My name is Brian and I have always been an offshore fisherman. Lately I have developed an interest in inhore/freshwater fising and I am even considering selling my boat and offshore gear and buying an inshore boat. So I am starting to do some research into what kind of boat and setup would best suit the needs for inshore/freshwater fishing. I am interested in information about the boats, electronics, rods, reels, ect. A few things I like in a boat is plenty of room, fishability, ample power, ample fuel, and lots of storage space. I will also be looking for some inshore fishing buddies that know what they are doing as all of mine are offshore fisherman. Thank you in advance for the help.
You know those wide, flat bayboats you ride by at the jetties and harbor on the way back form the ledge? Get one of those.
KEYWEST 210BR. 150 hp Yamaha. With Lowrance HDS 9 or 10 . I-Pilot trolling motor w/ spot lock.(Don’t have the TM yet, but it is next on my list.)
A couple of Cajun anchors for "cheap " shallow water anchoring capabilities. The best I’ve used for anchoring in 8’ of water or less with a soft bottom.
Ambassador 6500 reels.
For the money, I like the ugly stick rods (catfish, striper, and tiger rods - 8 ft )
2/0 - 8/0 gamakatsu circle hooks.
20# - 30# mono or 40# - 60# braid.
Driftmaster rod holders about 10 or 12. ( I’m a lazy fisherman. Prefer the cut bait / live bait route. Especially with the wife and kids on board.)
I fish from Upper Santee to Georgetown and this rig works well for me.
i like those new rabalo bay boats and pioneer bulls bay, pathfinder,shearwater,ranger.B/c those are all too rich for my blood so i have a sea pro, which i love the lay out and hull. It the narrower one. I kinda like the lay out of the sailfish bay boat too so if you like your sailfish,which i believe one would, look at them. Or better yet, get cracker larry to build you one if you both have thetime! 6500c3 and 5500c3 are good.low profile bait casterfor top water w med fast action rod. shimano or penn spinning reels and assortment of rods from ml-h 6’6 to 7’6. If money isnt a problem buy a few Big Bear fishing rods and put stradic ci4’s on them you wont bedisappointed. IF you are holding the rod all day the bb/ci4 set up is super light. Ugly sticks are good for a budget but heavy. The berkley lightning with the cork handle from wal marks runs about 39 bucks but feel like an 75 buck rod,IMO. My buddy here on JI makes the big bears and they are awesome. TFo make some good non fly rods too. Gps matters more than sonar inshore but not in the lakes. And its nice to have a sonar incase get out of the marsh for a jetties trip or something. I have a lowerance elite 5 and it works great. Best advice i can give you is to go to haddrells and get several quality rods and a few reels. put the reels on the various rods and see which feels the best to you. remember you will likely beholding the rod much more than fishing off shore. Unless you are video game fishing for stripers:smiley:
- I’d rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave.
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I went and looked at EDGE boats yesterday in moncks corner and it seems to be a decient boat but the layout makes it a little tight on room. I did find a carolina skiff 258 that I liked a lot but I think they wanted a little much for it (2110 year model with 310 hours for $49,000). Is a 25 foot boat too big for inshore or is it ideal? Another thing is these power poles, do they work well or is it a waste of money. I have already decided I’m all in on the riptide i-pilot and I’m seriously looking at the lowrance gen 2 HDS 12 with down imaging and side scan. I may put a gen 1 HDS 7 on the bow too. As far as the Stradics go, I love them and bought 4 of them yesterday. I’m still looking at rods but I think the lighter I go with the better off I will be. Thanks for all the tips I really am lost when it comes to this and I need all the help I can get.
Sailfish 2360 WAC
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Or better yet, get cracker larry to build you one if you both have the time
It just so happens that I have one coming up for sale 
Since this pic was taken I’ve added a custom swim platform and replaced the T-top.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
pm sent
i use my 2014 key west 230BR with the 200 yamaha for inshore fishing and bass fishing on lake murray. fabulous boat. this boat has plenty of storage and handles the chop well. minn-kota i-pilot troll motor is great.
that’s a nice looking rig Larry. With her dowry comes in I need to talk to you
Scout-20 feet with either Yamaha 115 or 150 4s is all you need. Also, 8-10 ft. stick-it pole. I had a Key West 2020 Bluewater and it drew too much water for those shallow spots 1-2 feet that you will want to fish.
Sea Hunt 24ft. Bay boat . Made in Columbia,sc
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Originally posted by Cracker Larryquote:
Or better yet, get cracker larry to build you one if you both have the time
It just so happens that I have one coming up for sale
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Every time Capt. Larry posts this one my heart does a little extra flutter. I tried looking through the Bateau boat builder threads to decide which one this is? Is it the Outboard Dory 18 (OD18) or another design altogether? What say you Capt. Larry?
16’ High Tide Flats (Green) w/Yamaha 90
Wilderness Ride 135
Wilderness Tarpon 120
Duckedo, my father has a 19’ Sailfish that works great inshore and is frequently used to the close reefs for Spanish trolling. His only complaint is that the package came with a 115 Yammy 4-Stroke and the boat is a bit underpowered with it making for a slow holeshot. IMHO, a 25’ skiff is getting a bit big to maneuver easily in the inshore creeks. I’d be looking at something in the 17’-22’ range depending on how many people you’re fishing. The KeyWest 210 BayReef is high on my dream boat list.
16’ High Tide Flats (Green) w/Yamaha 90
Wilderness Ride 135
Wilderness Tarpon 120
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Is it the Outboard Dory 18 (OD18) or another design altogether? What say you Capt. Larry?
Yes it is a Jacques Mertens designed OD18 with some modifications. Heck of a good boat, the best I’ve ever owned. It will float in 6", run in 12" and I’ve taken it to the Bahamas 3 times She will be for sale as of Oct.1.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
how much would it cost a poor dumb redneck? cash money.
I have seen that boat up close. She is a very well built boat and looks to be unsinkable. I wish I was in the market, I would be all over it.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
loan peapod the $. I’m good for it. nothing is unsinkable
Look at the Sportsman boats. I have a Masters 227 and have fished inshore and jetties. I-pilot works greats inshore holding in current and wind. I normally use anchors at jetties.