I like a flats cat or shallow sport, but on both i like the older models. Especially the flats cat, better boat when the lady owned the comp compared to the guy in poc.

 

What year did the ownership change?

 

Define shallow. Start there....
Matagorda and Aransas bays get big fast.

 

Fence Lake and South Lake on San Jose Island. Or around Mud Island. Not airboat shallow, but flats boat shallow.

 

I am new owner of a Haynie 23 Super Cat , original my order was for 21’ but glad I went with 23’. It runs shallow, but it’s rough in open bay with 25mph gust, but most boats it would be, it’s hard to decide, it ultimately will come down to a V hull or a cat for your type of fishing but mine was shallow running took the decision for us, and glad I did, I know by now I would have got a Vhull stuck!
I will tell you the Haynie is a tank, it weighs like a tank but it’s good to know built like a tank, runs shallow and drifts really well. I see many V hulls scratched and gouged on the center really bad and bottomed out, but that’s mostly folks who don’t know the bay.
I been running the Aransas Bay system with it no issues , crossed Corpus Christi bay on 15-20MPH and it’s rough but it runs it.
Good luck on your purchase !

 

I remember when the cat boats first hit the market. I went to the Rock the Dock boat show with tape measure in hand. All those draft measurements published by the manufactures didn’t match what they had floating in the water.


I’ve never found a >21’ cat style boat with a draft less than 10”. Please report back if you find one.

Good luck in your search.

 

I remember when the cat boats first hit the market. I went to the Rock the Dock boat show with tape measure in hand. All those draft measurements published by the manufactures didn’t match what they had floating in the water.


I’ve never found a >21’ cat style boat with a draft less than 10”. Please report back if you find one.

Good luck in your search.

Good to know. Thank you.

 

So you’re looking for 2 boats because not 1 boat on the market will meet the criteria you posted. The closest thing you’re going to find is a nose heavy old Haynie Bigfoot with a 150 on it. With tabs they’ll run skinny for a tunnel V, being nose heavy will help draft and it’ll ride good. It won’t float in 10” unless it’s a naked hull (no deck or motor) but should be able to do 11” static with a guy on the front deck. Fuel tank will have to be way forward and trolling batteries in the bow hatches.

 

I built that Bigfoot as you describe years ago. It was Purdy great. Would get up in under a foot easy and draft about 10.5" and run in 6". But it was a full commit to shallow.

For what you describe I would look at the tunnel Vs. Mowdy, Explorer, Haynie Bigfoot, Majek Texas Slam.

Going from the tunnel vs to the cats gains you a couple inches....but you sacrifice ride and versatility. The cats will limit your available days more.

To me the tunnel vs are more versatile. And that's what I run myself. My big Southshore 26 Pro is just about the biggest of the tunnel vs and I run those areas. I know where to run in/out and where to shut down. But it runs those lakes with ease. And unless it's a hurricane I can tabs down and get across those bays comfortably in any wind..... and offshore on any day under 2ft with at least 4 seconds is a confident to run out the jetties without concern.

 

if you want something that truly floats in 10" or less you want a poling skiff. If you want something that handle chop well you want a V hull. Ask yourself how often are you really gonna be in 10" of water and how often are you gonna be in chop.

 

It really boils down to this. ^^^

Be honest with yourself and decide what you need the most. In my opinion a flats boat is way more uncomfortable in open water, than a V hull in shallow water. Ex: I would rather sacrifice 5"-6" of depth to be comfortable fishing most places, than to be able to float 5"-6" shallower and have my teeth beat out everywhere else. I fish both shallow and deep about 70/30, it was still more beneficial to me to get a boat that is comfortable in open water. My shallow water fishing is more realistically 18"ish than 10"ish.

Sent from my motorola one 5G UW using Tapatalk

 

There is not a cat boat produced (well maybe a Dargel) that is comfortable crossing big open water. Big open water requires a boat like a Haynie 25 Magnum or similiar.

 

You Dargel guys crack me up.

 

JH B240 is best boat for what you are describing. Not the shallowest running flats boat, but does run fairly skinny and excellent for the chop. Not to mention a awesome group of people.

 

Ive run a 23TV Explorer hull for 22 years and it will do what the OP wants . It doesnt do anything perfectly but it does everything pretty darn well. Its lines are not overly sexy but shes a workhorse.

The hull isnt made anymore ( I dont think, I could be wrong) but there are many similar hulls out there

 

I agree with Stumpgrinder..I have the same boat 23TV but a 2007 model with a 175 HP Suzuki. It can run shallow enough (i easily can run in a foot) and can handle the chop great - also one of the driest boats out there.. I have run it offshore many times as well.

