How many fish out of a center console?

I think I may have hit my head pretty hard, for some reason I am on this cent console kick. I am REALLY considering a center console over a traditional style bass boat. I crappie fish more than anything and when I sold my boat last Novemeber before my deployment I just knew when I returned I was going to either get a Ranger, Skeeter, or possibly an Xpress. Well the more I have been thinking and looking at boats I still want a Ranger or Skeeter, but in the bay style with center console. They both have really low profiles like a bass boat but have unbelievable floor space. I have 2 yr old little boy that will be tagging along before I know it and will be moving back to SC next May so I figured this style would also be nice IF I decided to catch a few stripers or cats at Santee or Wateree. I am looking into the 20' bays that both ranger and skeeter make. How many on here fish out of a bay boat and how do you like them? They dont look as sleek as bass boats but I believe the hulls are pretty darn near identical, especially the skeeter and they will fish just as good. If there is any reason I shouldn't get one please let me know. I plan on spending a pretty penny and getting a boat that I will keep for a for awhile. I figured quite a few on here had them due to SC being such a great catfish and striper fishery. Thanks.

SYG, I don't have one but if I had the money, I would :biggrin

SYG we have a couple over here. Feelay guides out of a big Ranger. They seem to be the hot ticket because they fish so well and have such a shallow draft. On the lakes your going to be fishing when you get back home I think it would be a very wise investment. I have seen some of your pictures with 4 guys in your old boat. Real easy in a Bay boat with plenty of room, very stable and good family boat. Same size Bass hull same size not nearly as versatile.

I had a 20 foot CC for about 6 years that I bought for striper fishing, but I ended up crappie fishing 90% of the time from it. It was great and I would love to got back to one. It provided an awesome work platform and plenty of room to move around. It was also easier than my bass boat to carry all the gear I wanted to carry. The other positives were no carpet and it worked great for the occasional trip to the coast to chase red drum. If you have the ability to get one, get it. Just my two cents, good luck on your decision.

young gun,

I've had 2 center consoles, Mckee craft, and Century bayboat, There's several reason's I don't own a center console now... Wind, Wind, Wind,:banghead:banghead:banghead MOST maybe not all center consoles (bayboats types) are shallow drafts which computes too the wind will whip your butt, :mad::mad::mad:the century I had I put a 80lbs thrust trolling motor and at times still couldn't pull a straight line with it. IF your not thinking of fishing in the saltwater I'd say stick with what the tournament guys fish out of Bassboats, Walleye type, Even some of the alumn. boats.

If I ever would buy another center console it would have to be a alumn. boat, but they sit high in water too.

I know fish a 520vx and wouldn't trade it for any other boat I've fished out of. :twocents:twocents:twocents Skeeter would be my next chose if I ever need another boat (both take the water well).:twocents

Young Gun,

In my opinion, there is NO better boat than a center console bay boat for any style of fishing other than maybe that "run and gun" style of bass chasin'. Now to what Stumpjumper said, I'll add this. Make sure you get a true "bay boat" with the deep V hull and not a "flats boat" designed to fish skinny water (less than a foot). They look almost identical 'top side' but what a difference tracking true and handling rough water.

I have a 2002 20' Sea Pro Bay boat and I've used it for absolutely everything. I've also been part time guiding for the last 10 years, and it works awesome for taking out a family. Lots of room and when you do hook that monster, you can walk front to back and back to front fighting it with nothing in your way. And when you have to cross "big water" with 2 foot swells, it is a very dry and stable ride.

Plus, if you spend "big bucks" and decide you don't like it...just sell it to me for 10 cents on the dollar! :Rofl

Mt pontoon is even center console would have nothing else

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

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Originally Posted by cray

SYG we have a couple over here. Feelay guides out of a big Ranger. They seem to be the hot ticket because they fish so well and have such a shallow draft. On the lakes your going to be fishing when you get back home I think it would be a very wise investment. I have seen some of your pictures with 4 guys in your old boat. Real easy in a Bay boat with plenty of room, very stable and good family boat. Same size Bass hull same size not nearly as versatile.

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Yeah i fish with alot of my friends. I do need something that can handle a small crowd but a 20' bass boat would work too. I love getting out on the lake with my buddies and talk crap and catch fish all day......aint nothing better

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Originally Posted by stumpjumper

young gun,

I've had 2 center consoles, Mckee craft, and Century bayboat, There's several reason's I don't own a center console now... Wind, Wind, Wind,:banghead:banghead:banghead MOST maybe not all center consoles (bayboats types) are shallow drafts which computes too the wind will whip your butt, :mad::mad::mad:the century I had I put a 80lbs thrust trolling motor and at times still couldn't pull a straight line with it. IF your not thinking of fishing in the saltwater I'd say stick with what the tournament guys fish out of Bassboats, Walleye type, Even some of the alumn. boats.

If I ever would buy another center console it would have to be a alumn. boat, but they sit high in water too.

