# mitzi skiffs



## lanceweezy (Dec 28, 2012)

what are y'alls experience with them? how's the ride, how do they pole? non tunnel shallow running capabilities? durability?
specifically looking at the 16ft. any info would be greatly appreciated! thanks in advance!


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## JBMitziSkiff (Nov 2, 2012)

Well lets see..
I own a 2011 Mitzi Skiff with 40 Etec.  It is a great skiff for the money.  It's very shallow running on plane about 1ft.  its a great poling skiff and is easy and tracks well.  It is very shallow boat just like all the others.  It floats in 6 inches of water I know I do it all the time.  I've added a lot of stuff to mine like 6 ft Talon, minn Kota trolling motor with ipilot.  Sea dek is ordered waiting to be cut out and shipped.  
Boat is awesome when it comes to 1ft chop and using the trim tabs you can cut through it.  It is a reasonably dry boat unless your cutting sideways across chop, but what boat isn't in that?  Mine doesn't have spray rails but doesn't need then since the deck purtrudes over the side if the boat a good bit.   Sips fuel with a 40 ETEC.  
Now the cons
It isn't the worst I have been on, but they are somewhat tippy.  I mean you have to watch yourself if you like to walk on the gunnels.  As I do at times just keep,your balance what do you  expect for a 15 ft boat single wall?  In that it is a very comfortable boat by yourself and with another angler that knows how to fish.  Dislike it not having a built in fuel  cell but the 6 gallon portable tank is ok.  

My next investment in the boat will be an Atlas mini jacket and water pressure gauge.

And in 5 or so more years ill give it to my son and get me and East Cape Fury


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## Jacob_Johnson (Sep 15, 2010)

I have a 16' Mitzi, the boat rides great for its size because of the flared sides. The boat poles and tracks like a dream. I have a 2006 and its holding up great, any more questions just pm me


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## lanceweezy (Dec 28, 2012)

thanks so much! both of you. helps a lot and sounds like its at the top spot for a skiff. from what you've told me it is everything I am looking for.


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## ChasingCopperCS (Apr 24, 2012)

I have a 15 ft mitzi skiff. And it does everything that i want it to do, even gets me shallower than needed. My motto for my mitzi is if the redfish can swim there, then the mitzi can get there. Great boats at a low price. I dont think you will be dissapointed. But do keep the weight factor in mind. 

Jbryan can u post a picture once u get your seadek put in. Would like to see what you have done to your mitzi.


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## lanceweezy (Dec 28, 2012)

what size motor do you have on your 15? and what speed and draft numbers are you getting? thanks for the details btw!


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## JBMitziSkiff (Nov 2, 2012)

> I have a 15 ft mitzi skiff. And it does everything that i want it to do, even gets me shallower than needed. My motto for my mitzi is if the redfish can swim there, then the mitzi can get there. Great boats at a low price. I dont think you will be dissapointed. But do keep the weight factor in mind.
> 
> Jbryan can u post a picture once u get your seadek put in. Would like to see what you have done to your mitzi.


Sure will! Sea dek comes back in office Jan 7th so I expect it to be here about 5 weeks. Here is my talon mounted.


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## JBMitziSkiff (Nov 2, 2012)

> what size motor do you have on your 15? and what speed and draft numbers are you getting? thanks for the details btw!


Power tech 4 blade prop  speed with 2 people 31 with the stock aluminum prop 37.  
I like the stern lift more than the speed so the 4 blade was a must.


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## mmurray (Jan 16, 2012)

I have a mitzi 16 with Yam 50 2str, atlas jackplate and trim tabs.  cruises 30-32 with stock prop.
I can run in about a foot comfortably with motor jackedup and tabs down.  The jackplate and trim tabs have helped with running shallow and getting up on plane shallower and quicker.  Tabs are huge benefit on this boat.  it floats in @7" with two guys, cooler and gear.  poles quiet and tracks great.  

With tabs the rough water ride is very good and pretty dry for a lightweight 16'skiff.  the deadrise helps and if you tab the bow down a bit and keep the speed in check it is pretty smooth in 1-2 footers.  very manageable in 2-3's.

not sure what you mean by durability,  oysters will scratch the bottom, rocks will chip it.  fit and finish is not a hells bay but nor is the price.  I like the splattercoat on the inside as it hides some of the dirt and staining that invariably happens. Hatches are not great but have plenty of space.  
it floats nice and level with two people and is easily balanced to fish with 3.
I like mine more every time I take it out.


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## briandpost (May 19, 2012)

I have a 17 Mitzi tunnel with a 75Etec. Runs 36mph either empty or with a full load. Has a 13 pitch Rogue prop that I had heavy cup added to. Rides much smoother and drier than I ever would have expected.


