Our Boat, Our Motor, Our Story, Capt. Karty, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Guide

Mosquito Lagoon
Indian River
Friendly Fishing Guide
Redfish ~ Seatrout
Flats ~ Inshore ~ Backcountry

New Smyrna Beach
East Central Florida
One Hour from Disney, Kennedy Space Center, Orlando & Daytona

Our Boat

Karty started out guiding in 1992 in an Aqua Force Skiff he had custom built to his specs. It was a strong boat but like all flat bottomed boats, sometimes the ride would make your teeth rattle. He had installed DryDek on the entire floor; we would not hesitate to use it again. It made walking on the boat much more comfortable, quieter and held up wonderfully even after years in the sun.

We had also acquired a pontoon boat so Karty could comfortably fish with more than two anglers. It was a lot of work and expense to keep up two boats and we began to search for a boat that would serve as a hybrid of both boats.

Karty had seen a Day 5 Tunnel Hull around town and we did some searching, found the builder and set up a test ride. I remember it was a Thanksgiving morning. We loaded up Chloe, who had just turned three, and Emma, who was just seven months old. When we stepped onto the boat, it did not move in the water. It gave me a stable, secure feeling.

The ride was impressive; smooth and dry. It began to rain and I huddled down in the floor with the girls under a towel. I welcomed the opportunity to judge the boat in adverse conditions.

When we stepped back onto the ramp, I knew we had to have it.

It has been a wonderful boat. I still hear the familiar refrain from Karty, “I love my boat.”

“Boat: Very stable, plenty of room. Heather & I both felt safe. Overall: We had a great time. The islands, cuts & mazes were cool to look at. Stalking reds was cool.”
-Jason Griffin of Lakeland, Florida

Our Motors

The motor that came rigged on the boat was a Tohatsu. Karty pampered the motor by using synthetic oil which of course has risen in price greatly over the years but he felt it was worth it.

This motor was great and we used it for over nine years without any major repairs. We did normal maintenance and yearly water pump replacement.

We knew this motor was getting up there in hours but it had been so dependable, it seemed crazy to think about replacing it. This past June, the starter went and that became the motor’s first real repair. It was hard to believe that this motor had served us so well for so long. We replaced the starter and ran one trip before the lower unit made it obvious that the situation demanded attention.

We were aware that marine motor companies often offer programs and discounts to fishing guides. We had checked into the incentives being offered and found that Tohatsu wasn’t offering us much to persuade us.

We have had motors over the years- Johnson, Yamaha, Nissan. When reflecting upon our experiences over the past twenty years with boat motors, it was an easy decision. Even though the others offered more of a monetary incentive to ride with them, we chose another Tohatsu. I think that says a lot about their motors.

Capt. Karty and Our Old Friend