apalach_tarpon Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 I am on the hunt for my next skiff and interested in comparing and contrasting the master angler 18.5 and an older 18 HPX-V. I am primarily looking for a tarpon skiff, but will also be doing some flats poling for redfish over oysterbeds and marshes. Draft is obviously not my top priority. I have a growing family and value stability and size. Any first hand accounts of these two would be greatly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 If you mean a pre new design 18v, I wouldn't get one... I owned one and it doesn't drive anything like my new V... The old 18 is very wide with a flat stern, so it drives like it... The newer 18 carves turns like a race car and rides much much better IMO....MA compared to the HPX line is too very different beasts... The big difference between the new 18 and the MA is the no hull slap design and pole ability ... The MA rides like a dream and has enormous bait wells but it's going to slap when you are poling for reds.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nag Juice Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 MA is a good 3 dimensional platform. I've own(d) 2 of them. I wouldn't have anything else. Poling it will not be pleasant, but it's a very capable boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason p Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 Go for rides if possible, if you're ever down south, waaaay down south I'll take you out. Just don't get a bay boat, family is only so important and they eventually move out. Then you're stuck with a boat that does nothing well but hold beverages and stereo equipment. I applaud you for not falling into this $90K cup holder/tanning bed marketing trap and I will do anything I can to help in your search for a proper inshore fishing vessel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheres the fish Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 The HPX 18 is what you looking for, I fish for Cobia off the coast of northeast Florida and Bone Fish in the Keys with it. If you near Flagler Beach get with me and I take you out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lap it Up Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 17 hours ago, jason p said: Go for rides if possible, if you're ever down south, waaaay down south I'll take you out. Just don't get a bay boat, family is only so important and they eventually move out. Then you're stuck with a boat that does nothing well but hold beverages and stereo equipment. I applaud you for not falling into this $90K cup holder/tanning bed marketing trap and I will do anything I can to help in your search for a proper inshore fishing vessel. 👆🏻 This literally has me rolling!! 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whichwaysup Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 BTW, if you need to borrow an MA, I seem to have found myself in the odd situation to have a couple of 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRC Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 On 11/17/2016 at 7:26 PM, jason p said: Go for rides if possible, if you're ever down south, waaaay down south I'll take you out. Just don't get a bay boat, family is only so important and they eventually move out. Then you're stuck with a boat that does nothing well but hold beverages and stereo equipment. I applaud you for not falling into this $90K cup holder/tanning bed marketing trap and I will do anything I can to help in your search for a proper inshore fishing vessel. Very true. I never understood the bay boat craze with low gunwales that weren't high enough to grab and not wide enough to walk on-- like fishing in a box. The MA 18 does many things well. Newer HPXV is next in line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apalach_tarpon Posted November 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2016 Thanks for the replies. So the MA is polable, just painful to do so? How much worse than a HPXV-18? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason p Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 We're really not making an "apples to apples" comparison. Poling a MA is comparable to poling a big Egret, Hewes LT, Lappy, etc... The best advice I've ever heard is to buy the boat that's built for what you do 80% of the time. The other 20% you just deal with. As stated before, on all but slick calm conditions the MA is gonna make noise which is the main reason for utilizing a push pole in the first place. A soft riding-dry hull and a shallow-silent hull are usually polar opposites in every sense except for the fact they float. In MBC circles everything between a HPX Micro and Master Angler 21 is a compromise, if that makes sense. I don't know if anything short of a 20+degree deadrise boat rides like a MA (bay barge included) except for an Egret 2011, never been on a 18 Egret. I took a 21 MA/250 Optimax from Flamingo to Sugarloaf Key in a fairly decent chop and ran 4500rpm the whole way, it was pretty impressive. I pole 99% of the time but also make some long runs so my 18HPX is the perfect boat for me. As far as stability; 2 full grown men and a large tarpon (fish in the water) can be on the gunnel of a HPX without putting the rail in the water and the deck is below the waterline so it's very deep, for a poling skiff. You will get pounded sometimes if you make the wrong decision or if you can't run head-on or straight-away from the seas. When water does get into the boat (which is rare) it doesn't exactly evacuate in a hurry. It's a little disconcerting the first time your ankle deep in water for 10-20 seconds, or more depending how bad you stuffed it. I'd also see what the local guides are running as well, that's probably the best indicator of what works best for the type of fishing you want to do. