Boat types
Skiffs boat:
Sometimes called a dinghy, a fishing skiff resembles a small rowboat with a V-bottom. Usually 14 to 16 feet in length, these boats are often rented from fishing stations, which also serve as tackle shops in many coastal areas. Wooden fishing skiffs are less common these days, most skiffs boat is now made of aluminum or fiberglass. Skiffs are used exclusively in protected bays and inlets, with their small size, low freeboard, and lack of a deck; they are not sufficiently seaworthy for open water. A skiff can be rowed, but most have a small (5 to 15 horsepower) outboard motor attached to the transom, allowing you to travel quickly between fishing locations in a bay. To enter the boat, don’t step on the gunwales – the upper edge of the boat’s sides- or anywhere near the outside edge of the seats. Step directly from the dock into the middle of the bottom of the boat; keep your weight low, and sit down promptly near the boat’s centerline. Once you’re seated stay there. Small skiffs can be tippy. Aluminum boats are noisy, so when you’re on our fishing grounds, avoid banging gear around inside the hull. The noise will scare away the fish.
Runabouts:
Runabouts suitable for saltwater fishing are usually larger than skiffs, ranging from 15 to 20 feet or longer. They have higher freeboard and wider beam than skiffs and a large engine, ranging from 40 to 200 horsepower and up. Most are powered by outboard motors, although sterndrive inboard engines are not uncommon on larger models. Fiberglass us the most popular hull material, but aluminum boats are also common. Runabouts are much faster than skiffs, and they are capacious enough to accommodate a lot of fixed and movable fishing equipment, such as rod holders, bait well, coolers, a rod storage rack.
Center Console Boats: Center console boats are runabouts on steroids, designed especially for fishing. With the controls, gauges, and instruments consolidated on a narrow pedestal, they provide unrestricted fishing on all sides of the boat. They range in length from 16 to 20 feet or more. The smaller ones should be considered inshore boats, but many center consoles around 22 feet or so are capable of handling fairly rough waters offshore. The larger boats often have twin outboard engines with a combined horsepower of 300 or more.
