Capt. Ehner Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 I recently moved to Cape Coral Florida and I had a 24 Pathfinder up North. I bought the boat new from a dealer in New Jersey that I've never been in contact with again. I sold the boat last year before moving and now that I'm settled in, I'm in the market for a new ride. Here's my dilemma.... I went to the Pathfinder dealer here and since I'm not very familiar with the waters and area, I'm not sure what boat to get. The Pathfinders are of course sweet and I loved mine, but man those little flats boats are cool. I've seen the posts on the Maverick HPX-S and I'm not sure that would be the boat for the area? I live on the water but would think it would be cool to trailer that one around to fish different areas to include the everglades. The staff at the dealership seem to be super nice people and knowledgeable. However, they have a black HPX-S leftover they were saying I can get a killer deal on. If I would go with the HPX, I would probably do a second bay boat for the lift. So my question is... If I can truly get a "killer deal" would I get much use of it around here, like Pine Island Sound? Or should I just stick with a bay boat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whichwaysup Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 Oh man. Drool. You've got some great fishing in your backyard. I'm not as familiar with Pine Island Sound, but would think that an HPX would be well suited. You just don't get the kinds of rough water in the sound that you may be used to from NJ. Will be interested to see where you land on this keep us posted and good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnd Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 There are forum guys that live & fish that area. Talk to them, maybe they would offer a ride in various boats. I run a skiff (Redfisher) and during my one week stay in that area, there were too many days was rougher than I wanted to run in. A Pathy would have allowed me to run further. We have (another brand) bay boat and used it more often, due to wind, chop, etc In the back areas the skinny skiff was great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin-addict Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 having fished charlotte harbor and the surrounding area for the last 28 years I would stick with the pathy as the water can get pretty snotty at times. able to get into most places I like to fish. the majority of boats on the harbor are bay's rather than skiffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linesider 159 Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 For every bay boat in charlotte harbor there is a tunnel hull with a tower that will run in 3-4 inches. Pine island sound gets very very shallow especially in winter. My sterling limited me in where i could go at times. With one of those super shallow boats, all you do if it is choppy is just get inside the east or west wall and run that way. It was blowing 15 mph into the harbor making some big whitecaps, i crossed the bar and ran inside the wall in calm water the whole way back to the ramp. If i lived there and could only have one boat id get a tunnel hull with a tower to target redfish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicecast Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 having fished charlotte harbor and the surrounding area for the last 28 years I would stick with the pathy as the water can get pretty snotty at times. able to get into most places I like to fish. the majority of boats on the harbor are bay's rather than skiffs. X2. I fish PI Sound all the time. Yes there are areas where a skinny boat would be very nice, but if you are looking for one all-around solution the majority of the Pine Island, Sanibel, Captiva, Punta Rasa, area is perfect for a PF. Plus, with a skinny boat you'll be limited on recreational trips to North Captiva/Cayo Costa and Ft. Myers Beach, fishing the p*** and Gulf, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin-addict Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 For every bay boat in charlotte harbor there is a tunnel hull with a tower that will run in 3-4 inches. Pine island sound gets very very shallow especially in winter. My sterling limited me in where i could go at times. With one of those super shallow boats, all you do if it is choppy is just get inside the east or west wall and run that way. It was blowing 15 mph into the harbor making some big whitecaps, i crossed the bar and ran inside the wall in calm water the whole way back to the ramp. If i lived there and could only have one boat id get a tunnel hull with a tower to target redfish not to be a jack*** or rude, there lies the problem. [color:red]running inside the bars on the east and west walls.[/color] doing so only tears up the gr***, spooks the bait and fish your targeting, and making it unsafe for those fishing the walls. there is plenty of deep water on the outside to run in. adjust your speed accordingly or get a boat that can handle it. I see this every weekend and it is no fun having these skiff buzz past you doing 50+ mph with no regard for the environment and others. I have seen my wife loose her balance and fall several times due to this practice. I am not singling you out, just a blanket statement. sorry for this sort of highjack to the topic. fin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linesider 159 Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 I get what you are saying. I noticed the west wall stayed plenty deep enough up until where it turns into placida, while the east wall was very shallow almost the whole way. I dont know if it made a difference, but where i ran the east and west wall, there was very little gr***. I was there in april. I guess it really depends what type of fishing you like. If you want to do everything minus some real skinny stuff, then get a bay boat. Some of those tunnel boats have the prop and skeg above the bottom of the boat, though i dont know what effect that has with seagr***. I do know when i fished pine island sound, i was very limited where i could access. On tournament day (IFA Redfish tour), 3rd place came out of an area that had potholes but was very shallow to get into. I cant speak on if they tore up gr***. I cant do that to the