Designed from the outset with the sport of fishing in mind, center console boats are a popular choice for both inshore and offshore anglers alike. The helm on these boats is conveniently located in the center of the boat, leaving an open passageway on either side, as well as open bow and stern decks at the front and rear of the vessel making for easy casting and catching. The hull design is typically built to withstand rough waters, making it an ideal boat for ocean fishing.
Today’s top fishing boat manufacturers build center console boats in varying lengths with integrated options such as rod holders, outriggers, bait wells, high-end electronics, hardtops, sunshade structures and high-performance outboard engines.
Here are our picks for the best manufacturers and brands for center console style fishing boats in 2023 (alphabetically listed with no other rank):
Top Center Console Fishing Boat Manufacturers
Top Newcomer Center Console Fishing Boat Manufacturers
Honorable Mention Center Console Fishing Boat Manufacturers
Boston Whaler
Known as ‘The Unsinkable Legend,’ Boston Whaler boats can literally be cut in half and still float. A division of the Brunswick Group, Boston Whaler currently makes center console fishing boats ranging from the 13-foot 130 Super Sport all the way up to the giant 420 Outrage. Whether you’re looking for a center console for lake fishing, or running from Florida to the Bahamas and back, Boston Whaler’s diverse line of boats offers options for all budgets.
Boston Whaler has a couple of new boats for the model year including their largest Dauntless yet, the 280. Check it out in detail in our review, Boston Whaler 280 Dauntless: The Biggest Boston Whaler Bay Boat Ever. Also new for the 2023 model year is the 360 Outrage. Rigged with a pair of the new Mercury V12 600 outboards this boat comes darn cloe to the 50 mph mark and at 30 mph gets an eye-opening two mpg. See the full review, Boston Whaler 360 Outrage: Unsinkable Attitude.
View Boston Whaler boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Contender Boats
Contender 44FA Center Console Boat. Photo courtesy of GTB Boat Sales in Key Largo, FL.
Contender is known for fishing first, with a lineup featuring tournament-ready center consoles and “fisharound” boats, to a 25 foot bay boat built for inshore fishing and beyond. From the 24S with forward bench seating to the 44ST with two 55-gallon live wells in the transom, Contender has struck a balance between fishing and family. Contender boats are powered by Yamaha outboard engines from the factory, ranging from 300HP to the 455HP XTOs on larger models.
View Contender boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Everglades Boats
2020 Everglades 435 Center Console. Photo by Colin Voreis for Boat Trader.
With nine different center console models ranging from the 235cc to the new flagship 455cc, Everglades Boats are all built using their patented RAMCAP construction process that makes them unsinkable. The Everglades lineup also offers three bay boat options, beginning with the popular 243cc, while some boaters opt for the larger 253cc or 273cc models. In total, Everglades offers 10 total models, with six offshore center consoles, three bay boats, and a dual console.
The brand’s new flagship, the 455cc, can be optioned with four Yamaha 425 XTOs. The 455cc was announced in the summer of 2021 and is the longest and widest boat built in the company’s history.
View Everglades boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Freeman Boatworks
Freeman Boatworks 42LR. Photo by Freeman Boatworks.
Founded in 2007 in Summerville, S.C., Freeman Boatworks is a relative newcomer to the list. Freeman is focused on building the best performance fishing boats, and has already gained the respect of a laundry list of well-known charter captains from the Carolinas, to Florida and Louisiana. Their big power catamarans are known for conquering the ocean even on her worst day, and for the remarkable ability to hit speeds of 80-plus MPH! From the 34 and 37VH (Vented Hull) models, to the 42 and 47LR (Long Range) models, Freeman has been innovating as fast as anyone in the industry in recent years. Their newest entry to the fleet is the Freeman 28, a hybrid bay boat power catamaran design that can handle a pair of 300-hp outboards on the transom.
View Freeman Boatworks boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Grady-White Boats
2020 Grady-White Canyon 456. Photo courtesy of Fish Tale Boats.
Grady-White has been building high-quality center consoles for more than 60 years. The brand has secured numerous innovative patents along the way, including a fold down cockpit step assembly that makes boarding and disembarking easy. Another patent is their offshore-worthy SeaV2 variable-degree deadrise hull, which debuted in 1989. Not only does Grady-White offer an impressive line of center console fishing boats, but it has won the National Marine Manufacturers Association’s award for top customer satisfaction in the category of fiberglass outboard boats for two decades in a row – ever since the awards were first established. Their newest model, the 281 Coastal Explorer, made its debut this spring and after taking one for a ride we gave the lowdown in Grady-White 281 Coastal Explorer: One Beefy, Brawny Bay Boat.
