Howdy!

I used to fish a lot but been on a pretty long hiatus once we started having kids. Looking to get a boat in the next few months and hoping for some advice on some models to start researching.

Looking for a boat I can trailer from Midland to Port A or SPI and do some billfishing and occasional bay. I think the new sales jargon for what I'm after is "cross-over." Have a half ton truck to tow with.

Had a 23' Kenner back in the day that did both what I'm looking to do but those boats are 20 years old now (looking for something newer).

Any help is appreciated!

Was looking for the same thing last year. Narrowed search down to a Seahunt Ultra 196 & 211 and a Key West 203 & 219. Went with Keywest 203. Very nicely finished out boat that can do a little bit of everything. Have been offshore 15 miles, fished the bays and lakes and pulled tubers with 8 people in the boat. Trailers nicely as I have 7 hour drive to the coast. Been extremely satisfied with it. Good luck with your search.

If you liked your Kenner, look at Blackjack or Frionter boats. They are made by K2 Marine which is owned by the Kenner brothers. They are the same build as old Kenners with a few improvements. Rode in a Blackjack a couple of weekends ago and it was nice. Handled nicely in rough water and can fish most areas in the bay as long as you aren't looking to get into real skinny water.

The blazer bay 2400 is your old Kenner 23. It's still probably the best boat made for light offshore/ bay use that can still be towed by a half ton. Be ready for some sticker shock. Most boats in that size are starting about $60k.

Might check out some of the bay cats but ive never been in one.

https://www.tidelineboats.com/tideline-235-hybrid/

All good suggestions above..also the Pathfinder 24 or the Parker 24.

The most seaworthy boat that size would be a Panga.
22'9" Boca Grande or Captiva ( Panga Marine).
The hull design will handle 3-4s and get you home.
I just recently sold my Boca Grande that we used nearshore ( 20-30 miles out) and inshore.
It drafts 12-14" at rest and can get up in 2'.
Are you gonna burn shorelines ....... no.
Are you gonna burn flats....... no.
But, the boats that do that won't get you home if you get caught in "snotty seas" nearshore .
We've run 3 rod spreads with either long right, short left and a shotgun or vice versa.
Just an option for you to look at.
When I move to Port Mansfield, that's what I'm buying before I get a skiff.

Interesting conundrum. A deep sea boat that can also fish the shallowest bays in TX.

How flexible is your schedule. Can you skip out on work when there's a good window and make the trip? If so, that helps quite a bit. If your schedule is flexible, then you can get a lighter faster boat and run out quick when the seas are right. That'll make towing easier and make the boat perform better in the shallow S. Texas bays.

If you want to try and go whenever you are free, then I'd look for a long / heavy boat that will be more comfortable in the chop. Which would be no fun for towing 8 hours with a half ton truck, and make it a poor South Texas bay boat.

Billfishing in South Texas probably starts at 25-30 miles out. Sails and occasionally marlin will be closer, but odds are better at 30+. How comfortable are you fighting big fish on standup gear and a low gunnel boat? Looking to run outriggers? Sounds like you're comfortable with a single engine based on your past boat, that helps.

I'm biased because I really like mine, but agree with NW80 that a panga is a versatile style boat that would work for what you're looking at. There's a few American builders in addition to panga marine: Andros, H&H boatworks, pelagic hybrids. There are also a bunch of central American builders. Imemsa is probably most popular. There are a few imemsa dealers in the states that will custom build boats however you want. I'd look at the 25-27 ft boats.

A few other boats other than the above mentioned ones that are more bay oriented but can handle some offshore runs are the shallow sport latitude 27, shallow sport 25' x3, dargel kat. They'll eat up a small shortly spaced chop. Not sure how they compare to a monohull when you have further spaced swells.

Helping my dad embark on a similar journey but weighted a bit more to the shallow side. The other weekend we went out in the gulf and caught some spanish and big jacks and lost some kings, then the next day showed him some of the flats in west bay and had to push my boat off the sand with a storm bearing down on us. Dad got all excited about those flats and decides he wants a shallow water boat. We spent a day looking at various brands and styles, then the shallowsport dealer tells us that the mod v series will get him in the flats as well as out the jetties and fish nearshore safely, so dad decides that's what he wants. So I guess the first question is: is this accurate or reckless? We're looking at the 24' mod v or the 23' haynie bigfoot. And second, it sounds like a 22-25' panga fills this same niche, how will they compare to the shallow sport or haynie in these two environments? The pangas I have been in in Mexico were heavy beasts, the ones I'm seeing around here are gorgeous, pretty cool to see traditional tech take on a new life...

Regarding OP's needs, I have been thinking that a 24' cat like a glacier bay or the world cat 246 would do the trick for heavier offshore use, as well as fishing the bays where you don't need to go too shallow. Tons of deck space, tons of storage, twins, and nicer drifting manners than a deeper v. Not sure I've ever heard of anyone trolling a cat, though I'm sure it's possible. Seems like I've seen good deals on 10-15 year old world cats lately too.

Not a fan of the Panga....What about the ShallowSport X3 ?

The X3 is a great choice for those with six figure budgets.

Kurt Gowdy said:

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The X3 is a great choice for those with six figure budgets.

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I didnt see a budget listed so....

I was in the market for the same thing recently. I ended up with a Blazer 2220 GTS. it's got a shallow V and lower sides so it doesn't draft deep. also, it's a light boat so it trailers really well. it also comes in a 24' version. If you get a T-top that adds a lot to your drag while on the highway. These boats come with the option of a stand-up height or sit-down height console.

others that got consideration: Sea Hunt bxbr 22, Haynie z21, and the Haynie magnum 23

the sea hunt felt cheap, the Haynie didn't have a well finished feel and was the most expensive.

there are tons of Haynie bigfoot boats around but I think it's important to have a V from bow to stern if you plan on jumping chop/waves offshore.

