# Egret 167??



## Bonecracker (Mar 29, 2007)

I know they are very well made boats, but has anybody ever poled one of these hulls for any length of time?? Thoughts??


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## hferrell87 (Jan 28, 2013)

Have not poled the Egret 167, but have the Egret 189 & I would not want to pole it for a long duration of the day. The 167 is going to be lighter, but those hulls are made to take chop, not float skinny/pole easy. If majority of your time is on the pole, I'd look elsewhere.


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## byates (Jan 12, 2016)

I spent a lot of time on a friend's 167, he had the boat for about 2 years and it saw a lot of use. It did not see a lot of use on days we anticipated doing a lot of poling......we took the super skiff on those days. The Egret is an incredible boat for some applications, but I sure wouldn't want to pole one for very long. It is very heavy, does not spin easily, and forget about poling after a fish upwind. On the plus side, it's built like a tank, crosses chop like no other 17' skiff I've been in, and is very stable.


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## hferrell87 (Jan 28, 2013)

byates said:


> I spent a lot of time on a friend's 167, he had the boat for about 2 years and it saw a lot of use. It did not see a lot of use on days we anticipated doing a lot of poling......we took the super skiff on those days. The Egret is an incredible boat for some applications, but I sure wouldn't want to pole one for very long. It is very heavy, does not spin easily, and forget about poling after a fish upwind. On the plus side, it's built like a tank, crosses chop like no other 17' skiff I've been in, and is very stable.


Spot on!


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

I'm back to your original post where you are looking for a skiff to fish the panhandle beaches. I think the 16'7 Egret would be a good boat for the rougher beach water application. If the water is shallow enough to pole, use a trolling motor to stage up and even anchor up. Then when you see the pods of tarpon or reds coming down the line, you can then ease over to them. Like they said about, it doesn't spin well but tracks well, especially in the wind. So slipping over to a pod of fish a 100ft away is not that hard to do in a boat like that. If you want to ease along to find an area where fish are layed up, then do it with the trolling motor and then once you find where they are, then jump up on the poling platform. Otherwise, it's not the kind of technical poling skiff you want to pole around in all day, especially in water under a foot. It's a flats boat design to run in rougher water, which is what I believe what you are looking for, that is stable, can fish 3 people if need be and can do a "little" poling when trying to ease up on some fish and be extra stealthy. A Hewes Redfish in the same length will do the same thing.

Don't feel like you need to pole those beaches either. Going to an 18 footer in the same will be even more comfortable of a ride and then go to a high end trolling motor. That will also be more comfortable of a ride for your grandson and your guests and be able to fish those deeper inshore waters with no problems. Again, you can still stake up on the beaches or flats and then use the pole to ease over to the fish when they are coming down the line. You just need to give yourself a little more time to get the boat going and let the momentum move the boat instead of trying to horse it thru the water. I use to do it with a 20 footer, so it can be done. But remember to use it for what it is, not a normal poling skiff.

Otherwise, if you want to use a boat as a poling skiff too, then your going to have compromise the ride some and go hybrid and get a dolphin, maverick HPX??, bigger HB, etc., etc...

Ted


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## Skiff Junky (Oct 6, 2015)

hferrell87 said:


> Spot on!


X2

Really like the boat till it comes time to pole.


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## windblows (May 21, 2014)

Depending on your uses, everything else about the Egret may make up for its poling capabilities. However, I know a few owners of both the 167 and 189 who spend a lot of time poling.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

The full sized Egret (18-9) poles better than my old Maverick.... and I pole it daily. These days with the quality of trolling motors available and things like line tamers for fly fishers it's hard not to like a bit bigger boat (and the livewell in a full sized Egret can hold a 15lb permit, if needed....


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