I need opinions on skiffs. Dolphin Super skiff 16 vs. others

[noodman]

Can anyone give me opinions on why a Doplhin Super Skiff Pro 16 is better or worse than other makes for fishing in the Florida Keys. By other makes I mean Maverick, hewes, action craft, etc.
Please help me make an informed buy. I am using it for flyfishing mostly by the way.

[tsetse]

I have owned two super skiffs, the first one was a 1995 model with a side console and the one I now operate is a 2006 bagged Kevlar hull with a small table top console. I have really enjoyed the two rigs. The rig I am running now has a 90 Yamaha on it and I am in the process of downsizing to a 5O Yamaha. 90 horses is too much. The boat is wet on windy days which is expected. It does not run in wet grass which is fine by me. Like a lot of boats, it runs shallower than it will get out of. I have no problems fly fishing out of the boat. I see Hells Bays and Mavericks fishing the lagoon, I live in South Texas and fish the Laguna Madre, and I am sure that they are wonderful boats. I really like mine and am happy with it.

[Capt. Raul Montoro]

Noodman

I've been fishing super skiff for years. I've had the 16 and now I have the new 17 super skiff. If your looking for a boat that spins on a dime, poles effortlessly, and handles the rough stuff better than any boat in its class get the 16 super skiff. I am a guide in Biscayne Bay and Islamorada and I would not use anything but a supper skiff. There is a reason why most guides from marathon to Key West use them, b/c they have to cross some big water and you want a boat that can handle it.

The Maverick HPX is also a great boat, and I've fished it many times, but I wouldn’t change it for my super skiff. If you didn't know, the original Maverick Mariage was a copy of the 16 super skiff extended a foot, and they modified it through out the years.

Hells Bay boats are also great boats depending on where you’re fishing. I have the HB glades skiff and I love it, but I only use it for really skinny water fishing. Mostly in Flamingo (Everglades National Park) the only other boat I like from HB is the 17.8 Professional, but you will get beat up a little and it's also a wet boat if you don't know how to run it.

Hewes and action IMO don't make a great polling boat.

It all comes down to where you’re fishing. I always looked at it this way, why have a boat that makes you work more. You want a boat that works for you and the 16 dolphin does that.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me anytime. I also know someone who is selling one if you’re still looking; it's located in Key Largo.

Capt. Raul
www.biscaynebayfishing.com
www.biscaynebayfishingguide.com

[shallowfish]

Late replying here, but what the hell. I've owned a Super Skiff for going on 14 years now, using it to (primarily) fish the Everglades and the SF FL coast. The bad? On long trips I do find myself wishing it was a bit faster and more comfortable, it lacks ample storage, it takes a fair amount of depth to jump up and it can be tippy when a bigger angler stand on the gunnels. But all skiffs have limitations and trade-offs. I've fished on Hewes skiffs big and small, Mavericks, Action Crafts, Hell's Bays, etc, and I can honestly say that I know of no skiff that provides as many advantages in one package as the Super Skiff. My buddy owns a 21-foot Hewes that's really spacious, flies across big bays and is as stable as a pier, so I realize what I'm missing by not having a larger boat. I've also been on Mavericks and HBs that will run so shallow it's crazy, so I know other boats run and float in less. But gamefish can only be found in water that's so skinny, and folks shouldn't be running across thin water anyway, since it destroys good bottom. The Super Skiff is a cakewalk to pole, runs and floats very shallow, is exceptionally dry for a smaller skiff (due to hull flare and a relatively sharp V that cuts through chop) and cuts around corners like it's on rails.

I don't see near as many of them on the FL west coast as I do on the east coast and (especially) the Keys and Bahamas, and I'm not sure why. Regardless, if you fish back country or inshore, you can't go wrong with a Super Skiff.

http://www.shallowfish.com/

[HillBaffin]

I am in the market for a used 16' SSP in the Texas area. Does anyone know of one available?