Dear Lake and Bay Team,

I wanted to write this letter to sincerely thank all of you for your commitment to excellence and customer service in the flats boat industry. I ran my new Backwater 20 for the first time yesterday, March 24, in the Keys. The weather was horrible, but the boat ran the chop like no other flats boat I’ve ever been on. A buddy who fished the same area called me today to talk about the fishing, and he mentioned bow banged up he felt after coming home today in his Action Craft. I responded that I crossed the same area of water at over 50mph and felt great.

I would like to personally thank Capt. Bo Johnson for his friendly, helpful, and no-nonsense approach to sales. Bo’s bottom line was, “What will it take to put a Lake and Bay underneath your feet?” Bo went above and beyond the call of duty in making the sale, returned phone calls promptly, and offered some great advice on setting the boat up along the way. I would also like to thank Mike Whitaker for sharing his vast knowledge of rigging and running these boats; he is a tremendous asset to the company. His factory tour was also impressive---these boats are truly made one at a time, with attention to detail from start to finish.

When I drove up to Sebring to pick the boat up, General Manager Steve Dupper took time from his busy schedule to run the boat with me on a local lake, and then we took the boat back to the factory to tweak it. He simply would not allow the boat to leave the factory unless it was perfect. Additionally, Ann at the front desk made the details of the sale work. She also deserves my sincere thanks.

After having owned a boat from one of the larger flats boats manufacturers, I highly recommend that anyone looking to purchase a high-performance flats boat stop by and meet some of the Lake and Bay members on a factory tour. Then, go run one of their boats. Run it hard in bad conditions. Then run anyone else’s. The decision should be easy.

To Capt. Bo, Mike, Steve, Ann, and the rest of Lake and Bay—thanks for everything.

Sincerely,

Tom Rogers

Mike,

Here are a few pictures of Pete Aguirre & his wife Kay on their new Lake & Bay Backwater from Gulf Coast Marine. They purchased it on 5/14/07. They are clients of mine. They wanted my boat, but we sold him the one on the floor. I spent all day today with them teaching them about the boat and how to enjoy it. Pete is very happy. This is my first Lake & Bay sale. I will do my best to continue to sell and promote your product. Mike, thanks for giving me the opportunity to be part of your team.

Captain Joey Lara

Being an avid fisherman and boat owner, I have had many boats over the course of my life. My purchase of the 24' Lake & Bay has been one of the best purchases I have ever made. I was working for a boat dealer when I met Dave Smallback. At the time I had a 31' Contender and was getting ready to sell it and make the change to a smaller boat that would handle both lagoon & offshore fishing.

After looking at several other boat manufacturers I took a ride in the Lake & Bay. That was one thing that sold me on this boat. This is hands down a great boat. The ride is smooth & dry. Even my wife (who is a fair weather fishing person) liked the ride. It has plenty of speed & handles well even in rough water. I believe the hull design & layout of the boat is great. I have used this boat offshore, lagoon and inlet fishing. Its performance has been great in all areas. The watertight compartments are sealed well and keep things dry. There are large live bait wells for lots of bait. There is plenty of room in this boat. It's great for fishing and family outings. We have had lots of fun this summer tubing and water skiing with the kids. I also fish the SKA tournaments and plan to use this boat to fish this and several other local tournaments.

I have sold Lake & Bay boats to customers who have always been satisfied. Dave, Steve and Mike always go out of their way to help their customers with any questions they have or services needed.

I would recommend this boat to anyone looking for a great bay boat.

Sincerely,

John Carter

Capt. Steven Lamp is a full time flats fishing guide out of Key West Florida. A licensed captain for 17 years. Fishing about 200 trips per year with all sorts of folks from around the world, he had to have a boat for all conditions and clients. Here is what Capt. Steven had to say about his new Lake and Bay 20' Boca Grande model Flats boat.

In February of 2002 I ran into the new owners of Lake and Bay boats at the Miami International Boat Show. I met Mike, Mark, Craig, and Darin as I was promoting the new Mercury Racing Opti Max 200XS outboard. At the time

I was not really looking for a new boat as my Back Country (Champion) Pro guide 202 m/y 2001 was holding up quite well even after a full season that I had put on it. My boat looked great, ran fine, and did a terrific job, or at least I thought it did. That year my BC and the Lake and Bay were both featured in Mercury Racing's Calendar with the 200XS for a power option, so Mike, Mark,Craig, Darin, and I had a bunch of notes to compare. They also asked me to stop by and take a look at their new boats.

My BC was a great riding machine. Hatches were quiet, the hull was dry, clients were comfortable riding in it, and it was sexy, but it was a bit heavy. I was open to options as always but I just did not see the market at the time offering me a 20 ft. boat with what I needed. Oh, and I have to say that at the time Lake and Bay had a terrible reputation with me for their back ends sitting so low in the water.

