Gause Built 17 Flats Skiff

for Super Skinny Water

The Gause Built 17 Flats skiff is the culmination of several years work to develop a small, shallow water skiff suitable for addition to the Gause Built Custom Boats line. The process started with a proven hull shape, with good ride characteristics, and an ability to get into very shallow water. That original design was then refined and improved to produce a small boat with the fit and finish typically found on much larger yachts. Each compartment door is beautifully finished, and every detail is classically designed and presented. Created with fishing in mind, but a desire to have a beautiful boat that’s easy to maintain, the Gause Built 17 is an absolute standout in the flats skiff market.

One of the early mandates for the Gause Built 17 was a comfortable, dry ride. Many of these shallow water boats become so focused on being the lightest boat for their size, that ride quality, and a dry ride, are often sacrificed. Not so with this flats skiff. A light weight structural inner liner stiffens the hull and deck. The hull, inner liner and deck cap are all fitted so precisely that each lends additional strength to the other, creating a light weight, but rigid structure that helps maintain a good ride, even in very choppy water. This is the key to to getting such a little skiff to ride like a much larger boat. Making the whole structure stiffer translates to a boat that will last longer, work better and punch through the chop like a much larger boat. Designing the three components to work together while keeping them very light in weight is what keeps it a great shallow water boat.

This flats skiff is available with a variety of options, and like all the Gause Built Boats, it’s built as a Custom, so bring any ideas you have and talk to David Gause about how to incorporate them. Currently available options include a very stable poling platform, a forward casting platform and running lights that are set flush into the front of that casting platform. The standard boat has multiple storage compartments, comfortable seating and plenty of stable deck space. You can also add a “Power-Pole” for quick, easy anchoring, and a Jack Plate to lift the motor for shallow water running. And, of course, a carbon fiber push pole and deck brackets are available so that you can make the most of the very shallow draft, and get into that skinny water where your favorite species hide.

If you are interested in a high quality, beautiful flats skiff, come see the Gause Built 17 for yourself. Better yet, come take a ride in one! You’ll find a boat with a level of finish second to none. A boat that allows you to access very shallow water, but one that gets you there in style and comfort. You’ll find a boat that is the creation of a fishing family, but a fishing family guided by a desire to create perfect fishing boats. Come experience what can be done when decades of fishing experience are combined with a burning desire to be simply the best. Come experience the Gause Built 17.

Custom front casting platform.

Bob’s Machine Jackplate Ultra

6 ft Power pole with remotes

Power pole cover

Full custom boat cover

Console cover

Console rod holders x 4

LED rope lighting

Custom poling platform

The first and most important parameter for the new 23 was to create a boat which could go where a flats skiff could, but have room to accommodate as many as 5 or 6 people. While it almost seems impossible for a boat with a tower, high sides and a deep V bow to float in 9.5 inches, that’s just what this boat will do. The key is a strong, lightweight hull which is the result of modern composite construction. The beam is generous for a boat of this size creating a stable platform for the tower and a boat that will run across the flats like a much smaller skiff. Designed from the beginning with this very goal in mind, the Gause Built 23 represents the perfect execution of the Gause family vision.

Flared bow for a drier ride.

One of the significant improvements incorporated in the Gause Built 23 was a bow with more flare. Not only did this give the boat a more attractive look, it created a much drier boat. When you spend as much time fishing and boating as the Gause family does, a dry comfortable ride isn’t just a pleasant feature, it’s a requirement. Most boats built to run as shallow as this one sacrifice ride quality and can tend to be rather wet, but the carefully crafted bow of the Gause Built 23 offers a ride much more like you would expect from a larger center console fishing boat.

Wider gunwales for sure footing.

Another feature introduced on the Gause Built 23 is the wider gunwales. You can easily walk around the entire boat on the gunwales which are non-skidded and have flush Pop Up Cleats, rod holders and a flip up bow light. Wide and stable enough to stand on while using a cast net to catch bait, the wide gunwales make everything easier from getting into the boat in the morning, to tying up at the end of the day. Whether you are moving around another angler or simply looking for a comfortable place to sit, the wide gunwales are a popular feature which everyone likes.

Molded anchor locker.

The Gause Built 23 has a top loading anchor well which makes anchoring a breeze. Designed to hold an appropriately sized anchor and plenty of rode, this top loading well makes anchoring the boat easier, quicker and cleaner. The door has a notch for the anchor rode to exit so that it remains flush when the anchor is down, never upsetting your footing should you need to walk across the bow of the boat. Inside the anchor locker is a beautifully crafted holder for the anchor which keeps it securely in place while traveling, and quickly at hand when you’re ready to stop.

Roomy and comfortable forward seating.

