# Beaver tail strike or bohemian



## kylepyro (Oct 27, 2010)

I can't comment on the Beaver Tail. What would you like to know about the Bohemian?


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## Chevystroked383 (Apr 12, 2011)

Was interested in honest draft how well it poled and rough water ability along with how they do on the beaches and inlets whare the water is rougher


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## rdiersing (Oct 7, 2012)

I have been on the Bohemian. My biggest concern which may not be important to you or maybe Robert has since made adjustments, is the lack of dry storage. The rear compartments were not enclosed on the one I took a wet test with Robert on. As you know the Bohemian is not as near of a flat bottom skiff as the BT so it should provide a smoother ride in the chop. Ride before you buy.


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## Grant (May 6, 2009)

Ride before you buy. 

Aeon is just W of you in  Palmetto. I know they'll take you out in one.  I haven't ridden in a Strike. I have a BT3. It's a dry ride and poles very well.

I was looking at Bohemians website, they're in Sarasota near Aeon. That's also a nice looking boat.

If you get a chance to ride in both of them, let us know what you think.

fltsfshr


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## kylepyro (Oct 27, 2010)

Well, I would say that the honest draft on my boat is about 8 inches with me poling. I'm 225 and have a jack plate. OK - the BOAT has a jack plate. As to running rough water I think its brilliant at that, particularly since Robert retrofitted my boat with the spray rails, which are now part of the standard package, I think. 

Its the only skiff I've ever poled, other than one attempt to pole Bob Lemay's older and heavier early model Master Angler. I could shove that thing around in circles and that's about it. (Bob - not bagging on your boat which serves its purpose very well, just trying to describe it.) 

I can pole my Bohemian for hours no problem without getting tired and can move against wind OR tide within reason, but probably not both with any reasonable level of stealth. My wife can run with wind/tide or slack water/wind no problem. Moving against wind/current wears her out pretty quickly so we don't try to do that. We find a new situation.

I saw the comment about dry storage in the aft. The particulars of wet/dry storage are yours to configure when you order your boat. Robert will build them any way you'd like. Obviously that affects the cost some. My aft lockers are wet and I keep my dry storage in the bow locker. Here's my favorite picture on that subject.










Obviously, not recommended for human transport there. We DID get the lid closed on that guy.

Like most experienced folks here, I'd say take one for a spin. I bought my Bohemian because I really liked the layout and ample storage for that size boat. I like the way the gas tank is embedded in the front locker. It really maximizes that space and the boat likes to have a good bit of weight up front. (My POV. May have something with excess load in the back!! ;D) 

Robert was GREAT to do business with and I bought the skiff on a hand-shake. I really hadn't intended to buy a new boat as I figured I'd try a used boat or two, but I really gravitated towards the Bohemian and obviously that's all I had available to me.

Happy to answer any other questions you've got.


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## Grant (May 6, 2009)

Nice boat. Is that a Rhodan trolling motor? How do you like it? Great color. 

fltsfshr


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## kylepyro (Oct 27, 2010)

> Nice boat. Is that a Rhodan trolling motor? How do you like it? Great color.
> 
> fltsfshr


thnx

Yes, that is a rhodan (good eye) and that thing rocks under certain conditions. Ho-hum under others. Its GPS accuracy is outstanding. If you have it memorize a course, then its got it. GPS anchor is stellar. Got your hands full and don't have time to deal with the boat, hit anchor and you are locked in. If you are trying to drive it and fly fish at the same time, that's a little busy with the wireless fob. When I bought it, a foot pedal with "wired like feedback" was just around the corner. It must be a REAAAALLLLLLLLLYYYYYYY long corner cause its nowhere to be seen. As far as I'm concerned that thing is vapor ware. 

Also it has the ability to memorize a few 1,000 mile courses. It would be MUCH more useful to memorize 1,000 one mile courses. And why there isn't an IPhone/Android controller app with integration to maps escapes me. Must be lawyers hanging that up cause the coding just can't be that hard. 

I use the anchor in tail races on the TN River along the edge of the flow. The anchor has a jog function which will make 5ft adjustments. Pretty sweet when fish are blowing up all around you and you really don't have time to screw with the boat.

I would say its average for noise and the deployment mechanism requires a bit more PM that MK or MG. (In fairness, I've never owned a salt water model of either of those.) I wish the anchor would allow you to adjust the onset of power when its correcting or jogging. It spins up at a fixed rate that's a little agro for my tastes - unnecessarily noisy. If I weren't so addicted to the GPS features I'd prefer a hand control.

I just need to do more flats fishing (working REALLLLLLLLLY hard to make that happen) and then I probably won't use it that much at all. 

