Fishing the skinny is a temptation you might find impossible to pass up, but being able to fish open waters can be just as attractive when tarpon are cruising up the beach or the mahi have moved in close—and most anglers will need to choose just one boat to perform both types of tasks. That’s where a bay boat comes into play, and if you’re looking for a bay boat that will let you pound the permit one day and exit the inlet the next, checking out Sea Chaser’s LX line is a must.
There are three models in the lineup—the 21 LX, 23 LX and 26 LX. All have elevated fore and aft decks providing ideal casting platforms, panels for 12- or 24-volt trolling motors at the bow, locking rod boxes, flip-up jump seats, and livewells in the aft deck plus a second livewell under the forward console seat, dedicated 5-gallon-bucket stowage compartments, and flush-mounted rod holders. Perhaps more importantly, all also feature all-composite construction with a high-density fiber core foam transom, a fiberglass stringer grid system, and a self-bailing fiberglass deck liner.
As one might guess, the 26-footer (check out the 26 LX on Instagram) will likely be your pick if you want a larger bay boat that can pack a powerful punch and haul a hefty crew. In fact, it’s rated all the way up to 350 horses and can carry a dozen passengers. Rigged with max power, you’ll be blasting across the bay at speeds worthy of the highway, and won’t hesitate to make those long runs to distant hotspots where you just know the fish are snapping.
The Sea Chaser 26 LX also comes with a number of stock goodies that you might be surprised to find on a standard features list. The steering wheel sits atop a tilt helm, the leaning post has both rocket launchers and a removable cooler, there’s a raw-water washdown, and bilge access and stowage compartments are lighted with LEDs. Oh, and speaking of lighting, did we mention the underwater blue LED lights?
Another important item to note is the available fiberglass T-top option, which comes in a couple of flavors. You can get a top with integrated LED lights, spreader lights, an electronics box, and integrated stereo speakers, and you can even have the underside matching the boat’s hull color, depending on which you pick. All of these are high-end perks commonly found only on high-dollar boats, and there’s one additional note about that top-and-hull color coordination: there are seven different colors. Plus, you can get these tops on the 23 LX as well as the 26.
Speaking of the 23-footer, if you want a boat that’s a bit easier to tow and a bit easier to afford, this one could be the right choice. This rig has a boat weight of under 3,000 pounds, so even a midsize SUV can haul it to the ramp, and max power is 250 horses. Meanwhile, you still get big-boat perks such as a head compartment inside the console and an eight-person capacity.
The 21 LX is, of course an even more svelte alternative. Tipping the scales at just under 2,000 pounds, you won’t even know it’s behind your tow vehicle, and with a 200 horsepower powerplant, you’ll still be looking at speeds in the upper 40 mph range. As a bonus, the 52-gallon fuel tank won’t be nearly as painful to fill up as the tanks on larger boats.
When it comes to sneaking through those backwaters, a minimum draft of 8 to 12 inches means that the LX models will have no problem taking you to the fish. And when you want to fish open water, the flared bow and sharp entry will keep the ride dry and smooth. Will a Sea Chaser LX model bay boat be the ideal fishing machine for your needs? That’s a question only you can answer. Still, we know one thing for sure: If you like to fish skinny one day and hit open water the next, a bay boat like the 21 LX, 23 LX or 26 LX may well prove to be the perfect pick.
