Sometimes too little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, but Capt. Bob Goodwin's problem is the opposite: too much knowledge. Having fished Tampa Bay since he was a kid, he has become intimately acquainted with the stretch of water from Boca Grande all the way north to Tarpon Springs, a span of more than 120 miles. In between are an incredible variety of conditions ranging from vast stretches of open water to flats only inches deep. As a charter boat captain, he specializes in light tackle fishing for inshore species such as snook, tarpon, trout and redfish. But when the kingfish are running, no area guide can afford to miss out on this annual offshore bonanza. The problem is that to take full advantage of this mixed bag, a guide here really needs more than one boat. In Goodwin's case, instead of emptying his bank account, he did his homework and found one boat that can do it all: Scout's 240 BayScout.

Stretching almost 24 feet long and with an 8-foot-6-inch beam, the 240 BayScout gives Goodwin plenty of fishing room for multiple-person charters, but it's just narrow enough to legally trailer, giving him the ability to go to wherever the fish are running. Today, the snook are biting in Tarpon Springs, 10 miles northwest of Tampa, and from the boat ramp at Anclote River Park, Goodwin puts the 200-hp Yamaha HPDI in gear and idles out through a mangrove creek. At the end of the no-wake zone he pins the throttle, and the 240 BayScout accelerates to 30 mph in about six-and-a-half seconds.

The test BayScout features the optional jackplate, which enables the engine height to be raised when needed. Five minutes into the run, Goodwin hits the jackplate switch, and the 240 is skimming over a flat less than a foot deep. Once in deeper water, he lowers the engine, trims it slightly and gives the Yamaha wide-open throttle, pushing the BayScout to a top speed of nearly 47 mph. Not bad considering Goodwin's Scout sports an 82-inch high, aftermarket 'tuna' tower, complete with a second set of controls.

Many small boats have been ruined with the addition of a tower because they lack the side-to-side stability to support such a structure. With that much weight up top, things could get very tippy in a light, V-hulled boat. So as a consequence, most anglers only put towers on small boats that have nearly flat bottoms. Sure, they get a stable platform, but they also pay the price in seas greater than six inches with a bone-jarring ride. Today the wind is fresh, and the large bay adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico has a nasty one-foot chop corrugating the surface. While that may not sound like much, picture your car going over a one-foot-high speed bump at 35 mph and you'll get the idea. Scout has found a happy medium with a V-hull that measures 16 degrees of deadrise at the stern ' just enough to allow it to ride smoothly over the chop without causing it to be tender.

Approaching a sandy barrier island, Goodwin idles the boat close and shuts the Yamaha engine down. As the Scout drifts into position, he goes to the bow, opens the anchor locker and eases the Danforth down into the clear five-foot-deep water. Although it's not in use today, the same locker also has an optional 20-gallon livewell built into it for angler convenience. Instead, the standard 20-gallon, lighted stern livewell on the starboard side holds three dozen small-scaled sardines, known as 'white bait' on the Gulf coast. Decent-sized bait has been hard to come by during the last few days because of a population explosion of mini-sardines less than an inch long. The optional livewell recirculator takes care of the valuable cargo and keeps it well oxygenated. Adjacent to the livewell is a huge 60-gallon release well that allows anglers to cull the herd to keep the biggest fish while staying within the legal limit.

After selecting a pair of light spinning rods from the trio of vertical rod holders molded on either side of the 240 BayScout's console, the baits are cast toward the shallows surrounding the island. Making each one count is the name of the game, and a minute after the first bait is cast, the rod bows down and a short burst of line screams off the Shimano reel. Slashing a straight line across the water and then jumping is a 20-inch snook, not a bad start. Minutes later a second snook hits and is landed, photographed and released. Two baits, two fish ' a great start.

The batting average takes a dive as the next few fish are missed, but a couple more are boated and released. When the tide starts slowing down, so does the fishing, so it's off to the next spot. Settling into the helm and cranking up the 200-hp HPDI, Goodwin points the way south for a 15-minute run to the next spot. The standard leaning post has a trio of rocket launchers and is comfortable to sit on, with a well-padded, wide top; ample thigh protection; and flip-down footrest. Yamaha gauges are well-positioned on the dash, and the console features a huge flat top for mounting electronics or storing often-needed items. The curved windscreen protects the crew well, and is circled by a sturdy grab rail. But a major oversight in the helm is the lack of a stereo.

Inside the voluminous console is loads of dry storage and an optional portable head with an adequate entrance room. In front of the console is a standard 94-quart cooler with an optional seating pad that matches the backrest.

After passing under a small bridge, Goodwin spots some commotion in the water ahead: A school of jacks is attacking a cloud of baitfish like piranhas swarming a dog-paddling tapir. Seagulls hover over the m'l'e, looking for scraps as the fishermen get a look at their quarry. They are jack crevalles all right, but are only about eight inches long, not worth fooling with, so instead Goodwin heads for a nearby mangrove island.' With one angler fishing from the roomy stern casting platform of the 240 and the other on the bow deck, both have plenty of elbow room. For those anglers who prefer fishing the bassin' way, there are optional Tempress fishing chairs available for the bow and stern.

The pair cast the sardines within inches of the crescent-shaped shoreline and are rewarded by landing another couple of small snook. Goodwin gets a hit that acts differently from the jumping snook; this one stays down deep, and as he reels it in he is amazed to find a two-pound jewfish on the hook. Catching one this far north is a real surprise according to Goodwin. Although no one knows the origin of the name 'jewfish,' its name has recently been changed to 'goliath grouper' ' by the powers that be ' to be more politically correct. Obviously a new name is needed for specimens this small ' maybe 'Napoleon grouper' would be more appropriate.

Heading back to Anclote, Goodwin takes a short cut over a shallow flat after jacking the engine up. To show the Scout's ability to take off in shallow water, he stops in water that is two feet deep, sets the optional trim tabs to full deflect, and the boat jumps out of the hole, with little bow rise. The 240 is a hybrid that takes the best traits from other boat designs and combines them together to create a boat that does many things well: the rough water ability and convenience of a center console, the shallow water performance of a flats boat, and the fishability of a bass boat.

The 240 BayScout comes well-equipped with standard features such as twin locking rod boxes with tubes that will accommodate rods up to 9 feet 6 inches long, and more dry storage for gear in the bow and stern decks. There are also loads of options that can transform the BayScout into a custom fishing boat, such as a cockpit shower, raw-water washdown, stern bench cushion with backrest, Lenco trim tab trolling motors, hard and Bimini tops, and the ability to accept even large spotting towers. With a suggested retail price of $37,612 when powered with a 200-hp Yamaha HPDI engine, you certainly get a lot of boat(s) for the money. With the Scout, no matter what species of fish are hitting, you'll always be prepared.