Ragincajun92 Posted August 7, 2020 Report Share Posted August 7, 2020 Looking for some real life info on these 2 boats. For the ones that have had both does the 18 ft redfisher feel a lot bigger and fish much bigger? How about the ride, does the 18ft redfisher ride much better than the 16? It want be any time some but I will have a hewes in my garage. Just want real world advice on how much better is it really to have the 18 over the 16. The 16’s seem to be more available and most seem garage kept and taken care of at a much cheaper price in the used market. Ideally I want a 18ft but don’t want to rule out the 16 if the right deal comes through. I mostly fish in creeks but do want to be able to run the beach at times and fish the jetties in southeast ga northeast fl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrobalo Posted August 8, 2020 Report Share Posted August 8, 2020 Cant speak about the 16 but I have a 2019 RF 18/150 SHO. Had it out two weeks ago to the Marathon Humps (1300 ft of water). It was a calm day. runs great. I always have to use the trim tabs because it rear end heavy. In a chop just put the bow down and skip along top the waves. I've had 30 miles out in Charleston once again on a calm day. Its only an offshore experience for me if its a calm ocean. Its a great boat for the jetties, and fishing the grass at high tide. I don't take it in real skinny creaks because it seems to draft 14" or so. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limitless Posted August 8, 2020 Report Share Posted August 8, 2020 I have had 2 18s and 3 16s. The 18' is actually 18' 10" and the 16 is 16' 6", and the 18s definitely feel heavier and ride a little better in chop. The 16 handles the chop pretty well too though. You can fish 3 in the 16 but much more comfortably in the 18. I dont do a lot of poling but the 16 is easier comparatively. I am on my third 16 because I single-hand often and it's very easy to launch, fish, and retrieve that the 18. There's not a real difference in the draft and shouldn't matter unless you're going to be in the back country hitting less than 18" flats a lot.; matter of fact - the new ones are almost the same. If you want to keep it in the garage, the 16 is easier but the 18 will fit with a swing-tongue trailer. I think you're going to be very happy with which ever you choose. I want to point out that these are just my opinions, and you may certainly hear other ideas. Welcome to the forum, you may want to reach out on here to folks in your area for an owner that would give you a ride in a Hewes. Good luck with your hunt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linesider 159 Posted August 8, 2020 Report Share Posted August 8, 2020 I've had 7 or 8 16 redfishers with all different motors and 1 2013 18 redfisher (115 Yamaha 4 stroke). If you are going with a 16 redfisher try to find one with a 115, the extra power really helps that boat out of the hole as they seem to dig down a lot, next choice would be a 90 2 stroke. 4 blade prop and a foil also help a lot with porpoising. The 18 is perfectly balanced with a 115 and does a little over 40 mph, a great combo. Draft between the 2 is similar, ride goes to the 18 but the 16 redfisher is actually a great riding 16 footer. Fishability obviously goes to the bigger boat, poling the 16 is much easier but you will need weight up front to even the boat out in the shallows. My favorite Hewes is the 18 with a 115, I liked it better than the 21 redfisher and the lt20 I had. Id look for an 18 in good shape but dont pass up a 16 if it has what you want and is in good shape. Also, I may be a little biased towards the 18 because I like bigger flats boats (20-22) anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsGREGSWORLD Posted August 8, 2020 Report Share Posted August 8, 2020 I have a 2019 16 footer. Best riding flats boat I have owned (have had three.) The comments about it needing power are true. My 90 is great, but I kind of wish I would have opted for the 115. have tested the 18 and honestly see very little difference between the two other than one fits in my garage when necessary. It is a wide boat. It is a stable platform. And it is dry in chop. Never thought I'd get that in a 16. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wahoossi Posted August 9, 2020 Report Share Posted August 9, 2020 I live in SE GA as well and have a 16 Redfisher. I have also had 20 and 24 Pathfinders, 15 PX and 17 HPX -V as well as other non MBG bay boats ( Canyon Bay Contender) . The 16 Redfisher is a much bigger boat than the 17 HPX -V , but you give up a 7” draft for a 12” draft with a 115 Merc 115 Pro XS Four Stroke . I am not sure what the real world 18 Redfisher draft is but with a 150 HP I am sure it is significant. My point being it really depends on how many people you fish with. If it is jut you or one other , the 16 will be fine . 