Supreme Boat General Info Request

[Terrierman]

I mainly want the jet to avoid the need for shuttles on other rivers here in Missouri. The tohatsu 40/25 will get a hard look. So will other used 2 strokes. 4 stroke motors are too heavy.

[Ham]

Jets struggle with grass and leaves in fall are miserable as well. The jet struggles to pull a boat off the trailer and you MUST be under power to have steerage. you have to hit the trailer running to be able to steer which was hard for me to get used to.

BUT you CAN run a jet where prop motors simply CAN NOT go. The jet does better with lower flows and the props shine when they are running plenty of water.

I've never been on The Little Red so I can't speak to that. I can tell you that I can run on plane in 6 inches or so of water. I'm a lot more comfortable doing that over gravel that large rocks.

10 or 20 HP is plenty for a prop and. 40/25 would be awesome in a jet. I'm running a little 20/14 HP on my 42 inch hull.

[LittleRedFisherman]

I had the same experience on the Little Red in last Dec. They were running two units and stirred up the trash and grass, my jet gave me fits. That being said, that occasional downside does not deter me from loving my jet. The shallow water operation far outways the minuses. When on the Eleven Point and Current, I've never had any troubles!

[onemgepi]

Good info, thank you!

[CartneyAccess]

With my 20 merc trimmed up a little I can maintain forward motion and steerage in a little over ankle deep water. The question is are you going to bash your boat on the rocks, if you are get a jet. If your going to be a little more carefull a prop will be fine. I paid about 3200 for a 2013 Merc 20hp and it's a fine motor. A yamaha 20 was about 3500. I bought the Merc but if I had it to do over I would have bought the Yammer. My L48 20hp with me and light load will hit 22mph on the lake.

[onemgepi]

And the smallest jet you can get is in the 40/30 range?

[rps]

I had a Mercury 15 with prop. It worked well for me. The advice on drag chains is excellent. Always have a spre prop in your boat and another in your truck.

[onemgepi]

No I am never in a hurry, nice and slow is the way to go. I work a fast pace high stress job, when I am not there I enjoy the opposite.

The only reason I think a jet would be useful to me is in low water situations that I am accustomed to fishing now.

I considered booking a guide for a day to take me out and I can learn his boat handling skills and some "high water" fishing techniques, since As a wade fisher I have always stayed away when the water is up.

[Ham]

Hiring a guide would be a great way to put yourself further along the learning curve. I would strongly suggest that you discuss what you want for the day before hand with the guide BEFORE you hire them. If you want to learn about live and natural baits, there are guides that are very good at that. If you want to learn about high water fly fishing, there are guides good at that. I know there are guides that specialize in jigs and hard baits.

A trip with a guide would be great, but then time on the water by on your own will be key.

[grizwilson]

And the smallest jet you can get is in the 40/30 range?\

The smallest new 2 stroke I am aware of would be the Evinrude E-tec at 25/20, a Buddy runs one and it is a fine motor, much smaller and lighter than the 4 strokes. Wish I was closer to you, so I could take you out with both. One of the places I had trouble with one March was putting in at the swinging bridge on 110 and going up, the jet was great on the thin water but a nightmare sucking the coontail in the large holes. I run my jet 95% of the time, but on the Little Red 0.