. Member
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    #13
    Owned many bass boats for over 20 years. Last bass boat was a 721 Phonenix. Bought a 22' Nautic Star with a 250 SHO 4 years ago, work great for me. What you will miss???? Storage, rod lockers, lockable storage. Most bay boats don't have near the storage of bass boats. Another thing you'll notice, bay boats set alot higher in the water, thus they catch alot more wind, sometimes makes it difficult for the person fishing from the back of the boat. I don't have any regrets but if bass fishing was my main objective I'd still have a bass boat.

  14. Member
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    #14
    I fish both salt and fresh regularly out of a 20 Lake and Bay. It lacks the storage of a bass boat but it is pretty fast and handles the fishing without issue. Big O boats are a good option for both as well. They are set up for bass fishing with storage etc but built to handle saltwater use and have a good top end speed. Bay boats are great but they do fish a little differently, especially on windy days. They will run rough water a lot better than any bass or flats boat ever dreamed of.

  15. Member
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    #15
    Don’t know how large/open the brackish/saltwater is that you will be fishing in that area however, if the waters are protected enough another option is to keep the Nitro and get a Gheenoe. If the brackish waters you will be fishing are relatively small and protected this may be a good option. They make some killer boats and believe me, looks can be deceiving. They are unbelievably stable, run in inches of water, can be customized any way you prefer and in the overall scheme of things are not terribly expensive. They have a cult following here in Florida. I have been fishing exclusively out of one for over 10 years now and wouldn’t trade it for anything. Matter of fact after having the Gheenoe for 18 months I sold the full size bass boat because I simply wasn’t using it anymore. Check out their website - customgheenoe. They may not suit you but it’s worth a look see.

  16. Member
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    #16
    Look at Majek, Haynie, SCB
    No longer a bass boat owner...
    20' Blue Wave 200 V Bay 140 Suzuki.... so slow

  17. Member Haybo's Avatar
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    #17
    Another part of this equation is that DOD actually considers a boat part household goods. This means that as long as you under the weight limit for your paygrade, they will pay you (Partial DITY) for moving it when you tow across the country. Like Friogatto said, excellent bass fishing here, more tournaments than you can shake a stick at. Keep the Nitro.

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