Jared Kaufman’s first bay boat was a 13-foot Boston Whaler. In that small boat, rigged with a 25-hp Johnson and a foot-pedal trolling motor, the 13-year-old began his pursuit of tarpon.
Kaufman still runs a bay boat, but it’s nearly twice the size of the Whaler. And he still chases tarpon, running up and down Florida’s west coast in a 2015 Sportsman Masters 247 with a 300-hp Yamaha 4-stroke. His previous bay boat, a 21-footer, got the job done for 15 years but beat the heck out of him in the Gulf of Mexico.
“I wanted as big of a boat as I could get but still fish inshore for trout, redfish and snook,” says Kaufman, 34, a surgery center office manager from Sarasota, Florida.
Enter today’s bay boat, an inshore/offshore hybrid from 22 to 27 feet (more or less) with the essentials for skinny-water fishing — low freeboard, 11 to 15 inches of draft, fore and aft casting decks — and a hull with enough power and deadrise to play offshore.
“I can be in the Keys in calf-deep water getting pilchards and then run offshore in 3-foot sloppy stuff catching dolphin. Same trip, same day,” says Joel Wagner, 57, of Oviedo, Florida, who owns an Albury Brothers 23.
Former pro football linebacker Jarret Johnson is sold on the new generation of bay boats, as well. “I was shocked at how well it ran out in the ocean,” says Johnson, 34, of his Pathfinder 2600 HPS, the boat that replaced his 22-foot bay boat and his 34-foot deep-vee center console. “Sell two, buy one — I liked that,” says Johnson, the son of a commercial mullet fisherman who hails from Destin, Florida. “It made all the sense in the world.”
With its single Yamaha F300, the Pathfinder costs less to fuel and maintain than the big center console, he says, but it cleans up as easily as the smaller bay boat. She’s outfitted with three live wells, a trolling motor, a tower and deck space for Johnson’s 6-foot-4-inch, 275-pound frame and four other anglers.
The bay boat has been around since the 1980s, starting out as an everyman’s skiff for trout and redfish anglers in Texas and Louisiana, says Scott Deal, president of the Maverick Boat Group, which introduced the Pathfinder 22 in 1997. It was among the first of a new breed of higher-quality bay boats with more fishing equipment. “Before that the flats boat was more prestigious and the bay boat more low-end,” says Deal. “The Pathfinders looked nicer, were better finished and faster than traditional bay boats.”
Their popularity took off in the early 2000s, and after the Great Recession the bay boat hit a growth spurt. Today’s larger boats have proud bows to handle a sea, and some ride stepped hulls that improve speed and fuel efficiency. They are outfitted with hardtops, towers and outriggers, and their consoles are big enough for at least two displays. Trolling motors with GPS-guided station-keeping are popular, and owners want the latest transducers and not one but two shallow-water anchoring systems.
“Our customers want to outfit them just like a big center console,” says Rob Kaidy, chief naval architect of Sea Vee Boats, which builds the 270Z stepped-hull bay boat. “They don’t just ask — they expect massive amounts of storage, multiple live wells and sea chests.”
In 2011 Scout Boats debuted one of the first bay boats over 25 feet, the 251 XS. “Back then it was a hunch,” says company president Steve Potts. “The motivation was to give anglers the freedom to fish multiple species. It was never meant to be a hardcore offshore boat, but you could pick your days and venture offshore. I’m a fisherman first, and I want to bend a rod with all species, whether it’s billfish or bream.”
Guides took to the 251 XS first. “It allowed them to broaden their audience,” says Potts. “Get more people on the boat, go more places.”
Bay boats are primarily used in the Southeast, but Deal predicts that larger models, such as his Pathfinder 2600, will catch on farther north, from New Jersey to New England.
“With all the rough rips that are fished up there, super-low-profile boats can be sketchy,” he says. “This is a better mousetrap. If you’re a guy who wants to be able to use his boat — whatever the weather, within reason — and you like to fish light tackle or fly, you need to look at this style of boat.”
One thing is for certain: The bay boat is coming of age.
Click through the gallery below to get the lowdown on some of the newest bay boats
With its low freeboard, the EdgeWater 220IS is more along the lines of a traditional bay boat for inshore and near-shore use, says marketing coordinator Daniel Robinson. The builder neatly packs the flush fore and aft casting platforms with storage, live wells and dry lockers. Rods can be stowed and locked in two bow compartments, and EdgeWater gives the boat three standard live wells — two in the cockpit and a third in the forward console. Even at 22 feet, the 220IS can be outfitted with a tower for a second helm station.
The boat has a beam of 8 feet, 6 inches, draws 13 inches, holds 60 gallons of fuel and takes up to a 250-hp engine. With a Yamaha F250, the boat tops out at 54 mph and will get better than 4 mpg from 27 to 32 mph.
EdgeWater boats are built using a patented resin infusion process (Single Piece Infusion), which produces light, strong hulls. The builder also offers a larger bay boat, the 240IS.
