Looking For Good Parts Of Meramec To Run New Jet Boat

[Tsnert]

I just bought my first jet boat and am wondering if anybody knows of some good 6 mile or so sections I could get aquianted with the boat on. I am familiar with the meramec from a canoe perspective, and will run those parts but was just wanting some input from guys with jets. I would like to run some deeper water while I get used to the boat. I would also appreciate any tips on driving a jet besides the obvious. --Thanks

[Al Agnew]

Every section of the Meramec has its tricky places. In general, you will find the easiest running below the mouth of the Bourbeuse (there's a good ramp at the mouth of the Bourbeuse but you probably should run upstream your first few times, at least). If the flow at the Sullivan USGS gage is over 1000 cfs there are plenty of places upstream from there that are easily runnable.

I got my first jetboat about three years ago, so I well remember the learning curve. The first thing you have to remember is that you don't have much motor in the water, so whenever you make a turn at speed the boat has a tendency to slide sideways instead of turning...or slide sideways even while turning. I found it helpful to get out on a lake for a little while and practice making sharp turns, to get a feel for what the boat and motor will and won't do. It's a whole lot better to spin out in the middle of a lake than in the middle of a riffle. And you can also get a feel for how to correct for the boat sliding sideways...it's a whole lot like driving on ice and correcting by steering into the slide.

You also need to get a feel for just how shallow your boat WILL run at various speeds. I did this by trial and error. The first time I took my boat on a river it was on the Meramec about Moselle (mouth of the Bourbeuse) in fairly low water. A mile or so up the river there was a split channel, and when I took the left side I encountered a log spanning the entire river, about 5 inches under the water at the deepest. I stopped before I got to it--luckily the water was deep enough that I didn't ground out when I stopped--and looked it over, and also what the river was like above it. I figured that if I tried to run over it, the worst that could happen was that I'd bump over it and there wasn't anything else to hit above it, so I cranked it up and ran over it. Never touched it. That gave me the confidence that I could run the boat in 5 inches of water--I since have learned that 5 inches is about the minimum "safe" depth to run (by scraping gravel in water that was about that shallow later on) when I'm by myself in the boat.

And you need to practice shutting the boat down quickly AND throwing the motor into neutral. There will be times when you are forced to stop in shallow water, and you want to be able to both stop and shut down the motor so it doesn't suck gravel when it sets down. It might run in 4 or 5 inches of water, but it will draft more than that when it's not on plane, and when you first start it up again you better be in something like 18 inches of water, because it will sink down in the back where the motor is before it gets going. I've sucked a lot of gravel by trying to get started in the middle of a riffle after having to shut it down.

Another cautionary point...loading and unloading the boat off the trailer in strong current is tricky. The ramp at Meramec State Park can be a real pain when the river is up a bit, because there's a pretty strong current sweeping by the ramp and the last time I was there is dropped off way too quick and just about floated the boat, trailer, and all away.

And if you are fishing and using the trolling motor, you will have to learn how to handle the boat with the trolling motor is strong current as well.

Maybe the most dangerous obstacles are those that are found in slow water, especially in bad light or windy conditions. The worst things I've hit have been logs and rocks that come up to just under the surface in the middle of dead pools. Sometimes you just can't see them.

[Tsnert]

Every section of the Meramec has its tricky places. In general, you will find the easiest running below the mouth of the Bourbeuse (there's a good ramp at the mouth of the Bourbeuse but you probably should run upstream your first few times, at least). If the flow at the Sullivan USGS gage is over 1000 cfs there are plenty of places upstream from there that are easily runnable.

I got my first jetboat about three years ago, so I well remember the learning curve. The first thing you have to remember is that you don't have much motor in the water, so whenever you make a turn at speed the boat has a tendency to slide sideways instead of turning...or slide sideways even while turning. I found it helpful to get out on a lake for a little while and practice making sharp turns, to get a feel for what the boat and motor will and won't do. It's a whole lot better to spin out in the middle of a lake than in the middle of a riffle. And you can also get a feel for how to correct for the boat sliding sideways...it's a whole lot like driving on ice and correcting by steering into the slide.

You also need to get a feel for just how shallow your boat WILL run at various speeds. I did this by trial and error. The first time I took my boat on a river it was on the Meramec about Moselle (mouth of the Bourbeuse) in fairly low water. A mile or so up the river there was a split channel, and when I took the left side I encountered a log spanning the entire river, about 5 inches under the water at the deepest. I stopped before I got to it--luckily the water was deep enough that I didn't ground out when I stopped--and looked it over, and also what the river was like above it. I figured that if I tried to run over it, the worst that could happen was that I'd bump over it and there wasn't anything else to hit above it, so I cranked it up and ran over it. Never touched it. That gave me the confidence that I could run the boat in 5 inches of water--I since have learned that 5 inches is about the minimum "safe" depth to run (by scraping gravel in water that was about that shallow later on) when I'm by myself in the boat.

And you need to practice shutting the boat down quickly AND throwing the motor into neutral. There will be times when you are forced to stop in shallow water, and you want to be able to both stop and shut down the motor so it doesn't suck gravel when it sets down. It might run in 4 or 5 inches of water, but it will draft more than that when it's not on plane, and when you first start it up again you better be in something like 18 inches of water, because it will sink down in the back where the motor is before it gets going. I've sucked a lot of gravel by trying to get started in the middle of a riffle after having to shut it down.

