A Boat Built for These Waters

The waters around New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater can take you in several different directions. A trip might begin on a shallow grass flat in Mosquito Lagoon, move into a tidal creek or along a mangrove shoreline, and finish around the bridges, channels or moving water near Ponce Inlet. When the weather cooperates, Brian can also run the beaches and nearshore Atlantic waters to follow bait and seasonal fish moving along the coast.

That range of water is why Brian fishes from a Pathfinder 2300 HPS. It runs shallow enough for the backwaters and flats he fishes regularly, but it also has the size and ride needed for the inlet and nearby ocean when conditions are right. Brian is not locked into one type of water or one way of fishing. He can adjust the day around the tide, the wind and where the bait and fish are moving.

The boat is roomy without feeling oversized. There is space for up to four guests to cast, move around and settle into the day, whether Brian is fishing live bait, artificials or spending some time with a fly rod. It is not a technical poling skiff, but its open decks make it a practical platform for fly fishing Mosquito Lagoon and the surrounding backwaters.

Equipped for a Day of Fishing

The Pathfinder is powered by a Yamaha 250 V MAX SHO, giving Brian the ability to cover water efficiently between New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, Mosquito Lagoon and Ponce Inlet. That matters on days when the tide or bait movement calls for a change of scenery rather than waiting in one place for something to happen.

A trolling motor with Spot-Lock lets Brian quietly work shorelines, docks and bridges or hold the boat in moving water without repeatedly starting the outboard. The rest of the setup is kept straightforward: dependable electronics, organized tackle and the rods and gear needed for the way the group plans to fish.

A good charter boat should mostly stay out of the way. The Pathfinder lets Brian reach the water he wants to fish, position the boat properly and give everyone aboard enough room to focus on what is happening around them.