Vintage Hewes Poleability

[bluther]

Hi All,

 

I am looking into getting a used flats boat for Striper Fishing the flats in the NE. As the seas can be somewhat unpredictable, I think a 16' flats boat will give me more flexibility than even an 18' tech skiff like the HPX-V (thoughts on this?). My main question is how do the Lapstrake Hewes Bonefishers, Redfishers, Bayfishers (1990-2000) compare to the newer hulls (2000-2010) and more modern Action Crafts in terms of hull slap and ability to stay on pole for a long period of time. Any help is much appreciated!

 

Thanks,

Brendan

[polliwog]

I think the question is how much open water will you be dealing with,as well as how strong the tides you will be.?  The old bonefishers and redfishers are capable boats and will be ok to pole.  Hull slap isn't a big deal with stripers if that is what you will target.  I have a 20ft Hewes LT that isn't really a poling skiff,but with a trolling motor can handle a lot of snotty weather. My boat came from Chatham Mass where a guide worked the rips with great success.

I do think the newer hulls are just a lot better designed for shallow stealth as well as comfort in a chop.

 

[jtms]

Had a 16 Hewes lappy and it polled great.  It isn't a technical poling boat, but I had no issue poling the boat all day with two people.  With three people, it would wear you out poling.  This boat runs fantastic in a chop.

[hotpursuit]

Brendan,

I have some experience fishing the flats in New Jersey using a Maverick 17’ Master Angler for stripers, as well as using a technical poling skiff (HPX-T) in FL for redfish.

I’m not sure where you are located in the northeast, as the flats tend to differ quite a bit between NJ, NY, and the Cape. Here in Jersey we do a lot of fishing on the flats in 1.5 – 3 ft of water so draft is not much of a concern. We do spend quite a bit of time on the pole, but most of that time is on flats with a good bit of current, which means our poling is more of a controlled drift across the flat and lining the boat up for shots to sight-fished stripers. Because of this we don’t need a real nimble boat.

In FL we are poling from tail to tail (on good days!) and doing a lot more pushing of the boat on much more shallow flats to cover ground rather than controlled drifts. This is where the HPX-T really shines. So to answer your question on the pole-ability of some of the heavier skiffs, yes, in general they are fine for our northeast fisheries.

I fish my Master Angler in Barnegat Bay and the HPX-T in Charlotte Harbor. Both bodies of water can see significant chop. When Barnegat Bay chops up we just go fishing, the MA is an absolute machine in a 1-2 ft chop. When Charlotte Harbor chops up with the HPX-T we have to stay in the backcountry and can’t make those runs in open water. In Charlotte Harbor this is fine with so many available flats, in Jersey we almost always need to run in open water to get to the flats. In regards to hull slap, I haven’t found it to be an issue striper fishing, I think this is due to the areas we are fishing.

As others have said your decision should really come down to the amount of open water you’ll be facing to get to your spots. Having a boat you can pole with two fingers is great, but not if you can’t get to the spot.

With that said, depending on where you are in the northeast I would be happy to take you out on the Master Angler so you could get a feel for the performance of the boat. I’m seriously considering selling it as I don’t find myself fishing the flats up here as much anymore with all the flats-based fishing I do in FL.

Doug

[jason p]

Get a boat for 80% of the fishing you'll be doing. Nothing is good at everything. The more "versatile" a boat design gets, the less capable it gets at everything, many will argue my thinking but it's true to me anyway. My HPX poles great and handles chop well, for a poling skiff, but won't hold a candle to a MA 17, let alone a 18.5 or 21. I was lobstering out of a 18' lapstrake all day yesterday outside of Biscayne Bay, it got really windy and the ride in was way more enjoyable than it would have been in my HPX. 

[mulligan]

Jason,

Not to take away from the original post too much but could you explain the ride difference a bit more detailed between the lappy and your HPX? 

[jason p]

It's a softer ride in the Lappy (to me anyway) I suspect due to the sharper entry, deeper "v" and the extra lbs. of the Lappy. I'm not bangin' on my HPX, for me and what I usually do it's the greatest boat out there, but compared to an older, dare I say less sophisticated hull like the lappy, my HPX is so light and stiff (which is how it's supposed to be) it's seems almost chattery comparatively.

[OSlawyer]

I fish the flats of Cape Cod and the mouth of the Connecticut River in my 19' Redfisher and have found that I do less and less poling as I get older. Over the last 25 years or so of fishing the Cape flats I have seen fewer and fewer skiffs out there, but I must say I would not trade a skiff for any other boat when sight fishing for stripers on the white sand flats. While the 19 is definitely a heavier hull, it certainly can be poled for a good period of time but due to the speed of the currents and the big tides there usually is not the opportunity to do that for too long. Often the more important factor is the hull's ability to get through a chop as you get to and from a flat particularly when the weather turns nasty. I could see going to an 18' but I suspect you will really limit your fishing with a 16'. I love the lappy and have fished the newer HPX's but those I have only fished in the more sheltered waters of the Mosquito Lagoon. Hard to compare the two. You really can't go wrong with a lappy Redfisher or even an older Master Angler for New England fishing.

[mulligan]

Thanks Jason.  I had an older Hewes and loved it.  I was just looking for a real comparison if I decide to downsize.