I looked at many boats while at the show and saw nothing that compared to what I already had.  I looked at the Bay Shore; what a boat but too pricey for me.  Plus, I could never keep up on such a pretty boat working it everyday. I looked at Maverick, Action Craft, Hewes, Jupiter, Intrepid, Eagle, Mako, Ranger, Pro Line, and I am sure every other manufacturer that makes a 20 ft skiff that was at the show. Keep in mind I was not in the market but my eyes were open and I really like to look at boats. Nothing there was really enough for me to jump out and get financing for a new ride.

Time went by and I started thinking about some of the things Mike had said in our conversation at the show and the promise I had made to stop by. So just for curiosity's sake I gave him call. I had some free time and drove to Sebring just to test drive a boat they had built. I am glad I did.

On the way up I was telling my girlfriend that no matter how much she liked the boat, it probably was not going to happen. I told her that what I knew of the boat, it was too deep for poling, sat ass heavy, and was built only for speed.  All these thoughts changed for good that afternoon.

We met Mike at his shop and hitched up to take out a gorgeous red 20 ft L & B with a 225 Merc EFI on a Para Lift swinging a four blade and what he told me was 30 gallons of fuel. Sloppy as hell conditions were presented to us there at his testing lake.  I knew this would be a short run as these conditions are prevalent damn near every day in the Keys and would surely back this boat down. I was really impressed with the looks of the boat but thought for sure there was no way it could handle these conditions. I was wrong, and have been wrong about 25 different times in my new Lake and Bay.

Mike proceeded out with no concern of wave state (honest 2-3 ft and snotty being driven by 25 knot winds. As I braced myself, he told me to "watch how dry the boat was in this stuff."  My BC would have been wet before he got those words out idling in the harbor. It was nasty. He laid the throttle down and we were out in the mess and it was getting rougher. He did not seem to mind.  The boat was riding great through really rough water. We quartered it, we went against it, we went down wind, and then we went FAST; 60 MPH to be exact. Now this is not fast for this boat in calm water. In fact, in calm water this boat is just starting to stretch its legs at 60. In 2-3 and snotty it was very fast and I must say brutal! This boat was taking a pounding like I have never given a boat outside of racing conditions. He kept going, flipping, pounding banging, stuffing, slamming into the waves that any man in his right mind would never take a small boat out in.  Mike had the confidence that his boat would stay together. I was VERY Impressed. My BC would not have faired so well. When we got back I inspected the boat for stress cracks knowing I would find one around the transom area at least. Nope

We did not just beat on the boat for my test run. We also took the boat to some shallows to see it float. Again, I was very impressed. With the options I was asking for, this boat showed me that it was definitely shallow enough. A lighter engine, one less fuel tank, and a full bottom on my boat made it even shallower.  I was right, and the guess work paid off.

My boat, we will call it the "DC Special" because it is the only one ever configured the way mine is, is the perfect flats fishing machine. It is the go anywhere, do anything, flats poling 10 inch deep skateboard of a flats boat. I call it the "flats tractor." There is nothing it cannot do out there in my office. Since I have gotten my boat, my clients and I have beaten 3 career records for daily fish catches. Keep in mind these are my clients fishing:

• Most tailing permit caught in 6 hours 7

• Most flats bonefish caught in four hours 4

• Largest tailing permit caught 42lbs.

All the above catches were made due to the stealth and the polability of the "DC Special."  This boat poles like a 16 footer on grease.  Oh, and let's not overlook the other records.

• 126 miles round trip at 55 miles per hour average speed, burning 24 gallons of fuel

• 10 inches deep water with three persons on board and not stuck

• Those of you who really know flats fishing and guiding can see that the above feats are to be shined on for any boat, especially a 20 ft boat.

Real life with my Lake and Bay is well into swing. I have logged over 75 flats charters out of Key West with my boat since May. In that 75 hours I have been through thick and thin weather-wise and found out a few things that I thought I would share.
      1. I cannot break this boat (I have tried)
      2. Driest flats boat I have ever been in.
      3. Damn it's fast!
      4. Customers LOVE IT!
      5. 6 miles per gallon at 45 Mph Cruise (Stick that in your four stroke!)

If you are considering a new boat, stop! Get a Lake and Bay and save yourself some time and headache. These folks are customer concerned and service oriented. I have seen them bend over backwards to make folks happy and take care of problems that were not even fault of theirs. Look around at the other Lake and Bays on the water. Old boats, aren't they? Tells me something; these boats are built to last.

Anyone reading this article is welcome to call me and chat about boats, fishing, or to tell me I am crazy. I am happy to answer any questions you may have and if you feel like coming to the Keys I will take you out in my boat and impress the hell out of you.