Outside of flat-bottom utility boats, single-keel V-hulls are probably the most common bottom designs on inshore fishing boats. But they’re certainly not the only, or even necessarily the best, option.
Catamaran-style boats, with twin keels, offer a soft ride in a chop and stability at rest.
There are other designs, too.
If traversing extreme shallows for great distances is a priority, the quadrahedral (four angles) hull pioneered by Shallow Sport is still hard to beat. The South Texas builder in 2022 celebrated its 40th year.
Looking at the 21 Sport, for instance, you notice the forward entry features longitudinal concavities or “tunnels.” The two innermost tunnels merge into a single, vertically oriented tunnel about midship, continuing through the transom. When the boat is running, this forces water into the tunnel,…