What boats can be run on skinny water

[TheRodFather]

As the title states, I would like to get into a budget boat that can be run in skinny water.  Specifically the Susquehanna.  I talked to a guy that guides there using a "Rockproof" boat, and he tells me that anything less than a Rockproof, and even a RP can get destroyed in these waters.

Now, he runs 30-35mph and knows the river really well, I am not looking for this type of speed or mobility, just something to float down the river in.  I am fine with slowly going up river and drifting down and calling it a day.  I am open to reinforcing the hull if need be I'm a pretty handy person.  

Are there any reasonably priced options that can be used for this purpose without breaking the bank.  I'm fine with giving up speed to gain the ability to get out on this fishery.

What would your budget Susqy setup have?

TRF

[fishnkamp]

There are lots of options. Back in 1998 I moved to New Buffalo and fished that river all of the time.  Here a few options.

My first boat designed to fish there was a 15 foot jon boat with a tiller controlled Merc 9.9 Hp outboard. There was a guy located up near The Ferryboat Campground that manufactured custom engine skeg protectors.

My second boat was a used 17 foot bass boat that I installed the first jet unit that was used  on the Juniata and Susqy. I had to assemble it myself because none were available directly from any manufacturer. It was about 2 years later that Suzuki. Yamaha, Merc,  and others started selling them as a package.

You live in an area that has several good boat dealers that specialize in boats for the river. Of course the guy you spoke of makes the most expensive and capable boats but that is not needed just to catch a few fish.  There is another really good boat builder located on the other side of the river near the ferry boat landing.   

Check the inventory of the following dealers for a less expensive option. First check lakeside Marine in Harrisburg.  Second check Robbins Marine located up in Milton PA as well as  Big Bee Boats in Marysville. Here is a really cheap option

http://www.bigbeeboats.com/pre_owned_detail.asp?veh=4710131,  and http://www.bigbeeboats.com/pre_owned_detail.asp?veh=4802901     and for more money you could look at things like this  http://bccvs2n8.50belowcommerce.com/2007-tracker-grizzly-1448-l-all-welded-jon-inventory.htm?id=1020540&in-stock=1  or this http://bccvs2n8.50belowcommerce.com/2014-ranger-tournament-rt178-inventory.htm?id=1502593&in-stock=1

Lakeside over in Harrisburg has a bunch of options as well,

These are just a few ideas. If you want to discuss it more in depth let me know. You are in a great area for catching some big smallies.

 

[slonezp]

The "rock proof" hulls are plated with Teflon and the boats are extremely expensive. I'm not familiar with that body of water but have you looked into a jet drive tunnel hull?

[Way2slow]

One thing you will learn real quick, you say you don't need to run 30 mph, well, you're gonna learn, skinny water and running slow are about like trying to mix water with oil, it don't work. 

Also, jet drives or tunnels with hydraulic jack plates are come into their element.  Personally, I prefer propped motor on hydraulic jack plate in about 95% of the situations because jet drives don't maneuver that great in current at slow speeds.  However, if running a lot of rocks, they can play havoc on propped motors lower units and props, because they can get center in the tunnel and be up high enough to wipe it out.

[fishnkamp]

Here is what  most anglers in his area ran for years until jets came along. These ran fine and still do.

Almost all of the dealers up there have traditionally sold  setups like this above and now they jet setups like these below. The interesting part is in MD we use stick steer jet outboard powered boats like Tracker Panfish specials. In Pa no one wants them. The boat of choice is a tunnel hull boat with the forward center console.  if you notice the center console is pushed all the way up to the front deck.  The river conditions on the upper potomac are almost the same as the Susquehanna river, but the boaters have two totally different preferences.  Either way you can easily get around up there.  Linda, my wife, and I fished up there for about 6 years, till we moved back to MD.

The area we fished extended from north of Harrisburg, as far as Milton and Sunbury, and as far south as Conowingo Dam.  There are plenty of usable launches that the state and counties have provided that these boats can use. Sometimes a tilt trailer is an advantage to have.  These stretches af river all include shallow riffles, both shallow and deep rock ledges, grass surrounded islands and plenty of fish.  

