# Skiff w/no Poling platform



## Kride (Jan 15, 2020)

Chad Cohn said:


> I fish 98% solo and honestly 90% is freshwater but I do love the ability to run down to the coast and go chase Reds & Trout and frankly whatever else will bite. Since I'm usually alone I was contemplating my next boat (strongly looking at Sabine) without a poling platform and adding a trolling motor. How many here are in similar positions and if you do not have a poling platform do you regret it? I had actually thought about just going to bass boat route but again I love the coast and would much rather have a multi-purpose rig and again since I'm usually alone I don't want a bay boat, I prefer to be more nimble.


I have a gheenoe lt25 with a rear platform. I don't pole but it's nice to lean against standing to fish also I use it like a table to rig. I'd like to remove it to save weight but would want a bar or something in it's place


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## 02edge2wd (Dec 4, 2019)

Right now I am turning a skiff/tender/dinghie into a 'flats boat'. It will not have a polling platform at first (cost of custom platform) but I am going to have a trolling motor. Same reason as you. I fish alone a lot and a trolling motor makes more sense to me when I am alone. You can still poll from the rear deck if you had to and add a platform later if you feel you really need one.


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

The previous owner of my lappy had a TM and no platform. If you don't pole, then the platform would just be for spotting fish. If you don't sight fish, then it's just a table.

The only thing I'd suggest is looking for a boat with decent deadrise so that you don't get beat up in a chop. You won't be able to use the super-shallow draft of a flat bottom skiff, since the TM needs some water to operate quietly.


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## tcov (Apr 7, 2018)

I agree with Kride, even when not being used traditionally, platforms make great seats or a place to set stuff temporarily. You could always go the route of getting a removable one made. I’m sure Sabine could make that no problem.


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

tcov said:


> I agree with Kride, even when not being used traditionally, platforms make great seats or a place to set stuff temporarily. You could always go the route of getting a removable one made. I’m sure Sabine could make that no problem.


That was something I have been wondering. If in fact there is such a thing as a removable platform. Thanks for the input everyone. Good/bad thing is I won't be in the market for probably at least a year but I'm an researcher and like to be prepared when the time is right.


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## tcov (Apr 7, 2018)

Chad Cohn said:


> That was something I have been wondering. If in fact there is such a thing as a removable platform. Thanks for the input everyone. Good/bad thing is I won't be in the market for probably at least a year but I'm an researcher and like to be prepared when the time is right.


To get the creative juices flowing, believe it’s an East Cape, came up Google search.


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## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

tcov said:


> I agree with Kride, even when not being used traditionally, platforms make great seats or a place to set stuff temporarily. You could always go the route of getting a removable one made. I’m sure Sabine could make that no problem.


Brian will customize and custom make pretty much whatever you need.


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

tcov said:


> To get the creative juices flowing, believe it’s an East Cape, came up Google search.
> View attachment 112086


That's freaking awesome. Definitely keeping that.


redchaser said:


> Brian will customize and custom make pretty much whatever you need.


Super good to know, I will most certainly be asking about this. You guys are awesome.


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## 024H6 (Jan 28, 2018)

FWIW Sabine is currently working on a skiff with a removable piling platform.


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

024H6 said:


> FWIW Sabine is currently working on a skiff with a removable piling platform.


And the hits just keep on coming!!! Super badass, I want to go buy now but I made a deal with the "boss".


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## tcov (Apr 7, 2018)

Chad Cohn said:


> And the hits just keep on coming!!! Super badass, I want to go buy now but I made a deal with the "boss".


Just tell her it’s a change order. Happens all the time!


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## Guest (Jan 15, 2020)

tcov said:


> Just tell her it’s a change order. Happens all the time!


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

The deal was I would keep this rig for another year or so, hopefully sell it and walk in with a nice down payment and go from there. Since I got my motor issues resolved I can work on some cosmetics (which are plenty) and than maybe sell but I'm enjoying fishing too much right now. I know I'll have a down period (boatless) which I am not looking forward to but it is what it is. Of course unless I strike it rich.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

I use mine if staked off looking for fish cruising by. I use it as a seat. Shade when angle is right. Makes skiff look right. And makes for a great handle for when you have a charmin moment.


