Jet boat help

[Duh]

If the grass is wet, you can draft over that! 1 foot minus is where I'd get nervous with my 20' Customweld with a 350 motor.

Hell yeah! I’d like to go that direction. Looks like I’m going to have to head out west to pick one up. Not the most popular style of boat out here in the plains.

 

[Customweld]

Hell yeah! I’d like to go that direction. Looks like I’m going to have to head out west to pick one up. Not the most popular style of boat out here in the plains.

Do yourself a favor and spend a few days in Lewiston/Clarkston and check out the builders there. They also have a pretty robust used market there. Financing a used jet used to be kind of tricky because there really wasn't any kind of value book for a bank to use. I've been out of the market for a while, so I don't know if that's still the case.

 

[chizelhead]

So if I’m in the 20ft ball park with a v8 inboard, would 2 feet of water be considered “skinny”?

No. 2 ft is plenty imo. If you're coming out west, Medford, OR has North River, Alumaweld, Willie, and Boulton. All great boat builders.

 

[Haro450]

There are more builders than that in Medford area now. Rogue Jet, Fish-rite, Driftwood, Pavati. I bet there are more. lol All which claim to make the best boat.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Yup, between medford and Grants pass theres alot of freaking boat shops

 

[Wrench]

Anyone who owns a jet boat should own a big drift sock. You can use the river to do a lot of work for you with the sock. If you are a decent rigger you can hoist loads, unstick boats, control drift and lots more.

Big sock, rope and rigging is worth the 20lbs.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

So if I’m in the 20ft ball park with a v8 inboard, would 2 feet of water be considered “skinny”?

No. I used to drive my 23’ inboard jet just a few feet off the shores of beaches. When that thing was on step I could drive it in inches of water.

Of course like others have said, getting it unstuck was a bitch. It took me and a few friends several hours to get it out of the mud once when I didn’t anchor it right before going out hunting for the day.

After I blew that motor up (mercruiser 383), I got a much smaller jet boat.

 

[jimh406]

First, jets are quite a lot different than prop boats. You only have steering under power. More power is more steering. That basically means you can't stop them very fast unless you do a 360. Some rivers have that much room ... some do not. It can be a bit exciting meeting another boat when the river isn't wide.

2 ft deep is not skinny water for a jet. However, that's about what an inboard can sit in. Obviously, you'll need to consider how deep the water is before you stop. Most inboards need at least 20 mph to plane up river and perhaps a bit more going down river. 30 mph on a river feels pretty fast.

Most pumps can handle a bit of sand without an issue. However, gravel can clog the intake grate. Some companies like Hamilton can handle turbulence a bit better, but you'll need some way to clear the grate if you get stuck on a bar and suck gravel.

The Snake River boats are quite a lot different than the southern Oregon boats like the North River or Alumaweld. The Oregon boats helm is farther forward, and they aren't designed to take heavy waves over the bow like the Snake River boats. I feel like they plan faster though with more weight up front.

As someone noted, inboard jets are heavy boats. I can tell you they aren't the most fun to unstick. If you can turn it sideways, the river will help.

Most rivers have a deeper part of the river (the slot), and other place you can run given enough speed. I owned a Custom Weld for several years. The problem is people like to anchor in the slot or wade in the slot. Personally, I didn't enjoy being out in good weather/busy times. I could handle low flows just fine, but I didn't enjoy tight blind turns since I never knew what someone might be doing. I found a drift boat much more relaxing. YMMV.

 

[Nooksack]

The key to running rivers is being good at reading water. If you can’t read water when the clarity is gone it gets difficult. Which type of boat depends on what you want to do, and where you want to spend the bulk of your time.

Big inboard boats haul big loads, and handle big water well. They are comfortable with a heated cabin. They require more depth and distance to get back on step.

Sport jets haul decent loads can get on step with high skew impellers in a foot of water and two boat lengths. Are good at going over obstacles. Can have an heated soft top cabin. Also are loud.

Outboards depend on the hull you hang them on. Big outboards on tunnel hulls with pods will perform well, but you always have the foot hanging down to get damaged. Again can have a comfortable heated cabin.

Solar inflatables with outboards can go where no other boat can go. However they are inflatable.

That my two cents for what it’s worth. They are all a blast, and when you get good at it can get away from the crowds by pushing limits.

 

[Dust Rider]

Anyone who owns a jet boat should own a big drift sock. You can use the river to do a lot of work for you with the sock. If you are a decent rigger you can hoist loads, unstick boats, control drift and lots more.

Big sock, rope and rigging is worth the 20lbs.

Very good advice. I have a retired round army parachute that we restrung to get off rock bars.

 

[william schmaltz]

Do you have much experience fishing and boating on that system? I grew up on the river right at the ND/SD boarder. The reason you don't see that type of boat on that system is because in the vast majority of cases, it's pretty impractical. The type of fishing is backtrolling, pulling cranks, or working a shoreline on the float (casting, pitching, or dragging). The first two methods, guys are doing it in extremely low gear with their 4 stroke outboard or with a kicker and the later is done under trolling motor power. Sometimes a person can anchor up behind a bar and jig, but things gotta be perfect. Do you plan on adding a kicker and/or trolling motor to fish? For just cruising around, what you describe would be alright. The river sections are pretty easy to read. Half the boats on the river are pontoons with 10 people on them and the other half are heavy V hull with props and few ever touch a sandbar (at least the sober ones). The biggest threat top to bottom of that system is the deadheads that appear and reappear in both the main stream and the reservoirs as the water levels fluctuate. Get electronics with route and waypoint storage and spend a little time mapping a path and deadheads and you're set.

