Drift Boats

[Lancer09]

For those of you that have them, did you buy them new or used? I'm looking into used ones, solely for price reasons however I really like the look of the boats that Stealth Craft puts out for the price, especially their 13 or 14 foot models.

I've never fished one so what are some of the things that you guys look for in a boat for the ozarks area? Would a 13 or 14 foot boat work for floating the tailwaters and rivers around here that are big enough to do so?

When searching for used boats I can't seem to find a place that really has a bunch of listings, other than craigslist, do you know of any good used boat websites?

I mentioned stealthcraft and I REALLY like the design and layouts of their boats, does anyone have any experience with them?

Does anyone use a motor on their boat or do you shuttle every time? If (it's more a matter of when) I get a boat I don't know that i'll always have another person with me or use a shuttle, do motors really work out ok on drift boats?

Thanks for any questions any one can answer, I'm trying to get the skinny on brands, models, and sizes so I can really figure out what I should be looking for.

[Ozark Sweetwater]

I'll try and answer your questions one at a time.

New or Used? If money was no object, I would buy new but you will save several thousand dollars buying a used boat. I have bought used and I've bought new. I have been happy with both. I have always owned Clackacraft. Clackacraft sells used boats that have had the hull and the chines redone, new trailer,new oars,anchor rope, and anchor. They come with a 100 year guarantee on the hull. Most of these are guide trade ins and you will save approx $2500-$3500 bucks over a new boat. I believe Hyde has a similar deal but I'm not sure about the other companies.

Length? I would not buy one that is less than 15ft. A 12-13ft boat is only good for a rower and one fisherman and not a lot of gear. It would work but in my opinion you would regret buying a 12ft boat. On the other hand, I would not get one over 16ft for anywhere other than the Pacific Northwest or Alaska. With a 16ft boat there is plenty of room for 2 fisherman and an oarsmen or 2 guys and a bunch of gear.

Usage in the Ozarks? There are plenty of rivers around that you can float a drifter on. NFOW, 11 Point, Niangua, James, Meramec, Current, Osage, White, Norfork, Taney, Gasconade, Big Piney just to name a few. Is it the ideal watercraft for all Ozark waters? No but in my opinion there is no perfect boat for all water.

It depends on the experience you want. I prefer not having to listen to a motor, smell gas , and pay for maintenance but there are times I would like to have a motor to run back upstream or push through frogwater or escape bad weather. It's definitely a give and take situation.

Where to find a used boat? I would check with all of the different manufacturers. As I mentioned above, Clacka sells used boats with a warranty. You can check their website along with Hyde, Ro, Stealthcraft, Adipose, Hog Island,and Boulder Boat Works. I would personally only buy a used boat from the manufacturer unless you know the previous owner. It's not going to be easy to find one locally, so checking it out before you purchase it is going to be tough. Most of the manufacturers will either fix any issues or be pretty upfront with you about any issues.

Brand and Models? I know very little about Stealthcraft. I started rowing in a Clacka and I prefer the way they react and handle so I've stuck with them. They have always treated me well and gone out of their way to help me out. There is nothing wrong with any of the other brands I've mentioned, I just prefer the Clackas. They all make nice boats and for the most part the retail prices are similar. Layout of the interior is a very important thing to consider. Check out the amount of dry storage, rod storage, leg braces, rowers bench and it's adjustability, places for a cooler, cup holders, and anchor systems. Remember you are planning on spending your vacation and free time enjoying some fishing and a poorly laid out interior in your boat can ruin what is supposed to be a good time.

Motor? I personally have never run a motor on any of mine but I have friends that do. Not all driftboats can handle a motor. You will have to have a sidemount anchor system to allow room for a motor and 9.9 hp is the max. The guys that run motors typically use them to motor through dead water or make short upstream runs. Drifters plow water and won't go upstream very well in heavy current but they can be a handy thing to have. Shuttles are usually pretty easy to find around most of the Ozark streams and for the most part are pretty affordable. It's tough to fish by yourself out of a driftboat unless you anchor up or just use it to get from point a to point b.

Hopefully I've answered some of your questions. Good luck and enjoy the search. I'll PM you my number if you want to give me a call.

[Lancer09]

That is the info I was looking for.

Thank you for the recommendation on the 15 foot boat. I know I mentioned the shorter boats but I didn't know if a 15 footer could really float that many rivers around here.

That was seriously helpful.

Trigger, Thank you very much!

[Quillback]

I've never owned one, but been in a few during my time living in the Pac NW. As Trigg said, if you're fishing by yourself, they are tough to fish out of on moving water, you'll really need to beach it or anchor to fish. And when you do have someone going with you, one of you will be on the oars most of the time. So if you've got friends that are comfortable switching off you can make it work, but if not, you're not going to be able to fish much unless anchored or in slow water.