I know fish a 520vx and wouldn't trade it for any other boat I've fished out of. :twocents:twocents:twocents Skeeter would be my next chose if I ever need another boat (both take the water well).:twocents

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your right, wind is a big worry. I purchased my last boat, a 1860 Grizzly because I wanted to be able to crappie, catfish, duck hunt, and anything else. As time went on I regretted the decision more and more because I crappie fish more than anything and it wasnt as stable of a platform as i would like for trolling or pushin. But after looking at the Rangers and Skeeters I think they sit lower in the water than most center consoles and will not catch quite as much wind. I know they are not better than a bass boat because the center console itself will catch wind. I think i saw where you fish alot of local tournaments in SC and I plan on doing the same, along with a few CrappieUSA and CrappieMaster tournament thrown in the mix. My military schedule doesnt allow me to take the time off now to go fish tournaments like I would like. If everything goes right i will be out of the Navy and back in SC in May of 2014 and can hopefully devote more time to crappie fishing, if my wife doesnt kill me in the process. Thanks for all of your opinions on the matter. I have alot of time to sit around and think while I am over here in El-Salvador so my mind changes daily, lol. Last month I was dead set on an Xpress X19, now the Center Console, and I will prob be back to where I started in the beginning and want to get a Ranger Fisherman before its all said and done. I am ready to get back and just get something and get it over with, lol.

I have a small Ranger Fisherman and it sits low in the water and trolls great. Wind doesnt run me off the lake like it once did when I fished out of a Carolina Skiff either. The Fishermen series boats are a great choice if the floor plan is what youre wanting.

I fish out of a 1720 Key West and absolutely love it. If I went a different route it would I would fish a boat like Butch does. Some type of walleye style boat would be ideal, I think. Them walleye fishermen fish in some crazy wind and rough water so that style of bait handles it well.

Got a 20' tidewater bay boat. woudn't have anything else. lots of rodholders, live well, bait tank,troll motor,electronics,60 gal gas tank, dry storage, got it all for 4 fisherman, sometimes more.

I don't like a cc on a boat less than 8' wide. That big con sole just eats up too much the floor space. I had a 34' cc that was ok.

i have a 2001 19' seapro bay cc w/115 4strk yamaha and could not be happier unless i got a new tidewater. i use it shrimping , striper fishing, running about, my son uses it skiing and just about anything else. my next boat will also be a cc.

SYG,
First thing to keep in mind is there is no PERFECT boat for all fishing situations. That being said, if you fish for multiple fish species, then a center console is probably the most practical boat. For the past 10 years I have fished out of a 2003 21 ft Sea Pro bay boat with a T-top, and I really like it. I have a 140 hp four stroke, which gives me decent top speed (40 mph) and pretty good fuel economy. It also a decent family boat, I pull my kids on an inner tube in the warmer months. There are some great boat lines made right here in SC (Scout, Tidewater, Sea Hunt, probably others). Sea Pro boats used to be made in Newberry before Brunswick Corp bought them out and then proceeded to shut them down a few years ago. I would recommend going with all composite construction (no wood) if you can. The way I look at it, if a boat is made for the coast, but if you mostly just use it in freshwater, it should hold up for a lifetime. A bay boat will handle pretty much anything a lake throws at it. I've skipped across the tops 4 to 6 ft swells in a 30 mph wind several times, with no issues. I also like the self bailing and no carpet. If you can swing it, a T-top makes life in the sun a lot more pleasant. Hope this helps some.

Fish oblivious, thanks for your input. I know there is no perfect boat, at least not that I am aware of. I was just wondering how some die hard crappie fisherman like them. I think t tops look cool but I would rather go with a Bimini if anything. The permanent t tops would definately catch the wind and make trolling more difficult in a cross wind. Even if I go with a bass boat I will try hard to find one with the non skid marine deck and not the carpet. A few months ago I was really close to ordering a xpress X19 in Camo with the nonskid deck. I have decided to hold off and think about which kind of boat I really want more thoroughly. All of you guys input is really helpful, I have learned a few things from the comments as I have never had a center console. Whatever I decide to get I will let everyone know and post pictures. Thanks again.

I love my bay boat, i got a 22ft pro lite, and its ideal for the majority of the lakes around here, I've yet to put a crappy in the boat(seeing how i just joined this forum a week ago to get an idea of how to find those rascals), but i've tossed a striper or two in, some cobia, some reds, kitty kats, a few gators. you can't beat a bay boat. also have a casting deck turned into a layout deck with pads for the lady friend. anyways if you are ever around murray area when you get back i'd be glad to take you out to see if you like that style

young gun,

One thing I will agree with other on even thought I've owned 2 center consoles, the SEA PRo is the only one I would ever consider if I had to every go that way again, it sets just a little lower in the water than any other type bay or bigwater center console. do your homework and when you get back in Town I'd bet you can get several rides from anyone of us that may have a boat like you'd like to fish out of or purchase for yourselve. I know I'll make a place for you in MY Ranger, OR if you want to get small MY 15' High tide, now thats a boat.

