Are you in the market for a new bay boat for the Pensacola and Mobile area? Wondering which size bay boat is the right size for you? Here at L&M Marine and Day Break Marina, we know that there are tons of bay boat options out there and we’re often asked which size would be the best fit.  We’re here to share our 30+ years of boating experience with you and help you understand which size bay boat is the right size for you. This article will thoroughly explain the differences between bay boat sizes and how they affect your overall experience.

What Is a Bay Boat?

A standard bay boat has forward and rear casting decks, with a moderate deadrise to enable it to draft shallow yet handle moderately choppy conditions. These boats are versatile, as you can fish both inshore and offshore - depending on the size of the boat and the conditions of the seas. The deadrise of bay boats is typically below 18 degrees, which enables a much shallower draft than offshore center consoles. 

Things to Consider When Choosing The Size of Your Bay Boat

Here are some things to consider when deciding which size bay boat to purchase:

• Where you’re fishing: if you go offshore you want something 22’+ to help span waves, if waves have shorter periods between them you want a longer boat to span waves so it won’t be as rough of a ride.

• Number of passengers/load: if you fish more than three people you want a bigger area for casting decks at the bow and back of the boat.

  • The smaller the boat the harder it is to share casting decks - if you have more than four people we recommend a bay boat that’s 24’ and up.

• Types of fishing: if you’re targeting trout or flounder, they don’t get as big so you don’t need a huge fish box or cooler. But if you’re fishing for kingfish or grouper, you need a bigger fish box.

  • If you’re fishing offshore/doing different types of fishing, you might chase redfish on flats, then you may want to go offshore for snapper, which means you need tackle and weights, meaning you’ll need to be able to have more space and carry more weight.

The Right Size Bay Boat for the Right Amount of Passengers

Three people can comfortably fish on an 18-22’ bay boat without getting on top of each other - unless you’re just drifting live baits, then you could fit more. This size bay boat could fit five people comfortably if you’re cruising, typically 18-22’ bay boats seat 4-6 people which also depends on the configuration of the boat.

Here’s a breakdown of the right size bay boat for the right amount of passengers:

• 18–22’: 4-5 people

• 23’: 5-7 people

• 24’: 6-8 people 

• 26’: 7-9 people

• 28’: 8-10 people

In most cases, you can seat more people if you’re just cruising versus if you’re fishing. For example, if you get a double header it can be challenging and gets cramped if you have too many people with too many lines in the water. The amount of storage is also a factor in deciding which size bay boat is right for the number of passengers, the more people you have aboard your boat, the more life jackets, food water, and toys you’ll have.

Storage + Towing Capacity + Fuel Range

Your lift, trailer, and some storage facilities have a max or a minimum limit. Do you plan to store your boat in your garage? Is your garage big enough? Where you plan to store it and the towing capacity of your vehicle affects your decision on which bay boat is right for you, as you couldn’t tow a 26’ bay boat with a RAV4.

The size of your fuel tank affects your range and where you can go, bay boats typically have better fuel economy than deep deadrise offshore boats. We recommend planning your trips out by rationing ⅓ of your fuel for the way there, ⅓ for the way back, and leaving ⅓ in reserve. 

Where We Recommend Taking Different Size Bay Boats

The size of your boat and the conditions of the sea affect your plans, for example, you may take your 18’ bay boat 30 miles out to fish for mahi-mahi, when the conditions are calm, but if you know a storm may come in, you might decide against it and go somewhere closer. Inlets such as the ones in Pensacola Bay and Perdido are typically rough areas due to outgoing tides and incoming seas which push short, but large waves.

Inlets can get rough due to outgoing tides and incoming seas which push short and large waves, which is especially so if it’s shallow. Smaller boats can’t span wavetop to wavetop and may end up in the trough of the wave, potentially taking water onto the bow or capsize.

18-22’

We recommended taking 18-22’ bay boats in estuaries, creeks such as Solider Creek, and Pensacola Bay, and up to 30 miles offshore, depending on the weather.

23’ and up

We recommended taking 23’ bay boats and bigger up to 75 miles offshore into the Gulf of Mexico (depending on your fuel range). You could potentially travel further, but we do recommend taking two boats if you’re going further than 75 miles. And our fishery in our area of the Gulf, you only have to go 30 miles out to get red snapper and grouper. 

Bay Boats We Recommend for the Pensacola + Mobile Area

18-22’:

Parker 1801 CC - The open layout, high gunnels, moderate deadrise, and shallow draft make the Parker 1801 CC a good fit for inshore and offshore. This is a nonstandard bay boat, with a simpler design and less of a casting deck.

Blue Wave 2000 Pure Bay - This Blue Wave model has fantastic fuel economy, with a 140 Suzuki can get 5.9 miles per gallon. The boat’s design is very well laid out, and seats easily fold into a casting deck and maximize space. This is more of a cruising boat in comparison to the Skeeter SX210.

Skeeter SX210 - The Skeeter SX210 is a fast and solid riding boat with a very fishing-centric layout.

23’ + up: 

Blazer Bay 2400 - The 2400 drafts shallow, has high gunnels, and handles rough well 40 miles offshore - this is also one of the most popular boats used by fishing guides in the Pensacola area.

Pathfinder 2500 Hybrid - You’re able to fish inshore and offshore, as the Pathfinder 2500 drafts shallow enough to fish creeks and still handle offshore.

Blazer Bay 2700 Hybrid + Blue Wave 2800 Makaira - Both the Blazer Bay 2700 Hybrid and Blue Wave 2800 Makaira are a good fit for the area as they’re versatile, can handle 7’ seas, have a bigger fuel range, both have options for twin motors.

Summary

 In summary, after you tell us where you like to take your boat, what you like to do with it, and how many passengers you typically like to take with you, we’ll point you in the right direction and help you find the best bay boat for you. We’re happy to answer any questions about different bay boats, fishing, maintenance, as well as storage. Both of our locations, L&M Marine in Baldwin County, Alabama, and Day Break Marina in Pensacola, Florida offer various bay boat options as well as service while Day Break Marina also offers storage. Take a look at our current bay boat inventory and set up a time for your Sea Trial.

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