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

Capnredfish said:


> I use mine if staked off looking for fish cruising by. I use it as a seat. Shade when angle is right. Makes skiff look right. And makes for a great handle for when you have a charmin moment.


Good points. As was suggested above I'll try to leverage for a removable platform when the time comes. Charmin moment...love it.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Here's some FYI on poling platforms... The very first one was done by Capt Bill Curtis in 1968 (local south florida legend, passed away a few years ago....). Soon after, Bob Hewes included them on the Hewes Bonefisher and we were off to the races... Can't tell you how many bonefish have been taken by poling skiffs - that never had a poling platform since you can do just fine poling up really shallow without one... Included in this you can number almost all of the greatest old time bonefish guides in the Bahamas (guys like Ansil Saunders and others...). Not many of those old timers still around...

Of course to actually be a poling skiff - you need a pushpole... can't remember how many skiffs I've seen over the years with a poling platform - and no push pole at all... To conclude - my first three skiffs that I actively fished for bonefish and other species with a pushpole never had a poling tower at all... this was back in the seventies and early eighties... I'm now at the other end of the deal at age 71 and still actively guiding. This past summer I finally installed another trolling motor on my old Maverick - after doing without one for more than 20 years.... I keep three or four pushpoles on hand even though they're not getting as much use - I always have one aboard... If your motor quits (and that also goes for your trolling motor... at least you can pole home if necessary...








this old, old pic was taken in 1978 on the last skiff I had without a poling platform at all -and yes the bonefishing back then was just outstanding... that's an 11 pound fish on 6lb spin.... ultra light gear was very popular years ago...


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## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

lemaymiami said:


> this old, old pic was taken in 1978 on the last skiff I had without a poling platform at all -and yes the bonefishing back then was just outstanding... that's an 11 pound fish on 6lb spin.... ultra light gear was very popular years ago...


I love these pics with dudes out fishing in cut-offs and guayabera-type shirts with zero sun protection.


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## ZaneD (Feb 28, 2017)

I think a poling skiff makes a great multi-purpose bass/saltwater rig. I think the main question for you is, do you want to sight fish? If so, poling is your best bet. If you're going to be poling, you'll want a platform.....

If you are talking trolling motor fishing in the salt, then no platform is needed, and I would go with something a little larger such as action craft or similar.


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## KurtActual (Sep 25, 2017)

Talk to Brian about the River Sabine Skiff he made. Might fit the bill.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1zorRIBy2i/


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

ZaneD said:


> I think a poling skiff makes a great multi-purpose bass/saltwater rig. I think the main question for you is, do you want to sight fish? If so, poling is your best bet. If you're going to be poling, you'll want a platform.....
> 
> If you are talking trolling motor fishing in the salt, then no platform is needed, and I would go with something a little larger such as action craft or similar.


I do sight fish quite a bit now when I do go to the coast, well as much as I can with my current setup. Luckily my local lake is really clear so I can actually do a bit "sight fishing" there too. I like the idea of a skiff for it's size and versatility. I like Sabine because I'm a huge fan of aluminum boats, don't ask why because I can't tell you. lol I'm not saying that I won't use a poling platform and pole but right now it's now a big deal to me. Now my son is starting to take more of an interest in fishing so I don't think it's out of the realm that we may end up going that way. Also I am learning to fly fish so that is another reason for a skiff.


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

KurtActual said:


> Talk to Brian about the River Sabine Skiff he made. Might fit the bill.
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/B1zorRIBy2i/


I already have the Versatile I want planned out and designed in my head and on paper.


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## Scott Kor (Feb 3, 2019)

I fished for years out of a carolina skiff with no platform. I mostly fished the lake I live on and I used a TM with autopilot. It worked great even when I took it red fishing in the LA marsh, until I needed to get really skinny. (like less than a 14 inches deep ) Then, I would move my Yeti from the bow to the stern and stand on it to pole. I had a shorter pole for this. It worked well.