 

[TheRodFather]

 

2 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

Thank you so much for the replies gentlemen.  I am completely ignorant of boats and related gear, so bear with me, if I ask a lot of questions it's because I want to understand the hows and whys, not to contradict your advice.

Fisnkamp, in the picture you posted of the outboard prop with the wire guard on it, what happens if the boat slides over a rock and hits the motor?  Does it swing up to avoid damage?  Would it swing up while running and drifting?

Based on the design of boats like the RockProof, the bottom of the hull is protected by extra bracing on the inside (which I could do with a jon), and covered with UHMW plastic sheeting (which I can buy by the sheet).  

So I think I could build a hull that would withstand some impacts, but the motor would be my next concern.

 

 

 

 

 

Or do I even need to worry about all that.......

5 hours ago, slonezp said:

The "rock proof" hulls are plated with Teflon and the boats are extremely expensive. I'm not familiar with that body of water but have you looked into a jet drive tunnel hull?

I have seen them advertised, I'm still learning about whether it would be a good fit for me.

3 hours ago, Way2slow said:

One thing you will learn real quick, you say you don't need to run 30 mph, well, you're gonna learn, skinny water and running slow are about like trying to mix water with oil, it don't work. 

Also, jet drives or tunnels with hydraulic jack plates are come into their element.  Personally, I prefer propped motor on hydraulic jack plate in about 95% of the situations because jet drives don't maneuver that great in current at slow speeds.  However, if running a lot of rocks, they can play havoc on propped motors lower units and props, because they can get center in the tunnel and be up high enough to wipe it out.

Well, I suppose if I need the speed to get the boat on plane and be shallow, then I don't know the best way to accomplish that.  Just out of curiosity, lets say I had a boat that I was only going, lets say 5mph VS the same boat that was on plane, how much of the boat would be under the water in both situations?

[Catt]

Excel Boats F4 & a Gator-Tail

[Way2slow]

My son has a 20' tunnel hull flats boats we use in south Texas.  On plane running 30-40 mph he can run in 3 1/2" of water but if not on full plane, he can only run in about 6" of water,  He can float clear of the bottom in about 7" but really needs about 9" to get on plane without dragging the motor and prop on the bottom.

I have no experience with on of those swamp motors but have seen them plenty of times on Swamp People and the look bad as h**l and go trough some rough places, but don't know about rocks, I've never seen them in that situation.

[Catt]

The problem with outboard motors even jet drives is they are internally cooled which means they require a certain amount of water to cool the engine.

Surface drives are air cooled!

If it floats a surface drive will push it!

Heck it don't have to float, they'll run in mud!

If you look at the Gator-Tail's prop it's very well protected, the bottom "fin" lifts the motor up & over obstacles.

[Way2slow]

Actually, what most people don't realize is jet drives are not for shallow water.  The intake on the bottom of the hull is nothing but a huge vacuum cleaner and in shallow water it's sucking everything up for a foot or more below the intake and can either block the screen or if it small enough to go through, it eats the crap out of the screw and housing.

[TheRodFather]

1 hour ago, Way2slow said:

 

 

6 hours ago, Catt said:

Excel Boats F4 & a Gator-Tail

 

4 hours ago, Catt said:

The problem with outboard motors even jet drives is they are internally cooled which means they require a certain amount of water to cool the engine.

Surface drives are air cooled!

If it floats a surface drive will push it!

Heck it don't have to float, they'll run in mud!

If you look at the Gator-Tail's prop it's very well protected, the bottom "fin" lifts the motor up & over obstacles.

 

1 hour ago, Way2slow said:

Actually, what most people don't realize is jet drives are not for shallow water.  The intake on the bottom of the hull is nothing but a huge vacuum cleaner and in shallow water it's sucking everything up for a foot or more below the intake and can either block the screen or if it small enough to go through, it eats the crap out of the screw and housing.

 

I have seen those surface motors mentioned while looking at my options, I think they call them "mud motors".  Most things I read say that if there is vegetation that the mud motor will be better than the jet, but lacking vegetation, the jet is a better fit.  Most of the rigs up here are jets so I wouldn't think that excess vegetation is a huge problem or it wouldn't be the rig of choice.

