Your Ideal Alaskan Boat

[Rich M]

85 yo dad w big redfish - blurred photo and reversed background. You can see the spot lock on there. We put a deck between the split bench and the one forward.

I've had it out in 4-6s and question my sanity but they only give us a 1-day red snapper season and well, my fav fish. Trim the bow up and go slow. It can handle water that will rattle yer bones. As with any rivetted boat - try not to slap it too much, keep the rivets tight.

We chose the SSV-18 after seeing how much the AK folks and lodges use the SSV-16 and SSV-18s. The 60 hp is a tiller. Supposed to be my retirement boat - little bit of everything from inshore rivers to offshore reefs.

The boat does the same with 4 200#+ folks in it as it does with just me - planes easy, cruises at 16-20 mph without any strain and is pretty easy on the gas. A 50 hp would be fine. Top end would be about 30 mph with 4 bladed prop. We run a mid-type prop. Get up on plane slower and maintain it more easily vs a 3 blade with speed in mind.

They may have some better options in AK. I don't like the weight of the open boats with full floor. But that's me. If I could get a 20 ft version of the SSV-18 with bellybutton deep sides, I would in a heartbeat.

 

[Amos Keeto]

Ideal? Guess that is a matter of semantics!
If you end up in a "fishing village", just wait until you get up there.
As I understand it, there's a pretty good chance there will be a fair to middling "used" market or folks willing to part with what they have.
Do your research. If you're good with your hands, buy something you can customize into something you want!.

If I were moving to Alaska, my #1 goal would be Kodiak.
Second, any "fishing" village.
My ideal boat would have a heated "cabin". Size at least 20 foot.

 

[z987k]

the first thing you will have to decide is if you want to be able to run the kenai or not. 50 hp motors or less, unless you are below warran armes bridge dip netting. I enjoy the kenai, but we typically just shore fish and now days we rent a house on one of the rivers down there and fish off the docks for our reds. thats why we ended up getting an ocean boat. Atleast for us, the ocean boat opens up alot more opportunities for the things we enjoyView attachment 819956.View attachment 819957View attachment 819959View attachment 819960

Those shrimp are the best eating animal in the state.

 

[z987k]

The type of fishing you’re describing is my favorite. I miss it dearly. Fishing walleye/pike/bass using light tackle and your boat to work structure or a shoreline and casting gear or pulling light gear suspended or on bottom. There is nothing here that translates to walleye/bass and slim options for good pike fishing. The only place I’ve seen the type of boat you currently have is big lake.

It would be worth hauling up a jet tiller in the 25-35 hp range if you can find one on a steep lower 48 discount. Then put it on an inflatable or hard bottom while you experiment with what you want. As others said, Kenai has a 50 hp restriction and no 2-stroke engines. If I lived in the Kenai, I’d have an inflatable Zodiak to use on rivers and ocean trips and then you can find plenty of decent drift boats or self bailing rafts for under $3k to add.

I've not really fished for pike in the L48, but there's a LOT of pike in southcentral and no limits. I find them pretty fun to fish for. If you can get into any of the lakes just west of the little su, it's insane the amount of pike you can pull out in an afternoon.

 

[bigbassfish]

Wow, great feedback! I've enjoyed looking at everyone's pictures and setups.

Nothing about our move is set in stone, except for the fact that we have our sights set on moving. It's sounds like the our best bet is to just get up there and hang out all you roksliders looking for a fishing buddy. In all seriousness, it has been very helpful just hearing some local experience as to what styles are common where, and for what. KP has been appealing due to the milder climate, and variety of things to do, but hunting would likely be our first and foremost priority. Moose, bear, ducks, and I love a western style freestone river, so smaller water fly fishing is what i know best.

+1 for the added thought of resale value, would likely get significantly more for the bass boat in the south, buying some sort of jet outboard to take up and then finding a hull that suits our needs up North is sounding better and better.

 

[bigbassfish]

This ^ really needs to be emphasized.

I bought a 1860 g3 outfitter w/ a console and a 30hp when I first moved here. Great boat, loved it but I couldn't do a lot of the things I wanted because of how it was set up. Last year I sold it and bought another 1860 g3 outfitter but this time a 50hp tiller w/ hydraulic jack plate. The issue with my first boat is it was very tough to drift for trout and cast to silver's when I was alone and I couldn't run that late into the season for waterfowl once it started getting cold. With my new boat I can fish all summer and fall, and run well into November for waterfowl hunting and trout fishing. I'm also still looking to get another boat to get into some other restricted areas that I can't take my g3. Like stated earlier, there is no perfect boat up here. Every area has a preferred style and set up and each body of water has specific regulations on what is legal to use.

Also, there are lots of boat that get put up for sale every summer that are set up for the area. If you do move, sell your boat and just buy used up here.

What makes the new 1860 better for drifting solo and the colder weather? I would've thought having a console to hide behind in the wind would be a bonus when it gets cold.

 

[diamond10x]

What makes the new 1860 better for drifting solo and the colder weather? I would've thought having a console to hide behind in the wind would be a bonus when it gets cold.

When the temp drops so does the water level and my jackplate helps me run quite a bit shallower than without, which allows me to use it longer through the season.

If fishing alone for silvers or drifting for trout, it's almost impossible to steer and throttle the boat while also trying to cast or retrieve a rod and reel. A tiller drive makes it much more doable only having to use one hand for steering and throttle instead of two.

 

[Clarktar]

Minimum of two boats with power and two boats manual power.

 

[Catchfish]

You would be hard to beat a Lund for the everything boat if you are limited to only one. Peninsula living you will want to stay at 50 and 4 stroke for the river use. Another choice would be a Hewescraft with a windshield, and soft top. Keep it powered with a 50 It’s not best for the river but you are legal out of it, kings are closed so not back trolling in river as much. A 50 horse is not the best for any saltwater out of Homer and Seward but you can pick weather days and still get out just fine. You would want to get some experience before doing that though.


I run 3 boats a commercial welded skiff 21’ with a 90 2 stroke offshore.
18’ 50 hp, console welded flat bottom. 16’ skinny riveted jon with an air cooled motor for duckhunting.