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## lanceweezy (Dec 28, 2012)

I put durability because I had a brain fart. lol I ment like fit and finish. like you said for the price I don't expect hells bay quality. I was just wondering how well you guys thought they were made. thanks again guys you are a huge help! oh and one last question, what size trolling motors are you using?


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## briandpost (May 19, 2012)

Fit and finish is a bit lacking but they are solid. I don't have a TM on mine yet but I am about to order a 55ipilot for mine. Where I fish in TX I don't have too many instances where I need extra power to fight hard current and I refuse to put a 24V on it because of the weight of the extra battery.


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## mmurray (Jan 16, 2012)

Mitzi skiffs are a pretty utilitarian boat.  Here in TX we have alot of boats with splattercoat interiors, and somewhat rough fit and finish.  Not sure why, maybe because most people are in and out of their boats so much wading.  My level of tolerance for fit and finish may be different than yours.  there are definitely areas that could be vastly improved on a mitzi but i don't even notice it anymore.  the biggest issue for me on mine is the hatches, they are not watertight so I usually empty them before I wash the boat down.  not a big deal but can be a PITA.  
The hull is great for my fishing style, I like the big front deck, and it runs fast enough to get across the bays.
Customer service is also very good.  I am the second owner and mine is an 08 (pre-buyout) but every question I have called or emailed the company with has been answered quickly and honestly with explanations and pictures.  
The boats are built solid and with no wood.


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## lanceweezy (Dec 28, 2012)

thanks! sounds like a great boat for the money!


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## JBMitziSkiff (Nov 2, 2012)

> Mitzi skiffs are a pretty utilitarian boat.  Here in TX we have alot of boats with splattercoat interiors, and somewhat rough fit and finish.  Not sure why, maybe because most people are in and out of their boats so much wading.  My level of tolerance for fit and finish may be different than yours.  there are definitely areas that could be vastly improved on a mitzi but i don't even notice it anymore.  the biggest issue for me on mine is the hatches, they are not watertight so I usually empty them before I wash the boat down.  not a big deal but can be a PITA.
> The hull is great for my fishing style, I like the big front deck, and it runs fast enough to get across the bays.
> Customer service is also very good.  I am the second owner and mine is an 08 (pre-buyout) but every question I have called or emailed the company with has been answered quickly and honestly with explanations and pictures.
> The boats are built solid and with no wood.


Hey Baydog I am in the process of making mine water tight. I let you know how it is working out. So far so good. 

Eastcoastkid, My trolling motor is a Rpitide SP 55 with Ipilot and is plenty for my 15' boat. i used it all day and still by checking the power meter on it it stays charged. Plus the ETEC generates more amps to charge while you run then any other motor out there I believe. So if you do get down on a charge "which will probably be very rare" just do a good run for a couple of miles and you will see the charge come up. You do however need to get it wired correctly to do this. I did it myself with and it works great with a voltage regulator that will charge one battery then switch to the other automatically. Most of the time its charging the TM battery since the motor battery is fully charged.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

mine is an 08 17 ft with 50hp yammie 2 stroke.  does 30.5mph with 2 men in calm conditions according to my GPS with 4 blade heavily cupped Powertech prop.  Like the other fella said, very dry boat unless quartering the chop.   It will run in the chop but it can be pretty rough and can tend to slew around a bit in a rough quartering chop at high speed.  I think any flat bottom skiff will do that.  This is my 2nd skiff and I really like this boat.


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## ChasingCopperCS (Apr 24, 2012)

good stuff on here. My motor on my mitzi could be upgraded and would probably help with speed. Right now i have a 25 hp 4s yamaha and it sips gas... will go about 3-4 longer trips before having to refuel. And when i do refill it is only $20. Top GPS speed that i have gotten is 26. Which is plenty for me. And that was with 1 of my friends and loaded down. My boat is also a tiller which is really nice having the open pit.
I am the 2nd owner of my boat and actually found it on here. 

As to the trolling motor question, you really dont need anything more than a 55 lb thrust.


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## [email protected] (Nov 13, 2012)

I have heard a few guys on this site with Mitzi 16's talk about the front deck being noisy when they walk on it - anyone expereince that or was it an isolated issue?


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## JaxLaxFish (Aug 23, 2010)

> > Mitzi skiffs are a pretty utilitarian boat.  Here in TX we have alot of boats with splattercoat interiors, and somewhat rough fit and finish.  Not sure why, maybe because most people are in and out of their boats so much wading.  My level of tolerance for fit and finish may be different than yours.  there are definitely areas that could be vastly improved on a mitzi but i don't even notice it anymore.  the biggest issue for me on mine is the hatches, they are not watertight so I usually empty them before I wash the boat down.  not a big deal but can be a PITA.
> > The hull is great for my fishing style, I like the big front deck, and it runs fast enough to get across the bays.
> > Customer service is also very good.  I am the second owner and mine is an 08 (pre-buyout) but every question I have called or emailed the company with has been answered quickly and honestly with explanations and pictures.
> > The boats are built solid and with no wood.
> ...



