Anyone on here using a flats boat to bass fish out of? (not the aluminum flat bottom duck blind kind - but the saltwater bay boat kind).

I don't but I know some guys in the FLA. panhandle that do.

Several companies make a bass/bay boat compromise. Both Nitro and Triton have saltwater compatible bassboats, ie: no carpet and SS or zinc plated hardware on everything. Slap a SW version TM on the thing and it becomes a dual purpose bassboat. The Nitro even comes with snap in carpet.

  Are you looking for a bay boat or a flats boat?  

  Are you looking for a dual purpose boat because you live on the coast? Or would it be used just for bass fishing?

  Most flats boats are great in skinny water, shallow draft no hull slap etc. but the price you pay will be in ride quality, they are pretty rough and you will probably catch some spray. They don't have as much storage as a bass boat and most have seat cusions on a bench seat. They are pretty light and will plane with smaller motors most in the 40 to 60 hp range.

  Bay boats are usually bigger and are designed for inshore fishing so the will handle rougher water. I have a friend who owns a 20' bay boat and he fishes Lake Erie and some of the local lakes. The only negative thing he has ever mentioned to me about using it for bass fishing was the freeboard is greater on his boat than a bass boat.

Check out the Crestliner "CXJ2070 Jon". With a 115HP for $16,500.00

OOPS, it is a Mod V NOT a flat bottom.  The picture on their site looked flat.  It is a sweet looking boat though.  Crestliners are awesome.

I have several friends that fish Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River Lagoon, many have high dollar flats bhotes such as Hell's Bay, Ranger, Mitzi and BeaverTail. A few of them will also fish freshwater but they won't readily admit it publicly.

A few of them will also fish freshwater but they won't readily admit it publicly.

That funny because its the same here but vice versa.

Im looking at flats for dual purpose (i used bay boat in the decription to clarify what kind of flats I was referring to). I live in south florida - world record saltwater fishing, world record bass fishing.

Ive looked at the nitro sw compatible upgrades/model. Im really interested in a ranger true flats but I cant find anyone that is running on for both types of fishing to give me some good feedback on FISHING comfort.

Not to sure what the real question is but My son has one, not sure of the brand but his is a tunnel hull. With a 115 Merc (prop, not jet drive) his runs on plane in less than 3" of water, but I think it takes about 4 1/2 - 6" to float and to get on plane. But as mentioned, they are not cheap. Just going by what he's told me, I've never been it myself.

i have a 17 foot pathfinder flats boat. i fish fresh water a lot. i also do quite a bit of snook and tarpon fishing on it as well. this summer i fished in 10 bass tournaments out of my flats. i love it. it is more versatile. you could never put a bass boat in saltwater without something going wrong. i also have a removable mount for my trolling motor.