I'm telling one more time...... if you want to do both .... get a Panga!
Now you're on your own!
Good luck!

JH Performance BX253

Not everyone that's interested in offshore fishing is willing to do so in 3 ft seas. I'm with you, 3 ft is doable. But that's not for everyone and I wouldn't recommend it depending on who would be on the boat.

I think that may help steer the direction, which someone else already touched on. Would you only go offshore in 1-2ft seas or are you willing to go in 3-4ft seas. I've seen aluminum boats almost 20miles out and some smaller Kenners, but the recommendation should depend on what degree of offshore fishing you're interested in.

Troutslime said:

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All good suggestions above..also the Pathfinder 24 or the Parker 24.

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Most Parker's will beat you to death in anything over a light chop. Well built, but not sea kindly.

You should at least look at Crevalle Boats. They are solid and very well thought out.

http://www.crevalleboats.com/

Great suggestions! Will start reading up on them. Thank you all

Probably should have mentioned budget of $60 and looking for used

NW80 said:

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That boat will swamp in 3's on 4 seconds!

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You lost me at Panga needs 2' to get up.

fwiw, I think Pangas are cool as hell, but, I'd rather fish Inshore if conditions are bad enough you couldn't go out in the BX253 (Or in that category is also the Gulf Coast Saber Cat, Shallow Sport X3, or Dargel 250hdx). That said, I wade 80% of the time so to each their own

I would love to see someone with deep enough pockets take a Panga over to Simmons Custom rigging and see what they could do with it.

FIDO*98* said:

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I would love to see someone with deep enough pockets take a Panga over to Simmons Custom rigging and see what they could do with it.

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Not Simmons but still a tricked out texas boat.



I think I prefer the more traditional rigging though.
https://instagr.am/p/BXDuA7BBmas

Is that top pic of The Sanctuary in POC?

I guess I can relate to the issue needing 2' to get up.
First off there is no perfect boat.
I used my Panga as a wading platform ergo 2' was " shin deep."
But you'll never catch me 25 miles out in anything I've seen that gets up shallower, especially Haynie or Pathfinder.
You get caught in 2-3s and you'll swamp.

Check out the Everglades 243 and the new 253. Pricey, but solid "hybrid" platforms.

http://mbgforum.com/topic/6755-2017-2400-trs/

Located in Galveston

Never mind it sold

http://mbgforum.com/topic/7031-2014-pathfinder-2400-trs-65900-3-years-yes-warranty/

How do 2-3 foot waves swamp a 23 footer when I can operate my 15.5 skiff in them, albeit using considerable seamanship and maneuverability?

If I was to do a 22-25 foot boat I would build a Bateau Panga.

I was determined to troll for kings the other day out of galveston. 5' seas made me nauseous but at no time was my bay boat in danger.

Dang guys. If you are concerned with 2-3's get a flats boat because on most days you won't be able to clear the jetty's.

IMO if you want to truly enjoy fishing offshore you need a boat you can move around in where you can hold onto/balance off of the T top piping etc and have a gunwale high enough so that you can press your knees against it for balance.

NW80 said:

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I guess I can relate to the issue needing 2' to get up.
First off there is no perfect boat.
I used my Panga as a wading platform ergo 2' was " shin deep."
But you'll never catch me 25 miles out in anything I've seen that gets up shallower, especially Haynie or Pathfinder.
You get caught in 2-3s and you'll swamp.

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You know I'm with you on the Panga being the most versatile platform out there. Even a 22' Panga like yours will get you skinny enough to get in trouble if you're not careful. With a 22' Panga rigged out property you're covered from 12" to 30 miles out.

That being said, I would put a bigger Pathfinder Hull, especially their 2300 or 2600 HPS hulls on a similar level of versatility. But you're also gonna pay $80K for a rigged out 2300 vs. $45'ish for a 22' Panga.

And the Everglades hulls Brush Country mentioned are great for Florida where they have deeper flats and you don't need a boat to float in 12" but can do 18". Plus, a rigged out Everglades 243 is about $120K.

Bottom line is that every boat requires compromises and a boat that will get up skinny and run skinny simply won't be safe if you're 25 miles out and the weather turns snotty. And vice versa. For my neophyte knowledge compared to some of the guys on here the Panga is the best compromise out there. It just requires a little knowledge and caution in skinny water and to not have jackasses anchored up in a very narrow channel bordered by oyster reefs so you run aground trying to maneuver around this guys. Salt of the water knows what I'm talking about.

The hull design of the Pathfinder is not AS seaworthy as a Panga.

NW80 said:

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The hull design of the Pathfinder is not AS seaworthy as a Panga.

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Would agree. But there is a huge difference between ride quality/handling and seaworthiness. My experience on a panga marine 22 and 28 is they were very seaworthy as far as being safe in a heavy sea at a slow speed. Moderate head seas on plane, they rode like a bathtub. About as wet as one too. They wont eat up chop at speed like some of the V hulls. Even the bay V hulls.

If you can find an older single engine Shallow Sport Lattitude, buy it and never look back. My cousin has one, and it is the best all around boat I have ever been on. It will run in 12', get up in less than 24", and take 6'+ seas without sweat. If you need to re-power it Suzuki makes a 350hp with dual prop that makes that boat really pop!

Won't argue with any of your points.
But, in the end, I want a vessel that will get me home... safe.