Fishing Boat

There are several types of fishing boats to consider when in the market to purchase one. The styles of available boats cross over many categories of use. Some are built with speed in mind; others are more specialized to perform in different depths, from shallow flats to deep marine waters.

The all-purpose boat, or open utility boat, is considered a practical choice for several reasons. It is small, from 12 to 19 feet, and can hold up four seats for passengers. The weight of the all-purpose boat allows easy retrieval and makes it comparatively trouble-free to trailer. As this is a basic set-up, this type of boat is simple to operate and to maintain. Using an outboard motor with either a two-cycle of four-cycle engine, the all-purpose boat can serve the needs of most fishing situations.

The catamaran, a design initially meant for sailboats, is a powerboat containing a deck area connected by two hulls. The hulls themselves are not strong enough to stabilize a platform, so each one is paired with a narrow beam. The catamaran's design creates a way for less surface platform to touch the water, which in turn allows for less drag, or friction between the boat and the water's surface. In effect, the boat seems to slice through the waves rather than slamming down upon them.

There are two distinct categories of motor available for the fishing boat, the outboard motor and the inboard motor. The outboard motor ranges in both dimensions and power capacities, from a lightweight two-horsepower (HP) engine to a 350 HP model. The outboard motor is designed to be somewhat portable, as they sit or are bolted down to the stern. This positioning does not take up any interior space of the boat. The inboard motor sits directly in the center of the hull, taking up a significant amount of interior space.