Salt Water Boys

[Caustic Burno]

Have any of yall seen this Mako Skiff running the bay?
Seen one looked well laid out at the ramp, was wondering if
anyone has seen one handle chop. Looks like a great rig for chasing Reds.
Curious if anyone had seen one chasing trout in open bay.

http://www.mako-boats.com/boat/?boat=3555

 

[Bigfoot]

Looks expensive. Can't tell you any more than that.

 

[Kingfisher]

Not that......I have a Seafox that's about the same basic layout but I think mine is longer. The longer the better. More room to fish in front and behind the console. I like the high sides so nobody falls overboard. The problem with some/most of these boats I find is the "rigging". Unless you baby em and store em inside the gauges,upholstery, tops,hinges etc just don't hold up and your constantly upgrading stuff. My Seafox rides like a Cadillac and with a 90 gallon tank I allways laugh when someone says " I'll fill it up if you take me fishing!"
One of these days I'm going to make a run over to Baffin Bay then down the intercoastal along the King Ranch shore to Port Isabel. :).

 

[Kingfisher]

I saw a picture today from a friend of a friend who lives in Hawaii but comes to see his kids here in Austin from time to time. They were fishing for tuna last week and caught a 750lb Sow sword fish! He says everybody knows him now! Pretty stinking big fish!

 

[Hook]

Only thing to watch for in the makos is the idle ones may have transom issues. Take a moisture meter to any boat transom you're looking at.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Only thing to watch for in the makos is the idle ones may have transom issues. Take a moisture meter to any boat transom you're looking at.

These are the new design with composite transoms no wood in the boat.
Looks like the are building it to compete with Carolina Skiff.
I was intrigued as it had a very unique hull design.

 

[Commercialfarmer]

Hey CB, if you don't mind my asking on this thread, I have a question about salt water fishing.

I've never been, but I'll likely have a chance to go this year out of the Galveston area. Is July an okay time? If not, when should I plan it?

 

[wbvs58]

I take it the inverted V is a tunnel hull like a cat. We have some very good cat hulls here that are superb on bar crossings and smoothing out pretty big chop. They have a lot more freeboard than that one but I would reckon it would smooth out fairly decent chop in bays pretty good but bigger ocean stuff may challenge it a bit. But then they don't claim that it is designed for that.
Ken

 

[Caustic Burno]

Hey CB, if you don't mind my asking on this thread, I have a question about salt water fishing.

I've never been, but I'll likely have a chance to go this year out of the Galveston area. Is July an okay time? If not, when should I plan it?

Sept is much better IMO also one of the kids I coached in baseball is a guide.
If you are interested in a day of bay fishing chasing reds and trout PM me.

 

[LRTX1]

What model are you looking at? The link took me to a 284cc, which would appear to be an offshore rig. My good friend just bought a mako 17 proskiff. I will fish out of it soon.

 

[Caustic Burno]

What model are you looking at? The link took me to a 284cc, which would appear to be an offshore rig. My good friend just bought a mako 17 proskiff. I will fish out of it soon.

17 Pro Skiff is the one I was looking at.
Please let me know how it handles open bay chop.

 

[LRTX1]

I will. He did tell me it handles and rides a lot better than the 2 Carolina skiffs that he had. Still a wet boat but not near as wet as the Carolinas

 

[Caustic Burno]

I will. He did tell me it handles and rides a lot better than the 2 Carolina skiffs that he had. Still a wet boat but not near as wet as the Carolinas

There is a fellow here that is in a little bind and one is for sale pretty cheap.
Peaked my interest, thought it might be a pretty good Trinity Bay boat as well
as the lakes.

When it comes to boat hulls when you get one thing you give up something else.
I am still kicking my ass for selling my 17 Whaler Montauk. That was as close to
perfect IMO as you could get for our bay.

 

[Brute 23]

When it comes to handling chop and getting you around in the bay the cat - hulls are the way to go. It's amazing how they soak the waves up.

I don't have much in my boat but when it comes time to replace it... it will be a cat-hull or a kayak.

 

[lavacarancher]

Hey CB, if you don't mind my asking on this thread, I have a question about salt water fishing.

I've never been, but I'll likely have a chance to go this year out of the Galveston area. Is July an okay time? If not, when should I plan it?

CF, I know you didn't ask me but I'll put my :2cents: in. Like CB said, Fall fishing IMO is usually better but if you come down in July the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th are good tide days and the fishing will be better. In August try the 10th, 11th or 12th and in September there aren't any good tide days BUT the water will start to cool off and signal the flounder to start their migration back to the Gulf and the Reds will start to gorge for the Winter. Good luck.

 

[LRTX1]

CB, I got a first hand look at that skiff today. It looks like it can be a real good one. However, like any boat there will be things that you don't like. This one lacks good storage, casting deck has a "lip" that requires a spacer to mount a trolling motor. The cooler seat doesn't have a back rest...nice cooler though, one of those roto molded ones. Fuel tanks are portables and accessible, not the easiest, but OK.

The boat is laid out fairly well with plenty of room for 2, three would be doable 4 would be very uncomfortable.

Might be out on it later next week. I will let you know how it runs.

 

[Caustic Burno]

CB, I got a first hand look at that skiff today. It looks like it can be a real good one. However, like any boat there will be things that you don't like. This one lacks good storage, casting deck has a "lip" that requires a spacer to mount a trolling motor. The cooler seat doesn't have a back rest...nice cooler though, one of those roto molded ones. Fuel tanks are portables and accessible, not the easiest, but OK.

The boat is laid out fairly well with plenty of room for 2, three would be doable 4 would be very uncomfortable.

Might be out on it later next week. I will let you know how it runs.

Good I was thinking this would be good for me and a grandson to chase specks and white perch.
Be sure to update me on the ride and stability.

 

[LRTX1]

CB,
The boat fishes well with 2, plenty stable walking around the edges. Handles well, tight turns for a skiff like that. The 60 HP four stroke merc ran Wide open at 29 with 2 grown men and a 24 volt trolling motor.

We did run across some wake and didn't get that slam you would expierence in a Carolina. That is as close to chop as we could get in the lake.

I'd buy one if the price was right.

 

[Caustic Burno]

CB,
The boat fishes well with 2, plenty stable walking around the edges. Handles well, tight turns for a skiff like that. The 60 HP four stroke merc ran Wide open at 29 with 2 grown men and a 24 volt trolling motor.

We did run across some wake and didn't get that slam you would expierence in a Carolina. That is as close to chop as we could get in the lake.

I'd buy one if the price was right.

Test drove a 16 today with a 40 Merc fellow want's 10K for it 2013 model loaded out.
Two depth finders troll motor the whole nine yards has 15 hours on it.
Motor has three years remaining warranty.
Test drove it across Lake Livingston today and it was as rough as the bay.
Boat performed like a much bigger boat I just don't like the low sides on it.
Also unless something has really changed since I was tearing up the bay Mercury and
saltwater didn't go together.
Told the guy I would let him know tomorrow.

 

[LRTX1]

CB,

I think I heard Mercury and Yamaha are the exact engine up through at least the 60 HP.