How fishable is a mid 2003-2008 Sea Ray Amberjack

[mr300z87]

So my friend ask me to post here to see if anybody out there has a 2003-2008 Sea Ray Amberjack to find out how good of a fishing boat it is. A little back story, he currently has a 2003 Aquasport Exporer 250 25Ft walk around cuddy that is mostly used inshore fluke, stripper, ect, an occasional off shore trip for what ever is out there (I am not into fishing) and also hanging at Tices Shoals in the summer time. His wife likes the inshore fishing but does not do the offshore stuff. He has been wanting to up size and really likes the 29 Wellcraft Coastal and so did his wife until they looked a 290 Amberjack. Beside one being twin outboard and the other IOs he is looking for opinions on how good of a fishing machine is the Amberjack compared to the Coastal. They are both beautiful boats and I think the Sea Ray would be slightly cheaper to buy but have higher operating costs. Also we have noticed that there are quite a few Amberjacks that are powered by twin 5.0L engines. In my mind these little engines are not enough power, they would be working hard and it would be a DOG . I keep telling him make sure you find one with at 5.7Ls, 6.2Ls even better. My boats are IOs so he and I have plenty of wrench time on them so that is not at issue. He told me the other day he never should have showed his wife the Sea Ray :faint2::faint2:. LOL Thanks in advance for any information.

 

[mr 88]

The Coastal is more fish and utilitarian than show. The Amberjack was initially designed for fishing but has morphed into a glamour cruiser. It has a very small cockpit along with a big swim platform that you have to work around. Sits up a lot higher in the water which translates into more rocking at troll and a bit harder when landing fish. The women go for the glitz , larger cabin and all the related bling, that is why she liked the Jack.If it was me and the wife was on it less than 75% of the time I would go Coastal after having a survey done. Now if there spending weekends on it as well the Jack is more hotel than motel. Your right about the 5.0s but a duo prop may offset that shortcoming,have to take it on a sea trial to confirm one way or another. I am a big 350 fan so a bit biased.

 

[mr300z87]

Thanks for the response mr88, you pretty much confirmed what we thought. Both the Jack and Coastal are gorgeous boats and I am sure he will be pleased with either choice. He thinks he is a good fisherman and loves to go but my experience fishing with him is we catch a lot of nothing, LOL or I am just bad luck. Either way I look forward to going out on what ever he chooses. Having grown up in the 80s I was never a fan of the GM 5.0L/305CI engine as I watch a few friends blow them up with 60 to 70K miles, which has always left a bad taste for the 5.0L. I personally would not buy a boat with one even today, I am told they are much improved. Others may have a different opinion and I am not here to argue about the 5.0L vs 5.7L. BTW I know my boat would be fasted powered by and Mopar engine. . It is just to bad MerCruiser marineized the wrong brand engine. Can you tell I am a Mopar fan. Just having a little fun!!!! All have a great night.

 

[dingbat]

Not a fan of either for fishing.

Fished a 29 Coastal a couple of times last year. As noted above, not enough cockpit space and the transom is too cluttered for my liking. While I have no first hand experience with the Amberjack, it appears that the fishability of the boat is a couple of rungs down the ladder from the Coastal.

One thing not to over look is tackle storage and fishing related amenities, i.e. fish and bait boxes, wash-down hoses, bait stations, rod holders, etc.

That being said, I would never recommend and I/O for saltwater use. Apart from maintenance issues, the power to weight ratio of I/O(s) is detrimental to the overall performance of a boat run in adverse conditions.