Had a friend who had a 100 lb. (or thereabouts) 36 volt trolling motor on his driftboat, batteries were under the middle seat. If I recall the motor wasn't mounted directly on the stern but on one side on the rear. It pushed the boat pretty quickly through slack or slow water. I would not recommend it for running back to the launch on a long float however. I imagine if you do a search on "trolling motor drift boat" you'll find a lot of stuff out there.

[Wayne SW/MO]

That is the info I was looking for.

Thank you for the recommendation on the 15 foot boat. I know I mentioned the shorter boats but I didn't know if a 15 footer could really float that many rivers around here.

That was seriously helpful.

Trigger, Thank you very much!

I haven't used one on the rivers here, but I have several years of experience in owning one and using on western rivers.

I can't add much to what Trigg said, but I will point out that beyond the list of rivers where they are suitable, there are many where they are probably not. You may need to be sure you can use it often enough on "your" rivers.

Length translates to capacity and draft. I don't think length would be as much a handicap on Ozark rivers as the increase in draft from using a boat too short. I ran a 17' on the John Day river in OR more times then I can count and the obstacles, while not exactly the same, required every bit as much maneuvering as on any Ozark river.

[Brian Wise]

I've never fished one so what are some of the things that you guys look for in a boat for the ozarks area?

First thing I would look for is a few buddies that want to learn how to row. If you have never fished out of one, one thing to consider is hiring a guide for a day or a half-day....see what they do in the boat because that is what you will be doing--you won't fish unless you have buddies that learn how to row with you.

I have told a few guys this before. If you are going to fish by yourself more than with other people I would put the $ you would spend on a drift boat toward a couple of trips to the Keys chasing Tarpon, or Alaska.

[Lancer09]

Thank you for the advice everyone. Thankfully I have a few people who will learn to row or not fish out of a boat.

I hadn't heard much about the adipose boats but really like their flow skiff, and a lot of the other "skiff" style boats.

The search has begun.

[duckydoty]

Jeremy Hunt has one of the new stealth craft boats and has owned another one for a few years. Hire him for a half day trip and take you out in his stealth craft to see how you like it. I have been in a few early models in Alaska. They have come a long way since then. Jeremy's boat looks sharp.

[Al Agnew]

This may get an argument from the drift boat guys, but in my opinion, using a drift boat on Ozark streams is a bit like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, unless you're a guide or have buddies that you are confident will be able to become proficient at rowing (and don't mind doing it). And even then, the rivers where the drift boat is really one of the best choices are rather limited. Most of the bigger streams are far better fished from a jetboat with a good, powerful trolling motor. Most of the smaller streams that aren't jetboatable are better fished from canoes or even smaller johnboats. Again, this is just my opinion, but I think the only rivers that are really suited to driftboats in the Ozarks are the North Fork and Eleven Point. They are big enough and at the same time fast enough. A lot of Ozark rivers have too many long, dead pools that are real pain to row, especially with a head wind.

I've seen some driftboats on the Yellowstone and other rivers in Montana that I thought would work fairly well on Ozark streams, mostly 15 footers without a lot of freeboard and not a whole lot of rocker, so they don't stick up out of the water like a weathervane on the ends. They are more like skiffs. You don't need high, pointy ends and you don't need much rocker in the Ozarks.

Now if you love the look of driftboats, check out cajuneboats.squarespace.com. This guy has been building boats at Montana Boatbuilders near Livingston for a long time...for some reason, going to the Montana Boatbuilders website takes you to some insurance company in Quebec, and I don't know whether he's still with Montana Boatbuilders or doing it on his own. But he's made some spectacularly beautiful and at the same time functioal boats. A guide friend of mine in Livingston has one and it's the prettiest boat I've ever seen.

But if I was wanting a rowing type craft and cared mostly about functionality and not looks...I think I'd get a Coleman Scanoe and set it up for rowing and figure out a standing brace and such.

[Ozark Sweetwater]

Al, you will get no argument from me. I don't think a drift boat is the best option for most of the Ozark Rivers but I enjoy fishing from them and they definitely get the job done.It may not be the most efficient way to navigate our streams but for me, it's the most enjoyable way. I do guide out of mine and many clients enjoy the experience of floating in the drifter as much as the fishing. My boat drafts 3in and it would surprise a lot of people what rivers it really does shine on. It is a more stable platform than a canoe and way more manuverable than a small jon boat. That being said, it is still not always the best option.

Regarding having a couple of friends that can row, you are ABSOLUTELY correct. All of my fishing buddies are competent oarsmen and the rule is, we switch every 15 minutes or after a landed fish. There's nothing that sucks more than owning a drift boat and never getting to fish out of it because you're stuck rowing the entire time.

I think what you are seeing on the Yellowstone are "river skiffs." I owned a Clacka Headhunter skiff and it worked great but this year I went to the 16ft LP. You can see them side by side in the pic below. The skiff worked great but I have always liked the lines of the traditional drifter plus it had some interior upgrades that made a huge difference.

Another boat you may want to check out is a Towee. www.toweemarine.com