Yellowfin entered the premium center-console category in 1998 and remains among the most recognized and coveted brands in that segment. The make consistently draws customer praise for performance handling, fishability, comfort, speed and fuel efficiency.

Yellowfin Yachts bears the undeniable imprint of its founder and president, Wylie Nagler, who became known for his pledge of personal responsibility for the standout quality of every boat his company ships. Florida-built Yellowfin is now part of Warbird Marine Holdings.

Yellowfin creates offshore models that display classic Carolina Outer Banks-style influences in wide, flared, high bows. Their distinctive sheerline combines classic flair and modern functionality—a singular and immediately ­recognizable look that pays off in beauty, dry ride and superior seakeeping abilities. They pop onto plane on stepped hulls, and are noted for their strong, lightweight construction. 

The company says that its stepped-surface hulls reflect the study of laminar flow on planing surfaces to create an efficient running surface that enables its boats to plane faster, trim better and deliver more-efficient performance in almost any conditions.

Yellowfin offers semi-custom platforms upon which customers can create the boat of their dreams, drawing from a deep list of options. These include power from several brands, top style and amenities, and even the type and placement of rod holders one’s fishing style calls for. 

Today the line stretches from a 24 CE Bay Boat to a 54 Offshore center-console, each a high-performance fishing platform custom-built of the highest-grade materials and products, and skillfully assembled.

Yellowfin 39 Offshore

Yellowfin describes its 39 ­Offshore as an offshore-­fishing beast that can “run with the big dogs,” running smooth and dry in conditions that send many other boats back to the dock, and easily outperforming much larger boats on the rip. 

The key is its brawny, wide-beamed design, but its stepped hull helps it perform in a fast, dry and efficient manner too.

The 39 Offshore can be configured with triple or quad outboards, up to 1,800 hp total. It offers wide-open space, massive storage and a wide variety of customization options. Abundant power, matched to a generous 564-gallon fuel capacity, puts far-off fishing within range.

Standard on the 39 Offshore is a hardtop with rear legs (optional until this year; a canvas top was previously standard) and spreader lights. Other top and tower options are available, as is forward seating, a coffin box, hydraulic steering, a leaning post and an insulated fish box with a gulper pump.

Fourteen Gemlux ­titanium rod holders are distributed about the boat, as are titanium cleats and through-hulls that minimize the possibility of corrosion. There’s a plumbed livewell in the transom, with a second in the leaning post. A saltwater washdown speeds cleanup after the catch. Hydraulic steering is guided by a Gemlux Belloca stainless-steel steering wheel. Livorsi trim tabs made adjustments easy.

Several console options are available, as are additional livewells and a livewell pump box, and upgrades to the head within the console.

Editor’s Tip

Center-consoles seem to be getting bigger, and for good reason. Offshore anglers have embraced the versatility of the open layouts. As a bonus, these are often faster than the sport-fishers and downeasters they replace, greatly shortening runs to distant fishing grounds. -Joe Albanese, Executive Editor Salt Water Sportsman

Performance Data

• Test Power: Quad Mercury 400 hp V-10
• Test Props: 27 Rev X
• Test Load: 3 people, 150 gallons of fuel
• Test Speed: 75 mph top speed, 48 mph cruise
• Max Range: 550 mi.

Specifications

Yellowfin Yachts – Sarasota, Florida; yellowfin.com

The post Yellowfin 39 Offshore: 2024 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Yellowfin entered the premium center-console category in 1998 and remains among the most recognized and coveted brands in that segment. The make consistently draws customer praise for performance handling, fishability, comfort, speed and fuel efficiency.

Yellowfin Yachts bears the undeniable imprint of its founder and president, Wylie Nagler, who became known for his pledge of personal responsibility for the standout quality of every boat his company ships. Florida-built Yellowfin is now part of Warbird Marine Holdings.

Yellowfin creates offshore models that display classic Carolina Outer Banks-style influences in wide, flared, high bows. Their distinctive sheerline combines classic flair and modern functionality—a singular and immediately ­recognizable look that pays off in beauty, dry ride and superior seakeeping abilities. They pop onto plane on stepped hulls, and are noted for their strong, lightweight construction. 

