# What are your thoughts on 14ft boats? Too small?



## Kon Rein (Jan 15, 2019)

I will mostly be doing bass fishing and flats fishing. I've been looking for a small skiff. I will be fishing solo around 90 percent of the time. I've seen some J12 and J14 Carolina skiffs for a low price. One of the J14's have a center console. I'm not sure if the CC will take up too much valuable space. What are your thoughts on standing on these small boats? Is it pretty stable?

My other options are to go with a new Hobie Outback or finding a used Gheenoe.


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## Sumwarefishing (Jun 9, 2018)

Kon Rein said:


> I will mostly be doing bass fishing and flats fishing. I've been looking for a small skiff. I will be fishing solo around 90 percent of the time. I've seen some J12 and J14 Carolina skiffs for a low price. One of the J14's have a center console. I'm not sure if the CC will take up too much valuable space. What are your thoughts on standing on these small boats? Is it pretty stable?
> 
> My other options are to go with a new Hobie Outback or finding a used Gheenoe.





Kon Rein said:


> I will mostly be doing bass fishing and flats fishing. I've been looking for a small skiff. I will be fishing solo around 90 percent of the time. I've seen some J12 and J14 Carolina skiffs for a low price. One of the J14's have a center console. I'm not sure if the CC will take up too much valuable space. What are your thoughts on standing on these small boats? Is it pretty stable?
> 
> My other options are to go with a new Hobie Outback or finding a used Gheenoe.


So I fish from a solo skiff 14’5 with a small outboard. Just bought it two months ago. Best purchase I have ever made. Do not need a trailer, able to load and unload alone. No electrical to deal with. Self bailing. I can stand, turn around, throw a cast net, and do anything else on it with no fear of tipping. Oh and it’s plastic so while other fiberglass boats are afraid of hard bottom I don’t even pay them any attention. I do about 20 mph and can go 100 miles on a 4 gallon tank. A family friend recently spent 2k on a beast of a kayak with foot pedals and when he saw my solo skiff he put it for sale. Just my two cents.


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## Kon Rein (Jan 15, 2019)

Sumwarefishing said:


> So I fish from a solo skiff 14’5 with a small outboard. Just bought it two months ago. Best purchase I have ever made. Do not need a trailer, able to load and unload alone. No electrical to deal with. Self bailing. I can stand, turn around, throw a cast net, and do anything else on it with no fear of tipping. Oh and it’s plastic so while other fiberglass boats are afraid of hard bottom I don’t even pay them any attention. I do about 20 mph and can go 100 miles on a 4 gallon tank. A family friend recently spent 2k on a beast of a kayak with foot pedals and when he saw my solo skiff he put it for sale. Just my two cents.



I was looking at a solo skiff. I saw something similar at a kayak shop. I believe it was a bote, but I can't remember the name. I'm surprised you can transport without a trailer. Is your truck bed a standard 6 foot? Do you have some type of cart to get it to the water? Do you have pics of your setup?


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## Sumwarefishing (Jun 9, 2018)

Kon Rein said:


> I was looking at a solo skiff. I saw something similar at a kayak shop. I believe it was a bote, but I can't remember the name. I'm surprised you can transport without a trailer. Is your truck bed a standard 6 foot? Do you have some type of cart to get it to the water? Do you have pics of your setup?


Bote is a SUP. Nice design but double the price unrigged. Fully equipped add a couple grand more. For that ur better of getting a used flats boat. Short bed truck with the t-extender and the landing gear.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

You could make it work. With two anglers it is small in my opinion. Watch each other when casting. Guy standing 2ft from bow, 7ft rod with 2 feet plus of line from tip to hook while casting easily uses up 11/12 ft of realestate. Where are you going to stand. I had a 16ft and it worked out.


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## tjtfishon (Feb 9, 2016)

Buy a used one cheap and try it out. You really have almost no risk because even if you don't like it the price point and demand are there to flip it pretty easily.


