River boat hunting strategies

[2ski]

Hey everyone,

I recently bought a river boat and looking to plan some huts this fall on some of the local rivers. I am wondering what everyone’s strategy is when hunting large rivers.

Is it best to cruise the river until you see some good sign/trails to the river and then set up a camp close by and just boat in the dark to that area and start hunting it?

Or is best to run rivers like a backpacks type and just have a spike camp essentially and move lots? I have a large outfitters tent and some ultralight sheep hunting tents so I can do a few options.

I will be mainly going after elk and do have a moose tag also.

Thanks


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Well...how did you do this year off the boat?

 

[Andyram_18]

Current boat is a Wooldridge Alaskan II. 20’ with a 225 Optimax outboard jet and a Yamaha 9.9 kicker. I have abused it. Rode it hard and put it away wet. It has proven to be a great fishing, hunting and family boat.
View attachment 646393

That thing is sweet! How do those outboard jets do? How skinny can you run once on plane? How quick does it plane?

 

[Dust Rider]

That thing is sweet! How do those outboard jets do? How skinny can you run once on plane? How quick does it plane?

OB jets do ok. Depends on the boat and motor. They can go as skinny as you dare . This 20’ is a little portly and I’m getting old, so I limit depth to 8” +/-
It will jump on step fairly quick, my guess is two or three boat lengths to plane at 4800’ elevation.

 

[Andyram_18]

OB jets do ok. Depends on the boat and motor. They can go as skinny as you dare . This 20’ is a little portly and I’m getting old, so I limit depth to 8” +/-
It will jump on step fairly quick, my guess is two or three boat lengths to plane at 4800’ elevation.

Nice! I’m looking to start exploring some of Idaho and Montana rivers. I really wamt to go ride with some of the jet boat guys to see how they do it! any advice on figuring which rivers and which sections of River are runnable?

 

[Fatcamp]

I sold our Lowe 1848 this Fall and replaced it with an Xpress 1756. Bought a 40hp Mercury 2 stroke that needs a powerhead rebuild. Gonna be a cool boat.


It doesn't really have anything to do with this conversation but I'm sick and isolated in my bedroom, and you guys are talking about boats.

 

[idahodave]

My 1756 Alweld Roughneck with a 90/65 Honda Jet. It’s simply badazz….and leads to SO many adventures. A life without a boat is like a life without a dog…incomplete.

 

[dallen]

I have both and have run both for a lot of years. In shallow hard bottomed rivers and creeks, a jet boat is the way to go. I’ve run mud motors in those conditions and it does ok until you start hitting bottom and it kicks up on you,You lose momentum and if it’s still shallow, your pushing a boat. In muddy/soft bottom and vegetation the mud motor wins hands down. If your predominately running gravel/rock bottom shallow water, get a jet.

Maintenance wise, I don’t think either are more or less difficult. A mud motor is much easier to tear down and rebuild as it just has less stuff.Im on my second mm and am running an EFI model. The first one was a black death 4500 that I put around 1800-2000 hours on it. Jet boats will wear down impellers running sand and gravel and mm will wear out props if running those same conditions (sand will eat a mm prop amazingly fast).

as others have said……two different motors for different conditions.

Run the big boat in larger rivers, but can still run shallow, the yamaha jet is the one I run most when it gets skinny and shallow. The mm is used for everything in between where I have a soft bottom.

 

[Fatcamp]

View attachment 646535
My 1756 Alweld Roughneck with a 90/65 Honda Jet. It’s simply badazz….and leads to SO many adventures. A life without a boat is like a life without a dog…incomplete.View attachment 646536View attachment 646537View attachment 646539

That is about perfect. Very nice!

 

[Andyram_18]

I just sold my 1851 Excel..l upgraded to a 1754 with pods. Running a 40 HDR with an OB Design Turbo, .308 cam, heads, rocker rollers… ya know. Stuff you get off amazon.
I will have to get some good photos of the new boat once I get all the turf and stuff done!

 

[Andyram_18]

View attachment 646535
My 1756 Alweld Roughneck with a 90/65 Honda Jet. It’s simply badazz….and leads to SO many adventures. A life without a boat is like a life without a dog…incomplete.View attachment 646536View attachment 646537View attachment 646539

Love it! Need to move closer to some rivers I can actually run! One day!

 

[idahodave]

Adding pods to off-set the loss of flotation from the tunnel hull and the weight of the Honda..

 

[Fatcamp]

I just sold my 1851 Excel..l upgraded to a 1754 with pods. Running a 40 HDR with an OB Design Turbo, .308 cam, heads, rocker rollers… ya know. Stuff you get off amazon.
I will have to get some good photos of the new boat once I get all the turf and stuff done!

I installed pods on our last boats, haven't decided on the new one yet.

The thing floated in nothing and jumped right on plane, so I'm thinking I probably will.

 

[idahodave]

I can be on plane in about a boat and a half length and run in about 4-6” of water.…don‘t come off plane though!

Dave

 

[Andyram_18]

Adding pods to View attachment 646542off-set the loss of flotation from the tunnel hull and the weight of the Honda..

You ever Do any River camps and hunt?

 

[Andyram_18]

View attachment 646532

View attachment 646534

I sold our Lowe 1848 this Fall and replaced it with an Xpress 1756. Bought a 40hp Mercury 2 stroke that needs a powerhead rebuild. Gonna be a cool boat.


It doesn't really have anything to do with this conversation but I'm sick and isolated in my bedroom, and you guys are talking about boats.

You ever do any River camps and hunt?

 

[idahodave]

I havent with this boat, but I did with my 1652 Alweld.

dave

 

[Andyram_18]

Adding pods to View attachment 646542off-set the loss of flotation from the tunnel hull and the weight of the Honda..

Curious, we always wanted to know what it costs to add pods. What did it cost you? Or did you DIY?

 

[idahodave]

My good buddies did it for me. Generally though, you’re looking at about $600 in my experience.

dave

 

[Fatcamp]

You ever do any River camps and hunt?

No, but it's on my short list. It was one of the reasons for changing boats. That Lowe was an awesome boat, but flat bottom and 15" transom. Not something I would want loaded in cold water.

New boat should open up some areas for us.

I have bowfished and camped, it's a great time!

 

[Andyram_18]

My good buddies did it for me. Generally though, you’re looking at about $600 in my experience.

dave

Oh that’s not bad. I thought it’d be closer to 1500.., but down here in SLC seems like we pay Cali prices for stuff