The company says that its stepped-surface hulls reflect the study of laminar flow on planing surfaces to create an efficient running surface that enables its boats to plane faster, trim better and deliver more-efficient performance in almost any conditions.

Yellowfin offers semi-custom platforms upon which customers can create the boat of their dreams, drawing from a deep list of options. These include power from several brands, top style and amenities, and even the type and placement of rod holders one’s fishing style calls for. 

Today the line stretches from a 24 CE Bay Boat to a 54 Offshore center-console, each a high-performance fishing platform custom-built of the highest-grade materials and products, and skillfully assembled.

Yellowfin 36 Offshore

Yellowfin has added new refinements and features to its 36 Offshore, long a leader of its class and one of the manufacturer’s most popular products, with a strong presence in coastal communities and competitive saltwater tournament circuits. 

Among updates to the 36 OS is an extended console that features a forward lounger that can be either configured on its own or paired with traditional forward seating. An in-floor fish box has long been a feature of the Yellowfin 36 OS; within the lounger is additional insulated storage space, and additional rod holders can be placed alongside it. 

Other updates to the 36 Offshore include a new-look transom, with removal of the transom door in favor of a lift-door panel, and a redesigned transom livewell setup. The bilge access hatch now opens aft instead of forward, and handrails have been added to each side of the leaning post. 

Exposed hardware has been removed from the helm, and a solid windshield added within an all-new extrusion. Helm seating features new designs and upholstery, including a new headrest. 

The 36 is known for its deft offshore runs in chop, thanks to its twin-stepped-hull design and its perfect blend of balance and efficiency to produce the driest ride on the water. Well-matched to either twin- or triple-outboard configurations, it can be customized to create the perfect boat for everything from hardcore offshore tournament fishing to weekend family sandbar outings. 

Editor’s Tip 

The redesigned Yellowfin 36 OS includes a change in the location of the hinges for the bilge hatch. They are now on the aft edge of the hatch. While this is a small change, it improves access to the bilge area for greater convenience when servicing filters and items. -Jim Hendricks, Staff Editor, Boating and Fishing Group

Performance Data

• Test Power: Triple Mercury 400 hp V-10
• Test Props: 27 Rev X
• Test Load: 3 people, 100 gallons of fuel
• Test Speed: 70.5 mph top speed, 45 mph cruise
• Max Range: 525 mi.

Specifications

Yellowfin Yachts – Sarasota, Florida; yellowfin.com

The post Yellowfin 36 Offshore: 2024 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Rooted in performance handling, in 1998, Yellowfin entered the premium center-console category. It remains among the most recognized and coveted brands in that segment, drawing customer praise for fishability, comfort, speed, and fuel efficiency.

Still committed to making the best offshore fishing boats, as well as bay boats, hybrids and skiffs, Yellowfin is now part of Warbird Marine Holdings.  

Florida-built Yellowfin offshore models display classic Carolina Outer Banks style influences in wide flared, high bows. They pop onto plane on stepped hulls, and are noted for their strong, lightweight construction. 

Yellowfin 36 Offshore

The Yellowfin 36 Offshore has long reigned as the company’s most popular model thanks to its chop-taming twin step-hull design, and its balanced, efficient and dry ride.

The 36 handles twin or triple outboards, and as a semicustom build, it can be fine-tuned in design to perfectly match hardcore offshore tournament fishing, weekend family sandbar outings, and anything in between.  

Standard is a canvas T-top with five rod holders, two kingfish rod holders, hydraulic steering, Gemlux Belloca stainless-steel steering wheel, Livorsi trim tabs, C-Zone digital switching, and spreader lights. 

To keep things in order and tidy, there are 14 Gemlux titanium rod holders, titanium cleats and through-hulls, and a saltwater washdown.

The two livewells—one  each in transom and leaning post—are plumbed, and the insulated fish box is served by a reliable gulper pump.

Better fishing elsewhere? The 36 Offshore comes with an AmeraTrail aluminum trailer with electric-over-hydraulic braking.

