# Skinniest Running Skiff?



## Parkerskimmer (Aug 21, 2015)

The spear glades x is the skinniest running skiff that I know of, a buddy of mine has one and with his setup you can honestly run in 3-4 inches of water!! It amazes me every time we go out


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

A bare bones aluminum jet tunnel with a 60/40 tiller!
I have been on a bunch of glass skiffs and have to attest the Maverick HPX-T my buddy runs with a jack plate runs wherever there is water.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

I've run so skinny in the 17T that I've scared the hell out of myself.


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## ADicus (Feb 15, 2013)

17T is impressive so long as you don't plan on shutting down where your running


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## zthomas (Jan 14, 2014)

That's probably a question nobody can answer, at least if you're limiting it to prop boats. For sure an aluminum jet tunnel will run in not much more than wet gravel. I used to do a lot of paddling and fishing on the rocky rivers up in the Ozarks, and it's unreal what the jetboat guys do up there.

I don't know anything about tunnel design, but at least common sense would dictate that the "taller" the tunnel, the higher you could hang the engine -- up to a point.

I'm in the second-to-highest position on my 17T, and I'd say it's about 5" from the hull bottom to the bottom of the skeg at zero trim.

I was killing time two weekends ago waiting to pick somebody and the ramp, and I was running back and forth over a big bar of hard sand that sloped gradually up. I kept crossing at shallower and shallower spots until I started dragging the skeg.

What I found was that with the tabs about halfway down, engine trimmed out, running close to WOT, my boat runs in precisely enough water to, as SomaliPirate said, scare the holy hell out of you. Like in the 5" range.

Of course, that in itself isn't all that valuable, because first you have to get on plane, and then you have to trim everything right ahead of time -- not always on option in the real world. And if you happen to need to turn more than a few degrees with that hull in that trim, well forget it -- you're going skipping sideways.

I believe that with a jackplate, the hull would run even shallower. With my engine where it is, I have not ventilation issues in chop and ample water to the intakes. I imagine with a jackplate you could run it another two inches higher for short periods and probably hop on plane shallower than I do. I just don't need that, even in the lagoon.

Either way, if you need precise handling at speed, a 17T is not for you. You get used to the "drifting" style turns in normal running mode -- low 20s cruise, moderate tabs, a bit of negative trim -- but trimmed for minimum draft, hard turns aren't an option.

But man, that rebuilt one in the sale section sure is sweet looking...


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

I've found that switching to a Powertech four blade prop downgraded the sliding in turns from "dangerous" to "scary and annoying". But to stay on topic, I have seen an older HPX-T run at least as skinny as me, so I know that the 17T doesn't have a monopoly on skinny running.


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## ADicus (Feb 15, 2013)

Ya it's done nicely but problem with redoing those skiffs is the amount of money that is dumped into them! People aren't willing to pay over what retail for them brand new was especially given the ride quality! I owned one for a few years and loved it got super skinny and fished very well but after so much abuse you get tired of running with one tab down to combat chop. Great boat overall to learn where you want to be in your next skiff or to have if you don't venture out on long runs!


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## fjmaverick (Sep 18, 2015)

ADicus said:


> Ya it's done nicely but problem with redoing those skiffs is the amount of money that is dumped into them! People aren't willing to pay over what retail for them brand new was especially given the ride quality! I owned one for a few years and loved it got super skinny and fished very well but after so much abuse you get tired of running with one tab down to combat chop. Great boat overall to learn where you want to be in your next skiff or to have if you don't venture out on long runs!


Thats why I bought my 17t. I got a good price on the hull/trailer and repowered with a f70. If I sell the boat without the motor I dont think I will lose money on the setup.

Two things the 17t are really good at is getting shallow and being stable. For those that are wondering if the jackplate makes a big difference even with the transom hump. The jackplate for me ads more speed when running and I like being able to jack the motor up when Im idling shallow in unknown waters. Other than that I think of it as a glorified jon boat with a tunnel.

The point being I didnt want to bring a brand new skiff back into the 10,000 islands without learning my way around first... Still learning.


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## makin moves (Mar 20, 2010)

Mike the fwc runs a sea arc in our are with a jet drive. I've seen him run in some very skinny water and even catch a little air going over a bar. Talked to him at the ramp and he said if there is water he can run , practicality a air boat. He has been running around the nature coast for several years with welded patch jobs to prove it.