Thanks for the offer, Stumphunter. I know how nice the Rangers ride, I have fished out of them before. I have to pass on the 15' high tide though, lol. I just sold the 18ft boat I had. Whatever I get will be at least 19ft with a 150, whether it be a bay or bass boat.

I have a 20 foot Cajun CC, The Crappie Office, I have had every style boat there is I think, will never own anything but a CC now

I have owned 2 KeyWest Bay Boats and liked both of them.
I now own a 210 KeyWest Bay Boat w/ 150 Yamaha & absolutely love it.
I fish Wateree, Stumphole Swamp area of Lake Marion, Lake Marion & Moultrie, Georgetown Inlets, & out to the nearshore reefs.
For an all around boat you can't beat it.
I like the price range of the Key West boats a lot better than the Ranger & Skeeter boats too. :fish

I have a 2002 Sea Pro 19' BayBoat with 115 Yam.Its a excellent all round boat.I catfish,striper,crappie and flounder fish out of it.I've had it to the 3 mile reef offshore numberuos times.It has the double stepped hull and you don't get wet in rough water.It trolls good and also drifts good.

I have heard good things about the Sea Pro's. I think I am leaning torward a Skeeter Zx20 bay still though, if i get a bay boat. I got an email back from Skeeter and they informed me that it is indeed the same hull as the Zx20 bass boat. The only diff is that is has a different top cap for the center console model. So basically it will fish exactly like the Skeeter bass boat, i can troll or spiderrig and it will be no diff. There is another boat that has recently caught my attention and I have been looking into them. They are "Big O Bass Boats", they are made in Okeechobee FL, and are some really nice boats. There are some guys that I have fished against in tournaments down here in FL and they swear by them.They have a really shallow draft and are supposed to handle rough water better than any bass boat on the market, they were designed to fish the big waters of Lake Okeechobee.I like that they have 2 huge livewells upront and rod storage that can hold rods up to 14ft in lenght. I have a guy back in FL looking for one right now and i will pay him a headhunters fee if he can find one, he does this on the side and was referred to me by several guys. They sale really quick so if he finds one he is going to go look at it for me and I will send my dad down to get it immediatly. Here is some pics of them, I am trying to find one for under 18k......so i cant get in a hurr. I may have to wait a few months, i dont get back from deployement until the end of May anyway. What do yall think?

Attachment 118149Attachment 118150Attachment 118151

Nice

Now that is slicker than snot on a snowball. Looks good from here. Good Luck on gettin one.

Thanks. I am going to wait till July and if I still cant find one I am going to have to go with something else.......I get back at the end of May/ beginning of June and I wont be able to wait much more than a month to fish. I think I will lose my mind, lol

That is real nice. At my age 60, if I can do it all over again it would be a pontoon. Some how sitting on a couch watching your rods in a rod holder as a certain appeal to me. I would setup at the front of a boat a way to sit and control a trolling motor for days I want to fish brush piles. At the back have rod holders for longlining. Sides would have rod holders for tightlining for Crappie or perch. O yea did a forget my grill.

As others have said the CC has Pros and Cons. I own a Carolina Skiff CC and I wouldnt have any other boat for the lake. Yes the wind can be an issue. But the Pros outway the wind for me. I like sitting up high, and the room I have is incredible. Also the ability to stand up and walk around is great. I have learned to deal with the wind, but usually I just dont fish when it is that windy, I just dont enjoy fishing in the wind regardless of what type of boat I am in. After fishing out of my CC for 10 years I tried fishing from a Bass Boat last year a couple of times and I hated it. It was like going from a F 250 pickup to a Corvette. I just didnt feel as secure and didnt like sitting that low on the water. Also while fishing by myself last year I slipped and fell down, luckily the high sides on the CC kept me from going overboard. If I would have been in a typical bass Boat I would have went in the water. Will be 50 this year and safety on the water is a lot more important to me than it use to be. Not as agile as I use to be.

I fish out of a Blue Wave 2200 Pure Bay. It comes with 2 console options, large and small. I have the small. I long line for crappie out of it mostly but I also bass fish, catfish, and I have been 25 miles offshore in it on too. It drafts less than knee deep loaded handles rough water very well. the small console doesn't catch much wind. I am very happy with the bay boat.Attachment 382737

Just sold my CC boat. Best boat I ever owned. It was stick steer but still... It was center console. LOL

There is no perfect boat....that said, I have fished out of a CC similar to Fisher-O-Men for the past 18 years, except I also have a t-top. Wind is not too much of a prob, but wind really makes it a challenge no matter what you fish out of. I had a fishing pontoon before I got my CC, really loved the room of the pontoon. But it was slow. Just had to launch near where fish. My fishing buddy recently went from a Carolina Skiff to a CC pontoon. It fishes very well and is easy to handle. Also easier to get in and out of (as we all age). I love freelining for Striper and longlining for crappie. My CC works great for both since those methods work best out of the back of the boat. If I one poled more, I would prob want a boat with more seats up front. Good luck in your search.