Put some boat under your butt

Jerald Horst

Zeringue hoists a nice speck, while a teammate battles another one behind him.

Running the long distances necessary for offshore trout fishing —up to 25 miles one-way from either Southwest Pass or the eastern end of Marsh Island — demands having a real boat under you. And after reaching those points, Vermilion Bay must still be crossed.

"Weather is hard to predict," Shane Zeringue said. "When those squalls pop up, it is dangerous trying to make it 20 miles to the pass or the east end."

The minimum-sized boat he recommends is a 24-footer with a deep V-hull and twin outboard motors.

Zeringue’s boat is a hoss. The 26-foot Regulator deep-V is powered by twin 300-horsepower Yamaha outboards. It is equipped with an electric anchor windlass and two livewells, one below the deck and one mounted on the transom for the anglers’ convenience.

Electronics included a Northstar GPS and a Furuno radar unit, the latter of which Zeringue stresses is very important for getting out there early.