Our 19 Foot Boat Show Picks (Frontier 190, Blue Wave 1900STL and Nautic Star 1910)

[bjmillet]

My wife and I went Houston Boat Show yesterday with certain goals in mind. We we looking for an 18 to 20 ft boats that can handle the Galveston rough chop, keep us dry and go into skinny areas. We also like sides to our boats (that eliminates alot of boats). We don't wade fish. We like to be on the boat. We were looking to stay between $20k and $30k (which killed the marvelous K2 BlackJack). We narrowed it down to the following three:

1. Frontier 190 with a 115hp and a jackplate
2. Blue Wave 1900 STL with a 140hp and a jackplate
3. Nautic Star 1910 Nauticbay with a 115hp and a jackplate

Our concern with the Frontier and Nautic Star is how shallow they can run and draft at rest. Our concern with the Blue Wave is the loss of performance with the tunnel.

Any advice would be great!

[buoy37]

How shallow do you want to run and for how long of a distance?

I run a BW "190" Classic and it does everything I need it to do, except run in 6"-8" of water for a 100 yards.

Of all the hulls you listed, I bet the BW is the lightest and it has 140 hagging on the back.....Awesome!!!

[Rollo]

I think the Blue Wave is your best bet in that catagory,Ilike that Frontier boat,but I feel its underpowered with a 115 on it!

[bjmillet]

How shallow do you want to run and for how long of a distance?

I run a BW "190" Classic and it does everything I need it to do, except run in 6"-8" of water for a 100 yards.

Of all the hulls you listed, I bet the BW is the lightest and it has 140 hagging on the back.....Awesome!!!

No 6"-8" of water just a foot to a foot and a half for a mile or two or three in Carancahua and Green Lakes

[bjmillet]

I think the Blue Wave is your best bet in that catagory,Ilike that Frontier boat,but I feel its underpowered with a 115 on it!

yeah, I'm hearing that the Frontier does well with a 150

[Robalo]

It don't matter-you will run aground, so pick the one you like best!! I have a Skeeter 20' Baypro with a 150 yammie and jackplate and still run aground.

It is your holeshot that somewhat matters-in other words, how shallow can it jump on plane in SAND (not mud because I could plane my 23' Robalo in 2' of water over mud by powering out and tossing mud-no way in sand-would need almost 3' of water). I can run that skeeter til it stops in 8-10" of water-it's the getting out that counts.

I have heard reports that Nauiticstar is iffy, Blue Wave is better and I've seen the Frontier-they seem nicer than either Nautic or BW. My $0.02.

[bjmillet]

It don't matter-you will run aground, so pick the one you like best!! I have a Skeeter 20' Baypro with a 150 yammie and jackplate and still run aground.

It is your holeshot that somewhat matters-in other words, how shallow can it jump on plane in SAND (not mud because I could plane my 23' Robalo in 2' of water over mud by powering out and tossing mud-no way in sand-would need almost 3' of water). I can run that skeeter til it stops in 8-10" of water-it's the getting out that counts.

I have heard reports that Nauiticstar is iffy, Blue Wave is better and I've seen the Frontier-they seem nicer than either Nautic or BW. My $0.02.

The Blue Wave has a great hole shot because of the motor location. Anything beats my Carolina Skiff. That's for the 2 cents. It all helps.

[buoy37]

19' BW STL

Listed on TOS http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/sh...d.php?t=464235

[Gulfcoast13]

I lll sell you my Majek so I c an go get a brand new one.

Was there any at the boat show?

[JS24]

As far as the hull goes, you can’t go wrong with a Frontier. Bill and Gary Kenner know how to build boats. I had a Kenner with the Carolina flare hull for over 15 years. It was a very dry ride for an 18’ boat. As hard as I was on that boat, the hull never did show any signs of stress. If it weren’t for wanting bigger and shallower, I’d still have it.

[bubbas kenner]

I run a 08 kenner vision tunnel w/115etec I run 38 mph w/ 2 men and a load.Im very pleased with the tunnel and the deep v.You are for sure on the right track insisting on a v hull for galv.bay.!9 ft does ok for 3 fishing.Good time of year to buy a used one just sayin.

[buoy37]

Majek

I lll sell you my Majek so I c an go get a brand new one.

Was there any at the boat show?

I was putting gas in the Tahoe @ 610 and Main the other night. A caravan of black Majeks with SHOs passed by on their way to the show.

[Gulfcoast13]

Going to go check them out