# Small boat on the coast?



## cuda67bnl (Jul 13, 2020)

Been thinking bout getting a small center console. Something in the 17 to 19 foot size. I like to fish for small sharks and rays. Is a 17 footer too small to be screwing around with past the rivers and sound?


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## BriarPatch99 (Jul 13, 2020)

Depends on the waters you fish ...

I have fished inshore out of a 14' aluminum boat with a 30 hp ...caught a bunch fish doing so ... have watch the weather close...

Now we have a 18.5' Key Largo with a 115 hp outboard ... still watch the weather...


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Jul 13, 2020)

I've fished around Brunswick and St Mary's with a 15ft glasstream bass boat, you just need to watch the weather.


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## Trench (Jul 14, 2020)

Depends on your age which is directly related to risk aversion!  Once the chop starts and the clouds come, you always wish you had a bigger boat.  Plan according and make sure you have a good radio.


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## cuda67bnl (Jul 14, 2020)

Well, I’m 48 and my risk aversion grows quickly now compared to years ago, lol. I have no plans on running way offshore. Mainly wanting to fish the rivers and possibly the sound if the water isn’t rough.


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## ryanh487 (Jul 14, 2020)

I don't know about you,  but if I'm far enough out to no longer see land I'm not doing it on anything smaller than 25 feet.


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## Thundersticks (Jul 14, 2020)

Lately i've been watching guys fish in kayaks. Small is a relative term. Theres a lot of water to navigate along the Georgia coast. The shorter the boat usually means less horsepower. Which you know what that translates to, its going to take you longer to get from point A to point B. I dont know many people who say I wish I had less horsepower. I have a 19ft Carolina skiff with a 115. It will get to 35mph in calm water. We dont spend all day trying to get to our spots, but I do wish I had a little more speed. It seems my wish list keeps changing. If you have the opportunity find someone with a boat comparable to what you want and talk your way into going out with them. Its an investment, we've all been where you are, do your research, but in the end get what you want and what you are happy with.  Just to reiterate, watch the weather!


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## landlocked (Jul 14, 2020)

My father had a 19' with 115 when i was a child, scaled down to a 16' with a 65, then down to a 14' with a 25.  We ran that last boat out in the sound and to the beach all the time.  No radio, no cellphones.  Kept an eye on weather, but it got a little sporty sometimes.  Difference was, if we needed to we would pull up into the marsh or onto a mudbar and wait it out.  Time was on our side
I now have a 17' SeaHunt with a 90.  I will go to nearshore reef but I choose my days.  Have gone to Gray's in a 19' and would probably go in my 17' if conditions were right.
Use common sense though, it is an unforgiving master.


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## washercan4 (Jul 14, 2020)

I have a 03 19' key largo bay boat it with a 125 hp outboard. I will go to some of the near shore reefs (about 8 miles offshore) no problem. Just watch the weather, take a radio and have Sea tow. That sizes boat also works good inshore. For a interesting take on how different boating is today compared to 30 years ago watch the youtube video "fishtales :unsinkable". It is amazing anyone lived through those days lol.


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## massafibassa (Jul 14, 2020)

Sounds can be and get dangerous quickly.


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## RHFisherman (Jul 14, 2020)

I'm with Landlocked.  

I have a 16' aluminum with a 40 horse on the back.  Without the motor, the boat weighs 370 ish lbs.  Easy to catch bait in the shallow creeks with a cast net, pull up on any sandbar and sneak into places no one else can.  There's no water too shallow for it.  Laminated map, depth finder, and an old re-purposed igloo cooler now livewell is all I need.  

I'm on the front side of St. Cats all the time, not on windy days though.  But it's always easy to find nice calm spots on one side of the sound or the other or in the creeks. 

I reach speeds in the low 30's mph when I'm by myself.  The costs are cheap since the bait is always free and I can fish from sunup to sundown on about 5 gallons of gas.  

I spend most of my days fishing for sharks up to about 9' with no issues.....yet.


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## Al White (Jul 16, 2020)

I have a 17ft flats (cayman) with a 130 on it.  I had to cross the sound once in somewhat windy weather, and don't plan on doing it again


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## Redbow (Jul 16, 2020)

I have had several deep V boats 16 footers like RHFisherman posted, they are great boats and pretty sea worthy. We have been as far as 3 miles or more with the 16's out of Murrells Inlet SC and we fished Georgetown SC often with those boats. Anywhere you go on the sound or Ocean its prudent to watch the weather and have a good marine radio onboard..We had a 19 foot boat with a 140 Evinrude for years that we fished up to 10 miles offshore with..Using good common sense goes a long way with boating just like anything else..


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## massafibassa (Jul 16, 2020)

Looking back at your question . If you don't know I'd say yes . Not trying to be rude .


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## ssramage (Jul 16, 2020)

Plenty of boat. Just watch the weather and the wind.


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## Seanote (Jul 28, 2020)

I fished out of a 19' ft Sea Pro for 15 years.  i would go out 20 miles for kings routinely.  Have a good radio, know and watch the weather, Sea Tow, watch the wave conditions for days before you go, and go out with friends on other boats.  My boat was very sea worthy for a 19 footer.  I caught tons of fish out of that boat.


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## flconch53 (Jul 29, 2020)

My partners son in law is a commercial crabbers and diver out of Savannah.  He does it all out a 18ft Carolina skiff. He is on the water at 250 per year. Just pay attention and learn when to go and when to say no.


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## ChadA (Jul 30, 2020)

cuda67bnl said:


> Been thinking bout getting a small center console. Something in the 17 to 19 foot size. I like to fish for small sharks and rays. Is a 17 footer too small to be screwing around with past the rivers and sound?


I have a sea hunt 172 and I go 6 miles off shore when the seas are right.


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## marlin (Jul 31, 2020)

In my younger days we fished 30 to 60 miles out on a 20ft boat On a regular basis. Even made a few trips to the ledge in a 20ft boat. You must watch the weather for a few days and pick the right day for such trips. When June through August rolls around you have to watch for afternoon thunderstorms.


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## Dustin4106 (Aug 16, 2020)

People on here will say all kinds of things. The fact is go out if you feel comfortable in your boat then go. If not then don’t. I went out of at simons in a 12’ Jon boat before.


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## Sunbury (Aug 19, 2020)

I ran around for years on 17 foot Carolina Skiffs. Some tales of crossing the sound are now the stuff of legend, but real trouble never came close, fear of it sure did though


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## Chap (Sep 2, 2020)

I have a 16ft Gheenoe with a 9.9 and go all kinds of places I probably should not.  I get plenty of odd looks from other boaters that seem to say, "What is that nut doing?"


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## flconch53 (Sep 2, 2020)

Just watch the weather


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## Fletch_W (Sep 2, 2020)

when I lived on the coast, I did just fine with a 14 jb and a 7.5hp motor, but I was always a little jealous of my friends with "real" boats, but never jealous of their maintenance and costs.


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## cuda67bnl (Sep 2, 2020)

I just bought a 18.5 center console. I think it’ll do what I want it to do. Hope to get down there in a week or so and find out.


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## bownutz (Sep 23, 2020)

Ive run 16 bass tracker and now a new 14 tracker set up for fly and its got real western on me around Tybee sound st catherines and ssi. I stick to rivers now. Scared the mess out of me.


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