Popular fishing options include hardtops and towers, coffin box, livewell pump box, and additional livewells. For comfort, one might consider several console designs, forward seating, head within console, and gyroscopic stabilizer. 

Performance Data

• Test Power: Triple Mercury 400 hp Verado
• Test Props: Four-blade Mercury REV4s, 21” pitch
• Test Speed: 70 mph at 6,000 rpm
• Max Range: 703 miles at 3,000 rpm, 1.25 mpg, 19.6 gph 

Specs

Editor Says

Serious anglers can name a Yellowfin on sight without a nameplate by its sleek lines, generous Carolina flare and lustrous gelcoat. Its stepped-hull ride is second to none and maximizes fishing range with efficiency. The 36 is the brand’s most coveted model. -Randy Vance, Editor-at-Large Boating and Fishing Group

More Info

yellowfin.com

The post Yellowfin 36 Offshore: 2023 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Rooted in performance handling, in 1998, Yellowfin entered the premium center-console category. It remains among the most recognized and coveted brands in that segment, drawing customer praise for fishability, comfort, speed, and fuel efficiency.

Still committed to making the best offshore fishing boats, as well as bay boats, hybrids and skiffs, Yellowfin is now part of Warbird Marine Holdings.

Florida-built Yellowfin offshore models display classic Carolina Outer Banks style influences in wide flared, high bows. They pop onto plane on stepped hulls, and are noted for their strong, lightweight construction. 

Yellowfin 39 Offshore

Built to handle seas that send many similar-size boats back to the dock, and while outperforming larger boats on the rip, the 39 Offshore is described as a brawny, wide-beamed boat that’s surprisingly fast and efficient.

The 39 Offshore welcomes triple or quad outboards up to 1,800 hp total. With its 11-foot-6-inch beam, it boasts plenty of fishing room and massive storage, and it offers a long list of standard features and options.

Standard is a canvas T-top whose frame carries five rod holders, along with hydraulic steering, C-Zone digital switching, spreader lights, Gemlux Belloca stainless-steel steering wheel, and Livorsi trim tabs. 

Fishing is assisted by two kingfish rod holders, 14 Gemlux titanium rod holders, a plumbed transom livewell with a second in the leaning post and, anticipating success, an insulated fish box with gulper pump and saltwater washdown. 

Among fishing and comfort options are forward seating, hardtop and tower selections, coffin box, several console choices, livewell pump box, additional livewells, console head, gyroscopic stabilizer, and second-row seating. 

Manufacturer’s Remark

The 39 performs in a fast, dry and efficient manner, offering fishermen the best of both worlds: big-league real-world performance in the open ocean.

Performance Data

• Test Power: Quad Mercury 400 hp Verado
• Test Props: Three-blade Mercury Eneretia ECOs, 21” pitch
• Test Speed: 70 mph at 6,500 rpm
• Max Range: 721 miles at 2,500 rpm, 1.28 mpg, 18.0 gph; or 549 miles at 3,500 rpm, 0.97 mpg, 37.0 gph

Specs

Editor Says

My experience aboard the 39 was a run from Key West to the Dry Tortugas during a weather-shortened kingfish tournament. Seas were up, but we ran fast and hard, and arrived ahead of everyone. -Jim Hendricks, Staff Editor, Boating and Fishing Group

More Info

yellowfin.com

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Yellowfin is now part of Warbird Marine Holdings, but Wylie Nagler is still at the helm as its president, and that means his pledge of personal responsibility for the quality of each boat stands—from a 17-foot Yellowfin skiff to the new 54-foot center-console.

Founded by Nagler in 1998, Yellowfin pioneered the premium center-console category and has become the most recognized brand in its segment. Its customers have long praised its boats’ fishability, comfortable rides, speed and fuel efficiency.

Built in Florida, Yellowfins display classic North Carolina Outer Banks design influences in wide flares and high bows and pop onto plane on stepped hulls.

Yellowfin 54 Offshore

Available with quad or quint outboard power, Yellowfin Yachts’ new 54 will provide the exem-plary level of stepped-hull performance that has made Yellowfin an industry leader with previous center-console models—but taken to a new level. 

