Your most important decision to make when deciding which boat is right for you is how are you planning to use your boat? Don't let perceived boat prices make your choice. There are many great small sport fisherman models like a 33' Bertram, 38' Viking, or 41 Hatteras that are priced better than todays large outboard center console boat.  Are you planning to use your boat for just a few hours locally, or all day offshore, and weekend over night trips to the islands?

The reliability of twin diesels, stability, and comfort of the small sports fisherman are just some of their best qualities.  Not many of us plan to leave the dock when the seas are 6'-8' , although most of use have had to make the long and hard trip home after the weather in the Gulf Steam blows up unexpectedly.  The ability to get out of the weather, or just cool off in the summer make these boats an easy sell to the family.

Lets get down to the real dirt.  The reason you want a Sports Fisherman is to go FISHING! How will a sport fisherman make me a better fisherman? There are lots of advantages, although my favorite is height.  The flying bridge or tower will help you CATCH fish.  Trolling a Ballyhoo past a 35lb Bull Dolphin working under a frigate bird or pitching a live bait to tailing sails, the tower of bridge will help you to see that fish.  Keep your eyes on it and, get your bait in front of it.  Your eyes will catch you more fish than ever thought possible. 

I spend all summer in my tower and my catches reflect it.  Just yesterday I was working a green to purple edge with a trickle of weed mixed in.  There were more than a half a dozen other small boats working the area with little success.  We were able to catch a limit right in front of them.  My tower was the key to our success. The fish were a little spooky and not responding to the troll.  I was able to spot a school of fish swimming a little deep.  From the tower I was able to keep my eyes on the prize and instruct my angler how to place a jig in front of the deep swimming dolphin.  Working the jig up to the surface my angler was able to hook up and bring the entire school to the surface.  Chumming a few "live baits" made the dolphin go crazy! In less than two hours off shore we were able to find two schools and catch plenty of fish.  The tower lets spent more time CATCHING and less time looking. 

After we finished with that school of fish, I was able to direct a small center console boat to a few fish scattered off my port side, and get there anglers hooked up.  He had fish 20 yards a head and off shore of him and had no idea they were there. 

The right equipment and a few charter boat tricks will help you become a GREAT fisherman and have amazing catches.  To learn a few more tricks just stay tuned, or contact me and I would be glad to help.  Until next time, see you on the rip!

Cap. Jay Cohen

 

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