 

As you have read there are a ton of opinions on boats, and all valuable. I had a hard time deciding because there are so many options so I relied on my own experience in several different boats and ended up with a Shoalwater 23. I really liked the Majek extreme and Blazer 2420 but I run out of Port Mansfield and run very shallow so the cat got the nod. I have a place in Port A and fish Aransas occasionally and my SW has not been stuck yet in all the areas you mentioned but it is not nice in 2-3' with 25+ winds, will beat you pretty bad. If you haven't yet I suggest getting on some different boats, even if you have to do some 1/2 day trips with guides. That was money well spent for me, I also had friends with both cat and v hulls.

 

So if I am reading this correctly, the shallow running cats produced today do not handle chop that well except for a Dargel?

Can anyone say that one of the cats rides better than the others or are they all about the same?

 

No one gives the old Gulf Coast brand any love any more and I don't know why. I think we can all agree there's no unicorn boat out there that'll do it all and do it all well but I think a Gulf Coast gets closer than any other boat ... they float in 10", they run in 6-8" , the hull is a Boston Whaler knock off (and those are made for open water) , they are dryer riding than most similar , they can be had with a head in the CC , lots of room and deck space. I personally think they are one of the best compromises out there and seems like what the OP was looking for ... it doesn't do anything great, but does everything ... jmo

 

I run the Majek Texas Slam and I love it. Great boat. All boats handle differently. You just have to be smart. It will go shallow and handle good chop.

 

JH Outlaw

 

If you consider the Mowdy 25 a cat, then it would get the nod. Some may say it is not a true cat though. I just wish they had taller sides and more storage.

 

Have you looked at the Tran Sport Tran Cat? I have an older model, 210V it’s a 200 Suzuki. It’s a wide catamaran that runs very shallow. I run all over Estes flats and Aransas Bay without worrying about getting stuck or getting up in less than a foot. It definitely goes where other boats V hulls won’t dare. Good luck!

 

waves and chop= v hull , cats are awesome , but even mild days are bouncy as hell, as far as a haynie bigfoot, balance it with people and gear , coolers and batteries and it will get shallow enough to make me nervous, but can take a long run better from my experience, cant go wrong with haynie, majek , dargel or shallow sport,

 

I'm gonna chime in here, not because I am an expert on this topic but because I've recently purchased a new bay boat and I've come to a few realizations over the last 3 years.
1. As it's been stated above in earlier posts, there's no perfect bay boat. You get real shallow ,or good in chop not super shallow. You have to pick.
2 Where are you in your fishing. I've read somewhere there are 5 stages to a fisherman...Just wanna catch fish, want to get a lot of fish, looking for a personal best / trophy, a challenge (My buddy recently started fly fishing), just happy to be on the water. I'm in stage three, and while my 185 JH Outlaw is an awesome shallow running boat it really limits me in the winter months. If I had it to do over I would have gone to a 23 or 25.
3. Who are you fishing with? I fish alone or with one of my kids. Room isn't ever an issue and if I do run too shallow I can usually get out and push it myself (except for that one time....lol). If you are planning to fish more than 2 people storage and stability also become an issue. Don't under estimate the value of good storage, especially rod storage, we probably all have a horror story at the expense of a good rod tip when fishing with a newbie (or a teenager) back casting room is hard to beat.

There are so many great threads on here that I read before I purchased. If you find a boat you like search the name on here and you'll get tons of the 'good the bad and the ugly'. There is a wealth of knowledge here.

Lastly, Another reason I went with JH was the customer service and their fabrication facility is about 13 miles from my house. Your boat will require maintenance and it's nice to be able to have your boat serviced by great people who know your boat inside and out.

This wasn't meant to be this long...

 

just got back from rockport. Took my Father in laws 21 sport out. I sold mine last year and its been a while since I've rode in it. The winds were about 10mph and crossing the bay really beat my teeth in. Id recommend either a cat or a v hull TBH. I have a 24ft recon now and the ride is night and day.

 

Every time I read one of these "best all around" kinda threads I look at my ugly, old, slow, paid for 23TV Explorer and love her a little more.

BTW, 20mph winds and open water ? Heck, youd get a little beat up in a 36' Yellowfin !

 

Haynie Bigfoot

 

Haynie.

 

Haynie Bigfoot would be the closest thing to what youre describing. I own a Tran Cat 20SVT and it will run skinnier than I should ever be but it will rattle your teeth and kill your kidneys in anything more than than slight chop.

 

I have a Dargel kat 25 with a. 350 Suzuki on it. Can go
Out in deep water. The boat can do more than j can but never an issue. Even in a good chop it does better than other shallow boats. I can run in 10 inch water. But can not get up in it unless it's a soft
Bottom and my 78 gallon tank is low and not many people. It's a good boat for me and my kids. Now kids older. Looking into a shallow boat since I can't handle the blue water chop. The boat does just fine.