Tight Lines


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## contenderv07 (Jan 31, 2012)

I love both skiffs but I think the bohemian is a good chunk more than a bt strike ( I think)


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## Beavertail (Jul 2, 2011)

> I love both skiffs but I think the bohemian is a good chunk more than a bt strike ( I think)


AGREE AT LEST 8K


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## Capt. Gregg McKee (Sep 28, 2007)

I've been babysitting BT's current demo Strike for over a week now and have come to the conclusion that it's the best skiff I've ever run. I driven this boats several times since they first hit the water and have just recently run some charters on one in really snotty conditions. I have to say that I actually like the Strike better than my current BT3, which is also the biggest skiff I've ever owned. 

I love small boats and the Strike blends the awesome draft and poleability (is that a word?) of the older B2's with the excellent ride of the BT3/Vengeance. It will also fit in my garage. 

I've never run the Bohemian but I looked hard at that skiff and had a great talk with Richard over a year ago. I remember he answered the phone personally, had plenty of time for my questions, and had nothing negative to say about any of his competitors, so he gets a big thumbs up in my book for that. They build a great looking skiff and I'm sure it performs as advertised. Drive them both and have fun with your decision.


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## MSG (Jan 11, 2010)

Capt Gregg,
can you compare the ride of the strike versus the BT3. Since the strike is only 6" shorter, yet also 5" narrow, it appears to me that it could even be better cutting through the chop? How would you characterize the difference?


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## cturner149 (Jul 3, 2012)

> What is the advantages if both I'm curious to know have never been on either but was looking for a skiff that can get skinny and still handle breaking the enlets and run the beaches


What do you define as skinny?

I'm sure you already know this, but don't fall into the trap of trying to buy a boat that "does everything".  When I bought my old skiff I tried to find a flats boat with an aggressive v and big reverse chine to keep me safe and dry running open water while still being able to fish shallow....what I ended up with was a skiff that was OK at a lot of things, but not great at anything.

I sold it less than a year after I bought for a super skinny skiff since that's how I like to fish 99% of the time.


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## cdaffin (Apr 4, 2012)

> I'm sure you already know this, but don't fall into the trap of trying to buy a boat that "does everything".


Some of us require a versatile boat, some flats require running deep, open water to access. I did the opposite of you, and that was a mistake (for me). Started with two really skinny boats that were excellent for the flat, but couldn't get to 90% of them due to open water.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

He currently has a Copperhead for shallow water and a Ranger for big water, and is trying to be able to ge the job done with just one skiff.


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## cturner149 (Jul 3, 2012)

Yeah I guess it depends on the areas you're fishing. Having a boat that got me across the bay (kind of) comfortably but then constantly getting stuck trying to chase fish was _really_ frustrating.

Everyone's definition of skinny is different, which is why I asked. There are great "middle ground" boats out there...but I don't think there's one that will go as skinny as a Copperhead-type skiff. Just one man's opinion


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## Creek Runner (Sep 1, 2011)

> He currently has a Copperhead for shallow water and a Ranger for big water, and is trying to be able to ge the job done with just one skiff.


^ I thought that boat could float in 5" and run through 3ft chop! Sorry PIB had to j/k a little!

I'm also comparing both boats, as well as one additional boat. Please share your findings and I will do the same. 

I hopping to take a ride down in the next few weeks to check out both in person!

My biggest problem so far with both skiffs is the darn size of the livewell.


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

> What is the advantages if both I'm curious to know have never been on either but was looking for a skiff that can get skinny and still handle breaking the enlets and run the beaches


I have fished from both once.

The trip on the Bohemian was a windy one at the ML. Richard ran it up, down, across and even in circles on the intracoastal chop at WOT just to show it can handle that with no problems. Hole shot was a little weaker than I'm used to and WOT speed was 36mph with a 60 etec. That's nothing a yam 2s 90 can't fix, but having to slow down to under 20mph to get the boat to turn without sliding was something I don't think I could get used to.

We poled through some water that I couldn't drag my Dolphin across and it is a lot less tippier too. I loved the backrest and the center console is plenty big for trolling motor batteries.

The trip on the BT Strike at the ML was a chop free day and judging by the way it crossed boat wakes I'm kinda glad it was. Although considering the airboat routes that guide took through the ML it would not have mattered. Maybe its just the way that tunnel shape sounds, but I always felt like that Yam 70 4s was cavitating. Or maybe I'm just used to the noise of my 2s covering up most of the prop sounds I was hearing.

The Strike is the most stable and skinny flats boat I have ever been on. I think the poling platform was wider than the cockpit floor of my Dolphin. I really liked the extra wide deck along the sides and how you could store rods under it without the reel handles poking out over the floor. Storage is big enough that I think you could go camping out of it and not have to leave gear on land to fish.