Please explain how you made yours watertight, pics would be great too. And yes the front deck is a little creaky but not a big deal. Shouldn't be walking around when stalking fish anyway


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## JBMitziSkiff (Nov 2, 2012)

> > > Mitzi skiffs are a pretty utilitarian boat.  Here in TX we have alot of boats with splattercoat interiors, and somewhat rough fit and finish.  Not sure why, maybe because most people are in and out of their boats so much wading.  My level of tolerance for fit and finish may be different than yours.  there are definitely areas that could be vastly improved on a mitzi but i don't even notice it anymore.  the biggest issue for me on mine is the hatches, they are not watertight so I usually empty them before I wash the boat down.  not a big deal but can be a PITA.
> > > The hull is great for my fishing style, I like the big front deck, and it runs fast enough to get across the bays.
> > > Customer service is also very good.  I am the second owner and mine is an 08 (pre-buyout) but every question I have called or emailed the company with has been answered quickly and honestly with explanations and pictures.
> > > The boats are built solid and with no wood.
> ...


By doing this http://www.cabelas.com/hatches-storage-trim-molding-hatch-seals-1.shtmland actually putting locking lid http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...&subdeptNum=50701&classNum=50704#.UOeiH3y9KK0 on it to compress them.

As far as deck noise mine is a 2011 and fish it almost every weekend to no noise. Doesn't squeak at all.


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## Snookdaddy (Jan 5, 2008)

I had a 2002 Mitzi 15' until someone wanted it worse than I did and stole it out of my driveway.. If you ever see a Mitzi 15' that looks like it had bottom paint (black) on it at one time, call me @ 863-581-0072.

Overall, I really liked my Mitzi. I had a Mercury 2 stroke 40hp on it and it ran about 34mph wide open. Mitzi's are the Carolina Skiffs of flats boats. They are utilitarian in looks, but are silent to pole and light enough to easily pole. Fit and finish can be a little rough, but Mitzi Skiff are perfect in function.. Yes, the hatches will leak, but that was the only issue I ever had with mine. The front deck flexed a little, but I never had any issues with noise.

Overall, a great boat for the price.

Bob


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

no noise or flex in my front deck. walking on the gunwales causes them to flex a bit but I'm only 5ft 8in 175lbs and do it all the time.


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## birdwelljax (Nov 9, 2009)

I have a 2007 Mitzi 17' with a 50 yami 4 stroke and love it. The hatches do get wet but you just learn to adjust. I know a lot of people say they are tippy but I don't think they are that bad. 

Any of you Mitzi owners know where I can get new under gunnel rod holders. Mine only has one on each side towards the back but I would like to add a second one closer to the front to pull rods back tighter under gunnels before they go into the tubes. Thanks.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

not sure where the tippy came from. I run up and down the gunnels all the time. I mean the boat moves when i do that but it's not what I would call tippy. the only noise I get anywhere on the boat is when I step on the livewell plastic tab that lifts it up.

boat is really easy to pole.


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## JBMitziSkiff (Nov 2, 2012)

> not sure where the tippy came from.  I run up and down the gunnels all the time.  I mean the boat moves when i do that but it's not what I would call tippy.  the only noise I get anywhere on the boat is when I step on the livewell plastic tab that lifts it up.
> 
> boat is really easy to pole.


17ft Mitzi is more stable than a 15.  My 15 is tippy, but I still walk around on the gunnels by myself all the time.  If you fish with a partner and someone is not paying attention you have a good chance of getting wet.  
Now is it crazy like your going to flip the boat? No, but it is quite noticeable.  The boat is a fishing machine and cheaper than a lot of others.  It really depends on what you want to spend though.


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## Jacob_Johnson (Sep 15, 2010)

> I have a 2007 Mitzi 17' with a 50 yami 4 stroke and love it.  The hatches do get wet but you just learn to adjust. I know a lot of people say they are tippy but I don't think they are that bad.
> 
> Any of you Mitzi owners know where I can get new under gunnel rod holders.  Mine only has one on each side towards the back but I would like to add a second one closer to the front to pull rods back tighter under gunnels before they go into the tubes.  Thanks.


You can get some made from Castaway Customs, the previous owner took the under gunnel holders off the boat so I got a quote and will be getting them soon


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## birdwelljax (Nov 9, 2009)

I emailed Mitzi Skiffs last night from the website and Rick emailed me back at 10:30 pm regarding the under gunnel rod holders. He is going to get me info on them but you can buy direct from them as well.


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