My needs have changed somewhat over the last few years... With a family of 5 we all like to fish for sandies/ hybrids on the weekends. It's big open water with 12-20 mph winds most of the time with my hotspots being several miles apart. I still want to use my boat for hunting, but the #1 priority is building a open water fishing boat.
I'm thinking 2070 with 24" sides 3/16 bottom tapered chine center console. My question is what is going to be my best option as far as powering this beast? Outboard jet? How many horses will it take for me to be able to carry a load 40 mph and what should I expect to spend on motor and rigging? I know very little about outboards and would appreciate any insight.

Why not just buy a gently used bay boat? If your already having to move several miles apart to fish you holes a good bay boat would open up the possibilities. Just a thought.

I want one boat. One mainly for fishing but that I can hunt from as well. Pretty much know what I want design wise. Just not sure on what motor will push it best.

Outboard hands down.

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I ain't got a qlue

tunnel hull, jackplate and a 90 hp.

Mercury optimax. 75 or 90. Ain't nothing pumps mud like a merc.

I had a 200 johnson with a jet foot on it with a 2072. Ran good but it you run fast in wave it catches air and thriple carbs on a motor turning 6 grand is like hooking a garden hose to your fuel tank. I think a tunnel hull with jackplate would be better unless you run real shallow.

Brother Full Throttle, dad and I chased Sandies and Hybrids for years on Hubbard
I understand you want a one do it all boat, man if you can pull it off I suggest two boats . You really need the room all five of y'all casting slabs,spoons and whatever else. (Caught a treble hook above eye socket once) the room is important when chasing schooling fish , we ran a 115 hp mercury on a 16ft skeeter it was tight with three casting.
Pontoon for fishing/tubing/family time
And mud rig for hunting

Good luck

X2 on two boats... If you can swing it, its well worth it, because theres just not a best of both worlds when it comes to a fast open water rig, and a good performing shallow water rig.

Btw, what do yall do with those sandies? Ive always hurd they taste horrible.. Went out about a week ago and found a good spot where they were spawning and caught around 30 or so, but we put them back, to us there just fun to catch.

I can only swing having 1 boat. Paul, I live 3 miles from the ramp on lake Lewisville. We catch em pretty good here. My kids absolutely love it. My 2060 with duals is probably about as close to perfect as I can get for a dual purpose rig. It fishes 3 comfortably but 4 is tight and 5 is nearly impossible. I too have taken a treble hooked slab in the back of the head.

As soon as I switch to an outboard, I know I'll regret it come duck season. I guess that's why they say if there was one perfect boat, we would all have it.

Run 2 boats. I have a 23 ' Rinker to ski and runaround with the family.it's a ski boat but we fish every now and then out of it , nice in open water. My second is a 1640 skiff with a PD. I fish and hunt out of it. It's definatley ideal if you can run 2 boats. Good luck!