Flats boats are intended for inshore and nearshore fishing applications. Specifically, these boats are designed to go into waters for anglers searching for gamefish such as redfish, snook, bonefish, permit, and tarpon. However, sometimes these same anglers want to head offshore a little ways to target larger species of fish such as mahi, cobia, snapper, wahoo, and countless others. Ideally, we all have a boat for every application of fishing, but in reality, we usually only have the one that selected for the style of fishing we do 90% of the time. In the case of anglers who mostly fish the shallow water flats, that choice is a flats boat.
Can you take a flats boat offshore? A flats boat can be taken offshore given that the sea conditions are optimal and the vessel is under the control of an experienced captain. However, extra precautionary measures should be taken before a flats boat should be taken offshore.
Before you just pack your gear and head out with your flats boat, there are many things to consider when going offshore to include your flats boat specifics, the weather conditions, the gear you're equipped with, and the captain's experience with offshore fishing.
Taking A Flats Boat Offshore
Taking a flats boat offshore should only be done in in optimal conditions. Going out unprepared can result in a stressful trip, can damage your boat and gear, and can even be life threatening. If you are set on taking your flats boat offshore it is important that you assess the following 5 areas before heading offshore:
- Operator training and experience
- Boat's capability and limitations
- Safety preparation
- Weather conditions
- Planning and coordination
1: Get Proper Boat Operator Training and Experience
Even in the best of conditions, navigating offshore comes with its own set of challenges that require a captain with a little experience under his or her belt. Knowing how to approach the seas will not only improve your ride comfort and boat performance, but will also reduce your risk of accident. Different sea conditions and wind conditions, combined with the direction you intend to travel, will vary your approach to the seas. As an example, if the seas are a little choppy and you need to travel due north, parallel with the seas, it may be a better approach to take a quarter seas approach north northeast for a bit and then turn back down to quarter north northwest.
To learn how to handle these situations and better navigate your boat I highly recommend getting some practice with a seasoned skipper and/or taking some boating courses before you venture offshore on your own. Honestly, I think this is best practice with all boat operations, inshore, nearshore, or offshore. Understanding how to pilot your boat not only will increase your safety but will also decrease your stress level when on the water.
Step 2: Assess Your Boat For Offshore Conditions
Every style of boat is designed to best handle particular conditions and support specific applications. Flats boats for example are designed to be able to navigate in very shallow waters and provide a fishermen with a wide open fishing platform where they can easily access the water. In order to do this, these flats boats are built lightweight, with a shallow deadrise (sometimes even a flat bottom) hull, and low freeboard height (low gunwales). This combinations make for a boat that is killer on the flats, but definitely not optimized for handling rough seas that can be associated with offshore fishing.
Lighter weight boats tend to get tossed around a little more than heavier boats and, with a shallow deadrise, the ride will be much rougher in comparison to a boat with a sharp V that better cuts through the water to soften the ride. The freeboard height is basically the boats barrier between the inside of the boat and the water on the outside of the boat. With a low freeboard, sometimes referred to as a low gunwale, this barrier is low and thus, the water has a much better chance of washing over the sides. This can increase the chance of capsize due to water intake.
In our article titled Flats Boat vs Technical Poling Skiff: Which One Is Right For You, we split the flats boats into three different categories based around their size: the microskiff, technical poling skiff, and general flats boat. We also discuss the pros and cons of each. If you are looking for a flats boat that can spend some time offshore when needed, you will want to stay on the larger side of the flats boat spectrum. These boats will ride more smoothly, have more room, provide more creature comforts, and generally have more range than their smaller counterparts. If you are in a microskiff or small poling skiff I highly recommend you look for alternatives to taking these offshore.
For examples of the best size flats boats that can handle a trip offshore, take a look at my top 5 favorite large flats boats. The links below will send you to the manufactures website where you will see specific details on the boat construction and design. While they may not perform as well offshore as a larger bay boat or offshore boat, for a flats boat, these will do really well.
| Make and Model | Draft | Length | Beam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hewes 21 Redfisher | 14″ | 21′ 6″ | 102″ |
| Beavertail Skiff Lightning | 11″ | 20′ 0″ | 82″ |
| Chittum Skiff Islamorada 21 Legacy | 9″ | 21′ 0″ | 88″ |
| Sterling 220 XS | 12″ | 21′ 8″ | 98″ |
| Action Craft 2020 FlatsMaster | 11″ | 20′ 2″ | 96″ |
Step 3: Pack Proper Safety Equipment
Independent of the boat you are in, you should always have the right safety equipment onboard your boat. This includes all safety equipment required by law, plus some additional pieces that further increase your safety preparedness in the event of an emergency. In our article Essential Gear For Your Flats Boat, we go through all the details of these must have pieces of equipment, but in short, here is the list of must have safety equipment when offshore fishing in a flats boat.