A jet could maybe get you into a few tribs that a prop couldn't, but that would just get you to someone else's private land that you could just access driving in from the road. And most of the tributaries don't go more than a mile or so without being plugged by a dam, low bridge, or spillway. Lots of people with great info and a ton of experience are answering like you're about to run up to the headwaters of the Delta. For their reference, anything below Fort Peck on the Missouri is more like running a clear Yukon River.

 

[Duh]

Do you have much experience fishing and boating on that system? I grew up on the river right at the ND/SD boarder. The reason you don't see that type of boat on that system is because in the vast majority of cases, it's pretty impractical. The type of fishing is backtrolling, pulling cranks, or working a shoreline on the float (casting, pitching, or dragging). The first two methods, guys are doing it in extremely low gear with their 4 stroke outboard or with a kicker and the later is done under trolling motor power. Sometimes a person can anchor up behind a bar and jig, but things gotta be perfect. Do you plan on adding a kicker and/or trolling motor to fish? For just cruising around, what you describe would be alright. The river sections are pretty easy to read. Half the boats on the river are pontoons with 10 people on them and the other half are heavy V hull with props and few ever touch a sandbar (at least the sober ones). The biggest threat top to bottom of that system is the deadheads that appear and reappear in both the main stream and the reservoirs as the water levels fluctuate. Get electronics with route and waypoint storage and spend a little time mapping a path and deadheads and you're set.

A jet could maybe get you into a few tribs that a prop couldn't, but that would just get you to someone else's private land that you could just access driving in from the road. And most of the tributaries don't go more than a mile or so without being plugged by a dam, low bridge, or spillway. Lots of people with great info and a ton of experience are answering like you're about to run up to the headwaters of the Delta. For their reference, anything below Fort Peck on the Missouri is more like running a clear Yukon River.

So I should have explained that a bit more, I’m not a big fisher and most likely won’t be doing dedicated fishing. Might bring a pole every now and again. But I definitely am not in the market for dedicated fishing boats or pontoons.

This would mainly be for running up and down the river to access some hunting spots from the water. Some of the areas I have access to are a lot easier to get to from the water than getting permission, this is including some of the tribs on the ND and SD side. I’ve used a kayak to get into some spots before and was not a huge fan.

I’m going to be moving out to western montana or Alaska in the next few years so that’s another big reason for looking into this style of boat. I also would take this out to the little Missouri and some other places around the west for vacations.

For the purposes on the Missouri, I really do like the concept of having some enclosure incase I’m staying the night or running in bad weather. I fully understand this is likely overkill if used solely for this river system.

I was posting this for some general advice and guidance because of the lack of jet boats in the area. Which I got a ton of great advice, thanks guys. Just didn’t know if I was looking in a complete wrong direction or there was something obvious that I hadn’t learned yet.

 

[Banded_spooney]

So I should have explained that a bit more, I’m not a big fisher and most likely won’t be doing dedicated fishing. Might bring a pole every now and again. But I definitely am not in the market for dedicated fishing boats or pontoons.

This would mainly be for running up and down the river to access some hunting spots from the water. Some of the areas I have access to are a lot easier to get to from the water than getting permission, this is including some of the tribs on the ND and SD side. I’ve used a kayak to get into some spots before and was not a huge fan.

I’m going to be moving out to western montana or Alaska in the next few years so that’s another big reason for looking into this style of boat. I also would take this out to the little Missouri and some other places around the west for vacations.

For the purposes on the Missouri, I really do like the concept of having some enclosure incase I’m staying the night or running in bad weather. I fully understand this is likely overkill if used solely for this river system.

I was posting this for some general advice and guidance because of the lack of jet boats in the area. Which I got a ton of great advice, thanks guys. Just didn’t know if I was looking in a complete wrong direction or there was something obvious that I hadn’t learned yet.

I feel like if I was going to be primarily hunting out of it I’d get an 18-20’ G3 or excel with a 115/80 tiller. a hell of a lot easier to hunt out of than a 20’ NR windshield boat and a great deal easier to deal with if you need to push it off a gravel bar.

Came to revise this thread for a different reason though. I just picked up a new to me Oregon made jetctaft 19’ center console with a Kodiak 3 stage and a small block 350. Bailing on the sport jet. Only a half a foot longer than the old boat but a lot more conducive to fishing with the kiddos. Damn is it heavy though.

 

[GoatPackr]

I've got this one for sale if you are interested
2005 21' Willie Raptor

 

[Flyjunky]

No. 2 ft is plenty imo. If you're coming out west, Medford, OR has North River, Alumaweld, Willie, and Boulton. All great boat builders.

Add River Wild to that list as well.

 

[Dust Rider]

FWIW: Mean Chicken web site has been shut down.

 

[CJ AK]

So if I’m in the 20ft ball park with a v8 inboard, would 2 feet of water be considered “skinny”?

Nope, not skinny. Heavy v8 boats need a little more draft, but most sport jons advertise 3 inches of water, add the full uhmw (plastic) bottom and it provides more ability and protection

 

[Andyram_18]

I guess it depends on how much mud and sand is sucked up. If it's frequent and or long duration you may want to look at a mudmotor. If it's relatively infrequent, then I don't see it as a problem. Gravel and grass are much more damaging since the gravel will eat away your impeller and sleeve and the grass clogs everything up especially if you go in reverse. I would also look carefully at HPs. I think the power can be can be too low on anything under 20ft especially a tiller driven jet. 20' and longer you can put anything you want on it.

You know any guys that hunt with a mud motor? Rivers and upstream travel? I’m sure it’d have to be a high HP motor to get some of these places.

 

[chizelhead]

I don’t.

 

[monteman11]

Make sure you prepared to routinely shim-check and adjust the impeller (I think that is what it is called) in the unit. Sucking up sand and debris will slowly create wear and to maintain optimal performance you need to check it with feller gauges to keep it in tolerance.