Jet boat recommendations

[tcorfey]

Thinking of getting a jet powered outboard in the 15-17' range for fishing the lower sac, feather, Yuba, lower Klamath, lower eel, etc... Any recommendations? Want to keep the price down so don't want any of those 30k and up boats. Just something me and one other maybe two other people can use to shuttle up river to swing the various sand/gravel bars. Even thought about an inflatable with an aluminum floor but that may be too wet to travel on and hp ratings are pretty low too. Want to travel at around 20-25mph up stream under average conditions and be able to run really shallow. I have a few in mind but wanted to get some feedback from others.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I would get an aluminum G3 17' CC w/Yamaha 90/65jet.

Boat, motor and trailer is $27,550.00

https://www.g3boats.com/build/2022-f...nel_jon-17_ccj

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With a Minn Kota 80# thrust 24 volt bow mounted Riptide (SW) iPilot. $2,399.00

2 good AGM 12v batteries = $400.00

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/minn...r-with-i-pilot

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With a good fish locator / GPS - Garmin, Lowrance or Hummingbird. $1,000 and up.

Get the largest screen that fits on you center console and you budget?.

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Many of us do business with Brian at Sutter Marine in Yuba City.

Right now new boat are hard to find and can be 6 months out if ordered.

[ErikB]

I would also contact Wooldridge and talk with them about their Alaskan LT. It is a more basic version of their Alaskan at a more competitive price. I had them build an Alaskan XL and they will build it exactly like you want it, not just another cookie cutter boat.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Erik has a good point here.


Wooldridge is a step above all the 0.100" thick welded aluminum Jon boats.

They are probably 0.125" to 0.160" thick aluminum and are very well made and well designed.

Wooldridge is probably very popular in OR, WA, AK and BC.

Wooldridge also pioneered the Outboard Jet tunnel which allows you to go in even shallower water that a regular V-hull jet boat.

I am going to guess that they are a little more than $27,550.00 for the hull, trailer and motor though.

Most new commers to jet boating have never even heard of Wooldridge boats because there are probably no dealers around Nor Cal.

Most all veteran jet boat angler do know of Wooldridge though.

Mike at the Eureka Fly Shop was a dealer for Wooldridge before he retired.

[tcorfey]

Thank you, I will investigate both vendors and also keep an eye on the used market.
One other question what is the differential between motor weight and horsepower, for example adding a larger hp motor adds weight which brings down the stern of the boat and can cause the jet to be closer to the bottom in shallow water, so if a motor with 30 additional hp weighs 100 lbs more is it still better to get the higher hp motor or will the weight penalty reduce your ability to run shallow? Perhaps adding pods to the rear of the boat would ease the weight penalty?

[TaylerW]

If you don’t plan to run rivers that have serious sections of heavy water (rock gardens, drops) I would look no further than a 16/54 Lowe or g3 with a 30/40 tiller. Half the fun of running a jet boat is just that, running it. After 5 seasons working in Alaska I would always go for the 16/54 as it hauled myself and two anglers just fine, ran at a pretty good speed, and with oar locks and a cooler mounted to the center was manageable to tow with 9’6” or 10’ oars. You can build this setup for under 10k, possibly by a wide margin. I find a lot of these boats for sale bare hull for 1500-3000. Typically can find used small outboards as well and buy the conversion yourself. Good luck! And if your running under power, use the kill cord and ALWAYS wear your PFD.

[tcorfey]

Thanks Taylor I will keep my eyes open. I have lots of boating experience on Lakes, oceans and rivers, but not a lot of small outboard jet experience and it's good to hear from people whom have that experience. So a 16' with a 40hp jet is sufficient to get three adults up river as long as the river is not to extreme, that's good to know.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Yes, The most common outboard jet boat around here is a 16' long by 54" wide at the bottom rear aluminum Jon boat.



Talk to Andy Guibord at Kiene's Fly Shop.

He has a nice center console (16' x 54") with a Yamaha 60/40jet he is thinking about selling to upgrade to a new 17' by 60" with a 90/65 jet.


I would go up to Sutter Marine in Yuba City and have a talk with outboard jet expert Brian.

[WLREDBAND]

I have a 17' G3 center console with a 60/40 Yami jet. With 3 adults in the boat, it hits about 25 MPH in the river. It's a great river boat and will go wherever you want. If you want space for 3 anglers fishing, I'd recommend a tiller instead of a center console, as it has more fishing space. The CC is a bit more comfortable for the driver, but it's hard to fish 3 adults at a time.
In terms of bigger heavier motor with more HP, on plane it won't make much difference in draft. It will make a difference when you're not on plane.

[tcorfey]

Thanks for all the info so far. I am gathering data quickly. Looks like a 16-17' Jon boat with a 60/40 jet is probably the best way to go for me. If I go up to an 18' I would need to go to a 90/60 jet for sure. Tunnel hull is not necessary but proper alignment of the Jet foot to the bottom of the hull is. Console versus tiller seems to involve some tradeoffs as I plan to have a set of oars for drifting or to be used as an emergency get home tool. So if I got a center console it needs to be either forward of center or aft of center to allow me to use the oars. The center console does allow you to move the battery and possibly the gas tank forward for better weight distribution and it is a convenient place for electronics and spey rod holders. I don't plan on fishing from the boat very often and if I did I would lean towards drift boat style having one angler forward and another aft with the third person on the oars. A tiller setup would probably work best for that. It is also easier to get a cover for a tiller boat and may be less likely to attract attention if it is in a parking lot.

Love hearing everyones thoughts and experience with these it really helps!