More deadrise means deeper draft. That might knock out some of the shallow water fishermen. More deadrise usually means a greater ride in rough water.
The KW does have a lot of flare at the bow, that would make it pretty dry ride, but the high bow gets you farther off the water too.
Every boat has it's plus's and minus's. It all depends on how and where you fish.
If we could find a boat with all the plus's, it would cost too much to fish.
The KW would make a good inshore/offshore boat for those who fish the rigs.
I have ridden in a Haynie and they are pretty great riding boat for their weight. I was surprised at the ride in rough water.
Bay boats don't normally have high deadrise due to the water we fish in. In Big Lake during a North wind and low tide, you can be running on plane one day and sitting on the bottom the next day in the same spot. I am proof of that.

The Right Boat For You
 

Ray you hit the nail on the head, I've heard this who makes the best boat issue forever and I feel a point is usually missed. What is important is to find a boat that fits your style of fishing or whatever ones' venue is. What works for me may not work for you and there is more than one way to skin a cat. It is truly a great day when you find a boat that leaves you fulfilled where you're not thinking man I wish I had this or that.

I fished a Key West 216 Bay Reef for many years and recently purchased the Key West 246 Bay Reef. I have a lot of confidence in these boats, I've been very impressed with the ride and dryness of these vessels and I can promise you I go out when I really shouldn't as long as I know I'll be protected where I intend to fish. However, I could not get the 246 into most Redfish ponds, I hate R-fish so I could care less about getting into one. Once one hits their stride fishing in a boat they're comfortable and confident in they're hard to beat.

Nice lookin boat mack....

Nice boat man,welcome to the site!

Good to see you John! I told you the gold looked good on the wasabi green !
I dont know how long you been lurking, but keep your skin thick cuse this place is a drama fest!

Welcome to the site... I always enjoy your reports on rod n reel it would be nice to get some more of those eastside reports over here too

X2 sounds like yall have been tearing up the tarpon pretty good!

That is a pretty nice looking boat. Lots of shine. I like a nice finish on a boat.

Moon Cricket,

"The Skeeter and the Champion are nice riding machines, I've put many hours in both but in nasty conditions aren't near the ride of the Key West."


After fishing out of each of those, both inshore and offshore on numerous occasions, I would agree with you on the ride of the Skeeter but to say the Champ isn't near the ride of the Key West is a bit absurd in my opinion. My experience is the other way around. Not knocking Key West in any way, because I think it's a good boat and I love the space and layout, but my best friend who owns the Bay Reef even prefers the ride, draft, and fishability of the Champ over his own Bay Reef. He was in the market for a 24 footer and got a good deal on it at a boat show so he bought it.


"My friend also has a Key West 246 Bay Reef, spray is never able to shoot around the wide Carolina flair of the Key West bow wetting occupants. Anyone that tells you differently really doesn't know or doesn't know how to run a boat. "


I was driving his boat...and I know how to handle one. "Never" might not be the best word choice. I've driven everything from rolled gunnel kenners to haynies to blackjacks to the yellowfin 24. From my experience, the Key West was just one of the wetter rides. The deep V cuts through a nasty chop head on but if you start going across the waves at an angle, put your raincoat on. ( I realize you're gonna get wet if it's windy and you are going across a decent chop in any bay boat, but I wasn't very impressed with the Bay Reef. Not knocking it, just giving my honest opinion from experience to help the thread starter)


"One member who fished with me often on the 216 owns a Champion 22, he'll tell you it rides great but on very windy days prefers the dry, pound free ride of the Key West. It's not just my opinion, I've spent countless hours on the Key West."


The 22 Bay Champ is not a true Champion hull and is a modified Stratos hull. The 220 Champion is also a knock off. It is a Wellcraft hull and now Ranger is selling it as the Bahia. I have fished out of both of those multiple times and I'm not impressed. The older 21 Bay Champ puts both to shame. The 21 and 24 Bay Champs are the "real" Champion hulls and have a great ride.


"...this will allow you to view what a huge national audience believes and not just one clown saying my buddy owns one of them."


Not everyone on here is a "clown". From what I've seen so far there are some lol, but there are also a lot of experienced fisherman and guides on this forum, probably much like yourself, that know exactly what they are talking about. I'm in no way knocking the Bay Reef because I think it's a good boat. I love skiing behind it :rotfl: But I do believe for the price, there are better performers out there to suit the application. I have a Bay Champ right now and absolutely love it but in the next year or two I will be getting rid of it for a Haynie 24 H.O. or a Yellowfin 24 Bay if I can get my funds right. I know everyone on this website starts cracking jokes when a Haynie is mentioned but they have become popular here on Big Lake for good reason. The Haynie 24 H.O. is impressive for what it is. It is light, fast, dry, and still to this day I don't understand how it rides as great as it does. Every time I fish with one of our guides that has one it makes me like it more and more every trip. This would be my top recommendation for a great all around performer for the price for fishing the bay and going out to the short rigs. Great ride, performance, fishability, and in my opinion all boats are overpriced but you get a lot of boat for the price in the Haynie compared to others in its class.

That may be the greatest post in history, love the blue

I agree on the haynie. I rode in one for the first time a couple of weeks ago and was extremely impressed with how smooth it was.

X2 that was epic! Still have not rode in a haynie,gotta see for myself.....must be 6 footers for me to be convinced though.

The first time i saw one on the lake a few years ago, the owner of which was from texas was bragging about how its the best thing since sliced bread and I laughed at him when I looked at it on the trailer. It looked like a nothing special, plain, rolled gunnel boat. Then a friend of mine got one and I rode in it. I had one word for it. Wow. We went through a nasty chop in Big Lake, facing the waves at all different angles and it was dry and smooth. Then we went through the nasty chop at 65 mph then I said wow again! Then I looked at how little fuel we burned while fishing out of it all day and I said wow again! Lol pretty sweet boat

Oh, and Cricket....the link you provided for researching this topic, the "national challenge" involving a "huge national audience" that consisted of 87 voters to vote on the best riding bay boat seemed to be missing some of the top performers in that class. Not to mention it was also comparing 22 and 24 foot boats to each other.

Thank You Everyone!
 

A big thank you to everyone for welcoming me to this site, yes I am new here but just realized that this seems to be a site geared for the fishermen on the west side. I stumbled across the site by accident looking for informtion I googled on something or other fishing related. I will probably not bore anyone with reports since I'm guessing it won't be of much use to anyone here but I still love to read and dream about fishing all day lol. Also thank you for the kind comments in regards to the Key West 24, I loved my 21 for years but have been really wanting the 24 for Tarpon fishing too. Soon my precious Tarpon will be gone until next year but will be rewarded with fall Trout fishing in full swing soon. I hope all is well with my fellow fishing friends!

John

John,

Please post your reports. Always looking for other places to fish and there are many east enders on the site.

PLEASE POST REPORTS!! We all love seeing fish pics hunting pics doesn't matter from where! Hell we even have a guy post from the North East!! Post'em up and hang around!!

yep I dont discriminate... I deplete the trout population from Lake P to Big Lake and everywhere in between

X2!

agree with the rest, we like pickshures !!!!!!