Double-row seating provides plenty of space and comfort for the passengers and crew, while a massive helm area affords excellent visibility, with generous space for three 24-inch displays. V-lounge seating in the bow has backrests; the console-front lounge seats two or three. In all, there’s seating for at least 14.

Beneath the console, a spacious cabin area with stand-up headroom houses a queen berth, a fully equipped kitchenette, wraparound seating and a head. 

Up top, hardcore fishing features include 150  gallons of livewell capacity that can be configured as one massive well or split into two 75-gallon sections. A huge, transverse fish box in the cockpit sole contains more than 800 quarts of space. 

A diesel generator comes standard, and major options include a bow thruster, a quick dynamic stabilizer, and numerous hardtop and tower possibilities.

Manufacturer’s Remark

Whether you choose one of the smaller Yellowfins, or the largest boat in the fleet, you’ll get the same quality, efficiency and performance.

Performance Data

• Test Power: Quad 600 hp Mercury V-12 four-strokes
• Test Load: Two persons, full fuel.
• Test Speed: 67 mph @ 6,400 rpm
• Max Range: 470 mi., 0.58 mpg @ 40 mph, 4,000 rpm

Specs

Editor Says

I love the Yellowfin 54’s high-capacity 100-gallon transom livewell. With two lids, it can be configured as a single well or divided into two separate types of bait. – Jim Hendricks, Staff Editor, Fishing Group

More Info

yellowfin.com

The post Yellowfin 54 Offshore: 2022 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Yellowfin is now part of Warbird Marine Holdings, but Wylie Nagler is still at the helm as its president, and that means his pledge of personal responsibility for the quality of each boat stands—from a 17-foot Yellowfin skiff to the new 54-foot center-console.

Founded by Nagler in 1998, Yellowfin pioneered the premium center-console category and has become the most recognized brand in its segment. Its customers have long praised its boats’ fishability, comfortable rides, speed and fuel efficiency.

Built in Florida, Yellowfins display classic North Carolina Outer Banks design influences in wide flares and high bows and pop onto plane on stepped hulls.

Yellowfin 21 Bay

Do you like the incredible acceleration, fuel economy and stunning speed of Yellowfin’s 21 Hybrid but wish it stood a bit taller? Like the Yellowfin 24 CE bay boat but wish it was powered by a single, smaller outboard? 

Then you’re sure to love Yellowfin’s 21 Bay, a conventional bay-boat layout—compared with its hybrid flats-boat sibling—and a 70-plus mph speedster ahead of a single Mercury Verado 350.

The 21 Bay has a higher-profile console than the 21 Hybrid, moved slightly forward. That console is served by rocket-launcher seating, or the captain can stand. Like the 24 CE, the 21 Bay has a recessed step with a large fish box located beneath it, leading up to the spacious bow casting platform.

The ride and performance will feel familiar to those who know the 24 Bay and its speedy stepped-hull design. The 21 Bay carries plenty of live bait, there’s dry storage for loose gear, and the large livewell and release well welcome your catch.

The 21 Bay comes standard with a single Power-Pole and an AmeraTrail aluminum trailer. Among options are a trolling motor, second Power-Pole and range of electronics.

Manufacturer’s Remark

Whether you choose one of the smaller Yellowfins, or the largest boat in the fleet, you’ll get the same quality, efficiency and performance.

Performance Data

• Test Power: 200 hp, 3.4 L Mercury four-stroke
• Test Props: Mercury Enertia Eco 21P
• Test Load: 1 person, full fuel
• Test Speed: 57 mph @ 5,600 rpm

Specs

Editor Says

In my test of the Yellowfin 21 Bay, it blasted out of the hole and streaked to speeds in the low-50 mph range, while riding on a cushion of aerated water thanks to its stepped hull. – Jim Hendricks, Staff Editor, Fishing Group

More Info

yellowfin.com

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Yellowfin Yachts founder and president Wylie Nagler listens to his customers. They asked for a bigger boat; he’s launched a 54-foot center-console. They wanted a midsize boat that can perform a variety of tasks; he built a 26-foot hybrid. They ask and Nagler delivers.