View Grady-White Boats for sale on Boat Trader.
HCB Yachts
2022 HCB 42 Lujo. Photo courtesy of HCB Yachts.
Hydra-Sports Custom Boats, or HCB for short, produces four center console fishing yachts ranging from 39 feet to 65 feet in length. HCB maintains a “no compromises” dedication to detail and quality, and the brand is equally well regarded by sport anglers and luxury mavens alike. HCB manufactures the largest center console boat in the world by length, the 65 foot Estrella. HCB’s newest model is the 42 Lujo, which is a redesigned version of the previous 42 Siesta model.
View HCB Yachts for sale on Boat Trader.
Invincible Boats
Invincible Boats is one of the rare builders to offer an extended line of both power catamarans and v-hull center consoles. The Invincible fleet has grown to 10 models since the company formed in 2006 (adding one new model since 2021). The Invincible line ranges from the compact 33 foot fishing V-hull center console to the horizon-crossing 46’ power catamaran. Most lately they added a pilothouse version of the 46; see Invincible 46 Pilothouse: Dream Big to get the full scoop. Invincible Boats are outfitted with Yamaha or Mercury power from the factory, and buyers can also opt for a choice of either Garmin or Simrad electronics.
View Invincible boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Pursuit Boats
2020 Pursuit S 408 Center Console. Photo courtesy of Strong’s Water Club.
The Pursuit Boats brand manufactures center console fishing style boats from 23 to 43’9″ feet in length. Whether you’re looking for a Center Console or Center Console Sport, Pursuit likely has a model to fit your needs. The brand offers eight total center console options. Pursuit boats are built in Fort Pierce, Florida, with one of the cleanest and most efficient manufacturing facilities in the industry and a large dealer network in the U.S. and Canada.
View Pursuit boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Regulator Boats
2020 Regulator 41. Photo courtesy of Yacht Works in Key Largo, FL.
The Regulator brand is known as “the legendary ride” and delivers attention to quality and detail in their full line of center console fishing boats – ranging in size from 23 feet to their flagship 41 foot model. In addition to their deep hull, offshore ready center consoles, Regulator also offers a growing line of center console crossovers including the 24XO, 26XO, and new this year the 30XO. Get all the details on the latest and greatest offering in Regulator 30 XO: Bigger and Better.
View Regulator Boats for sale on Boat Trader.
SeeVee Boats
2019 SeaVee 270Z. Photo courtesy of a Boat Trader private seller in Fort Myers, FL.
SeaVee has been around for decades but opened a brand new manufacturing facility in Miami, Florida in 2020, and builds a wide range of fishing boats. Whether you’re in the market for a bay boat (270z) or a Classic V (290, 320, 340, 390), or are willing to step up to the “SeaVee Z” line (322z, 340z, 370z, 390z, 420z, 450z), SeaVee Boats is a classic builder that is ready to suit your every need. SeaVee Boats are powered by Mercury outboards from the factory, and also offer an LE (Luxury Edition) upgrade package for fishermen who like to entertain friends and family aboard.
View SeaVee Boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Center Console Newcomers To The Game
It’s relatively rare for a new boatbuilder to burst onto the scene and wow the world with truly unique offerings and we didn’t see any newcomers in 2023 that knocked our socks off. But in the past five years there have been a few new names that popped up and immediately began making waves. If they keep doing what they’re doing, any could easily bump a more established builder of this list and take its place.
Caymas Boats
Caymas may be a relatively new name, but the brain behind the brand is anything but new: National Marine Manufacturer hall-of-famer Earl Bentz. Bentz was a key player at Hydra-Sports, Stratos, Triton, and OMC, and came out of retirement to start Caymas. Their center console lineup includes 26 and 28 foot bay boats and 34 and 40 foot deep-Vs. All ride on the unique Michael Peters designed SVVT twin-stepped hull. Most recently Caymas introduced a 34 foot powercat, the 34 CT, which you can learn more about in Caymas 34 Catamaran: Lethal Weapon.
See Caymas boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Solace Boats
Solace Boats shocked the world of boat design with its 345 Center Console. It was named the 2019 Boat of the Year and an 2020 NMMA Innovation Award recipient, pushing the limits of design and engineering within the boating industry by designing the innovative “fish through” transom. And critically, this builder utilizes vacuum infused epoxy with carbon fiber and Innegra, as opposed to standard-issue molded fiberglass. However, this initial model was only produced for a few years. That might have discouraged some builders, but not Solace – not by a longshot.
