u/FactorySea

Moving to Wilmington area soon & would like to purchase a center console down there for fishing / sandbar days with the family (wife &2 kids)

From the research I’ve done, I’ve narrowed my search down to a Key West 239FS or 219FS.

Anybody with either of those boats able to chime in? It seems I can get a 219 for considerably less than a 239, while only being 2’ shorter. I have a buddy that inshore fishes Charleston area & he’s saying to go with the 219 for better shallow water handling.

Current boats / boating experience are an axis A22 & tracker super guide V16. Axis will be sold before moving for the center console.

TLDR; Key West 219FS or 239FS for intercostal waters, fishing / sandbar boat, family of 4.

Looking to buy a new bait caster to pair with my 7’3 MF Tatula rod,

Currently living in a northern inland state so primarily LM/SM fishing, but plan on relocating within the next year down south coastal where inshore will take over.

Ideally I’d like to find something that’ll suffice up here for bass, yet still be appropriate for lighter inshore (and salt rated) fishing reds, flounder, sea trout etc.

I was looking at the Tranx 150, possible JDM options like the scorpion MD 200 / grappler 200?

Lures thrown on this rod tend to be weightless flukes & smaller (1/4-1/2oz) jig head / plastic swim bait combos. 3-5” Curly tails, paddle tails etc.

Other option is I have a 7’ heavy dobyns with an SLX DC on it that I tend to throw larger bottom contact jigs (craws/ creatures) and frogs with. I could always put the salt reel on that and swap the SLXDC to my medium for smaller lures.

Any input?

Been freshwater fishing for 2 years now and went through the early mistake of reading about and purchasing every style of lure anybody’s ever had success on, which led to a lot of indecision early on. In the past year I’ve been trying to narrow down my lure choice and sticking to just a few presentations I know I can fish correctly / have success with. I have confidence with a handful of lures so far, with my top ones being curly tails (from 1-2” for crappie, to 4”+ for SM/LM), weightless flukes jerked like top waters, and various creatures Ned rigged (been loving hellgramites for smallies).

One surprisingly I’ve had zero luck with, is classic paddle tails.

How do you guys use them? Steady retrieve? Hop and let fall on the way back?

Are we using straight jigheads (like I do grubs) or using the big skirted jigheads ?

What size do you like ?

Dealing with a hard cold front this weekend but once it warms back up I’m planning on using nothing but paddles till I figure something out.

Types I currently have,

Crush city mayors (maybe 3”?) A couple strike king rage swimmers (3.75, 4.5) BPS XPS whatever whatever 5”