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

makin moves said:


> Mike the fwc runs a sea arc in our are with a jet drive. I've seen him run in some very skinny water and even catch a little air going over a bar. Talked to him at the ramp and he said if there is water he can run , practicality a air boat. He has been running around the nature coast for several years with welded patch jobs to prove it.


Yeah, our tax dollars sometimes get abused.

I should have clarified that a jet is not good for me because there is too much dead grass at times and the holes I would use to jump on plane typically have light sand or mud bottoms. It doesn't take much to tear up those jet impellers.


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## makin moves (Mar 20, 2010)

The Salt Marsh looks like a great boat for our area.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

makin moves said:


> Mike the fwc runs a sea arc in our are with a jet drive. I've seen him run in some very skinny water and even catch a little air going over a bar. Talked to him at the ramp and he said if there is water he can run , practicality a air boat. He has been running around the nature coast for several years with welded patch jobs to prove it.


I know who you're talking about. I've seen that boat run over stuff that even I wouldn't attempt.


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

My last boat was a scooter with a tunnel. I could legitimately run in 4" of water. I did this a few times, one time where I met 3" of water. The result was us taking everything off the boat and trying to push it back 50 yards. Not fun. This was a sand bar in new an area that wasn't marked, low light and no wind.

I don't see much reason to run that shallow. With a tunnel, most micros would run in similar water depths.


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## Flats Hopper727 (Nov 28, 2016)

Advertised at a 17' back in 2003 the smitty's explorer a true 16'-8" will match any skinny water skiff for the shallow water. Its old school fiberglass and pushed it across 6" of grass flats with a little foot help and never got stuck


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> A bare bones aluminum jet tunnel with a 60/40 tiller!
> I have been on a bunch of glass skiffs and have to attest the Maverick HPX-T my buddy runs with a jack plate runs wherever there is water.


Captain. Chuck States worked with Maverick on the design of the tunnel in the HPX-T. So it would be expected to run skinny... Being from South Padre Island, he provided much good input on what makes a tunnel work.


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

coconutgroves said:


> My last boat was a scooter with a tunnel. I could legitimately run in 4" of water. I did this a few times, one time where I met 3" of water. The result was us taking everything off the boat and trying to push it back 50 yards. Not fun. This was a sand bar in new an area that wasn't marked, low light and no wind.
> 
> I don't see much reason to run that shallow. With a tunnel, most micros would run in similar water depths.


My last boat was a 15' shallowsport scooter. It drafted a little under 5" but would run in a little over 3" but just don't shut her down that skinny because would be waiting for tide to float it. Agree with everything stated above.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

MariettaMike said:


> Yeah, our tax dollars sometimes get abused.
> 
> I should have clarified that a jet is not good for me because there is too much dead grass at times and the holes I would use to jump on plane typically have light sand or mud bottoms. It doesn't take much to tear up those jet impellers.


My buddy runs a SS imepeller on his jet river boat. I don't know if that would help
I have always wondered why more people don't run jets in Fl. Guess its the sand and grass the fwc guy didn't have any problems


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Mike, you just moved to Tremblay country!

Also check out these guys.
http://stormportboatworks.com/extremeflats20.html


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

makin moves said:


> The Salt Marsh looks like a great boat for our area.


Agreed. It looks a lot like a 17T, but kevlar.





  








Saltmarsh1-782x1024




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MariettaMike


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Dec 8, 2016


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

Backwater said:


> Mike, you just moved to Tremblay country!
> 
> Also check out these guys.
> http://stormportboatworks.com/extremeflats20.html


You can't pole those Tremblay (or Young boats)
and there's a lot of flat rake to slap on those super shallow boats.
However I did check out a couple well boats, but I don't think I could see fish in front of a 28' boat while poling from the back. But I could stretch and catch a nap waiting for the tide to come back in when I get stuck. Maybe have a generator, tv, sofa, fridge, microwa....
http://www.microskiff.com/media/stormport_well_boat.1314/full




  








Stormport_Well_Boat




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MariettaMike


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Dec 10, 2016


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

Lotsa rocker in those hulls. That's how the Stoner boats in TX are made just like that and they run about as shallow as a tunnel with no tunnel.


