Susquehanna River Boat

[Brandon Clark]

Good Morning,

 

I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction. I'm in the process of seeking my first boat to run the Susquehanna. 90% of my time will be on the Susquehanna and the other on local lakes. I will probably have 2-3 people total at any point in time out on the boat. Here are my questions about my purchase. 

 

1. Am I correct in thinking I don't want anything smaller than a 16'?

 

2. I've narrowed down to three boats.

 

2014 Lowe Roughneck 1756 SC with a 40hp jet

 

2011 G3 1860cc 65hp jet

 

2005 G3 1652cc 30hp jet (significantly less $)

 

3. Should I be concerned about the hp output of any of the engines listed above?

 

4. Would the roughneck and the 1860 be larger boats than I would need? I fish once a week during the season. 

 

 

I sincerely appreciate any incite and I look forward to returning the favor!

 

 

 

[Turkey sandwich]

Welcome to the forum! 

 

I'm not super familiar with any of the three models and have never personally owned a jet boat, but:

For 2-3 people to stand and fish somewhat comfortably, the 18' would be much, much more comfortable. Also, you're going to lose horsepower from the engine to the jet, so the 30HP w/jetdrive might only be giving you 20hp.  20 hp isn't a whole lot of power for 3 guys and their gear in current. 

[Brandon Clark]

Thanks , I appreciate your input. 

[Gundog]

I see a ton of Lowe Roughnecks on the river up my way. Great thing about them is the raised transom. Also some roughnecks have the steering console more forward on the boat. That allows you to see more of the water ahead to avoid any debris or rocks. I admit to not knowing much about the G-3s. I agree with TS that an 18' would be better for 3 people, as well as getting a higher hp jet motor than the 30/20.

[fishnkamp]

I will try to help with some info. I lived up in Duncannon PA and ran the river for 5 years .  

First jets run much slower than you think.  The bigger boat will be much more stable.

One other thing is you never mentioned your budget. Are you looking to buy a new one or a used one?

There are several dealers that are very good at setting up jet boats in central PA.  Look at Robbins Marine, Lakeside Marine PA ( located near Harrisburg PA), Towne Marine and sometimes Big Bee Boats and RV. 

To assemble a good working jet boat forget having it look like the typical aluminum bass boat with a side console. The typical jet boat down here in MD is a stick steer panfish style boat but for decades that has not been the preference in PA. The PA boys choose a forward console model. Either way you drive the boat from up towards the front where you can see best.  The hull should not be the typical mod vee but rather be a tunnel hull!  You WILL NEED a 24 volt or 36 volt trolling motor to deal with current!

Here is a typical well setup jet boat.  This is currently available from Towne Marine. Notice the boat is a tunnel hull and has a Yamaha  90 hp outboard powerhead that prives 65 horsepower at the jet. This is a typical rig. This is a 2013 boat they want $19,995 for that boat.  I am not saying that you will have to spend that much on a used jet boat but it is setup the way you need it to be.  This is a 18 foot boat.

http://www.townemarine.com/new_vehicle_detail.asp?veh=326054&pov=4868532

 

 

[Brandon Clark]

FishnKamp, thank you, great advice! 

[fishnkamp]

If you want to check something out look up Snyder's jet boats. i knew him back in the day when he was Snyder's air boats. These are custom made jet boats. He is located in Millersburg PA.  Go talk to him and test run one of his boats. Even if they are too expensive for you spend a little time learning from Tom. He has been making river boats from scratch for over 30 years.

[fishnkamp]

I do not know if you have ever taken  a guide fishing before, but I have a friend that guides on a 24 foot jet boat. She is the only female captain in PA and her specialty is late night catfish trips. She also guides for bass as well. She actually sold me my current bass boat. She worked for Big baee Boats back in 2010.

Check out BreakLine Charters. Her name is Jaime.  Tell her Bob and Linda sent you.  By the way my wife landed a 34 1/2 pound flathead on our first trip with her!  We finished up our trip at 2:00 AM.  She runs night catfish and day bass trips.  Give her a call and you could catch a fish of a lifetime and experience the jet boat thing.  Obviously you would not be looking for an aircraft carrier like hers.