Fish tales are the best tales. We’re told that some of them are occasionally even true. But whether it’s a story about the catch of a lifetime or the one that got away, it all starts with getting out there.
It doesn’t matter if you’re the hardest of the hardcore tournament fishermen heading out in any weather to find your quarry because that’s the day you have to fish, or if you’re a fair-weather angler who goes when it’s light and variable. The thrill of feeling a fish pulling on the other end of the line is the same.
A solid center-console is one of the best ways to get out there. From speed to style to pure fishability, the following six vessels are ready to take you to where your next fish tale starts.
Aquila 47 Molokai
Run Far, Run Fast
The Aquila 47 Molokai’s power options range from standard twin 600 hp Mercury Verados up to quad 400 hp Mercury outboards. When Yachting ran the 47 Molokai, we saw a top speed of 60-plus knots with the quads. At 47 knots, range is 600 nautical miles.
Rigged to Fish
For live-bait aficionados, there are two 42.5-gallon transom livewells. There’s also a 53-inch-wide casting platform, two 50-gallon aft-deck fish boxes, 510 gallons of total fish-box space amidships, and two 74-gallon coffin boxes forward. Whether it’s bigeyes or baitfish, there’s room for everything and then some. There’s also a cockpit bait-prep station and no less than 34 rod holders spread out among the gunwales, transom and hardtop. Just add outriggers.
Notable Features
The Aquila 47 Molokai has a double-stepped hull form that slices a seaway while its increased center tunnel clearance reduces sneezing. Construction is a vinylester-resin-infused hull and deck, as well as carbon-fiber primary bulkheads forward and aft.
Axopar 29 CCX
New Horizons
Finnish boatbuilder Axopar created the adventure-boating concept, and its Axopar 29 CCX expands the company’s boundary-breaking design with this fishing-focused craft.
Have It Your Way
Axopar offers numerous options to fine-tune the 29 CCX’s angling experience. Some of the amenities include a 33-gallon livewell abaft the helm seats, an 18.5-gallon livewell to port, a 19-gallon macerated fish box forward, a tackle station, a foldable aft leaning post with six rod holders, and four in-gunwale rod holders. Up to 16 rod holders can be added, and the builder can prep the boat for a trolling motor.
Built for Seas and Speed
The Axopar 29 CCX’s twin-stepped hull has a knifelike entry with a 20-degree transom deadrise. The lean-forward hardtop and three-sided glass enclosure provide protection from the elements. Raised bulwarks ensure safe transit around the boat in the chop. Power options are a single 350 to 400 hp Mercury Verado V-10 or twin 200 hp Mercury V-6 outboards. Top speed is reportedly 50 knots.
Contender 29Bay
Inside or Outside
Don’t let the name 29Bay fool you. This Contender Bay series flagship—there’s also a 23- and a 26-footer—is equally at home running off to cobalt waters in search of pelagics or stalking the shallows, thanks to its 16-inch draft.
Fishin’ Is the Mission
Wherever the day’s piscatorial pursuits lead, the Contender 29Bay has an armada of standard and optional angling gear to be ready for whatever is around. Standard equipment includes two 30-gallon in-sole fish boxes aft, two 26-gallon transom livewells, an 85-gallon fish box forward, casting platforms fore and aft, and an aluminum leaning post with four rod holders. Some options include a hardtop or soft top with rod holders, electric reel outlets, an upgraded leaning post with an extra livewell, Power-Poles, a trolling motor and outriggers.
Range to Roam
The 29Bay accommodates up to 700 hp. With a 185-gallon fuel capacity, the builder says, maximum range is 400 nautical miles. A standard Seakeeper Ride system ensures those are smooth miles.
Grady-White Canyon 386
It Starts With the Ride
The Grady-White Canyon 386 has the North Carolina boatbuilder’s SeaV2 hull form, with a wave-slicing entry that transitions to an ever-changing variable-deadrise form to ensure a softer ride in the chop. Deadrise at the transom is 20 degrees. The hull and deck are built with hand-laid fiberglass.
Triple Threat
Power options for the Canyon 386 include triple 350 hp or 450 hp Yamaha outboards. With the larger motors, this center-console has a top-end speed of 52.5 knots at 6,000 rpm. At 4,000 rpm, cruise speed is 33.8 knots with a 45.4 gph fuel burn. Fuel capacity is 410 gallons. The most efficient cruise speed is 26 knots, and fuel burn is 30.3 gph.
Get Catching
Designed from the get-go as a hardcore fishing boat, the Canyon 386 includes two 35-gallon livewells, two 149-quart in-sole fish boxes, a 291-quart fish box aft with a chill plate, 10 rod holders, four underwater LEDs, and a lean bar with a rigging station, sink and six rod holders. Options include 18-foot Gemlux outriggers and four hull colors.
Scout Boats 377 LXF
Style Meets Substance
The Scout Boats 377 LXF’s broad bow flare and sweeping sheerline catch the eye, but there’s a lot more beneath this center-console’s surface. Directly speaking, there’s a twin-stepped hull form that creates an efficient running surface with a 19.5-degree transom deadrise. There’s also a lithium-ion battery system to power all hotel loads silently, eliminating the need for a generator. Construction is equally modern with carbon-fiber-infused epoxy, creating a strong and relatively lightweight structure. Dry weight is 14,120 pounds.
Ready to Fish
The 377 LXF has a 30-gallon livewell, two in-sole fish boxes aft, and 12 flush-mounted gunwale rod holders. Eighteen- or 20-foot Taco outriggers are available to round out the offshore angling arsenal.
Ready, Set, Run
Owners can choose twin 600 hp Mercury Verados or triple 400 hp Mercurys. With the twins, top speed is about 59 knots with a 38.6-knot cruise speed. With the triples, top hop is about the same and best cruise is around 34.5 knots.
Tiara Yachts 48 LS
Dial It In
Tiara Yachts adopted a cockpit-module concept with its 48 LS, enabling owners to outfit their boat however they live their life on the water. With regard to fishing, owners can select the Adventure Module, which provides a 30-gallon livewell, a cutting board, four rod holders, stowage boxes, tool holders and more. Other angling options include 2o-foot Taco carbon-fiber outriggers and a hardtop rocket launcher with seven rod holders.
Get Up and Go
The Tiara 48 LS has triple 600 hp Mercury Verados. According to the builder, top speed is 50.8 knots. It’s a virtual tie for most efficient cruise speed at 33.3 and 38.3 knots, which results in 0.51 and 0.49 nautical mile per gallon, respectively. Maximum range at these speeds are 302 nm and 293 nm, respectively.
Finer Things
Belowdecks, there’s a queen berth forward and an amidships stateroom with twins. A 9 kW Kohler diesel genset powers the 48 LS away from the dock. The foredeck lounge is the place to relax after a day of catching dinner with the family.