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## Redbelly (Jan 23, 2016)

I had a Scandy White tunnel hull that would definitely run so skinny it was scary.
It was 16' with a Yamaha 40hp 4 stroke, the old model with carbs.
That was a TOUGH boat! I ran over rocks and OB's all the time.
I had rear seat stick steering and sat up on a raised seat, very cool.
Someone wanted it more than I did finally....$$$


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## fjmaverick (Sep 18, 2015)

permitchaser said:


> My buddy runs a SS imepeller on his jet river boat. I don't know if that would help
> I have always wondered why more people don't run jets in Fl. Guess its the sand and grass the fwc guy didn't have any problems


Jets arent as popular because of the 30% power loss vs a propped motor


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

Redbelly said:


> I had a Scandy White tunnel hull that would definitely run so skinny it was scary.
> It was 16' with a Yamaha 40hp 4 stroke, the old model with carbs.
> That was a TOUGH boat! I ran over rocks and OB's all the time.
> I had rear seat stick steering and sat up on a raised seat, very cool.
> Someone wanted it more than I did finally....$$$


 i was thinking of an airboat drivers seat, but am scared to get thrown out when I hit something in a turn.

Looks like a HB Pro can get down and dirty too, and its obvious why props and skegs don't last down there in the LLM. But you gotta wonder if there is any gelcoat left.


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

IMHO, running shallow is over rated. Getting on plane shallow is more important. Most flat/shallow-V microskiffs will run in 8" or less water on plane in any case. It's no good to run shallow if you can't get back on plane once you stop. A flat bottomed conventional hull will get on plane much quicker and shallower than an equivalent tunnel hull. I've owned and run both.


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

That was a HB Pro? Sweet... Although I was not going to push mine as far as I used to go with my scooters. I got crazy with it around Cullens house and Rattlesnake Bay and Gladys Hole etc. Also got myself in trouble more than once venturing into back lakes where only air boats belong. Damn I love it down south.


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

Vertigo said:


> IMHO, running shallow is over rated. Getting on plane shallow is more important. Most flat/shallow-V microskiffs will run in 8" or less water on plane in any case. It's no good to run shallow if you can't get back on plane once you stop. A flat bottomed conventional hull will get on plane much quicker and shallower than an equivalent tunnel hull. I've owned and run both.


Well OK maybe so but my experience says not really. Guess we are gonna hafta agree to disagree on this one. Run tunnels all my adult life in areas a flat bottom would just be SOL. Had flat bottom hulls try to follow me where they had no business being. And paid the price LOL. If it's one thing us south Texas boys know it's skinny water. We do that.


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

Was thinking about a Lostmen specifically built hyper light with a vented tunnel just for ultra skinny water and using my HB Pro for everything else. If I get rich someday LOL...


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

commtrd said:


> Well OK maybe so but my experience says not really. Guess we are gonna hafta agree to disagree on this one. Run tunnels all my adult life in areas a flat bottom would just be SOL. Had flat bottom hulls try to follow me where they had no business being. And paid the price LOL. If it's one thing us south Texas boys know it's skinny water. We do that.


Some huge back lakes around here are only accessible if you can run in 4-5" then once you are in it opens up and there is a foot or so of water for miles. I think one has to experience it to understand. If I can run a channel to get in I will but there are places you just don't have that option. I love getting away from the crowds but duck hunting is getting ridiculous down here and airboats are ruining lots of fishing areas.


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

+1 on the airboat problem on the TX coast. They need to make airboat free zones. I've seen numerous airboats joyriding over perfectly good flats (not hunting, or fishing) and blow right by us while I am poling.


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## Jfack (Nov 2, 2014)

I think the OP is fishing nature coast not tx.

Mike, I've been fishing ozello, chaz, bayport, homosassa for years. I run it with my banshee all day no problem. Of course know where you are going because on these winter lows even the skinniest skiff will have a hard time with the random rocks. My buddy also runs a banshee up there, its a great boat for the area. He is about to sell it for something bigger to guide out of though. 
I also know of some guys running the 17t, but i hear certain years had stringer issues, so look out for that when you're buying. For around ozello id rather a boat that can pole skinny. The tunnel will float deeper than a regular skiff. Might be able to get there but then you'll be sitting on hard bottom ha


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

I wanted to get a boat I could use to fish in Florida when I move there.


