Lets start off with saltwater, but where are we going to actually fish? When it comes to saltwater there are many places that are to be fish, considering that is what over 75% of the world is made of. As when it comes to fishing from a boat in freshwater, you do not need a big vessel, you need a small boat because you will either be fishing in a lake or you may be fishing in a river. As if you plan on saltwater fishing off shore then you will need a vessel that is made to handle the wrath of mother nature, meaning the boat should be a decent size about 20 foot or up and it should be desigtned to handle rough seas and be in the ocean. A bad example of a boat great than 20 foot in the ocean would be a pontoon boat or a deck boat.
So what kind of boat would be ideal for fishing the flats in saltwater? Well you would want a boat no bigger than 20 foot, as this will allow you more maneuverbility and you will be less likely to spook fish that are swimming in the shallow waters. There are many good types of flats boats that are out there and they are much cheaper than deep sea fishing vessels, and if you know where to catch the snook and the redfish then you will have better luck than the beginner wasting hundreds of dollars of gas traveling 200 miles offshore to catch nothing and watch some birds.
One of my favorite boats to fish from are carolina skiffs. They have a great design, can be customized to hell, and are great vessels for flats fishing in my opinion. You can get a good used carolina skiff for a couple of thousand dollars here down in Fort Myers Florida.
Another type of boat that I love fishing from is a pontoon boat. The reason I like pontoon boats to fish from is the deck space that is available. And you can still put all of the extras that you put on a carolina skiff such as a trolling motor, gps fish finder, electronic anchors, and push levels.
You can also fit a substantial amount of fishermen on a pontoon boat because of the flat shape, there is plenty of space for all of the anglers to square up and get their cast off. The one bad thing about these kinds of boats is that they are not designed to handle rough ocean and seas and it is highly recommended that they not be taken out to the ocean.
If you plan on going deep sea fishing you can plan on having a lot of money because you will need some money to buy a boat that is meant for the ocean. Not only will you need a good boat that has a good design you will also need a good motor to get out there in a good amount of time. This is very critical as it is highly recommended that if you are planning on deep sea fishing that you have more than one motor, two is more reliable, three is optimal. If you run into any problems you want to make sure that at least one motor can start quick.
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