Boating/Fishing Southern Cal?????? - The Hull Truth

MBSTraderGator · 09-08-2009, 11:26 AM

Hi all. Could use some advice. I'm moving to southern Cal from Florida and trying to decide whether or not to bring my boat or try to sell it here. I have a 20' Shearwater which is a center console bay boat. Good for inshore fishing, bass fishing and cruising around with the family. We will settle in the Calabasas/Thousand Oaks area. Is there any in-shore salt water fishing nearby? How about lakes and resevoires out there? Thanks a lot.

bc22 · 09-09-2009, 03:18 AM

very nice boat, mam i like those shearwaters!
Unfortunately not much use for that ride in SoCal other than for lakes.
The SoCal coast is pretty much open and even in the bays it isn't very smooth or calm and the water depths drop off quickly in most areas. A deep center console boat would be more apt for the areas inshore.
I'd recommend selling the boat in florida where more people use that type of boat, but it could also be a pretty good delta boat for chasing those huge delta largemouth bass if you like that.

My sister lives in 1000 oaks, very nice area--definitely not hollywood

MBSTraderGator · 09-09-2009, 02:15 PM

thanks man. I'm coming to that conclusion myself. Think I might try trading this boat here in FL for more of a family/ski boat that I can tool around with in those mountain lakes out west. Probably have better luck with that than trying to sell the Shearwater. Seemed like every lagoon in Cali was either a military base or a "no boat" zone.

Fish Trapper · 09-09-2009, 09:11 PM

Bring it out...You have San Diego Bay, Newport bay which are great family friendly fishing spots.
Along the coast that rig would be a great calico bass boat in good weather.
I would be happy to help you get your feet wet out here when you move out.

ABoater · 09-13-2009, 03:14 PM

The CA Delta is about 5 to 6 hours north of where you are talking about moving to. Sure, it would be a nice boat here, but not in the winter (no weather protection).

I mostly fish in the Pacific to the north (Golden Gate region) but I have fished SoCal in the past.

You wouldn't find me out in your boat in our waters. Nothing against your boat, it's just not designed for our ocean waters.

SoCal might be a better fit for your boat over NorCal, but still not offshore. Not enough freeboard. There are plenty of local lakes that it would work in. Actually, the way it is setup, it would be overkill.

If I was you, I'd sell it before you left FL. Not much of a market for that type of boat here. Shearwater is pretty much an unknown here. Do they even have a dealer in CA?

Plus, with so many boats available so cheaply here in CA, you can make a great deal on one with the money that you get by selling yours before you move.

Good luck!

pglein · 09-16-2009, 11:18 AM

Yeah, sell it in FL where there is a strong market for that type of boat. And buy a boat in California where depressed housing prices have forced a lot of people to put their toys up for sale. It will really depend on how you intend to use it, but I would think a deep-V center console would be more what you're looking for. If you prefer to buy in Florida, there certainly are a lot of those types of boats over there; probably more than in California. But then you have the hassle of transporting it.