If I knew I needed to run inlets and chop and beaches to get to where I wanted to fish I would sacrifice some draft and go with the Bohemian. If I knew I needed to get skinnier than the m'asses to enjoy my limited fishing time without interference I would sacrifice some comfortable ride speed and go with the Strike.


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

> ... don't fall into the trap of trying to buy a boat that "does everything".


actually, there is one skiff that really does everything exceptionally well...











Spent some time on Rich's bohemian too. Couldn't say enough good things about it. Have fished in a BT 18 (forget the model, I think it was a waterman or something like that  : ) a few times as well, also an impressive skiff. Gotta' ride'em and decide for yourself. But if you really want something legitimately versatile for inshore/nearshore and offshore...


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> > He currently has a Copperhead for shallow water and a Ranger for big water, and is trying to be able to ge the job done with just one skiff.
> 
> 
> ^ I thought that boat could float in 5" and run through 3ft chop! Sorry PIB had to j/k a little!
> ...



lol. It is a good boat that does it's job well above average, and will run through a chop relatively well for a skiff it's size if it needs to. But it's not a boat to be purposely running through a bad chop on a regular basis. Thankfully, that only happens during the winter time, with the regularly excessive winds. I run the ocean beaches, even when it's bad. But it's a last case scenario if we can't find bones in the bay, we head out to the oceanside and run up the islands through some ocean swells. If it gets too bad, just back off the throttle a bit. Maybe because we are relatively young, and probably for lack of better judgement. But it hasn't disappointed me yet. lol

I would much rather be running those beaches in an HPX 18 V or similar skiff, though. But when it comes to being able to float in 5" of water and chase down fish, the only other skiff I would trade it for would be a Whipray. And after fishing both, they pretty much perform the same in that scenario.


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## Capt. Gregg McKee (Sep 28, 2007)

> Capt Gregg,
> can you compare the ride of the strike versus the BT3. Since the strike is only 6" shorter, yet also 5" narrow, it appears to me that it could even be better cutting through the chop? How would you characterize the difference?


After running the Strike a lot this past week I do think it cuts through the chop a bit better than the BT3 thanks to its narrower beam. I'm not saying the Strike is drier, they're both about even in that department and by that I mean excellent. The trade off with the Strike is that it feels a bit tippier on the pole. The BT3 is as stable as an aircraft carrier, even with three anglers running around the deck below you. The Strike is also rated for four people but it's a perfect boat for three. So far this boat has been a total homerun for BT and I happen to think it's their best skiff yet. Take a ride on one during a choppy day and you'll see what I mean.


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## Chevystroked383 (Apr 12, 2011)

The copperhead I have now will run out the inlets an cross big rough water but if I stop to fish it will not handle the wakes and waves water will come over the bow at times and I don't like that it is a great skiff for fishing skinny and if the win isn't blowing you can do more but for the amount of time I have to fish I need a super skinny skiff that will handle fishing the inlets and beach side


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## Creek Runner (Sep 1, 2011)

> The copperhead I have now will run out the inlets an cross big rough water but if I stop to fish it will not handle the wakes and waves water will come over the bow at times and I don't like that it is a great skiff for fishing skinny and if the win isn't blowing you can do more but for the amount of time I have to fish I need a super skinny skiff that will handle fishing the inlets and beach side


Man I wasn't trying to pick on the copperhead I was just joking with PIB!

I'm in the same boat as you and looking at the same skiffs! Wasn't trying to Hi-Jack your thread with my comment about the copperhead!


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## Chevystroked383 (Apr 12, 2011)

No problem just clarifying what the reason was to get a new skiff


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## Capt. Gregg McKee (Sep 28, 2007)

I shot a quick video of the Strike running in some choppy water last week to give an idea of how dry it it. Take a look at it here:

http://www.pineislandangler.com/2013/03/beavertail-strike-running-video.html


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## narwhal (Jul 4, 2012)

I liked poling the strike at the demo day a few months ago. 

Interested to see what the actual real world drafts for that boat will be with a 60, 70 and 90ho motor as well as performance numbers.


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## Capt. Gregg McKee (Sep 28, 2007)

Draft will be somewhere between 6 to 8 inches depending on the load and engine. A stripped down 60 will put you on the low end and a 90 will put you on the high end of those numbers. Top speed is around 35mph with the 60 and 45mph with the 90 depending on the prop. I think they just delivered a loaded Strike with an F70 down to Naples so you might be able to take a ride on that one. There are some great photos of it on BT's facebook page. It might be the nicest looking skiff they've built so far.


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## Creek Runner (Sep 1, 2011)

Just looked at that strike on FB wow that's a good looking skiff!


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