Whichever custom-built boat one selects from an impressive Yellowfin lineup, from a 17-foot skiff to that 54-foot CC, Nagler pledges personal responsibility for standout quality. Every Yellowfin features the highest-grade materials and delivers a product skillfully assembled for the harsh demands of saltwater fishing.

Built in Sarasota, Florida, Yellowfin boats none-the-less clearly show their design influences in their wide flares and high bows. They snap onto plane on stepped hulls.

Yellowfin 26 Hybrid

Some boats have a single focus, but others, known as hybrids, are designed to excel at a variety of tasks. Yellowfin’s 26 Hybrid, with features of both the company’s larger offshore center-consoles and its legendary bay boats, is a splendid example.

With freeboard higher than a true bay boat but lower than an offshore CC, the 26 Hybrid can shift from fishing a shallow bay for redfish to running well offshore for such large pelagic species as tuna. Fish-box capacity is appropriately generous.

The 26 Hybrid’s livewell options match the needs of hardcore live-bait enthusiasts. Other choices include four leaning-post designs, T-tops (Key West, hardtop or soft-top) and second station, forward and/or aft seating and bolsters, and swim platforms. Its single or twin outboards are mounted on standard jack plates.

Survey Says: On Target

• Custom-built to owner specs and wishes
• Both fishing-focused and comfortable

Owners Say

• Most comfortable ride around
• Fast and fuel efficient; great hull design
• Best ride

Brand Says

• Serious fishing platform
• Unmatched attention to detail

Reader Response

• “Awesome ride in rough seas”

Specs

LOA: 26′

Beam: 8′8″

Fuel Capacity: 118 gal.

Dry Weight: 5,000 lb. with power*

Max HP: 450

More Info

yellowfin.com

The post Yellowfin 26 Hybrid: 2021 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Yellowfin Yachts founder and president Wylie Nagler listens to his customers. They asked for a bigger boat; he’s launched a 54-foot center-console. They wanted a midsize boat that can perform a variety of tasks; he built a 26-foot hybrid. They ask and Nagler delivers.

Whichever custom-built boat one selects from an impressive Yellowfin lineup, from a 17-foot skiff to that 54-foot CC, Nagler pledges personal responsibility for standout quality. Every Yellowfin features the highest-grade materials and delivers a product skillfully assembled for the harsh demands of saltwater fishing.

Built in Sarasota, Florida, Yellowfin boats none-the-less clearly show their design influences in their wide flares and high bows. They snap onto plane on stepped hulls.

Yellowfin 54 Offshore

Yellowfin’s biggest boat ever by 12 solid feet, the all-new 54 Offshore, the company says, “raises the bar in terms of what buyers can expect from a center-console boat.” What won’t change is the level of stepped-hull performance that has become synonymous with the brand.

Power options include quad and quint outboards which, along with a 900-gallon fuel capacity, provide the ability and range to reach the bluewater big ones—and at speeds of 60-plus mph.

A hardcore fisher, the 54 Offshore doesn’t skimp on comfort touches. Beneath the console, a spacious cabin area houses a full queen berth, fully equipped kitchenette, wraparound seating that converts to a bed, along with a head, sink and shower with stand-up headroom.

The helm seats four before a massive dash that can support three 24-inch displays. Behind the helm seats, a sumptuous bench—atop storage and mechanicals—provides more forward-facing seating.

Handrails provide gunwale security, and racks port and starboard hold five dive tanks each. A gyrostabilizer is optional. Forward seating is built-in, with a space at the bow between them to make fish-fighting easier.

Yes, this boat remains all about fishing, and proves it with aft livewell capacity totaling 150 gallons, installed as one massive well or divided into two 75-gallon tanks. That clever arrangement is a crowd-pleaser—69 percent of respondents said that they needed just one livewell, but 27 percent wanted a second to keep bait separated (52 percent of offshore CC anglers say that they use live bait at least half the time).

Six transom-mounted rod holders meet or exceed the needs of 68 percent of survey respondents, with more holders circling the boat’s gunwales.

A door at starboard provides access to crew, passengers and, in keeping with this boat’s purpose, big fish; it adjoins a transverse 800-quart fish box in the cockpit sole. A massive in-deck compartment forward provides storage for fish or gear.