The forward seating area was improved in the 23 as well. With significantly larger seats, and a more ergonomically desirable seating position, the 23 offers better passenger amenities than most bay boats. The whole forward area was designed so that it could easily and efficiently be covered with a dodger, and the seats are long enough to act as berths, so that the boat could even be used for an overnight trip. One owner has ordered a custom dodger which incorporates rear doors with mosquito netting windows so that the entire forward area becomes a well ventilated but covered berth for two people to camp in.

Although the original Gause Built 26 truly seemed to have all the best attributes of a flats boat, and a sport fishing boat, and seemed to meet all the other parameters originally laid out for it, the Gause family has done several significant redesigns of the boat, the most recent completed in the summer of 2011. Over the years, the boat has gotten stiffer, lighter, drier, and faster. As a custom boat, it continues to evolve, but here are some of the features of the Gause Built 26 that make it the best fishing boat in its class.

Flared bow for a dry ride.

Being out on the water is great, but being covered with water is not! A dry ride is a better ride, and with that in mind, in 2004, Gause Built Custom Boats created an all new hull mold. The new design incorporates more flare in the bow to divert spray out and away from the boat and passengers. This not only contributes to passenger comfort, but it just plain looks beautiful too! Click on the image to the left to see for yourself.

Reverse chine for a stable ride.

Stability is another critical aspect of comfort underway, and the new 26 hull incorporates a wide reverse chine for a faster, drier and more stable ride and better directional control. Reverse chines are simply tapering edges of the hull bottom, bent down to supply huge lift and stability at all speeds. The lift is used to raise the hull out of the water, producing less wetted surface area and dramatically decreasing the draft of the hull creating a faster and more easily driven boat. The reverse chine will also shear the water down and away from the bow creating a very dry ride as well.

Well designed console.

In a center console boat the console serves many purposes. It provides storage, keeps the helmsman dry and provides a mounting place for much of the equipment. Having a sturdy, well thought out and intelligently designed console makes a world of difference. The console in the Gause Built 26 is a culmination of many hours spent using boats, and several redesigns to incorporate new and better ideas. The current design is taller that before, offering more space and better protection from the elements. It is integrated carefully with the tower, and has numerous innovative features that help it stand apart from the typical console in a fishing boat. Features like this help make the Gause Built Boats the very best on the market.

Tower hardtop.

The folding tower on the Gause Built 26 features quite a few new innovations. Perhaps the most notable is a fiberglass “hardtop” in place of the usual canvas top. This top is strong enough to walk on, even behind the steering station, and when this option is ordered the electronics box becomes an integral part of the hardtop creating a clean, beautifully finished look. This top also includes a forward “brow” which provides a little more protection from the sun for the helmsman when at the lower station.

Wide gunwale for sure footing.

When fishing, being able to quickly and easily walk around the perimeter of the boat can often make the difference between that big catch, and a big “fish story”. Wide gunwales with proper non-skid also make it easy for several anglers to move past and around each other when the action is hot and heavy as well as making docking easier and creating more comfortable seating spots around the boat. With that in mind the new Gause Built 26 deck mold incorporates a wider gunwale than before to once again make the boat easier to fish. You’ll especially appreciate this feature when you’re casting for bait.

Molded anchor locker.

The fish aren’t always where you expect them to be, and the result is that some days you have to move the boat often. Nothing makes this more frustrating than a poorly designed anchor locker. The new deck mold for the Gause Built 26 incorporates a large top loading anchor storage locker designer to be as easy as possible to access. You can walk right up to the bow without stubbing your toe and there’s great support at knee level while you lift the anchor from it’s custom built hanger. The door incorporates a notch for the rode and it’s all convenient to the pop-up bow cleat. There’s simply no easier anchoring arrangement than this for a fishing boat this size.

Comfortable seating with best quality cushions.

When it comes to comfort on a boat one of the most important considerations is the seating. Realizing this, Gause Built Boats re-engineered the seating arrangement to create a more comfortable position, and has incorporated even better materials in the cushions in all areas. You can rest assured that this boat will provide one of the best rides you have ever had in an open fishing boat.

Inlaid fish ruler.

Who wants to buy a gorgeous boat and then stick an ugly, adhesive “Fish Ruler” on the gunwale? Why not consider this beautifully inlaid fish ruler as an option on your new Gause Built Boat? This scale is an integral part of the non-skid surface in the transom of the boat, just aft of the baitwell. Nothing could be easier or more convenient than to always have this available right where you need it.

Toe room for safe and comfortable fishing.

Because of the inherent shape of the hull in most fishing boats, as you move out toward the gunwale to cast you often stub your toe on the hull liner before your leg contacts the inside edge of the gunwale. This can put you off balance, and if the boat is rocking a bit can make casting less comfortable. When the boat is moving around the safest and most comfortable position is standing with your legs against the inside of the gunwale and your feet spread and flat on the floor. No matter where you stand in the new Gause Built 26 you will be able to attain this position without stubbing your toes. Your casts will be longer and more accurate because you are, quite simply, more comfortable and stable in the boat.