The Fishing Machine
Center Console boats were designed to be the ultimate rough-water fishing machines. In a center console boat, the helm and controls are mounted on the console in the center of the boat. The areas around the console are open, giving you the ability to walk around the boat freely and fish from any area. Center console boats typically range from 15’-42’ in length. They powered by outboard motors ranging from around 50hp all the way up to triple or even quad 350hp packages. But center consoles are not only designed for fishing. This recent surge in popularity has created many variations of boats.
Rough Water Capability
One of the main characteristics of center consoles that make them stand out from other fishing boats is their extremely deep hull designs. For example, if you were to take a traditional 20’ bowrider into extremely rough water, you would be putting yourself in a very dangerous situation. However, a 20’ center console would be more than capable to handle some very rough offshore conditions. A 20’ center console will typically dwarf the average 20’ boat in physical size. Not only does the deep hull make these boats safer for passengers in the boat, but it makes the boats ride exceptionally well in rough water.
Fishing Features
As we mentioned earlier, center consoles’ main purpose has traditionally been as offshore fishing boats. They typically come equipped with rod storage, live wells and multiple rod holders. Fishing out of these boats is a fisherman’s dream. They have lots of room to maneuver, multiple casting platforms and high freeboard. This provides security when fishing in rough water. Sophisticated marine electronics are also a must-have on center consoles. You will find many of these boats equipped with GPS units and sonar to increase their navigation and fishing capabilities.
Other Advantages
Another selling point of center consoles is their ease of maintenance. Traditional fishing boats have carpeting on all the floors, colorful gelcoats and full covers. Not the case with center consoles. You will not find carpeting in center console fishing boats. Instead, the flooring in these boats is typically a finished-fiberglass non-skid surface. In addition to having no carpet, these boats are usually “self bailing.” This means that you can take a hose and wash out the floor of the entire boat and the water will just run out the back drainage areas. Many people use the term “washdown boats” when referring to center consoles. Most center consoles are also white on the exterior or have minimal colors. This makes it much easier to keep them looking clean. And forget about full covers that can be difficult to handle. These boats have smaller covers for them helm and leaning post at most, which are much easier to handle and install when done using the boat for the day.
Layout
The other design advantage of center consoles of their open layout. With the console being mounted in the center of the boat, this gives you an open floorplan throughout the boat. This allows you to walk around freely and making for a very roomy design. There is typically seating in the bow and stern, along with the leaning post (or helm seat) and an enclosed head or even a possibly cabin on larger boats. This layout can be practical for many uses other than fishing, which has made this design attractive to many boat builders that don’t necessarily focus on fishing.
The New Breed of Center Consoles
Recently, many manufactures have been using the center console concept to create family-friendly pleasure boats. The hull design makes these boats great for the rough water. The ease-of-maintainence still exists. And by adding some family-friendly features, these boats appeal to a large demographic of boaters. Some of the center consoles with fishing features can also be found with lots of seating in the boat and stern, similar to that found in an open bow boat. Ski tow bars can be mounted on the transom of center consoles to give the option of watersports. T-tops are another common feature found which is basically an aluminum top that provides shade for passengers. Some of the larger center consoles even have enclosed heads or cabins to provide comforts typically found on cuddies & cruisers. Large power options give these boats great performance that many pleasure boaters are looking for.
Conclusion
Center consoles have always been a great option for fishermen who spend their time in rough water. They provide a great bang for the buck relative to their size and capabilities. Now that some center consoles have family-friendly features, these boats are a viable option for families who want to have to option to fish and ski all in one boat. Even fishing isn’t for you, some of the new center console models are designed for the recreational boater & performance enthusiast. If any of these features are appealing to you, be sure to take a look at center consoles in your search for the perfect boat. However, if center consoles don't seem to be the right boat for you, you might want to go back to our article on finding the right boat for you here.