To fish with Ethan and see his Maverick HPX-T and Hell's Bay Marquesa in action, visit the link here: https://bit.ly/3UCBgQY

To fish with Conner and see his Hell's Bay Guide in action, visit the link here: https://bit.ly/3ua5sIC

This video is purely informational, and is not an ad or paid endorsement for any particular watercraft or boat product.

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Written overview by Capt. Conner Bryant

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Wanting to get to those hard to reach fish back in the shallows or maybe long runs on open flats that are only a few inches deep? Well, the Maverick HPX-T is a skiff designed just for that. With light-weight design paired with the trusted and proven Maverick build quality, this skiff is perfect for skinny water fishing. The tunnel hull on this boat allows you to run it almost through dry ground — as barely any water is needed to keep this skiff moving on plane. The deck space is very comparable to other Maverick’s we've seen, with a large, dry compartment on the bow, plenty of rod and tackle storage, as well as a live well.


HPX-T Specs

Length 16’ 9”

Beam 6’ 3”

Draft: 0 ft. 5 in

Fuel tank capacity: 18

Max load: 450


Bow to Stern:

Large bow compartment with fuel tank access. The fuel tank extends into the center of the compartment but still leaves plenty of space for safety gear. Large gutters that drain into the bilge ensure that all of the compartments on this skiff are dry. Moving back, this skiff has a yeti cooler as a jump seat just in front of the podium style console. The console has a swing hatch access that allows you to get to the rigging behind the console as well as the batteries. Behind that on the aft deck is another large dry compartment, a live well, and an access port to the motor rigging, filter, and bilge. One thing that stood out to me on this skiff is the high poling platform which is necessary for the raised motor sitting at the tunnel. The recessed trim tabs are another item this skiff has that if you're fishing in tight creeks can be an extremely useful tool. Once you see the large tunnel hull this skiff has it starts to make sense on how this boat can run in such shallow water.

This skiff is powered by a Yamaha 70 which can push it at a comfortable cruising speed while burning a minimum amount of fuel.


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Hells Bay Marquesa

The Marquesa is a versatile skiff, designed to offer a comfortable ride on open water crossings while still excelling on backwater flats. This has become a very popular skiff for anglers and guides throughout the Southeast. After putting eyes on this one, I see why they are so sought after.


Marquesa Specs

Length: 18’ 1”

Weight: 695

Beam: 79”

Draft: 7”

Fuel Tank: 28 Gal

Power: 90-150hp

Max POB: 4



Bow to Stern:

As you approach the Marquesa it's hard to miss the recognizable lines of the Chris Morejohn design. With spray rails running from bow to stern and a large free board this skiff looks extremely dry. The front bow compartment is massive, even while housing the 28 gallon fuel tank it still has plenty of room for safety gear or storage. All of the compartments have deep gutters that drain so you know nothing is getting wet. Walking back on this side console you appreciate the beam of the skiff. Wide gunnels and an open cockpit that you could put more seating, a bean bag, cooler, and just about anything else you wanted in it and still have room to walk around. The aft compartment have a similar layout to prior Hells Bays we have done in the past, with the port and starboard compartments being large and open with access to rigging, and dry storage. The center compartment is a large round live well that can recirculate. This skiff was powered by a Yamaha 115 V Max and has a cruising speed of in the 40’s and max speed touching the 50’s.

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

00:10 Introduce Capt. Ethan

00:31 Maverick Intro and Specs

01:40 Bow

02:33 Cockpit and Console

04:00 Poling Platform

04:25 Power Pole

04:51 Outboard and Prop

05:58 Aft Compartments

07:30 Rod Storage

08:00 Push Pole Holder

08:21 Tunnel Design

10:26 Trim Tabs

10:48 Marquesa Intro

11:00 Hull Design and Specs

12:00 Bow Layout and Compartment

14:56 Fuel Tank

16:16 Cockpit Layout

16:48 Rod Storage

17:19 Aft Compartments

18:10 Livewell

18:50 Powerpole

20:29 Outboard and Prop

22:45 Trim Tabs

23:20 Console

24:00 Outro

24:20 Capt. Ethan info