Best Catamaran Fishing Boat Brands

Choosing the best catamaran fishing boats is no easy task, because in this day and age, you have plenty to choose from. This wasn’t always the case, but in recent years more and more power catamaran fishing boats have been hitting the market. Their popularity has been growing thanks to their smooth ride in rough seas, making them particularly attractive to all-weather anglers. Today you have a number of power catamaran boat brands to choose from whether you’re looking at an offshore fishing catamaran, inshore catamaran fishing boats, or small catamaran fishing boats. It can be tough to try to sort through various builders and nail down the best fishing boat brands for any of the types of fishing boats, and the increase in the number of catamaran fishing boat manufacturers means choosing the best of the best in this genre won’t be easy.  Here are our top picks in some of the most important categories and why we think they make the grade.

• Best Catamaran Center Console Boat Brands
• Best Offshore Fishing Catamaran Brands
• Best Inshore Fishing Catamaran Boat Brands
• Best Small Catamaran Fishing Boat Brands
• Choosing the Best Catamaran Brand For You
• FAQs

Best Catamaran Center Console Boat Brands

This will be a very short section, because virtually all of the catamaran sport fishing boats being built today are center consoles. In fact, several catamarans made our roundup of the Best Center Console Boat Brands. Yes, some manufacturers offer pilothouse models or cuddy cabins, but those that don’t offer a lineup consisting mostly of center consoles are few and far between. So, keep on reading—the manufacturers we call out as tops for the more specific categories below all fall into the category of best catamaran center console boat brands, as well.

Best Offshore Fishing Catamaran Brands

Offshore boats need to meet some prerequisites: they have to be large and competent enough to run dozens of miles from shore, have the fuel capacity for cruising hours on end, and of course they need all the fishing accouterments to handle big game pelagics like tunas and billfish. 

Freeman

In many ways, Freeman is partially responsible for the current wave of cat popularity, because their 34- to 47-foot fleet was quickly adopted by a number of offshore fishing guides after they splashed their first model in 2007. Their boats are known for hat-stripping performance, often cruising comfortably at 50 mph or more, even in a head sea, with top-end speeds sometimes exceeding 70 mph. Tremendous fuel capacity and utterly massive fishboxes are some other traits the Freemans are famous for.

Photo credit: Freeman Boatworks

Invincible

Invincible Boats offers a lineup including both monohulls and power catamarans, with center console cats ranging from 33 to 46 feet plus a 46-foot pilothouse model. These boats post spectacular speeds with cruising in the 50 mph range and often they can break 70 mph at top-end, thanks to semi-asymmetrical hulls with near-vertical inside walls. Invincible is also known for its advanced and customizable livewell systems. On the 46, for example, the boat can be rigged with up to four livewells up to 70 gallons each, fed by a sea chest system with as many as six pumps. 

Photo credit: Invincible

World Cat

When judged by the number of hulls built, World Cat is one of the biggest powercat manufacturers in existence. The company has a lineup that starts small but includes five models from 26 to 40 feet that are up to the task of offshore fishing. They have all the basic fishing features, plenty of range, and comparatively good performance, but what they’re known for when matched up against the competition is a healthy dose of family-friendly features. Unlike some angling-dedicated offshore fishing catamaran models, the World Cats feature lots of comfy seating, roomy head console compartments, freshwater showers, stereo systems, and similar touches that can take the edge off a long day of fishing.

Also see: The Best Offshore Fishing Boat Brands. Several of our top picks in this one were power catamarans, too.

Photo credit: World Cat

Best Inshore Fishing Catamaran Boat Brands

Inshore anglers can be just as demanding as the offshore crowd, and when the weather is right many of them will head into the open ocean as well. So, the main defining factor separating offshore fishing catamaran boats from inshore catamaran fishing boats is simply size. And often, the line between the two gets blurred. As a result, you’ll see some newcomers here, but some of the best catamaran fishing boat brands we’ve already talked about could easily pull a repeat performance.

Caymas

Caymas is a newcomer to the catamaran world, having built only monohulls up to the 2023 model year. Their new 34, however, is an impressive boat which has offshore abilities and will also make an excellent inshore fishing machine. It rides on a set of twin-stepped hulls with 18/22-degree deadrise surfaces at the transom and 50/55-degree entries at the bow, features a Hooker sea chest livewell system with 70 gallons standard and an additional 50 gallons optional, and plenty of high-end perks like lighted stowage compartments, a JL Marine audio system, and USB ports at the helm. Caymas also offers a 30 foot version.