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## Drew__Harris (Jan 13, 2014)

MariettaMike said:


> Agreed. It looks a lot like a 17T, but kevlar.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Is that a herron?


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

Drew__Harris said:


> Is that a herron?


Its a 1656 with the new deck layout

http://www.floridasportsman.com/2016/10/14/florida-sportsman-best-boat/


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## ADicus (Feb 15, 2013)

I'd like to know how many impellers and props that pro goes through in a year? My 02' whip gets pretty skinny but like it was said before there's got to be a happy medium of wear and tear vs enjoyment. I like to explore in my duck boat with a long tail and if it's feasible I'll run it in the whip but other than that I stick to better safe than in the shop!!


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

Jfack said:


> I think the OP is fishing nature coast not tx.
> 
> Mike, I've been fishing ozello, chaz, bayport, homosassa for years. I run it with my banshee all day no problem. Of course know where you are going because on these winter lows even the skinniest skiff will have a hard time with the random rocks. My buddy also runs a banshee up there, its a great boat for the area. He is about to sell it for something bigger to guide out of though.
> I also know of some guys running the 17t, but i hear certain years had stringer issues, so look out for that when you're buying. For around ozello id rather a boat that can pole skinny. The tunnel will float deeper than a regular skiff. Might be able to get there but then you'll be sitting on hard bottom ha


I think I've seen your rig going down 19. You're probably right, but I had heard you have to wear a slicker suit while riding in any of the Ranger skiffs and payed them no mind. I hate getting wet!


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## Jfack (Nov 2, 2014)

MariettaMike said:


> I think I've seen your rig going down 19. You're probably right, but I had heard you have to wear a slicker suit while riding in any of the Ranger skiffs and payed them no mind. I hate getting wet!


If you know how to run tabs i think its a dry boat for a skiff. Im not pushing the banshee although i personally love it. Im just saying if you're fishing ozello area its nice to be able to pole skinnier. It isn't like some places where you're running skinny and can skim the skeg, you know that lol. Plus them creeks are killer for redfish and skinny clear water with holes, not like what the tx guys are explaining where you run 5inches then it opens into a pond and get out and wade or whatever. Here you're poling and being super quiet with the clear shallow water. And you're a** would be so puckered running 5in in ozello, if that skeg touches you'll be missing it. That tunnel hull will be sitting on hard bottom off a plane while ill be poling her off hah (done that). 

I think my whole point I'm trying to make is that I personally would rather a good quiet easy to pole skiff with a jack plate proped right rather than some of the tx style tunnel hulls that may run skinny but will float deeper and not pole as quietly. 

Heres a video I made before i turned more onto fly fishing. beginning is LGI area but if u skip to 1:45 you guys will see how ozello is. That bottom has like an inch of softness then completely hard. 
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="



" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Jfack, nice shot on that cobia!


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## Jfack (Nov 2, 2014)

Megalops said:


> Jfack, nice shot on that cobia!


thanks man! could have been better, he came a little more alive by the boat


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

Why would you sell a FLATS CAT if it really is the
SMOOTHEST-DRIEST-SHALLOWEST
Jus Say'n.








http://ocala.craigslist.org/boa/5907201449.html


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

MariettaMike said:


> Why would you sell a FLATS CAT if it really is the
> SMOOTHEST-DRIEST-SHALLOWEST
> Jus Say'n.
> 
> ...


They really do run super skinny. My buddy has a 17' with a Yamaha 2 stroke 90 that is insanely skinny running. Not the smoothest or driest though for sure.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Chop that bottom and post videos on YouTube bwahaha


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## CoastalGAfisher07 (Nov 21, 2010)

What about the New Water Stilt, that thing looks like it will go crazy skinny. If I needed to run really skinny but still needed to pole then my choice would be a Sabine Versitile or Micro with a tunnel. If i didn't need to pole then the Sea Arc would probably get it done. I will always love jon boats.


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## Mark H (Nov 22, 2016)

zthomas said:


> Either way, if you need precise handling at speed, a 17T is not for you. You get used to the "drifting" style turns in normal running mode --


Has anyone tried fins at the back that would lower like a trim tab when needed?


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