Survey Says: On Target

• Custom-built to owner specs and wishes
• Both fishing-focused and comfortable

Owners Say

• Most comfortable ride around
• Fast and fuel efficient; great hull design
• Best ride

Brand Says

• Serious fishing platform
• Unmatched attention to detail

Reader Response

• “Awesome ride in rough seas”

Specs

LOA: 54′

Beam: 15′

Fuel Capacity: 900 gal.

Dry Weight: 28,000 lb. with power *

Max HP: 3,000

More Info

yellowfin.com

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With the 17 Carbon Elite, Yellowfin has built a new, cutting-edge version of its smallest skiff. The 17 CE features the same functional, ergonomic deck layout that made the original version popular with hardcore shallow-water anglers. However, the new hull introduces a deeper deadrise forward and sharper entry to facilitate big runs across choppy bays.

Yellowfin also built this new hull with a single-step running surface for increased fuel efficiency and performance. Its laminate schedule mirrors that found in Yellowfin’s 24 CE bay boat, which introduced the first-ever Kevlar, carbon fiber and E-glass weave, all vacuum-bagged with top quality vinylester resin.

The boat comes standard with an 8-foot Power-Pole shallow-water anchor and a jack plate. Notable options include additional or larger Power-Poles, a poling tower and a trolling motor.

Specifications

LOA: 17 ft. 4 in.

Beam: 6 ft. 8 in.

Dry Weight: 800 lb.

Draft: 8 in.

Transom Deadrise: 12 deg.

Fuel Capacity: 22 gal.

Max HP: 115 hp

Base Price: $55,228 w/ Mercury 60 hp Big Foot

The post Yellowfin 17 Carbon Elite First Glance appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

That goes from Yellowfin’s smallest boat, a 17-foot skiff, to its largest, a 42-foot offshore center-console. Each is a high-performance fishing platform, custom-built of the highest-grade materials and products, and skillfully assembled.

Although built in Florida, Yellowfin boats clearly show Carolina Outer Banks design influences, with wide flares and high bows. On stepped hulls, they leap onto plane.

For over 20 years, Yellowfin has been a leader in offshore boats; it’s more recently achieved inshore success and prestige as well. Those who know Yellowfins call them solid, fast, spacious and flexible.

Yellowfin 39 Offshore

This massive center-console boat, Yellowfin’s second-largest, welcomes the family aboard for a safe, comfortable weekend outing, but just as readily fields a hard-charging team’s run at the tournament prize.

The company calls the 39 Offshore “built for ultimate performance when the weather refuses to cooperate.” It’s designed for triple or quad outboards which, drawing from a 564-gallon fuel supply, put distant fishing grounds within reach.

The 39’s generous 11-foot-6-inch beam creates a spacious fishing platform that’s poised for entertaining as well, with such comfort touches as a stand-up head and shower within its console. It’s Yellowfin-trademark stepped hull produces a smooth, dry and swift ride.

The boat’s 165-gallon macerated fish box—like everything else about the 39—is big, well-appointed, and ready for fish. Two livewells—72-gallon in the transom and 80-gallon in the leaning post—meet the stated needs of 96 percent of CC survey respondents. Expect even bigger catches? A South Beach coffin box is an option.

Six gunwale-mounted rod holders are ready aft (those alone meeting the requests of 68 percent of respondents), with six more forward within the gunwales.

Other options include a leaning post with jump seats; hardtop, dual or marlin tower; hull and trim colors, forward seating and bolsters; and additional rod holders.

Survey Says: On Target

⋅Abundant fish storage—standard and options

⋅Seaworthiness and performance clearly a high priority

⋅Baitwells and rod holders exceed expectations

Owners Say

⋅Expert layout, quality

⋅Perfect boat and setup: fishing, sandbar, cruising—wow!

⋅Reliability

⋅Nothing beats a Yellowfin

Brand Says

⋅Incredible acceleration, fuel economy, and eye-watering top end

⋅Sheer number of tasks it does well

⋅Unmatched attention to detail

More Info: yellowfin.com

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