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billius.
Do any Baycat owners out there use their boats mainly in a bay system? How would you rate it when comparing to other bay boats? Does it handle the rough water good? Does it get in very shallow? The weight is 2,100 lbs and the draft is 15″, that seems heavy and deep for a bay boat. Looking for actual users thoughts on the rig for a bay boat. JRK
The weight is honest, and comparable to toher top end bay boats. The draft in the salt water market is like livewells in the bass market. The market standard is to say 10″ of water, when in reality none of the top end Vee hull bay models go in 10″ of water. We like to say it will go in about 15″ of water, and it could go less depending on how you manage your fuel with 70 gallons that runs on two tanks. You can burn out the rear tank first, and use the front which give you less draft, floating shallower. We will let a couple of the Bay Cat owners speak about performance and handling and give their opinions. BCB
I got my new Baycat last November. I use it inshore fishing mostly. Ive been out in the Gulf a couple of times with it. It handles rough water quite well. It took me a few trips in some rough water, 2-3 footers, to learn where to set the throttle, where to have the jackplate and trim set to get it to ride its best. (Thats true of any boat though, be it a center console or a conventional bass boat) Ive fished in water thats pretty darn shallow, 1.5 feet. It seems to do okay. Its kind of hard for me to compare it to other bay boats. Ive only been in one other bayboat, a Nautic Star. I do know that I seem to be able to run faster in rough water than the other brands around here, at least I seem to pass them on the way out to the spots in Mobile Bay. Ive got a 250proxs on mine, 25″ shaft. When its really bad out there, I just lower the jackplate, giving me more bite and the boat does well. Any boat running on plane in most any kind of waves is going to bounce you around some. Anyone who says their boat doesnt have a rough ride in rough water is giving you a line of crap. I do like the fact that I can lower the console and get the boat in my garage. I also have to take the leaning post off to do that though. Thats a pain, but any other center console boat, would be sitting outside all the time.
Since there a some Baycat owners posting about their bilge wiring maybe they could give there opinions on their rigs handling the bay systems? JRK
JRK55 wrote: Since there a some Baycat owners posting about their bilge wiring maybe they could give there opinions on their rigs handling the bay systems? JRK If I can solve or cut down on the corrosion problems, I would say my Baycat handles the bay systems better than any other bayboat or center console boat Ive seen down here.
JRK55, I run my BayCat 9 out of 10 times in saltwater. We mostly fish the central gulf coast (East, and West Matagorda Bay, Lavaca Bay and the Port OConner area) 90% of the water is deep. I dont have any problem getting where I want to fish. If you want a skinny water boat where you can burn the shorelines, and flats then a BayCat is not the boat for you. I have a 250Pro XS with a 23 Rev 4 and depending on the number of people I have, fuel, tackle, coolers, and water in the livewell greatley restrect where I can go and then get back out of. With a fast jackplate, and trim tabs it will surprise you on how shallow it will get on plane for a boat that weighs as much as it does. A soft mud bottom you can blow and go, hard sand or oyster shell you might have to idle a little ways. As far as ride in rough water I will put it up against any other bay boat the same size or even some longer on a good ride. As billius said eariler about a boat not haveing a rough ride in rough water is crap, I agree, some people fill that they have to stretch the truth a little on speed, dryness, and a good ride to hang with the next guy who brags on his boat. I always like to look at people at the boat ramp or weigh in on a rough day and see if they are wet, and remember if I passed them up on the way out and way in. The most comparable bay boat Ive ridden in would be a Pathfinder. Real similar style hull but a Patherfinder weighs less thats where they lose on a good ride. The flip top console is really handy when you need in the console, one draw back is the spring loaded latches that come on the boat. Im in the process of looking for a stainless draw hasp to lock the console down while people are holding on to it in rough water, tends to move back in forth a couple on inches. One other improvement we made on the boat was to remove the standard leaning post and install two captins chairs. Way better then the leaning post. All in all its a great boat, best thing to do is find somebody to give you a ride in one on the nastiest roughest day and see for yourself.
BigRed, That console pivot and spring latches is aided by a twin screw together knob(s) that thread into one another and hold the console in place. Those were on Bay Cat models standard, though often get removed, and have even been requested left out. They do fix the console moving with someone holding the grab bar in rough water. BCB
So they screw together from the inside of the console? Im going to have to look this evening, have never noticed if mine has them or not.
IF the console is moving, you do not have them. There should be a hole in the front section drilled through both console lower and upper inside collar if yours had them new. BCB
My console has the holes for the extra bolt that would secure the top half to the bottom half. My question is how would you install such a bolt? I guess, somehow you would have to crawl inside the console? I actually have no need for installing it, as I have to lower my console to get my rig in the garage each time.
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