10 Best Fishing Boats 2024
Last Updated on July 11, 2024 by Boatsetter Team
Choosing the best fishing boats from a very crowded field is no easy task, and if you plan to find a fishing boat rental so you can try before you buy, you’ll want to narrow your search down to some top picks ahead of time.
Among all the top fishing boat brands and all the different models on the market, each of the 10 on this list offers something special (listed from A to Z).
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1. Carolina Skiff 21
Photo Courtesy of Carolina Skiff
Carolina Skiffs are straightforward, simple boats, and that’s their greatest asset. They’re easy to run, easy to maintain, and easy to enjoy. Plus, with few systems aboard there’s little to go wrong.
The Carolina Skiff 21 comes in three models: an E21 DLX version that’s simple, open, and best for all-around utility; a more upscale LS model designed for shallow-water fishing with more accessories and accouterments; and an Ultra Elite version that has additional creature comforts like wrap-around bow seating and illuminated stowage compartments.
Visit Carolina Skiff to learn more.
2. Cobia 220 CC
Anglers with young children will love the Cobia 220 CC for its high sides and deep interior, which are great for containing the kids. These are sporty boats, too, with a top-end breaking 40 mph, so you can give those kids a real thrill-ride. On top of that it offers all the fishing accouterments you could hope for like multiple flush-mounted rodholders, a 50-gallon fishbox, under-gunwale rod racks, and a 26-gallon livewell.
Visit Cobia Boats to learn more.
3. Crestliner 1700 Storm
Photo Courtesy of Crestliner
When it comes to finding the best fishing boats made for fishing in lakes and reservoirs, aluminum rigs like the Crestliner 1700 Storm often lead the pack. Highlights include integrated tackle and rod stowage, a Humminbird PiranhaMAX 4 fishfinder, and a large aerated livewell. The Storm also sports an electric trolling motor on the bow, so you can sneak up on the fish in stealth mode.
All those goodies are great but what sets this boat apart from the pack is its construction, featuring an all-welded modified-V hull, 0.10” thick hull bottom and hullsides, extruded aluminum ribs, and 1.25” strakes. Some builders use thinner aluminum in boats of this size but with the 1700 Storm you can fish in confidence.
Visit Crestliner to learn more.
4. Key West 219 FS
Photo Courtesy of Key West Boats
Anglers looking for a 21-foot boat that runs fast but smooth in a choppy sea will want to try out the Key West 219 FS. This model features a stepped 19-degree/24-degree hull design that cuts through the waves better than an average V-hull. What about the “fast” part? Even with minimal power the 219 FS reaches speeds in the mid-40s.
The “FS” in the model name stands for “forward seating,” so there are plenty of places to sit back and relax. Plus, there’s a head compartment in the console adding to the creature comforts aboard.
Visit Key West Boats to learn more.
5. Mako Pro Skiff 17 CC
Photo Courtesy of Mako Boats
Few fishing boat brands are as well known as Mako Boats, and their Pro Skiff line has been a huge hit since its introduction. Currently built in 13- to 19-foot models, the Pro Skiff 17 CC has enough size to take on open bays but is still small enough to handle easily. It also has Mako’s unique “Advanced Inverted V” hull design that smooths out a chop while enhancing stability.
As a result, few boats their size feel as capable underfoot. Since the Pro Skiff 17 carries its beam all the way forward, it also has more deck space than most 17-footers.
Visit Mako Boats to learn more.
6. Nitro Z19
Photo Courtesy of Nitro Boats
If you want to blast to the bass at highway speeds, enjoy casting from a purpose-built bass fishing boat, and have enough tackle stowage to fill the shelves of a bait shop, a Nitro Z19 may be in your future. It has room for you to stow a total of 14 Plano 3700 tackle boxes, as well as port and starboard lockers for rods up to eight feet. All the other fishing goodies are onboard, too, like a foot-pedal-controlled trolling motor on the bow, a fishfinder at the helm, and two 19-gallon livewells in the deck.
This boat’s strongest suit may well be its forward casting deck, which offers gobs of space for multiple anglers because the design carries a wide 7’10” beam topsides, even though the hull bottom width is 6’2”.
Visit Nitro Boats to learn more.
7. Sportsman Masters 267 OE
If you’re looking for a big, bodacious bay boat, the Sportsman 267 OE will likely fit the bill. It’s 26’7” length and 9’2” beam provide gobs of room aboard, yet even with all this size the boat can still creep into a mere 1’3” of water and fish the shallows. That size and beef also means you’ll be comfortable when cruising, and if you plan to fish open bays or even in the ocean the 267 OE will be up to the task.
Added bonus: this is one of the few bay boats around to come with a “coffin box” style fishbox in the bow, which not only has enough room for an entire school of fish inside but also has a chaise lounge on top. Double added bonus: the 267 OE also has an upper station helm atop the hard top so you can try sight fishing for heavy hitters like cobia and bull redfish.
Visit Sportsman Boats to learn more.
8. Robalo R207
Many anglers believe that only center console boats qualify as the best fishing platforms, but family fishermen often disagree. The extra protection and comfort provided by a dual console like the Robalo R207 is a better choice for some people’s needs, because the wraparound windshield and closing bow door keeps the wind and spray at bay.
This model, in particular, differentiates itself by adding unexpected perks like a locking head compartment, a 13-gallon livewell, flush-mount gunwale rod holders, and Kevlar reinforcement in the hull.
Visit Robalo Boats to learn more.
9. Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 18 DLX
If you’ll be fishing in a lake, reservoir, or relatively protected waterway, and you like the idea of a fishing pontoon boat, the Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 18 DLX will prove ideal. Fishing features include a molded livewell, rod holders, and fore and aft fishing decks with pedestal chairs.
Although this isn’t the fanciest pontoon boat around it a has a different sort of ace up its sleeve: The Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 18 DLX costs a whole lot less than most fishing pontoons of its size and delivers a tremendous bang for the buck. As a result it’s proved quite popular over the years and you’ll see it pop up over and over again when looking for pontoon boat rentals.
Visit Sun Tracker Boats to learn more.
10. Yamaha 222 FSH Sport
All of our other best fishing boats are propelled by propellers—but not this one. The Yamaha 222 FSH Sport runs on jet power, thanks to a 1049cc TR-1 engine that blasts water out through a 155mm high-pressure pump. Fishing features include an 18-gallon livewell, rocket launchers on the hard top and flush-mount holders in the gunwales, and stowage pods for your tackle.
Handling is uber-sporty, too, almost like that of a personal watercraft (PWC). If you want a jet boat turned fishing machine which you can use for watersports when the bite gets slow, this one will be your pick.
Visit Yamaha Boats to learn more.
Which of these fishing boats will prove to be the prime choice for you and your needs? There’s only one way to find out: jump aboard some fishing boat rentals, and try them out for yourself.
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With over three decades of experience in marine journalism, Lenny Rudow has contributed to dozens of boating and fishing publications and websites ranging from BoatU.S. Magazine to BDOutdoors.com. Rudow is currently the Angler in Chief at Rudow’s FishTalk, he is a past president of Boating Writers International (BWI), a graduate of the Westlawn School of Yacht Design, and has won numerous BWI and OWAA writing awards.