gr*** personally, if my prop wash changes color at all i turn around and trim up when im in the turtle gr*** to get out of there. It just takes too long to grow back. One area in matlacha i fished was so shallow i got out and waded back into the area. Once i got into a pothole there were hundreds of snook. Finaddict, do you know the reasoning for the no wake zones around matlacha? They seemed to make no sense to me. Specifically on the west side just north of the bridge. It was a 25mph zone in the channel i believe, outside of channel was idle speed for the next mile or 2 in towards shore, then once near the islands and all around the islands, it was resume normal operation. It seemed to encourage running and tearing up seagr*** in the shallows. Just made no sense to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulligan Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 Maybe I am reading it wrong but I think the question was not to choose between a bay boat OR a skiff but rather would the skiff get much use. If I would go with the HPX, I would probably do a second bay boat for the lift. So my question is... If I can truly get a "killer deal" would I get much use of it around here, like Pine Island Sound? Or should I just stick with a bay boat? Yes and yes. There are not to many people saying they wish they only had one boat. The area I mostly fish is dominated by bay boats and for a good reason but a second skiff would be very nice to have. My boat is basically a flat top bay boat and there are many times I wish I had a second smaller boat. If there was a HPX-s next to mine it would get plenty of use. I you can swing I say go for it! IMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishtails Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 Some of the areas just north of the bridge are very shallow. Prob no wake because of that. I think I would go with a 20-22' pathy because of all the Bay Area fishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason p Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 Full disclosure: I'm not into bay boats because I don't think they do any one thing particularly well. I understand that is the main draw of them, all around boats. I'm not bashing them so please save all hostility and name calling. I've also owned three poling skiffs, at one time, and own two at present. Boats that only do one thing well and NOTHING ELSE, so I understand 99% of the boating public think I'm crazy but here is my advice, however skewed it may be. If you're not into, or don't have any interest in poling a boat I would stay away from the HPXS, any HPX for that matter, and get something more comfortable/sea worthy like a Redfisher, or better yet a nice used Master Angler, the greatest backcountry, flats, all-around inshore boat ever popped out of a mold. In my opinion there is no point in getting a super skinny boat and running a trolling motor that requires 12"-14" of water to operate. It's sounds like you have the opportunity to own, or at least thinking of purchasing two boats: a poling skiff and a "bay boat for the lift" Why not get a true poling skiff (HPXS/HPX) and a true offshore boat for the lift. I would rather have two boats that do two totally different things exceptionally well than have one boat that is great and the other that wont get you where the HPXS will, nor will it get you offshore as much, or as comfortably, in less than ideal sea conditions like a true "deep V" offshore boat will. Just my opinion fellas, go easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linesider 159 Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 Good point jason, or even something like an hpx s and a 2600. Not a bad problem to have! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whichwaysup Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 PF + Kayak? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin-addict Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 no, I do not know the reasoning behind it, sorry guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce J Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 If you can swing two boats, that's the way to go. I've had an HPX-T for years, but recently added a Pathfinder 2400TRS. They're both extraordinarily good boats, but do quite different things well. I absolutely love having them both. But if I had to have just one, I'd probably go with the HPX 18. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headhunter Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 I second the hpx18 if you can only have one. We have the same issues, that's why we have a PF and a micro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. Ehner Posted December 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 Sorry for any confusion, but my situation is... I am going to buy a bay boat for the lift. Either a 25 $%^&*water the dealership has on the lot or a 26 Pathfinder. I had no intention on doing this but the guys at the dealership were showing me around and wow, they have I think 3 or 4 of the Mavericks, they look like a lot of fun! but the HPX-S is a 2015 they said they would give me a great deal on. I've done some calling around and research on the boat, so I'm confident it is a good deal. Lastly, the wife is going to $hit if I come home with 2 boats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin-addict Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 as they say, "if momma ain't happy, no one is happy" your a brave man. best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YankeeRedfisher Posted December 13, 2015 Report Share Posted December 13, 2015 I'm on my 3rd year of fishing out of Matlacha. Only experience is the month of March when I rent. I have a 2003 18' Redfisher with a 115 4 stoke Yamaha and a 24v Ipilot. March brings all kinds of different weather/water conditions and for what it's worth my 18' Redfisher takes me anywhere I want to go. Trips to Cayo Costa for a beach for my wife. Much skinny water for me when fishing. Some one else said it- the Hewes Redfisher is one great boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCTribute Posted December 13, 2015 Report Share Posted December 13, 2015 do you know the reasoning for the no wake zones around matlacha? Manatee zones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.