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apalach_tarpon Posted November 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2016 Cool thx. I think the 18 HPX-V would be perfect, but their price is more than I want to spend at this point, so I'm looking for comparable boats, like the 18 redfisher/bonefishers from the late 90's to early 2000s or an older 18 HPX-V. I'll keep looking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apalach_tarpon Posted November 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2016 Does anyone know when they changed the design on the 18 hpx-v? Also, what would poling a MA 18.5 vs a redfisher/bonefisher 18 be like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason p Posted November 26, 2016 Report Share Posted November 26, 2016 1 hour ago, apalach_tarpon said: Does anyone know when they changed the design on the 18 hpx-v? 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whichwaysup Posted November 27, 2016 Report Share Posted November 27, 2016 No direct experience from an MA to a redfisher - but there are a ton of online comparisons. NagJuice I think looked at both and went back to the MA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nag Juice Posted November 27, 2016 Report Share Posted November 27, 2016 I did. I looked at a new 18RF with a F150 SHO. 50kish....the RF is wider, longer and heavier, but won't ride like an 18 MA. I figured in the long run the 18 MA would suit me better and was more desirable if I needed to dump it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishmanjj Posted November 27, 2016 Report Share Posted November 27, 2016 Here is pic of my friend's new RF, it is a really nice ride, fast with the 150 SHO...but, if you plan to fish shallow and pole in the flats, you better pick a lighter boat. The RF is a great boat and cruises well, fishes great, tons of space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cculp218 Posted January 13, 2017 Report Share Posted January 13, 2017 @apalach_tarpon if you are still in the market, i have a friend seeing a very nice 2004 Maverick Mirage HPX 18 Carbon/Kevlar with a 115hp Yammy 4S. boat needs a few things but may be in your price range i think he wants 18k. (will need a trailer and the trim tabs may need to be replaced.) If you are interested shoot me a PM and i can get you guys in contact. boats over in Cocoa Beach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conocean Posted January 13, 2017 Report Share Posted January 13, 2017 On 11/27/2016 at 9:01 AM, Nag Juice said: ....the RF is wider, longer and heavier, but won't ride like an 18 MA. I figured in the long run the 18 MA would suit me better and was more desirable if I needed to dump it 18MA is 7" wider than 18RF which is one of the reasons it is more stable. I believe that 18MA's will always be more desirable than 18RF's for many reasons but that new 18RF pictured above sure is pretty. I love that Smurf Blue MA of yours, Nag! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nag Juice Posted January 14, 2017 Report Share Posted January 14, 2017 3 hours ago, conocean said: 18MA is 7" wider than 18RF which is one of the reasons it is more stable. I believe that 18MA's will always be more desirable than 18RF's for many reasons but that new 18RF pictured above sure is pretty. I love that Smurf Blue MA of yours, Nag! Am I missing something on the beam? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conocean Posted January 14, 2017 Report Share Posted January 14, 2017 No! I got the models backwards and was using the voice type on my phone.....that "7" should have been "several" LoL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nag Juice Posted January 14, 2017 Report Share Posted January 14, 2017 2 hours ago, conocean said: No! I got the models backwards and was using the voice type on my phone.....that "7" should have been "several" LoL Yeah i always thought the MA was bigger too until I looked at the PBs. The Redfisher is longer, heavier, and wider but a MA rides so nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conocean Posted January 14, 2017 Report Share Posted January 14, 2017 The MA ride is just amazing! I always thought MBC should've replaced the 18RF hull with the 18MA hull and keep the 18RF deck.....call it a Master Redfisher!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nag Juice Posted January 14, 2017 Report Share Posted January 14, 2017 I entertained a new RF before buying SMURFETTE. I really liked the upgrades but couldn't get passed the difference in rides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin906581 Posted January 15, 2017 Report Share Posted January 15, 2017 How come the older 18 HPX doesn't have the letter V at the end. Is it because the older boats are more of a tunnel rather than a V hull or is the design the same? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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