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## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

Kon Rein said:


> I will mostly be doing bass fishing and flats fishing. I've been looking for a small skiff. I will be fishing solo around 90 percent of the time. I've seen some J12 and J14 Carolina skiffs for a low price. One of the J14's have a center console. I'm not sure if the CC will take up too much valuable space. What are your thoughts on standing on these small boats? Is it pretty stable?
> 
> My other options are to go with a new Hobie Outback or finding a used Gheenoe.


I'm going with a Salt Marsh 1444 and am super stoked about it. It is stable and can pretty much float in nothing. The layout is nice too and makes it seem bigger than a 14' skiff. Let me know if you want to price one out.


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## windblows (May 21, 2014)

It depends on what you're wanting to do. If you fish solo, a 12' or 14' boat is fine. A Carolina Skiff has no vee, so they'll be as stable as you can expect. I ran a 14' Malibu trihull for a few years. It was stable enough...I fished solo half the time and it was great. It was a tiller and I'd just walk to the front to fish/use the trolling motor. It was a pain with two guys. Doable, but a pain trying to move around the boat.


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## eightwt (May 11, 2017)

Presently, I fish out of my sons 13'6" old Whaler in the Big Bend area of FL. Plenty stable even when my son is also aboard. He spins, I fly, really no problem, but I watch my casts. Has about a 64" beam. Run a lot of open water.


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## fyr4efect (Jul 14, 2018)

I have a new "tin" grizzly 1448 with 20hp Tohatsu. For just me I love it. I also have a Bonifide 127 kayak. I looked at Hobie to me the outback sits kinda a$$ heavy and over priced.


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## 2angle (Jan 26, 2018)

The J12 is too small. It planes poorly with frequently installed 15hp outboards. It is not stable and turns terribly while on plane. Just my opinion. I did own one .... for a month.


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## R3dfox (Feb 9, 2019)

2angle said:


> The J12 is too small. It planes poorly with frequently installed 15hp outboards. It is not stable and turns terribly while on plane. Just my opinion. I did own one .... for a month.
> 
> View attachment 60320


wow I almost got e one of this, im glad I saw this post


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## Robin Williams (Jul 16, 2018)

Yes


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## CPurvis (Apr 6, 2016)

For me personally I like my 14.6 it is plenty stable handle a decent chop as long as your willing to get a little wet. 2 people fishing is ideal a third fisherman would be a crowd in my opinion. It all really depends on You and what your wanting to do. Bass fishing and flats fishing you could probably get away with a simple jon boat. I did for many years. That SM 1444 looks legit for the best of both worlds.


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## Robin Williams (Jul 16, 2018)

Me and my buddy dominated tournaments for several years out of a J16 with a 35hp tiller.


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## Gervais (Nov 28, 2016)

I’m very happy with my SM 1444. It’s more stabile that a job boat in the same size and rides much better in chop. It’s still only a 14’ boat but I fish 2 and a 65# dog all the time and 3 people. I haven’t tried it but I bet two grown men could stand on the gunnel without it tipping.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Two thoughts.
1. If you have to ask the question then its probably too small for you.
2. Boats tend to shrink when you load them with gear and get on the water.....when we picked up our skiff my wife said "OMG that thing is huge....how are we going to handle that....." At the end of that day, after having been on it, she said "hmmm I guess its not so big afterall."


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## silverg hog (Nov 17, 2018)

I fished a 14’ McKee with a 40 hp evinrude for a few years. Very roomy and stable for its length. Many around that can be had rather inexpensive. Could fish two fly fishing with dog and gear and not feel cramped. Basically a larger 13’ whaler that are so popular. 

I had begun stripping mine down to renew and make more of a flats style boat when someone decided they needed it more than I and absconded with it one night. 

Still consider taking the project on with another hull as they pop up from time to time on the cheap. Enjoying my hog island too much right now.


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## Guest (Feb 14, 2019)

Have you put any thought into the Conch Paddleskiff? 13’ long 40” wide and really well built. Great price, too.


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