Solace 415CS, powered by twin inboard Volvo Penta engines. Photo courtesy of Solace Boats and Volvo Penta.
In 2021 at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Solace announced another unusual creation, the 415CS, a center console powered by Volvo Penta Twin inboard engines coupled to stern drives. The open transom area allows for more space for anglers to move without fighting with outboard engines. Then this year, they introduced the 30 HCS. Upon its introduction it was one of the largest hybrid bay boats in existance, featuring unique touches like an elevated fore/aft aft seat perched atop the livewells and a cabin with berth in the console. See the full review, Solace 30 HCS: Going High Tech.
View Solace boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Valhalla Boatworks
Making their world debut at the 2019 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Valhalla Boatworks, a Viking Yacht Company brand, continues making waves within the boating industry today. Valhalla’s V Series center consoles consist of three deep-V, stepped monohulls that range from 33 to 55 feet. Valhalla center console boats are powered by Mercury outboards from the factory. The newest model is also the flagship, the V-55, which was unveiled to the world this past February at the Miami International Boat Show. Learn all about it in Valhalla Boatworks V-55: Apex Predator. With more than 55 years of experience building serious sportfishing yachts, we’re excited to see how Viking and Valhalla will continue to innovate.
View Valhalla Boatworks boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Honorable Mentions
EdgeWater Boats
2020 EdgeWater 370CC. Photo courtesy of Tom George Yacht Group.
EdgeWater caters to any and every fishing audience. Whether you’re interested in fishing on one of their Heritage models (158CS, 170CC, 188CC, 208CC), or looking to head offshore in one of their Center Console or Yacht models (230CC, 245CC, 262CC, 285CC, 325CC, 340CC, 370CC), EdgeWater has a boat for you. Founded in 1992 by boating industry legend Bob Dougherty (a key player at Boston Whaler and Everglades), EdgeWater has spent the last 30 years developing some of the marine industry’s most advanced structural designs for center console boats. EdgeWater boats are powered by Yamaha outboard engines from the factory.
View EdgeWater boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Jupiter Boats
2020 Jupiter 34 HFS Center Console Boat. Photo by Boat Trader.
Jupiter began building boats on the east coast of Florida more than 30 years ago. In recent years, the builder moved to Florida’s west coast and chose Palmetto as their manufacturing location. The brand offers six center console models, ranging from 30 to 43 feet in length. Jupiter’s newest model, the 40 CC, was announced at the 2021 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
View Jupiter Boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Scout Boats
Scout has developed a reputation for building center consoles that look great, run more efficiently than most, and stand up to years of hard use. They also tend to be at the forefront of changes in construction and technology, and were among the first major builders to incorporate a number of changes like infusion and digital switching. They also offer a huge lineup, consisting of center console boats from 17 clear up to 53 feet. Their latest, the 281 XSS, joins the growing number of large, high-end hybrid bay boats on the market today. Check it out in Scout 281 XSS: Lightning Strike.
See Scout Boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Yellowfin Yachts
2020 Yellowfin 42. Photo courtesy of Atlantic Yacht and Ship, Inc.
Yellowfin offers 14 boat models. Their fleet includes eight center consoles, one skiff model, two hybrid, and three bay boats. Yellowfin’s serious offshore center console fishing boats range from 29 to 54 feet, while the hybrid (26 feet), bay (24 and 21 feet) and skiff (17 feet) offer customers the opportunity to fish inshore.
View Yellowfin Boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Twin Vee Boats
Twin Vee is an American power catamaran boat builder based in Fort Pierce Florida that has been designing and building boats for over 25 years. Their line of twin-engine, center console cats starts with the 24-foot 240 CC and goes all the way up to the 400 GF – a boat designed as a tournament fishing vessel with plenty of comfort for friends and family. Twin Vee boats are great-riding, seaworthy vessels for those seeking enough deck space to fish, entertain and cruise without breaking the bank.
View Twin Vee boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Wrapping Up Best Center Console Manufacturers
As you can see above there is a wide array of high-quality center console fishing boats currently being manufactured with varying capabilities and features, from shallow draft bay boat center consoles to offshore powerhouses. If you’re considering a center console with more of a family focus, learn more about the difference between center consoles and dual consoles. Happy Fishing!
Editor’s Note: This article was first published in March 2018 and last updated in June 2023 to represent the latest models currently available.