Now I own a flats skiff with a platform even though I use it more often on the lake for bass and stripers. The platform is certainly a huge upgrade on the salt flats. It feels like you can see for miles compared to the yeti. I still use the TM but less frequently in the salt. As far as bass fishing, it is great. the biggest difference between it and a bass boat is width. You can comfortably get two guys on the bow of a bass boat, and you get more stability. last year I discovered that the poling platform was useful on the lake as well. I could use it to spot shoreline fish while running my trolling motor remotely. I had a blast sight fishing bass in the shallows with my fly rod.


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

Good info, thank you. If I actually have someone with me they usually take the back deck with no issues. My son is growing so eventually I may just give the front to him and fish the back. I currently run a Mako 18 lts and it works fine for us for now but I want something that runs a little shallower and maybe won't be blown around like a sailboat on the lake. I have the ipilot as well with quick release and I like it that's why I would get one on the next rig also.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Finn Maccumhail said:


> I love these pics with dudes out fishing in cut-offs and guayabera-type shirts with zero sun protection.



We were pretty ignorant about the sun way back when... If you saw the pics back when I got my first job as a mate on charter boats (1973) I didn't even wear a shirt... Fast forward to being a skiff guide (1996) and I'm covered up like a desert raider - nothing like a little skin cancer to give you religion...

Over the years seven or eight I've known have gone down from melanoma (half weren't fishermen or had high sun exposure either....). You live, and if you live long enough - maybe, just maybe you learn a bit. My own kids were well protected from the sun as they grew up. You can bet that their kids (all seven of them) are very well sun protected to boot...


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## jimsmicro (Oct 29, 2013)

I don't pole and have rarely had the desire to. I troll the majority of the time but if it's too skinny to do that I may get out and wade or even walk the bank because it's stupid skinny anyway. I also fish alone the great majority of the time.


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## Capt. Moose (Dec 12, 2015)

And,don’t be this guy..


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## TGlidden (May 24, 2013)

I have a removable platform on a skiff, it’s a nice option sometimes. Mostly I think you’d leave it on though. Most of the time solo I just pole the skiff backwards, on low light days being on the deck can help. Might add a casting platform mount on the stern if go with a removable poling platform.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

I never thought about a removeable platform until I had some jackasses tear down a bridge and replace it with a super low one that blocks one of my favorite areas. A fold down platform would be the ticket. I may go this route soon and add hinges on front and knobs on the rear to lay it down.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

For those that want a removable tower... Almost any competent pipe welder can cut your tower and install a socket and pin system without having to make a new tower at all... Simple to remove and just as simple to re-mount afterwards -and just as solid as it was before the modification...


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

Lots of good info here, thank everyone for your input. If I was buying right now I know what I'd be getting but of course when I'm really ready who knows what I'll get.


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## Snakesurf (Jun 18, 2019)

Chad,
It really depends on if you fish with another person or not. If not, no tower needed, if so a tower is not a bad idea. If the water is deep, not a bad idea by yourself. I have a tower and never hardly stand on it but my boat is pretty narrow and it is usually just me. I do sit on it and fish and it is great for that. I also hang my fly fishing bag on it and have a JBL Xtreme 2 that I hang off it and listen to old man music like the Stones, Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Hendricks / Stevie Ray Vaughan. 
https://www.jbl.com/bluetooth-speak...k-USA-Current&cgid=bluetooth-speakers#start=1


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

Thank you for all of the input. Luckily I don't have to decide right away. Definitely some really good info to think about.


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## Mark H (Nov 22, 2016)

KurtActual said:


> Talk to Brian about the River Sabine Skiff he made. Might fit the bill.
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/B1zorRIBy2i/


He has a river boat, a micro and a versatile at the Houston Fishing Show starting today. Got to visit with him for awhile and eyeball the micro extensively. Seems like a great guy. May have to pull the trigger on one of those boats one of these days.


