Whether you're casting topwater lures on the surface or fishing bottom for flounder, nothing brings an entire family together like going out for a day of fishing aboard the family fishing boat. Too bad that if you get a good family boat, you’ll have to give up on getting a serious fishing boat, right? Balderdash! The all-new 2026 Robalo R277 is all the proof we need to nix that assertion.
Regular readers of FishTalk have previously heard us speak about the merit of a dual console fishing boat for family anglers, because while you might not have 360-degree fishability of a center console, the protection gained with a full wraparound windshield and the ability to close off the bow is invaluable when kids are aboard. The cockpit is where most of the angling action takes place anyway, and there’s still room in the bow for a couple of fishermen—or fisherkids—to swing rods. Added bonus: in this day and age most dual consoles, the R277 included, have an enclosed head compartment in the passenger’s side console.
Robalo does take a slightly different tack with the R277 as compared to many boats of this genre, adding an L-shaped settee behind the helm and a seat/lounger on the passenger’s side. A drop-in table turns the settee into a dinette (with stowage underneath), while the port-side seat/lounger transforms to fill several niches. Put the split backrest in the center and you have seats facing fore and aft. Push the front backrest forward and slide the back one aft, and it turns into a huge lounger. Swing the seat bottom up and there’s a cavernous stowage area underneath. There’s a fold-down transom bench seat, too, so there’s more than enough seating to go around even if the family brings along some friends.
Ready to get those kids casting? Finding fish will be a bit easier with a Simrad NSS4 12” MFD or Garmin GPSMAP 1243xsv at the helm. Drop in a filler (while noting that it’s RTM molded so it’s fully finished on both sides) and the bow cockpit turns into a casting deck. There’s a pair of rodholders in the gunwales, four in the transom, and six rocket launchers lining the hard top. If live-lining is in the plans the 30-gallon transom livewell will come in handy, and after making the catch you can sluice off the deck with the raw water washdown then ice your fresh fish dinner in the 53-gallon in-deck fishboxes.
The R277 also offers plenty of perks for when the bite’s slow and those kids need some extra entertainment, like a Bluetooth stereo system with six speakers, wireless charging docks, and an elevated ski tow pylon on the hard top. Speaking of the hard top: pay close attention to how it’s supported on all four corners with stout powder-coated tubes that arc around the windshield.
Despite those goodies the best entertainment will come when you mash the throttles down and feel the power of 500 outboard horses in a full gallop. With max power on the transom the R277 breaks through the 50-mph barrier, and set at a reasonable 4500 rpm cruising speed trots along at a hair over 40 mph.
A few construction items of note jump out at us about the R277, as well. The upholstery is the newer silicon fabric type, which is much more stain/mildew/mold resistant than old-school marine fabrics; wiring is tinned-copper with O-ring-sealed watertight connectors; the transom is a poured composite; house and engine batteries are on separate switches but parallel via a voltage sensing relay switch; and the Kevlar-reinforced hull comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
You say you love fishing, you love your family, and you’re looking for the ideal boat to bring the two together? Then we sure hope you’ve considered the dual console design. And we also hope there’s a sea trial on a Robalo R277 in your future.
Robalo R277 Specifications
- LOA – 27’6”
- Beam – 9’6”
- Displacement – 7850 lbs.
- Draft (min.) – 1’10”
- Transom Deadrise – 23 degrees
- Fuel Capacity – 180 gal.
- Water Capacity – 15 gal.
- Max. Power – 500 hp
For more information visit Robalo Boats, or in Maryland visit FishTalk supporter Anchor Boats, North East MD, (800) 773-2628.