2023 Contender Contender 26 Bay

Step aboard and the first thing you notice is the smart, fish-first layout. The elevated casting decks give you great visibility on the flats, while the wide, stable hull feels sure-footed even with a full crew forward. Under the hatches, you’ll find generous storage for tackle, cast nets, and safety gear, so the cockpit stays clean and uncluttered. The console is laid out so every switch and screen is right where you want it when things get busy. High gunnels aft and a deep cockpit midship keep everyone feeling secure, and the clean rigging and finished bilge show the kind of attention to detail you usually only see on much larger offshore boats.

This 26-foot bay boat is tailor-made for the mix of shallow creeks, inlets, and nearshore structure you find along this stretch of coastline. The draft is skinny enough to slide onto the flats and into marsh drains on a low tide, yet the hull has the length and deadrise to comfortably run the afternoon chop outside the jetties. It’s an ideal platform for everything from pitching jigs at oyster bars to chasing bait balls along the beachfront. The open cockpit and casting space let anglers spread out, while the refined ride makes longer runs to distant shoals or nearshore reefs realistic in a single versatile package.