# Hey Flounder9.75



## jsh1904 (Mar 20, 2012)

Hunting season ends in a few days so it's time for me to replace the old rig. I always said that I was going to stay with the aluminum boats because I loved that Xpress but now I am torn between 3 different boats and wanted your opinion. I'll be using the boat for trout fishing and hog hunting in the delta as well and these are my top 3 contenders (in no particular order):


Mako 17ft skiff
Carolina Skiff
G3 1766cc or 1866cc


Any opinion on those three choices?


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## flounderslayerman (Jun 3, 2011)

I'm not Mark but here's my oppinion. No on the mako. It has that cat style hull which loses displacment. So smaller amounts of weight will affect the draft easier plus they only come with mercs on the back. The carolina and the g3 are both good boats so that's where my choice would be. My preference would be the carolina because of the any number of layouts you could set the boat up with. Several different decks, console, and seating options.


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## jhamilton226 (Oct 1, 2010)

Carolina Skiffs are some of the toughest dang boats on the water, trust me my little 14ft. J model has been thru hell many times and I always manage to float her back to the dock! And as Slayerman mentioned they are very versatile regardless of what you want to fish for...the only negative is the J models, which I have, are a rough ride in choppy seas and you will get wet if you are gettin into it on rough water...if you get the 17ft. model with the slight V in the bow that becomes a non-issue I think...can't go wrong if you decide on the Carolina in my humble opinion, good luck with your purchase either way!


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## jsh1904 (Mar 20, 2012)

Thanks for the feedback. The merc is probably my biggest issue with the Mako. I'm a loyal Yamaha fan for sure.


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer (Oct 13, 2011)

Mako skiffs suck. The merc isn't the problem, the max horsepower rating is too low for the boat if you have 2 or more people on.


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## Flounder9.75 (Sep 28, 2007)

G3 1866 or wider if they make one.


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## bamafan611 (Mar 1, 2010)

Like Elliot/Flounderslayerman and J said the carolina skiff is a great gigging boat and very versatile. The thing I like is the foam filled hull that will enable you to float in spit.Marc is right if you go aluminum a 1866 or wider.


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## jhamilton226 (Oct 1, 2010)

the stability of the Carolina's are tough to match as well...not too sure on the aluminum boats, honestly I heard enough john boat horror stories growing up I am probably ignorantly equating all aluminum boats to the same standard  but I can tell you from experience that you can put your entire load to one side of the Carolina and it will barely cause a list...if you can keep your balance you can actually walk along the gunwales, I've done it! And like Bama said its solid foam so if you screw the pooch and ram a dock or something terrible, or even just forget to put your plug in before you launch (guilty) there will still be a boat, or parts of it, floating to grab a hold of!!! I'm saving my pennies to buy a grown up version of mine in a few years


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## HotSoup (Jan 2, 2013)

We use a polar skiff 17ft and it works great...


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## jsh1904 (Mar 20, 2012)

jhamilton226 said:


> the stability of the Carolina's are tough to match as well...not too sure on the aluminum boats, honestly I heard enough john boat horror stories growing up I am probably ignorantly equating all aluminum boats to the same standard  but I can tell you from experience that you can put your entire load to one side of the Carolina and it will barely cause a list...if you can keep your balance you can actually walk along the gunwales, I've done it! And like Bama said its solid foam so if you screw the pooch and ram a dock or something terrible, or even just forget to put your plug in before you launch (guilty) there will still be a boat, or parts of it, floating to grab a hold of!!! I'm saving my pennies to buy a grown up version of mine in a few years


 My last boat was a 17ft xpress cc (aluminum). 3 grown men could stand on the side and it wouldn't list. It's not like a 12ft jon boat  I did some looking today and I still think that the 3 is going to be the way to go for me. I like the storage, 2 livewells and layout of the boat. We pole along when gigging and I'm just not sure how well that will work with a Carolina skiff. If I buy new then I get a 5 year warranty on the motors now but the prices are all over the place from the dealers I have talked to.


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## Flounder9.75 (Sep 28, 2007)

Here you go 


http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f50/20-ft-flounder-bowfishing-boat-285713/


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## Flounder9.75 (Sep 28, 2007)

jsh1904 said:


> My last boat was a 17ft xpress cc (aluminum). 3 grown men could stand on the side and it wouldn't list. It's not like a 12ft jon boat  I did some looking today and I still think that the 3 is going to be the way to go for me. I like the storage, 2 livewells and layout of the boat. We pole along when gigging and I'm just not sure how well that will work with a Carolina skiff. If I buy new then I get a 5 year warranty on the motors now but the prices are all over the place from the dealers I have talked to.


 
Looks like you'll be at the boat show this week end


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## Flounder9.75 (Sep 28, 2007)

BTW Who's the G3 dealer now.


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## jsh1904 (Mar 20, 2012)

Gulf shores power sports, Dixie sports in Frisco City and some dealer in Biloxi. Never bought a brand new boat so I am gonna see if I can talk them down like a new car.


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## flounderslayerman (Jun 3, 2011)

If I was going aluminum I would go with a sea ark over a g3. The 18ft and up sea arks are made with .125 thick aluminum where as all the others are .100. They're a little tougher boat. The closest sea ark dealer is north of spanish fort on 225 at the cross roads and the other will's marine in pensacola. The g3 dealer in Biloxi is seven seas marine.


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## Flounder9.75 (Sep 28, 2007)

flounderslayerman said:


> If I was going aluminum I would go with a sea ark over a g3. The 18ft and up sea arks are made with .125 thick aluminum where as all the others are .100. They're a little tougher boat. The closest sea ark dealer is north of spanish fort on 225 at the cross roads and the other will's marine in pensacola. The g3 dealer in Biloxi is seven seas marine.


Yeah get you a 1872 
Or get Long Beach Boat Blg to build you one


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## flounderslayerman (Jun 3, 2011)

I'd love to have an 1872 with a 70hp yamaha.


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## bowdiddly (Jan 6, 2010)

I have a 16ft Carolina Skiff J Model set up so I can flounder, freshwater fish and bay fish with it with only a few changes to the equipment in a few minutes. I love the large deck up front and in back and open in the middle. Got a 30hp tiller 4stroke on it. Love it. Only drawback, it will get you wet in rough water.


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## Night Shift (Nov 5, 2012)

so many choices. I prefer aluminum, and like flounderslayerman says, .125 is tuff. I would hate to high center a submerged pier piling (with barnacles) with a fiberglass boat. if you are looking for a tuff tuff boat, try excel. They make mostly duck boats with surface drives, but also make center console boats. Paradise Marine in Foley gets them. Just my two cents. I have no complaints with mine. check out these videos:


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## C Low (Apr 16, 2011)

flounderslayerman said:


> I'd love to have an 1872 with a 70hp yamaha.


 Agreed. I have a 1652 alweld with 30 tohatsu. I am rigging it up this month. I am adding a large front deck to the boat and repainting it. My next rig will be an 1872 with the new yamaha 70 for sure.


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