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## Salty Dawg (Mar 10, 2020)

I converted a 40 year old 16' flat bottom Dory for my use on the flats. People always ask me why I didn't add a poling platform. I fish alone, and at 76 years old there's no way I should be up there pushing my boat around with a stick. A trolling motor is fine for me. My current restoration project that I'm working on, an Aqua Force Fly Fisher 16, will be the same.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I love my PP platform. I love to pole, cause i dont do it every day. I degrees, you can use your PP platform to let your heavy friend sit on and swamp your boat


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## Mark H (Nov 22, 2016)

Salty Dawg said:


> I converted a 40 year old 16' flat bottom Dory for my use on the flats. People always ask me why I didn't add a poling platform. I fish alone, and at 76 years old there's no way I should be up there pushing my boat around with a stick. A trolling motor is fine for me. My current restoration project that I'm working on, an Aqua Force Fly Fisher 16, will be the same.
> 
> View attachment 122338


That's about the coolest thing I've seen in awhile.


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## Mike Haydon (Dec 19, 2019)

lemaymiami said:


> Here's some FYI on poling platforms... The very first one was done by Capt Bill Curtis in 1968 (local south florida legend, passed away a few years ago....). Soon after, Bob Hewes included them on the Hewes Bonefisher and we were off to the races... Can't tell you how many bonefish have been taken by poling skiffs - that never had a poling platform since you can do just fine poling up really shallow without one... Included in this you can number almost all of the greatest old time bonefish guides in the Bahamas (guys like Ansil Saunders and others...). Not many of those old timers still around...
> 
> Of course to actually be a poling skiff - you need a pushpole... can't remember how many skiffs I've seen over the years with a poling platform - and no push pole at all... To conclude - my first three skiffs that I actively fished for bonefish and other species with a pushpole never had a poling tower at all... this was back in the seventies and early eighties... I'm now at the other end of the deal at age 71 and still actively guiding. This past summer I finally installed another trolling motor on my old Maverick - after doing without one for more than 20 years.... I keep three or four pushpoles on hand even though they're not getting as much use - I always have one aboard... If your motor quits (and that also goes for your trolling motor... at least you can pole home if necessary...
> 
> ...


First off "holy eyebrow batman"! Just kidding.
And @Salty Dawg you gotta give us some more pics. Rig looks cool from what I can see.


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## Salty Dawg (Mar 10, 2020)

And @Salty Dawg you gotta give us some more pics. Rig looks cool from what I can see.





























This is the hull that I started with.









A new transom, and raising the deck to make it flush, was the most work. The rest was mostly cosmetic and rigging it out.


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## Mike Haydon (Dec 19, 2019)

Very cool. That's a good looking little boat! Something to be proud of for sure.


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## georgiadrifter (Jan 14, 2009)

Put me in the “solo fisherman that loves his platform.” I’m 62 years old and fast approaching old fart status. When it comes to fishing, I’ve pretty much played the course. Success is no longer measured in quantity or size of fish. With that said...I often enjoy poling the skiff solo, across a Florida Keys flat, gawking at the super-clear water and all the wildlife I can see from my perch. “Sightseeing” if you will. Of course I have a rigged rod close at hand. I can’t imagine being without a poling platform.


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## GaG8tor (Jul 8, 2019)

Capt. Moose said:


> And,don’t be this guy..
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 112126


I swear I saw this exact boat going down the road a couple of days ago


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## Drifter (Dec 13, 2018)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I never thought about a removeable platform until I had some jackasses tear down a bridge and replace it with a super low one that blocks one of my favorite areas. A fold down platform would be the ticket. I may go this route soon and add hinges on front and knobs on the rear to lay it down.


can't do the low tide scoot? Theres one of those on Marathon its like 1 inch from my pole holder at low tide. Makes for a 12 hour fishing day when its to windy to go around.


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## Drifter (Dec 13, 2018)

your just planking on the boat while it barely scrapes under. lol


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