Boating on the White

[Paddlefish]

I'd like to try my luck on the White this Fall. I've fished Taneycomo for the last 20 yrs and know the river well enough to know where I can run a bass boat or Toon.

My question for the White is, can I run a 18 alum V-hull with a 150hp o/b on this river? or do I need something lighter, i.e. 14-16' flat bottom with a small o/b?

[Danoinark]

I would say that boat would be overkill in the upper reaches. A typical rig is a 20 ft jon with a 9.9 to 15.

You need something that will not draw much water...Dano

[John Berry]

I would recommend a traditional White River Jon boat. They are twenty feet long and generally run fifteen horse power out board motors. This section of the river fluctuates a lot and can be quite low at times. I observed someone launch a bass boat at rim shoals a couple of years ago. He terrorized the other anglers for about thirty minutes before he hit a rock and took out his transom.

[Paddlefish]

Thanks for the info, I'll leave the bass boat at home.

I watched the In fisherman episode several times now where Gord Phizer does a segment on fishing the White River. I've seen the boats they use and it makes sense due to the varying depths in the river. In some scene's, you can actually see the river bottom.

So, looks like I'll be trailoring my John to the river this winter.

[RSBreth]

I ran around the white on a 17' aluminum tunnel hull w/ a 75 jet, but they were running 6-8 units most of that week. Gentleman who owns the boat only brought it because it was so high. During lower water it would have swamped the regular "white river slim" boats and probably got dinged a bit.

I saw a 18-19 fiberglass fish'n'ski run aground on Taney about 5 years ago. Not pretty and probably expensive!

I rent a river john when I want to run the river.