3 people on a regular , go with the 18. If you need to go really shallow, skip the Redfisher and go with the 17 or 18 HPX—V or maybe a HB or East Cape model. With the lightest power you can get away with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shallowminded6 Posted August 10, 2020 Report Share Posted August 10, 2020 On 8/8/2020 at 10:08 PM, Wahoossi said: I live in SE GA as well and have a 16 Redfisher. I have also had 20 and 24 Pathfinders, 15 PX and 17 HPX -V as well as other non MBG bay boats ( Canyon Bay Contender) . The 16 Redfisher is a much bigger boat than the 17 HPX -V , but you give up a 7” draft for a 12” draft with a 115 Merc 115 Pro XS Four Stroke . I am not sure what the real world 18 Redfisher draft is but with a 150 HP I am sure it is significant. My point being it really depends on how many people you fish with. If it is jut you or one other , the 16 will be fine . 3 people on a regular , go with the 18. If you need to go really shallow, skip the Redfisher and go with the 17 or 18 HPX—V or maybe a HB or East Cape model. With the lightest power you can get away with. Had a 150 on my 18 and wasnt much more than that. Have a 140 Zuk now and it is probably really close to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fsu11 Posted August 12, 2020 Report Share Posted August 12, 2020 I'm in NE FL and I have an 01 RF18 my buddy recently got a RF16 this year and ive fished on his some. In my opinion for our area (jax) we have a lot of open water running, aka the st. johns which can get really nasty pretty often. My boat definitely rides better in rough conditions than his 16, we have had them out side by side and its pretty noticeable the size difference and most noticeably is the storage on the 18. Mine has two insulated hatches (cooler or dry hatches) that his is missing leaving him to put mostly everything in the one large front hatch. Fishing with 3/4 is doable on the RF18 whereas its a tight fit and a bit uncomfortable in the 16. I dont pole my boat so thats not a concern as long as my trolling motor is under water I can fish wherever. I have noticed that 2000-2010 RF18's are a lot harder to find for sale and if you do they arent cheap, there is a lot more RF16's for sale. I also run 10-15 miles offshore and fish the beach for kingfish and snapper quite a bit during the summer. My boat also fits in my garage without a swing tongue, took some practice but once i figured it out its pretty easy to back it up and then angle it sideways to fit. In the pictures of my 18 and his 16 side by side in the driveway its quite a bit deceiving based on the picture angle but gives you an idea of the layout side by side. The 18 is wider from the middle gunnels towards the front a lot longer than the 16 where you can see it starts to narrow at the middle of the gunnels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishmanjj Posted August 13, 2020 Report Share Posted August 13, 2020 Just my two cents.....I’ve also had several flats boats....if you are going to do a lot of serious poling....the Redfisher 16’ would be better, but it is NOT an ideal boat to pole because it’s NOT a shallow water skiff....there are other models and brands that would serve you better for poling as mentioned in this post. if you are going fishing...especially with a few folks...and have the coins....buy the Maverick or Redfisher 18. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fsu11 Posted August 13, 2020 Report Share Posted August 13, 2020 42 minutes ago, fishmanjj said: Just my two cents.....I’ve also had several flats boats....if you are going to do a lot of serious poling....the Redfisher 16’ would be better, but it is NOT an ideal boat to pole because it’s NOT a shallow water skiff....there are other models and brands that would serve you better for poling as mentioned in this post. if you are going fishing...especially with a few folks...and have the coins....buy the Maverick or Redfisher 18. i think this is a good point, and i dont have a whole lot of experience poling but i know the 18 is not worth the time and i have a strong feeling the 16 isnt going to be very fun either, I will know more soon as my buddy and I plan to marsh hen hunt a bunch with his RF16 poling through flood tides next month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shallowminded6 Posted August 13, 2020 Report Share Posted August 13, 2020 I have poled my 18’ for a while. It is tough and I dont know I would want to try it in any kind of wind or strong tides. But on the positive side you get to skip back and arms at the gym that day or week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.