We have a Florida flats boat (not a flat bottom boat) and it can draft in about 6 inches of water. The flats in Tampa Bay can get pretty shallow, but fishing is a lot of fun.
When most people think about fishing, they tend to think of freshwater fishing where you cast your line and sit for hours waiting. Or they think about deep sea fishing where you use giant reels and pull in marlin or tuna. That's not what/how I fish!
Inshore saltwater fishing is awesome because it’s not boring at all. You can see most of the activity on the flats. The water is pretty clear, so you see the schools of fish or their fins glide on the surface and you can see baitfish jumping when predator fish are near. In the mangroves (tree line), some fish hide out in little holes and if you cast your line there, you know immediately if there is a fish there because he’ll bite quickly. While we do usually have a couple lines soaking in the water, most of our fishing is active and we are casting and reeling in and casting again. We are always moving and it’s a lot of fun.
Right now, the boat is out of commission while my husband makes some much needed repairs and upgrades, but we hope to get in the water this summer.
(I know I look a mess, but that's a big fish!)