The Scout 231 XS rides a high-performance stepped hull that lends itself to tournament fishing. However, it’s also a family boat, with upholstered seating and a head in the console. “We design our boats for not just the white-knuckle guys blasting through the water,” says company president Steve Potts. “The idea is to make it more comfortable so more people fish.”
A transom seat is concealed beneath the aft casting platform. An optional streamlined leaning post wraps around the skipper and a companion at the helm for a secure ride and more cockpit space. The forward casting platform holds three compartments for storage, including a place for a cast-net bucket.
The boat has a beam of 8 feet, 6 inches, carries 60 gallons of fuel and draws 12 inches. It can be outfitted with Yamaha or Mercury power. The 231 XS hits 60 mph at full throttle with a single Yamaha F300 and gets 3.7 mpg at nearly 33 mph.
The 231 XS also can run on a 200- or 250-hp 4-stroke, and the pricing ranges from $67,737 to $76,067, depending on power.
Albury Brothers has been building small boats at Man-O-War Cay in the Bahamas since 1952. In 2004 the family agreed to allow Albury enthusiast Jeff Lichterman to expand the business and build the boats in the United States. Lichterman has turned out roughly 200 Albury 23s over the past 12 years, and he now offers a Bay & Bluewater version for anglers.
The 23 has a reputation as an excellent sea boat, with a no-nonsense deck layout and shallow draft. “I like simple boats, clean and functional,” says Albury 23 owner Joel Wagner, 57, of Oviedo, Florida. “This boat is ‘it’ for me. I love everything, from the layout to the ride to the folding tower.”
The Albury has more freeboard than most bay boats and no aft casting platform, but it draws only 16 inches. The beam is 8 feet, 3 inches. Owners can trick it out with live wells, Power-Pole shallow-water anchoring systems, trolling motors and electric reel outlets.
The boat carries 97 gallons of fuel and takes up to a 300-hp outboard. (Twins are optional.) With a 225-hp Suzuki, it hovers around 45 mph at full throttle and cruises from 25 to 35 mph, getting 3.4 mpg at 28 mph and 3 mpg at 34 mph. The Bay & Bluewater 23 sells for $74,880 with a single Suzuki DF225 and $77,880 with a DF300.
The 243cc has been Everglades’ top seller since its introduction 12 years ago. “The 243 put us on the map and has carried the torch,” says Bryan Harris, vice president of sales and marketing. Its variable deadrise hull with a sharp entry has been the key to its success, says Harris. “It’s still a good-riding boat in 2- to 4-foot seas.”
The 243cc has a raised 36-gallon live well in the aft cockpit, a 66- gallon forward fishbox and a head in the console. Port and starboard seats are concealed beneath the aft casting deck. Seating with removable cushions fills the bow.
About three years ago Everglades began offering an optional second helm with a patent-pending hardtop/tower design. “You access the tower through a hardtop hatch that can be completely sealed off,” says Harris.
The boat has a beam of 8 feet, 2 inches, draws 16 inches and carries 82 gallons of fuel. Top speed is 50 mph with a Yamaha F300. At 27 mph you’ll get a mileage rating of 4 mpg; at 33.4 mph you’ll get 3 mpg. The base price is $107,086 with a Yamaha F300. Harris says the company is gearing up to launch a 27-foot bay boat in the fall.
The Bradenton, Florida, builder had a clear vision when it designed the 24 Bay, says Yellowfin vice president Heath Daughtry. “We wanted a performance-oriented boat that could fish three anglers from the bow in tournament conditions, carry a lot of water for all the bait you could ever want and give you a ton of storage,” he says.
Yellowfin last year modified the deck, turning the raised foredeck’s aft end into a 290-quart fishbox and shrinking the console’s longitudinal footprint 5 inches for a larger cockpit. The company also offers a carbon fiber version of the boat, the 24 Bay Carbon Elite, which weighs about 900 pounds less than the standard boat. The weight savings translates to better fuel efficiency and a draft reduction of 1 to 2 inches, says Daughtry. “Instead of drawing 12 inches we’re drawing closer to 10 or 11 inches,” he says.
Both models carry 72 gallons of fuel and have a top end of 65 mph with a 300-hp outboard. The carbon version is a $10,000 upgrade from the boat’s base price of $87,536 with a 300.
High-end skiff builder Hell’s Bay will splash its first bay boat this summer. “Our goal was to improve the bay boat as a tool for inshore fishing and near-shore fishing,” says Chris Peterson, who has owned the company with his wife, Wendi, since 2006. “We paid attention to the fishing details, just like we do with our skiffs.” For instance, the 24 floats in silence, the side decks are wide for easy access from bow to stern, and the 57-gallon live well is plumbed to a sea chest.
Peterson calls it an inshore/near-shore boat, but with 15 degrees of transom deadrise it can “run safely in big, heavy, white-capped chop.” It measures 24 feet, 10 inches and has an 8-foot, 6-inch beam and a 13-inch draft.
