Bass boat, bay boat or flats boat???
 

I am going to be moving into the Fort Polk area and want to find out what would be the best fit for the area. I love to fish so the species isn't so much the problem as what would the most useful in fresh and salt. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

get a bay boat, you cant go wrong.... are you moving on post or off ??/ Reason I ask is because i work on post.

Shadow200--I fish big lake in a 16'champion bass boat and have been for 3 years.Just watch the winds on weather sites and stay out when higher then 10m.p.h. Dont get caught in the squalls be aware because there have been times that i pushed it and had to put my boat on the bank till it blew over.Use common sense and be carefull.

well said man, i've seen 14' flats running from squalls in 3' waves in big lake. Get's kinds hairy out there around those times. I have a 21' bay boat and i've ran 4-5'ers and was taking the lining of my boat seats off with my butt !!!!

Depends on how much you want to spend. Bay or flats boat would be the best for all around.

Well I am moving into the area for work, I plan on living near Toledo Bend if at all possible. I am going to be working on the post out at the flightline on post. The job is a 20K raise from what I am making now so I have a little room to look for what I want.

Well if you will be close to toledo a bass boat may be of more use to you...

If you've never fished toledo...you need to learn the boat lanes too!

cool deal, im right by the main gate.

shoot me your information in a PM and i'll give you a call

if you plan on fishing any saltwater, get the bay boat. Really works great on Toledo when those winds pick up and you'll be thankful for it on Big Lake. IMO, I'd rather go bass fishing in a bay boat than go speck fishing in a bass boat......just my 2 cents.

X2.... i couldnt have said it any better

Bass boats just don't hold up great in saltwater unless you get a gelcoated deck model with an aluminum trailer.

There are several different types of flats boats. They have the fuel tank towards the bow to aid shallow hole shots. A technical poling skiff has a lightweight hull that rides rough and may not do well in the stumps on freshwater lakes/swamps. They make big water flats boats & hybrids (hewes/maverick, egret, lake & bay, ranger) but they don't pole easily at all. Most all of these will have less "hull slap" than a bay boat, but they will ride a little wetter. They do have great storage, deck space, walk around gunwales.

A bay boat with dependable power will give you the option to do some mid-range offshore fishing if your brave enough. If I were getting bay boat I would just bite the bullet the first time and get a quality 22 +/- footer. (that brings on a totally different discussion) The drawbacks with the bay boat may include purchase price, ease of towing, and fuel mileage. Lets face it, a lot of inshore work does not require a 22 foot boat.

You need to figure out what your going to use the boat for 80% of the time.

X 3......

A guy I know fishes toledo out of a 22 foot champion bay boat. He fishes 90% of the time on Toledo. But he does saltwater fish some. Like everyone else is saying u might as well get a bay boat cause u can do both.

Ranger bays are freaking sweet

I'd get the bay boat. Even if you only salt water fish a few times a year. 95% of my fishing is toledo or sam rayburn. Trust me rayburn or toledo will get rougher than bid lake will ever think about getting. You need a bay boat to cut through the waves. I seen plenty of 50K plus bass boats beached on land because they can't get across the lake in a storm. JMO.

thanks for all the input

You get caught in storms on Toledo and gotta run the lake...I promise you you'd be glad you're in a bay boat. Get you a bay boat and you aren't limited on where to fish. Speck 25 and Drost summed it up. Good luck!

I am gonna change it up a little then... what brand/model do you recommend for less then 20K?

careful you've opened pandora's box :p

Hahahaha. Watch this thread blow up. :)