Opinions On A Jet Boat

[Smalliefreak]

Alright, I thought I would jump in to the forum with this one.I already have a deep V, so I don't need opnions on boats with a prop.I don't know what I did right this weekend but the wife gave me the ok on buying a jet boat.So that beeing said I need your opinions and ideas on jets. I am currently looking at four different jet units 1) An Alweld 1754 nice front and back deck with a 60/40 Yamaha four stroke, completely flat bottom to the hull. 2) A Legend SS 17 foot with a 90 evinrude etec, this hull has a slight modified V, also with nice decks and good options. 3) We also looked at a boat I had never seen before an Excel 1752 shallow water with triple reverse chine hull, it has a camo paint job with a Yamaha 60/40.the more I have researched this hull the more I like it. 4) a Riverpro made here in Desoto, very cool boat with a little v to it and a bigger motor with bigger price tag.

should I be considering bigger outboards for the Alweld and the

Excel????

Need some opinions and ideas...thank you in advance.....I would like to fish the upper Meramec and the Gasconade with wife and kid

[Mitch f]

I run an Xpress 1650 with a 60/40 Merc 2 stroke, it seems to be a perfect fit for the Meramec. I think you need a pretty wide flat hull to get across some of those shallow shoals. A thinner hull may maneuver better than a wide hull but it can't run as shallow....pick your poison.

[Al Agnew]

On the streams you're talking about, I don't see the need for anything faster and more powerful than the ones you are looking at with the 60/40 HP. Mine is a 1652 with 40 HP Evinrude Etec and I'm perfectly happy with it...will run fast enough with three people, and PLENTY fast and shallow enough with two people, and it will get up on plane quickly.

Those Riverpro boats are beautiful pieces of craftmanship and well worth the hefty price tag, but certainly not necessary for fishing Ozark streams.

[Smalliefreak]

awsome!!! thank you Al & Mitch so a 60/40 on a 17 foot will be alright with three people in the boat???? I'm leaning towards the Alweld or the Excel, I just want to be able to take the wife and kid.Alot of time it will be me and a buddy fishing.Are both of yours a completely flat hulls???

[gotmuddy]

you will find that on ozark rivers jet boats have completely flat bottoms and are very wide. I have a 18x36 riverboat that I want to make into a jet boat for the buffalo because there are lots of places where the river gets narrow.

IMO you should take them all for test drives to see what you like.

[Kicknbass]

What will be your home Jet boat water. I think that means a lot.

[Al Agnew]

you will find that on ozark rivers jet boats have completely flat bottoms and are very wide. I have a 18x36 riverboat that I want to make into a jet boat for the buffalo because there are lots of places where the river gets narrow.

IMO you should take them all for test drives to see what you like.

Gotmuddy, I was under the impression that outboards on the Buffalo are limited to 10 horsepower...am I wrong? I've heard off and on about people running up from the White with jetboats, but is it really legal to do so? (In my opinion, if it is it shouldn't be!) I don't think jet drives that only produce 10 horsepower exist.

[flytyer57]

Gotmuddy, I was under the impression that outboards on the Buffalo are limited to 10 horsepower...am I wrong? I've heard off and on about people running up from the White with jetboats, but is it really legal to do so? (In my opinion, if it is it shouldn't be!) I don't think jet drives that only produce 10 horsepower exist.

There is a restriction to outboards being 10hp or less on the Buffalo.

I wouldn't want to be the one getting caught.

[gotmuddy]

Gotmuddy, I was under the impression that outboards on the Buffalo are limited to 10 horsepower...am I wrong? I've heard off and on about people running up from the White with jetboats, but is it really legal to do so? (In my opinion, if it is it shouldn't be!) I don't think jet drives that only produce 10 horsepower exist.

your absolutely right, they do not exist at the moment. I plan to build or modify one to fit my 9.9 and then boost my power to 15hp. with the 40% loss of power with a jet unit I will be looking at less than 10hp. That is the goal anyways. IMO the hp restriction on the buffalo is useless. Only a fool would run a boat at high speeds on that river.

BTW it is not uncommon to see game wardens with 60hp jets flying up the river

[Al Agnew]

If you can make a 15 hp jet work, you'll be the first. 25 hp seems to be the lower limit of jet pumps, below that you just don't get enough power to plane a boat.

I saw a couple of Game and Fish people the last time I floated the lower end of the Buffalo...it was dead low water in early November, and they were dragging their big boat up those nasty bedrock shoals about a mile above the White. Had a jet engine on the boat but it wasn't working for them!