[Catt]

37 minutes ago, TheRodFather said:

I have seen those surface motors mentioned while looking at my options, I think they call them "mud motors".  Most things I read say that if there is vegetation that the mud motor will be better than the jet, but lacking vegetation, the jet is a better fit.  Most of the rigs up here are jets so I wouldn't think that excess vegetation is a huge problem or it wouldn't be the rig of choice.

How many guys up there run a surface drive?

A surface drive will run shallower without worrying about sucking anything up!

[Scott F]

You never did say exactly what "reasonably priced" means to you. I just purchased a boat I intend to run on shallow rocky rivers. Look up Towee boats. A new, 16' reinforced fiberglass hull, that draws 4 inches of water fully loaded runs around $5,000. Trailer, motor, and other options are extra. This boat is being used by river guys in Northern Wisconsin as well as the rocky rivers in Tennesee where they are built. It was designed just for these rivers. The empty hull only weighs 250 lbs. I'm putting a 40hp Yamaha jet on mine with a Terrova trolling motor. Other guys are using prop motors, a trolling motor or they row them like a drift boat. Just something else to consider.

[TheRodFather]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

How many guys up there run a surface drive?

A surface drive will run shallower without worrying about sucking anything up!

I don't know of anyone that does, though as I said I don't know much yet .  I don't mind being the the first guy, long as it gets me out there  .

1 hour ago, Scott F said:

You never did say exactly what "reasonably priced" means to you. I just purchased a boat I intend to run on shallow rocky rivers. Look up Towee boats. A new, 16' reinforced fiberglass hull, that draws 4 inches of water fully loaded runs around $5,000. Trailer, motor, and other options are extra. This boat is being used by river guys in Northern Wisconsin as well as the rocky rivers in Tennesee where they are built. It was designed just for these rivers. The empty hull only weighs 250 lbs. I'm putting a 40hp Yamaha jet on mine with a Terrova trolling motor. Other guys are using prop motors, a trolling motor or they row them like a drift boat. Just something else to consider.

My budget is 7,500 or less, obviously the more towards the "less", the better.

[Scott F]

Used is probably the only way you'll any kind of craft you're looking for. A new 40hp jet is $6,000 by itself. Good luck on your search.

[TheRodFather]

Oh yeah, used is fine with me, I'm handy.

These hydraulic jack plates, are they supposed to be used on tunnel hulls?   Jet drive or Prop, or would either work?

 

I have no problem piecing this together with Craigslist finds that need repaired.

[Way2slow]

For your application, tunnel hulls with a hydraulic jack plate is almost a must if you will be running a propped motor.   With a tunnel hull, once up on plane, you raise the motor up a lot so it's actually running in the water column out of the tunnel.  There may only be a couple of inches for the skeg lower than the bottom of the boat.   When at low speed and off plane, you drop it back down and it greatly improves maneuverability, something you probably won't have with a jet. 

However, as mentioned, even used, I would think a boat that is really going to function well may be out of your price range.  A used boat purpose built for that situation, that's going to work really well, probably won't be cheap unless it's rather small. 

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Scott F said:

Used is probably the only way you'll any kind of craft you're looking for. A new 40hp jet is $6,000 by itself. Good luck on your search.

The surface drive is more...a lot more!

Surface drives are not blazing fast but they are almost unstoppable

[heavyduty]

Check out Reel River Adventures on FB. Owner is Chris Gorsuch. He's forgotten more about river boat setups than I will ever know. Great guy, you can reach out to him there. I'm sure he would be more than willing to share info with you......and he's from PA.

[slonezp]

 

[fishnkamp]

Take a drive up to Towne Marine in Bloomsburg. There are two boats worth looking at.  

and

[BaitMonkey1984]

1 hour ago, slonezp said:

 

That was one of the coolest videos I have seen in quite some time. What is the engine setup on that? And out of curiosity was the alarm that you hear the engine overheat audible alarm ?

[TheRodFather]

2 hours ago, slonezp said:

 

Wow, I think that would do it...........what IS the setup on that boat??

[A-Jay]

Hold my beer ~

 

A-Jay

[Gundog]

26 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Hold my beer ~

 

A-Jay

I'm fairly certain that its just cosmetic damage. It should just buff right out.