Laguna Madre

[calicokid]

Well first off I didn’t have my boat so I wade fished, but in between buying a house in Laguna Vista and selling a single wide in a marina in Port Isabel I managed 1 nice red a few Speckled Trout and a 30“+ Snook all on 8#. We now own a nice home 3 blocks from a boat ramp witch we’ll rent out until I retire to South Texas, when I’ll need to park a flats boat next to my 210 How does the 190 Bay do skinny?

[Cincinnati]

Dave has the flat-water 190 rigged to the max. But bone-stock, I can get into 2' of water with no problems - motor tilted up slightly. My draft is about 12" with a decent fuel load, etc. The back of the hull is almost flat. Really does well for a bay boat in the flats IMO. But like I said, Dave can really provide the insight here.

[Putershark]

The 190 Bay kept low on fuel (half tank or less) engine batteries either 1 or 2 installed into the console for balance, the live well pick up pluged off (sponge pratice golf ball again) to keep that water also out of the hull (who needs live bait anyway ) minus the T-Top so you can get under creek bridges, and you now have the right Triumph tool for the flats... My running / sitting draft is about 12 inches or less, but my engine is not stock mounted nor is my lower unit stock by a long shot... One must also get rid of the ping pong ball scupplers (make too much noise) and go back to the flapper style becasue stealth is the key on the flats The pictures of my 190 will give you some ideas for making one into a flats raider if you need some.

The 190 though is a much more stable hull to get up and walk around on than the 210, and is built for such work. The 210 though can take heaver seas and run smoother and drier so here again, right tool for the right job... No way though is any 210 going to get back into the water that my 190 will even if the the engine is tilted all the way up. I would also dread the thought of polling a 210 at all

The problem I am having to work through right now, is keeping the trolling motor high enough in the water that it does not splash, yet can still get a good bite without hanging up on the bottom. Mine is now set high (since my hull is kept light) that it will splash when I step down from the front casting deck (bye-bye fish) but if put much lower, can drag the trolling motor skeg on the bottom long before the hull will hit. One of these days I will get it mounted just right for my needs, though I think some that issue is due to the fact that my fuel tank is now like 1/4 or even less (I just love that fuel sipping Honda)

Now the E-Ticket would be IF Triumph would make a true flats boat (I have a few hull design's in mind) with flush mounted 360 degree casting decks in the 170 / 180 range with a 8 foot 6 beam. For 6 to 8 inches of static draft can do a lot for you if the winds are not at your back when trying to cast / reach that school of Reds that have their tails sticking up. Now some would say "why not get out and wade to them?" Well if it is a Redfish Tour event you are in, you can't get out of the boat and those few inches of draft could make make a big difference in winnings... Maybe someday Triumph will wake up and take "full" advantage of this lightweight hull technology and build both a true flats boat, and a Cat hull for the Offshore crowd and take over even more of the market share.

Dave