Someone educate me about boat styles please

I'm about ready to buy a new boat and was looking at the Tracker brand as that's what I own now. I have a 2007 Grizzly 1860 center console. It's been a great boat but it's huge and I'm looking to downsize. I was checking out the Panfish 16 but also saw the Deep V Superguide 16 they have as well. Living in Louisiana I've seen a few Deep V style boats but really not many compared to the normal semi V or modified V you see. My question is why is that? What are the negatives or positive of owning a Deep V style? I did see it's about $900 more in price(with 40hp motor) so do I not see as many because they typically cost more? On the other hand when I watch outdoor TV shows I see that the Deep V style seems to be more popular in northern states.

Just looking for some insight from someone that knows more about boats than me. Thanks in advance :)

Well....I might not be an expert on the subject, but I believe it all boils down to personal preferences and the waters you will be fishing....for instance, when I bought my boat 11 years ago, I fished a lake that had the possibly of high waves so I picked one that could handle rough water...I also picked a motor that could push the boat at a good speed as I may run 30 miles in a day....I mainly fish thru the winter so I wanted a wrap around windshield to keep the cold wind off me and my wife....I wound up with a 19 ft Triton Fish & Ski....now that I only fish small bayous and small lakes I could get by with something smaller....my opinion about a deep V hull is that they are designed for rough water so decide where you are going to fish.....IMO, a boat that was wide enough to safely walk around in is a must...If I was buying right now, I would seriously look at the 17 or 18 ft. Express, G3, Alumaweld or similar quality....I would consider a dual console for reasons mentioned above....so, pick the amount you want to spend and go shopping....BTW, pick the largest motor recommended for the boat.....hope this helps....

If I were you I would keep the boat you have now. I have a 14 ft stick searing Alumiweld with 25 hp .. this boat gets cramped as soon as the Gear and Ice chest are in the Boat. My Brothers boat was 21 feet to the back of the motor with lots of room and Bro at 280 pounds could stand on the side without noticeable change in the way it sits in the water... My Stepdad had a 16 ft v hull I only was in twice.. when he would lean over the side to land a fish it would almost throw me out of the boat... He liked it but he always fished by himself. Lots of older V hull have rounded bottom the flat bottom is just more stable and has less Draft hitting fewer Stumps -- they do catch more Wind and get blowed around in the wind... Fiberglass boats are heavier sitting deeper in the water with some trailers having 4 tires that have to be replaced more often.. The only thing I see that would benefit in downsizing would be in the Boat fitting into a Garage.. If the Kids or grandkids ever ever went You have the best Boat now

I agree with both statements made above. The deep V is made for taking waves in rough water but you sacrifice stability in calm water. What I mean by sacrificing stability in calm water is once you have ran to your fishing spot and stopped, the boat will rock more when you move from one side to the other. Unless you plan to fish big open water or fish in the gulf, I wouldn't go with the deep V.

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I have a v bottom 14' now that I am working on. I fish mostly by myself. Here in Mo. we have a breeze to wind blowing most of the time. Large waves in the open water is common. As stated before, the V will cut the waves while the modified v or flat bottom will tend to ride around on top of the waves. We can't make your decision, you have to decide what type of water you will be fishing and what kind of ride you want...

I have a Lund Fury XL. It is 16'4" deep-v with a 80" beam. It is plenty stable even with my 220lb standing near the gunwale. It does draft a few inches more than a non deep v, but the trade off in interior depth and cutting waves are worth it to me.


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I've never owned a modified V or flat bottom but can tell you that my 16' deep V aluminum catches the wind and is a pain for trolling when working into a stiff breeze. The wind tends to catch the nose and throw it from side to side.

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Originally Posted by spartannation

I've never owned a modified V or flat bottom but can tell you that my 16' deep V aluminum catches the wind and is a pain for trolling when working into a stiff breeze. The wind tends to catch the nose and throw it from side to side.

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That's kind of the opposite of my issue with the trolling motor. If there is a breeze the Terrova keeps it on track without swinging. If the wind is flat the boat swings when spot locked.

Thanks for the insight, I appreciate it. I'm gonna go with the panfish 16 as I fish a lot of smaller bayous and waterways where the wind won't be an issue. I'm still keeping my other boat, it's just too big for some of the places we like to fish. At around 19 feet long and 7 feet wide it's hard for me to trailer it by myself and I do fish alone once in a while. It's perfect for river fishing or large lakes though. Also like it for running trot lines or jug fishing as there is lots of room to move around in the boat or bring ice chests and 5 gallon buckets.