Best Offshore Fishing Boats For 2024
These 10 offshore fishing boats belong in the race for best saltwater fishing machines.
There are many different types of boats designed for saltwater fishing, but if you want to point the bow towards an endless horizon and pursue pelagic beasts of the open ocean, you’ll be most interested in dedicated offshore fishing boats. These come in many shapes and sizes, from large sportfishing yachts to open boat center consoles crammed full of fishing features, and every year we see new and more advanced models hitting the water. What are the top contenders heading into 2024? If you’re scouting for the best offshore fishing boats on the market right now, these top 10 picks definitely belong on your short-list. Read on to find out why.
2024 Viking 64C Convertible Sportfishing Yacht
The Viking 64C premiered at the FLIBS 2021 boat show for the 2022 model year, representing the next generation in the epic line of sportfishing yachts from famed builder Viking. This is a four stateroom, three-head convertible battlewagon propelled by twin diesel inboards up to 4,050 total raging horsepower. And while Viking has built convertibles this size in the past, they’re known for constantly upgrading and evolving their model line. The 64 foot size range remains a favorite for serious offshore anglers following the tournament trails worldwide, and the new 64C is the latest - and the leader - in its class.
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2024 Grady-White Freedom 415
It's rare to come across a dual console boat that truly qualifies as an offshore fishing machine, but the all-new Grady-White Freedom 415 introduced this spring undoubtedly makes the grade. This is just about the largest dual console we've ever seen, and from the bridgedeck aft the boat shares the same design as the Grady-White Canyon 456 center console. The twin 35-gallon livewells, 115-gallon fishbox, fresh and raw water washdowns, and flush-mounted rodholders are all present and accounted for. Added bonus: the passenger's side console is so large there's room inside for a full cabin with a berth. See our full review of the boat, Grady-White Freedom 415: Colossal Dual Console.
See Grady-White Freedom 415 boats for sale on boats.com today.
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2024 Invincible 33 Catamaran
Powercats can slice and dice those big ocean waves in ways a monohull can’t match, the although the new 33 is Invincible’s smallest powercat, it’s no slouch — in any department. You can check out a full review of this boat, Invincible 33 Catamaran Review: Claw Your Way to the Top, but in the meantime, here are a few of the highlights: A top-end speed right around 70 mph, livewells fed by sea chests, 23 stock rodholders, electric reel outlets, and an optional folding tower with upper station. W-O-W.
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2024 Scout 357 LXF S-Class
If you like the idea of fishing offshore in luxury you’ll like the Scout 357 LXF S-Class, which was introduced at the 2024 Miami International Boat Show. This boat puts uber-comfort front and center, with touches like heated seats, helm station air conditioning, extending sunshades, and a bow that converts between seating, a dinette, and a sunpad. And anglers who plan to overnight at the canyons will be interested in the full-blown cabin inside the console, with a galley, berths, and a head. This is also a high-tech fishing machine, which runs on an epoxy-infused twin-stepped hull and boasts digital switching. See our full review of this luxury-laden offshore fishing machine, Scout 357 LXF S-Class: Angling Indulgence.
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2024 Boston Whaler 365 Conquest
Added to Boston Whaler's lineup this spring, the 365 Conquest is an all-weather fishing machine with a fully protected helm deck and a cabin that sleeps five and is roomy enough for overnighting at the canyons or weekending in distant ports. The cockpit is ready for serious angling action with a 19-gallon livewell, rohdolders in the gunwales and transom, and fresh and raw water washdowns, but the helm will thrill anglers too thanks to the standard-issue 16" Simrad NSO Evo3S hitched to an Active Imaging 3-in-1 transducer. The biggest perk of all, of course, is that this boat is built like all Boston Whalers with an unsinkable fiberglass-foam-fiberglass sandwich.
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2024 Bertram 28CC
There was a time when owning a Bertram offshore fishing machine would have been impossible for most people to afford, but with the introduction of the 28CC those days are over. Note that Bertram has never been known for following the pack, and you’ll see some unique touches on the 28CC that don’t exist on other boats. The most obvious is the livewell arrangement, which is built into the corner of the transom on the port-side. As a result the cockpit is entirely asymmetrical, which gives angles the extra advantage of being able to move farther aft than usual while fighting a fish around the outboards.
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2024 Robalo R360
The R360 is Robalo’s biggest boat ever, and it’s also one of their fishiest yet. Highlights include a pair of 30-gallon livewells with adjustable flow, 14 gunwale and transom flush-mount rodholders, and a 65-quart Yeti under the leaning port. Once you get a bend in the rods a pair of coffin-sized 100-gallon fishboxes ensure that no matter how big the catch is you can put it on ice. Construction is a stand-out, too, with a poured ceramic transom core, Kevlar reinforcement in the hull, and welded stainless-steel rails with backing plates.
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2024 North Coast 415HT
The North Coast 415 HT is still being completed as we publish this roundup, and is expected to launch later in 2024. It's sure to make a serious splash when it hits the water, as this is the biggest boat North Coast has ever built. It's designed to be an all-weather fishing machine with full protection forward of the cockpit, an uber-deep 24.62-degree transom deadrise, and speeds exceeding 50 mph thanks to quad 300s on the transom. The cockpit boasts over 100 square feet of fish-fighting arena, and this boat is a clever mix of tech and tradition mixing features like a digital switching system and mahogany veneer bulkheads.
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2024 Sailfish 272 CC
Sailfish boats have a well-deserved reputation for being able to run smoothly through rough seas, and the hull on their newest center console model, the 272 CC, runs on is the sixth-generation “variable degree stepped hull.” In a nutshell, the deadrise angle varies from the keel to the hullsides on three different planes stepping from 24 to 22 degrees, as well as varying from bow to stern. The net effect is an awesome ride, backed up by stout construction including Kevlar and carbon fiber reinforcements. Fishing-wise the boat’s rigged to the teeth, including a mouth-watering 20 rodholders, a 30-gallon livewell in the transom plus a 35-gallon well in the leaning post, and four insulated fishboxes.
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2024 Sportsman Open 252
With a starting MSRP that’s just barely over $120K, the Sportsman Open 252 is one of the more affordable fishing boat options around with true offshore capabilities. Styled after Sportsman’s larger offshore boats, it also has a number of perks that are commonly found only on significantly larger vessels. Along with the standard stuff like rodholders and washdowns, it has a 25-gallon aquarium-style livewell in the transom, tackle stowage in the leaning post, and kingfish rodholders in the T-top. Most impressive is how well-outfitted the stock boat is, including high-dollar extras like the Seakeeper Ride vessel attitude control system, Sportlink electronics integration, and Maretron digital switching.
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Editor's Note: These fishing boats were selected by our contributor Lenny Rudow who is an avid, experienced angler and expert boat reviewer. The models chosen are based on what's hot and what's new, as well as his years of experience fishing offshore and some of his personal preferences. The list leans towards capable mid-range vessels with an open boat layout that come loaded with many standard fishing features. There are a number of notable boat builders not on this list who build some of the best offshore fishing boats and sportfishing yachts on the market including names like: Intrepid Powerboats, Everglades, Contender, Hatteras (Sportfishing Yachts), Albemarle, Regulator, Pursuit, just to name a few.