Photo credit: Caymas Boats

Tideline

Tideline is a small, semi-custom builder in North Carolina, and their boats can be difficult to find on the market, but we need to mention them here because they build a 24-footer that’s well known as one of the finest inshore hybrid fishing cats around. With twin 200-hp outboards, it boasts 50-plus-mph performance, has an utterly massive forward casting deck for slinging lures to gamefish like reds and specks, and hull draft is a mere 14 inches so it can sneak into the shallows where few anglers tread. 

Photo credit: Tideline Boats

Twin Vee

Twin Vee does make some large models intended for offshore use but their 24- to 28-foot center console models are perfect for inshore angling. Better yet for many family fishermen who want a multipurpose platform, they also offer a pair of dual console 24-foot models. Twin Vees have a “compression tunnel” that packs air between the two hulls and compresses it as the boat moves forward, creating a cushion of sorts that makes for an unusually soft ride in choppy seas.

Photo credit: Twin Vee

World Cat

World cat is back as we discuss the inshore scene, thanks to models like their 235CC and 260 and 280CC-X. The 235CC is designed like a bay boat, with large fore and aft casting decks, while the 260CC-X features a very unusual drop-down transom design, with the livewell and fishbox shifted into widened aft gunwales. Like other World Cats, these boats have plenty of comfort features to go along with the angling perks.

Photo credit: World Cat

Best Small Catamaran Fishing Boat Brands

“Small” is a relative term, and while 20- to 24-footers may seem like small catamaran fishing boats to some folks, they seem mighty big to others. However, the distinction is more or less moot because in the current marketplace, no major production builders drop down below 22 feet, seven inches of LOA (the World Cat 235CC). If you want a cat under this size, you can look for a custom builder or search the used boat market. Twin Vee made plenty of 19- to 22-foot boats in years past, Tideline made a 19, and when they were in operation, catamaran boat brands like Leader and Nautico made a number of powercats between 14 and 21 feet.

See used power catamaran boats under 24’ for sale on Rightboat.

Choosing the Best Catamaran Brand For You

Are there some powercat brands out there that build a great boat, but we haven’t mentioned? Absolutely. Arrow Cat builds a pair of interesting cabin boats that aren’t 100-percent fishing machines, but do have semi-fishy cockpits that would work just fine for plenty of people. C Dory makes a 25-footer that falls into the same category. And Aquila, which traditionally built large cruising boats, has recently introduced a 28-foot center console billed as a fishing boat. Any of these, or others, could be the “best” brand for you, depending on your personal needs and tastes.

Choosing which of these will in fact be best for your needs is no easy task. If you haven’t already, check out our Boat Buying Guide. Then, consider how and where you do your fishing, what your budget can handle, and which sort of catamaran fishing boat would be ideal for you, personally. The power catamaran fishing boat manufacturers we’ve called out here are all arguably at the top of the heap—and if you take one for a sea trial, we’re betting you’ll agree.

FAQs

Q: What are the advantages of a catamaran fishing boat?

A: The number one advantage of a catamaran fishing boat is the ride, because (while there are exceptions) most catamarans are smoother when cruising in rough seas. On top of that, many power catamarans have excellent stability and improved efficiency as compared to monohull boats.

Q: Are catamarans better than monohulls for offshore fishing?

A: Some say yes and some say no, but for anglers who venture offshore even in rough weather the answer will usually be yes. Their ability to run fast in big seas without beating up the crew means there will be breezy days when the monohulls up to a certain size remain tied up at the dock, while powercats of the same size will cast off the lines and head for the inlet.

Q: What is the best size catamaran for inshore fishing?

A: There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The type of areas and sea conditions you fish in, the capacity of your tow vehicle, your budget, and even the style of fishing you enjoy will all be considerations that come into play. That said, most anglers who stick to inshore waters choose a boat between 18 and 26 feet.

Q: Are there any affordable catamaran fishing boats?

A: Affordability is in the eye of the beholder, but don’t let that worry you. Even if your budget is limited the answer will still be yes because there are plenty of used power catamaran boats for sale on Rightboat which cost far less than new models.

Q: How does fuel efficiency compare between catamarans and monohulls?

A: It varies quite a bit from boat to boat, but as a general rule of thumb power catamarans require less power and thus burn less fuel to attain the same speed as a monohull of the same size. Many builders and designers believe that a good rule-of-thumb figure to use is that catamarans are 10- to 15-percent more efficient. But remember, it can vary quite a bit from model to model and also by sea condition and load.

This article was published in October, 2023 and updated in April, 2025