JUST RIGHT: This console is the perfect size-big enough to mount a combo unit and stow trolling-motor batteries without sacrificing wiggle room on a hot fish. And after the whopper is aboard, ice him down in the 94-quart flip-back cooler seat.
DRUM BEAT: Part of the SWS test crew gets in on the game with a good-looking redfish plucked from a pothole.
SLIDE INSIDE: Port and starboard bow storage lockers reach all the way to the anchor bulkhead, a welcome modification for long or odd-shaped items, such as stick gaffs, fly-rod cases or a sand-flea rake.
CAST-AWAY: Browbeaten into taking the two brothers-in-law? Stick them on the fore and aft raised decks and take refuge in the middle, away from flying lures-there’s plenty of room.
SMOOTH OPERATOR: With its 15-degree transom deadrise and sleek bottom design, the 211 is as dry as a desert and rides softer than most shallow-draft boats.
HEAVY METAL: Solid hardware is standard, including stainless-steel garboard drain plugs and through-hulls with seacocks below the waterline.
TROPHY TRUNK: Tourney anglers should opt for the release well on the aft casting deck. It’s roomy enough to keep the winning fish cozy until weigh-in.
Whoever first said “every boat is a compromise” needs to take Cobia’s 211 Bay out for a spin-it is solid and seaworthy yet can get into skinny water. The 211 marks the debut for the company’s new owners and design team, and the Cobia name is in good hands. For the flats and open bays, this is a versatile, affordable fishing rig.
Performance
|| |—| |Length 21′ 1″ Beam8′ 4″ Draft 1′ 1″ Deadrise 15 ¿ Fuel 60 gals. Base Price $32,857 w/ Yamaha F150 four-stroke outboard| This fish swims well with its standard Yamaha F150 outboard. We made a top speed of 44.6 miles per hour at 5,500 rpm. My GPS registered 30.6 miles per hour at a cruise of 4,000 rpm. An adjustment of the optional trim tabs smoothed the St. Andrews Bay chop into submission.
How It Fished
|| |—| |Test Conditions Panama City, Florida Sunny 83 ¿ Winds: 5-10 knots Southwest Seas: Moderate chop Target: Mixed bag| While our beach run didn’t reveal any cobia, five-foot swells showcased the 211’s stability. Later in the day, live shrimp cast to potholes on the grass flats produced a mixed bag of gamefish. Cobia Boat Company; (772) 465-0631; www.cobiaboats.com