Another cautionary point...loading and unloading the boat off the trailer in strong current is tricky. The ramp at Meramec State Park can be a real pain when the river is up a bit, because there's a pretty strong current sweeping by the ramp and the last time I was there is dropped off way too quick and just about floated the boat, trailer, and all away.

And if you are fishing and using the trolling motor, you will have to learn how to handle the boat with the trolling motor is strong current as well.

Maybe the most dangerous obstacles are those that are found in slow water, especially in bad light or windy conditions. The worst things I've hit have been logs and rocks that come up to just under the surface in the middle of dead pools. Sometimes you just can't see them.

Thanks a bunch Al I am going to clearwater lake this weekend to get use to the boat in open water. The area you described is very close to me so I am familiar with it. Its good to hear a realistic depth of water requierd, most people say the can run in 2-3 inches. I feel that 4-5 is more comfortable to me without having any real feel for it yet myself, but I will save those depths until I have some hours under my belt. You might already know but the campground at meramec has a boat ramp as well, its not paved but the current is no as strong there and there is usually less traffic. What type of rig do you run? Any tips for unloading and loading? Thanks again. --Tom

[Bman]

I just bought my first jet boat and am wondering if anybody knows of some good 6 mile or so sections I could get aquianted with the boat on. I am familiar with the meramec from a canoe perspective, and will run those parts but was just wanting some input from guys with jets. I would like to run some deeper water while I get used to the boat. I would also appreciate any tips on driving a jet besides the obvious. --Thanks

You got some great advise from Mr Agnew there.

I see you are in Pacific? The RT 66 State Park ramp has a good section running upstream to practice in. If the river level gets below say 2.5 ft it will get shallow (inches)in spots, like where Big River enters.

What rig do you run? have a pic? I'll look for you on the water.

Have fun with your new ride!

[Tsnert]

You got some great advise from Mr Agnew there.

I see you are in Pacific? The RT 66 State Park ramp has a good section running upstream to practice in. If the river level gets below say 2.5 ft it will get shallow (inches)in spots, like where Big River enters.

What rig do you run? have a pic? I'll look for you on the water. Generally speaking, the wider the boat the more shallow it will run. A 1756 will run more shallow than a 1752. Not to knock a 1752...my old 1752 would shoot riffles so shallow some gravel was showing. Patches.

Have fun with your new ride!

Thanks for the tip Bman, where do you guys get your information such as the flow rate and river levels? I have a 1752 xterminator with a 60/40 merc 4 stroke. Congratulations on your river pro, that is one nice boat. I saw one a few times last year between palisades and allenton. I tried to upload a pic, but it failed several times I will try agian later. Thanks again.

[Bman]

This is where I get my river level and flow rate info.

http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/?m=real&r=mo

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=07019000

[Al Agnew]

I have a 1652 Blazer with 40 Evinrude Etec, tiller steering.

You CAN run in 3 inches or so for short distances...might touch bottom but probably won't do much damage. But that isn't really enough water for the pump to work efficiently and if you have to go more than a few feet at that depth it probably won't be pretty. In other words, you will probably be okay going over a log or maybe even a rock that's only three inches deep, but I wouldn't want to try 40 feet of riffle water that depth.

Loading and unloading simply takes a bit of practice and planning. I do a lot of fishing by myself in mine in the wintertime. I have a mental checklist...rear end tie-downs off, winch clip off, drain plug in. I have about 30 feet of good rope tied to the front end of the boat, and I tie the other end of it to the trailer in front of the boat, back it down until the boat floats off when I apply the brakes firmly, very slowly pull up until the trailer is far enough out of the water that I can reach the end of the rope without getting my feet wet, pull the boat over to the shore next to the ramp, tie the rope to something so it doesn't float away, pull the trailer on out. I always carry a pair of hip boots, and if I'm using a gravel bar instead of a concrete ramp and it ends up being too shallow to float the boat off the trailer I can always get out and work it off without doing a balancing act on the trailer tongue and pushing...I have a sports hernia and don't want to do that kind of straining. A pair of hip boots is a must if fishing in cold weather, because there WILL be times when you misjudge something and run the boat aground!

Always attach the kill switch and wear the life jacket when running. It's real easy to hit something and get thrown from the boat!

[Tsnert]

I really appreciate the advice from both of you, Bman and Al. Al your trick with the rope is sounds great, I will be doing alot of solo trips and in the cold as well so I am sure it will come in handy. Bman I uploaded a pick. I will keep an eye out for your river pro (if its not just a green blur darting by!). Now if we can just get a break in the weather for a couple of weeks. Thanks again. ---Tom

[Tsnert]

Al or Bman, is the river level just simply a measurment from bottom to surface at a specific location? You will have to excuse my ignorance, but what is the river flow rate going to tell me? in other words how do you read it? is it just experience from looking at the levels and flow and then seeing what the river looks like during those times and remembering, or am I missing something? Once again thanks again.

[Al Agnew]

Once you look at the gages for a while before or after a trip, you will be able to figure out what the numbers on the water level graph signify, but you can use the flow in cfs graph even if you aren't experienced in reading the gages, as long as you use this rule of thumb--on the Meramec at Sullivan and the Gasconade at Jerome, you will probably need at least 500 cfs to make running the rivers in those areas anywhere near easy, and 700 cfs or more is better. On Big River, you need at least 400 cfs to make it even marginally runnable. Some guys can run these rivers at 250 cfs, but the margin for error is very tight at levels like that. I don't have time right now, but I'll try to start a new thread when I get time on advanced river gage reading!