The all-Kevlar, resin-infused boat carries 80 gallons of fuel in a centerline tank. It can take up to a 400-hp outboard, but Peterson anticipates most leaving the shop with a 300. The Hell’s Bay 24 will top out at 60 mph and cruise from 35 to 40 mph. The price is about $105,000 with a 300-hp outboard and trailer.
The Sportsman Masters 247 has the lowest price tag of any of the boats in this roundup, but its fishing features, workmanship, and fit and finish hold their own next to higher-end models. “It’s a great value, considering all you get,” says Jared Kaufman, who bought a Masters 247 last year.
Tommy Hancock and Dale Martin, former rival owners of Sea Pro and Key West, respectively, established Sportsman in 2012, bringing with them a combined 68 years of small-boat-building experience. “We’ve raised the bar in a value boat,” says Martin.
The Masters 247’s forward casting platform fishes three easily. Three live wells are standard, and she’s loaded with dry storage. The hull draws 15 inches and carries a beam of 8 feet, 5 inches.
The boat hits 51.4 mph at full throttle and holds 71 gallons of fuel. It cruises most economically from 29 to 33 mph, with a mileage rating from 4.5 to 5 mpg. Base price is $66,707 with a Yamaha F250, $70,850 with an F300.
The 25 Bay holds to the Contender tradition of keeping decks clutter-free while delivering the storage, rod holders and live well capacity anglers demand. The boat comes standard with two live wells, a large fishbox, dry storage and rod holders, giving owners the freedom to outfit the boat as they wish. “Power-Poles, a second station, trolling motor, ion lithium batteries — it’s all up to the owner,” says Contender project manager Jordan Delong.
The 25 Bay rides a stepped hull and gets about 4 mpg from 35 to 40 mph with a 300-hp outboard. Top speed is 60 mph. “It’s fast and efficient but also has the deadrise [18 degrees at the transom] to run to Bimini,” says Delong.
The boat draws 12 inches, has a 90-gallon fuel tank and takes up to a 350-hp outboard. The price is $96,751 with a single F300 and a trailer.
The 251 Coastal Explorer functions not only as an inshore/offshore hybrid but also as a fishing/family boat. The bow and stern can be filled with cushions or stripped for fishing. Rod holders are integrated in the casting platforms, with fishboxes and storage below.
Grady-White builds the boat with the same patented SeaV<sup>2</sup> variable-deadrise design it uses for its bigger boats. The 251 CE has a proud, flared bow with low enough freeboard for a trolling motor. It draws 14 inches, with an 8-foot, 6-inch beam.
Fishing components include two 74-quart insulated fishboxes forward and a 12.75-gallon aft live well. An optional leaning post provides lockable storage, four rod holders and a second live well (25 gallons). The lockable console has a stand-up head.
With a Yamaha F300, the 251 CE reaches a top speed of 49.6 mph and gets 3.7 mpg at 27 mph and 3.5 mpg at 30 mph. It has a 78-gallon fuel tank.
Pricing is $99,735 with a Yamaha F250 and $101,385 with an F350. Grady-White also builds a smaller bay boat, the 191 CE.
With its 15-inch draft, the 2600 HPS allows anglers to explore the shallows and fish from fore and aft casting platforms. Its vee hull with 18 degrees of transom deadrise rips through a 2-foot chop, and the gunwales are high enough to feel safe in the rips. An 8-foot, 10-inch beam gives the boat stability while fishing.
“You can be chasing birds offshore one hour and pitching potholes on the flats in the next,” says Scott Deal, president of the Maverick Boat Group, which owns Pathfinder and three other fishing brands. “That’s what this boat is all about.”
The 2600 HPS comes with two live wells, an 80-gallon fishbox, an in-deck cast net locker, and port and starboard lockable rod storage. The console is large enough for a head. Fast and efficient, the boat rides a drag-reducing stepped hull. At 37 mph with a single F300 Yamaha, it gets 3.5 mpg. Top speed is 59 mph.
The Pathfinder has a 78-gallon fuel tank and can handle up to 350 horses. It goes for $88,965 with a Yamaha F300.
The 270Z is the Miami builder’s first bay boat, and it’s the largest of its kind currently on the market. “We knew we had to come out with something bigger,” says Sea Vee chief naval architect Rob Kaidy. “There are so many good bay boats around 24 and 25 feet.”
So Sea Vee built a 27-foot stepped-hull boat with a 9-foot, 3-inch beam that draws 15 inches and can fish four comfortably. Wide side decks join the fore and aft casting platforms (rimmed with a toerail). “You can walk [on the top deck] completely around the boat without stepping down. This was a must for our customers,” says Kaidy.
Sea Vee has given the boat “massive amounts of storage,” including lockers for fly rods up to 9 feet and a 16-rod console. “We wanted anglers to be able to carry lots of tackle so they could fish all different kinds of species, in different areas and under different conditions,” says Kaidy.
The console is large enough for two 12-inch electronics displays. The boat carries 116 gallons of fuel. Top speeds are 53 mph with a 300-hp outboard, 57 mph with a 350 and 61 mph with a 400. Pricing ranges from $114,500 to $120,750, depending on the engine.