- Required Safety Equipment
- Flotation Devices
- Signaling Devices
- Fire Extinguisher
- First Aid Kit
- Communication Device
- Cell Phone
- VHF Radio
- Anchor
- Emergency Location Device
- EPIRB
Step 4: Check The Weather
Before you take your boat offshore, or anywhere for that matter, check the weather. If the wind is going to be blowing 20+ kts with high chance of rain and thunderstorm, just stay in. If the weather is generally good but the sea conditions are too rough to go offshore, just stick to some inshore fishing for the day. I know sometimes we get our mind set on a particular thing, but going out in the wrong conditions is one of the quickest ways to get yourself in a bad situation. Swallowing your pride and staying in will always be better than going out in the wrong conditions where you could damage your boat, hurt yourself, or worse.
When looking at the sea conditions, I am picking days to go offshore when the seas are slick calm. I am looking for long and low waves that my boat is going to easily and comfortably go over. This long and low is referring to measurements of the wave length and wave height. Wave length is measured from crest to crest (or trough to trough) and the wave height is measured from the trough of the wave to the crest (bottom to top). Another way these value are represented are dominant period and wave height. When I am checking the sea conditions I am looking for seas of 0 to 4 foot max with a dominant period of no less than 8 seconds.
Step 5: Plan Your Trip
Before you head out on the flats, it is good practice to have a plan which can be shared with a family member or a friend. This plan should outline your trip details so that it is known where you might be if something happens on the water and you are unable to return home. This plan should include the following information.
- Description of boat
- Who you are fishing with and their contact info
- Departure time and location
- General fishing area
- Expected time of return
If at any point you deviate from this plan, be sure to text or call to let your friend or family member know so they don't call in the coastguard when you are late.
Alternative to Taking Flats Boat Offshore
While offshore fishing from your flats boat may seem fun, it can turn into a nightmare of an experience if conditions aren't right and/or you aren't prepared for an emergency. Before taking your flats boat offshore I highly recommend finding an alternative if at all possible.
Charter A Boat
I usually get the itch to go offshore just a few times a year and that is when I am seeing a bunch of bull dolphin being caught or its snapper season. In these cases, it usually isn't too hard to plan for and reserve a boat you can charter to go offshore fishing. This option is not only safer that taking your flats boat offshore but is almost always guarantees you will catch some fish and is completely hassle free. Just show up at the dock with yourself, your fishing crew, and some food and drinks, and go home with bags full of fully cleaned fish. Take this opportunity to really sit back, relax, and enjoy the experience. The obvious downside is that this costs money, but a little cost is worth it in my eyes for the additional safety associated with the larger boat and professional captain. In the end this could be much less costly compared to the situation where you are in a small flats boat and you get into bad and/or worsening conditions.
When I want to charter a fishing trip I like to use FishingBooker. I have never had a bad experience using this service and there are tons of options for fishing charters all over the map. Just find a captain with good reviews and you should be in good hands.
You can also google “deep sea fishing charters near me” (or replace “near me” with the location) to find a more direct contact. With that being said, I have found that some captains prefer booking through fishing booker since that service takes care of a lot of the back end for them.
Fore more information on how to charter an offshore fishing trip, click here.
Rent a Boat (no captain)
Some folks really like the idea of captaining a boat yourself or perhaps you have acquired some numbers that you want to check out, or maybe you have just struck out with finding a charter boat. If this is the case, you may consider finding a boat for rent.
There are many companies out there that will rent a boat for a few hundred dollars a day for various activities. The cost of a rental usually includes the boat itself, the required safety gear, and in most cases fuel is included in the cost. You are then responsible for everything else to include food, drinks, and any fishing equipment you might need. You are also required to sign a waver stating you are personally responsible and liable for any damage to the boat while it is in your possession. One thing to note with many of these companies is that some may be limited in the number of larger offshore boats that are available for rent and also, some companies will not allow you to take a boat offshore. Be sure to reserve a boat early if you are looking for a particular size and style of boat and be sure to ask the company for their rules before you spend the money.
I have found to have more luck with boat rental when going with a peer-to-peer rental service such as boatsetter. This site allows you to search among thousands of boats around the map and enter agreements with individual boat owners to rent their personal boats for single or multi day trips. Just like the above, there will be rules that are established by the owner, but I have found that many times there is more you can do with a boat taken from a peer-to-peer service. You are still responsible for any damages to the boat when it is under your possession and you still usually have to provide your own fishing gear, but in general I like this option the best if I am renting a boat.
For more information about skiffs and flats boats, read our articles here.
