Flats Boat vs Poling Skiff: What's the Difference? Hewes Redfisher 18 VS Ankona Native 17 Comparison
Flats fishing can be one of the most interactive and exciting forms of fishing out there. Flats fishing is also one of the most affordable types of fishing, making it more accessible to more people. One common question that boat buyers ask is, “what’s the difference between a flats boat and a technical poling skiff?”.
The Ankona was a 2015, 17ft 2 inches and had a 50 hp Yamaha 4 stroke. This boat has a beam of 5 feet 7 inches, making it super easy to push through the water. This boat was super light, easy to trailer, cheap to take out and fun overall. It had its limitations though. This boat had a top end around 32 mph, did not run very well in chop, and couldn’t comfortably take out more than 3 or maybe 4 people. It also lacked storage space, and many other comforts we now have on the hewes. This boat was perfect for the flats, we could take it super shallow and could sneak up on just about any fish we found on the flats. It had a 12-gallon gas tank, which meant it wasn’t great for long runs. We did however still take it out spearfishing when the weather was right, and we always got some looks from the big center console guys out on the reef. We had a ton of fun lobstering and spearfishing out of this boat, but in retrospect it really wasn’t the best idea. Justin and I were caught in a handful of summer storms that taught us that the ocean was nothing to play with, especially in a skiff.
I grew up on a hewes, my dad owned an old 1995 hewes redfisher that we took everywhere. This older “lappy” design is iconic and can be still seen all over south Florida. I currently own a newer 18 hewes red fisher, this design has smooth sides and is known as the CAD hull. This boat is 18 feet 10 inches long, has 3 times the horsepower as the Ankona, and is nearly 8 feet wide. It tops out around 52mph, and still gets 6-7 mpg while cruising around 32 mph, the top end of the Ankona. The hewes has a 31-gallon gas tank, greatly extending the range I had in the Ankona. The hewes has a much deeper V, allowing us to take it out in rougher weather more often. We regularly take this boat out spearfishing and it is a much better platform for it in comparison to the Ankona. It also has more storage space, and many more comfort features. I also have this boat with a trolling motor, which is better for our style of fishing, but I have poled it and its completely doable. It just may not be comfortable to pole it all day long like you can in a skiff.
The differences between a flats boat and a skiff can be summed up in one question. How much poling do you plan on doing? This is the best way to sneak up on tailing fish in inches of water, where a trolling motor may scare them off. If you plan to pole for the majority of your trips, the skiff may be the better option, while if you plan on rarely poling, I would lean towards a flats boat. This is because all the compromises in a skiff are geared towards poling. Skiffs have smaller beams, are made from lighter (more expensive) materials, and have less features to save on weight to make pushing the boat around easier. Flats boats can also pole easily, but are wider, heavier, and have deeper drafts making poling all day a chore. If the idea of a trolling motor sounds better than pushing the boat with a push pole, a flats boat may be the better option.
One thing I found interesting when searching for a boat is how much more expensive a skiff is in comparison to a flats boat! Let’s compare 2 popular boats from the same manufacturer - the maverick 18 HPX and the Hewes redfisher 18. The maverick is similar to the hewes in a lot of ways but is marketed as a skiff while the hewes is marketed as a flats boat. The base price of the maverick with a 115 Yamaha is over 67 thousand dollars while the base price of a hewes 18 redfisher with a 115 is just under 53k. In my opinion, why spend 14 thousand dollars more for a boat that is smaller, has less range, less comforts, and arguably rides worse in chop? The answer is that the maverick is designed for poling, so if you aren’t willing to make those sacrifices and aren’t willing to cough up another 14k - stick with a flats boat. Both models can be found used for less, but often the skiffs are still more expensive, especially when made by high end manufactures like hells bay or maverick. If you want a real budget skiff, check out Ankona boats, they can get you out the door with a brand-new boat for between 20 and 30k - and to be honest there’s not much you can do in hells bay that you can't do in an Ankona.
Overall, I loved both boats, but they are each tailored to a specific type of angler. One step up from the flats boat is the bay boat - an even bigger platform for backcountry fishing. If you’re interested in the differences between a flats boat and a bay boat, consider subscribing as we plan on comparing our Hewes 18 to our 22 pathfinder. Thanks for watching!
Пікірлер: 36
Man of culture. I see
@xersis31
Жыл бұрын
If you don't know why people want to own a boat this is why
Súper helpful video … thank you
I switched from a Gheenoe LT 25 Raptor to a G3 Bay 20 aluminum with a 150. I definitely can't get as shallow, but the added room and ability to go farther out is a good trade.
