Some fishermen are content to stand on the shore and cast their bait into the water. This can be fun, but the fishing becomes even more enjoyable from a boat on a lake or the ocean. Taking a boat into the water makes for a much more dynamic fishing experience. Fishing boats allow anglers to quickly change spots on the lake when the fish aren’t biting. There are many different styles of fishing boats available, and this is a quick guide to which boat designs work best in certain situations.
Bass Boats
These fishing boats are made to catch bass like their name suggests. They are constructed with a wide, V-shaped hull that is able to push in close to shore to catch the bass that like to hide in the reeds during the heat of the day. These are typically very fast fishing boats, making it easy to quickly take the boat to where the fish are biting.
Center Console Models
These boats are typically used in larger lakes and out on the open ocean. They are constructed with very high bows that can absorb the impact of large waves. This is the type of boat that anglers that like to set anchor in the middle of the lake should use. They will sit on the surface of the water very snugly, keeping the boat from scaring the fish away with large crashes into surface. Center console fishing boats also have very high sides that make it comfortable to stand while fishing.
John Boats
This is the type of fishing boat that most beginning boat owners select. They are very simple models that are just an aluminum hull outfitted with a simple outboard motor. They are made with flat bottoms that are simple to construct, which helps keep the cost low. These boats move slowly through the water, and will bounce up and down on waves due to the flat bottom of the hull.
Catamarans
These are made with two separate hulls that sit on either side of the main body of the boat. This design has two main benefits. It provides a tremendous amount of stability, which helps the boat both when at anchor and when pushing through choppy water. The separation of the main area of the boat from the twin hulls also allows for a much larger passenger seating area, which makes catamarans the popular choice for large fishing groups.