I have a 2020 Redfisher 18 and I could not be more pleased, I usually fish in 12 to 24 inches of water and its perfect to make a 30 mile run if necessary... Great ride and super dry
Thanks for sharing.
Really informative video. I enjoyed watching. I would love to see you do something similar comparing a bay boat to a flats boat.
good info...thanks
Love this vedio.
I'm glad I found your video. I'm in the process of selecting my next boat. Do you think your Redfisher has a better ride than a Maverick hpx v?
@DerekVanHook
11 ай бұрын
I have been on both the 18 Maverick and the 18 Hewes and the ride on the Hewes is significantly better. It’s a wider and heavier boat. You pay for it by sacrificing the ease of polling and shallower draft. I also find that the mavericks are more expensive, and can’t see paying more money for less boat.
I love the Hewes, what made you get the RF18 over lets say a Pathfinder 2000v? Everytime I ride in friends AC flats boats I always get wet with spray and in the colder months that's not really ideal.
@DerekVanHook
2 жыл бұрын
I got a pretty good deal on this Hewes and wanted to have a flats boat so i could still pole if i wanted too. I loved our 22 pathfinder but there’s not too much it can do backcountry that we can’t do in the hewes. When it’s nasty and cold in the winter time i usually just wear bibs and a rain jacket and the spray isn’t too bad. I have a video named Windy day fishing where we take the hewes backcountry when it’s blowing 25+ all day, take a look at that and let me know what you think.
@jimtheriver7270
Жыл бұрын
When you say AC, are you referring to Action craft being a wet ride??
@kristophstjames4143
Жыл бұрын
The AC is wet and will beat you to death
Hello Derek can you let me know what boat dealer you bought the hewes from? Because out of the 3 boats you reviewed, I like the hewes the most. Thank you and I’m so glad I found your KZread, you guys are awesome, I also follow Arron young from key west.
@DerekVanHook
11 ай бұрын
I bought my Hewes used from Caribee Boats here in Islamorada! Buying new these days is incredibly expensive. Glad you like the channel!
This video needs to be made
@DerekVanHook
Жыл бұрын
What video?
Ive ben looking at a mako 18lts with 115 pro xs. Whats ur thoughts on them? I fish outta biloxi ms. Thanks
@DerekVanHook
2 жыл бұрын
I haven’t personally fished off a Mako but they seem like nice boats! it all depends on the type of fishing you are planning on doing over in ms.
What’s that poling platform called?
@DerekVanHook
Жыл бұрын
Not sure, it came from factory
How shallow can the hewed go?
@DerekVanHook
Жыл бұрын
Hewes says it drafts 10 inches. I say it depends a lot on how loaded the boat is.
What kind of boats were they talking about again? 😵💫
Massive difference, Hewes is the Mercedes, Ankona is that car on craigslist.
@DerekVanHook
2 жыл бұрын
All depends on what type of fishing you plan on doing. If i wanted to pole for bonefish in 6 inches of water all day i’d take the car off craigslist
@basiliskbro4078
5 күн бұрын
And Hewes are cheap ripoff of a maverick master angler.
The price debate with flats boats is stupid because most flats boats can cost from 35k to 85k new when you can get a nice condition used whitewater, Rambo, Stamas, mako etc.
@DerekVanHook
4 күн бұрын
Used is the way to go! I just find it interesting how polling skills are more expensive from factory than flats boats in general. Paying more for less boat.
There’s a ton of flats boats that are nothing like this guy said. Not all flats boats look like a skiff.
@DerekVanHook
Ай бұрын
What flats boat doesn’t look like I said?
@jerrykrobby
Ай бұрын
@@DerekVanHook Flats Cat, Shallow Sport, Majek, Freedom Chiquita, and many more. These manufacturers all have models that will float in 3-6” and run in about that same window. These are certainly flats boats too.
@DerekVanHook
Ай бұрын
Flats cats are more like a Carolina skiff in design than a flats boat. The Shallow Sport x3 is the only model they make that is comparable, and it’s a tri hull. Their 24 is more like a bay boat in design. Majek is a cross between a flats and bay boat, with the only unique feature being the seating/helm arrangement. The Chiquita is unique, but not a flats boat. All of these boats can fish the flats, but their design is not that of a “flats boat”. Flats boats are a style of boat, not just the name for a kind of boat that can fish the flats. A 16ft Carolina skiff can fish in inches of water too, but no one considers them flats boats. They are in a class of their own, just like the boats you named.
@jerrykrobby
Ай бұрын
@@DerekVanHook a flats boat is a boat that can fish, float and or run in shallow or skinny water. There’s nothing that says a flats boat has to look like any certain type of boat. Guess we have our own definitions or perception.