What is the bare minimum depth the average bass boat can run?

[Darth-Baiter]

Just curious. Looking for kayak only waters. 

[MN Fisher]

"An average bass boat can run at shallow depths between 24″ and 12″.

 

https://www.flatbottomboatworld.com/what-is-the-average-draft-of-a-bass-boat/

[TOXIC]

Depends on the boat size and hull type but the above info is pretty spot on.  12-24” is good for running but I need 2 1/2 - 3 feet to get back on plain if I set down.  Point being I can run a lot shallower than I can get back up in.  I can set down and fish on the tm with my motor trimmed up or raise the plate up.  If it’s a sandy bottom I might give it a shot getting back up on pad in 2ft and that’s a 21ft Ranger.  

[Darth-Baiter]

On plane in 2 feet. Is it scary?  Logs and stuff?

[Tennessee Boy]

It really depends on the boat and motor.  Some boats need less water than your Kayak.   You don't have to worry about seeing me in less than 2ft.

 

 

[J Francho]

I've been doing quite a bit of boat shopping, and draft is one of my sticking points.  Many of the boat makers don't list draft, but suffice it to say 20" is about average.  From experience, it took around 30-36" to get my 18' aluminum up on plane from a stand still, but on plane I only needed around 12-15".

[TnRiver46]

Kayak only waters??? Is that prejudice? I’ll hang up and listen to your answer........

 

on a lake you aren’t going to find water a bass boat can’t get into. A long stretch of river with no boat ramps and lots of rapids is the only place around here you can fish without bass boats, but then there’s jet boats 

 

Kristine fisher did a video recently on lake fork where she tried to get in areas where bass boats couldn’t. She got way into some backwaters and bass boats did too 

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, Darth-Baiter said:

Just curious. Looking for kayak only waters. 

Perhaps consider checking into waters that have NO Ramp

or other type of reasonable launching point.

A kayak can be simply carried in & dropped into just about anything anywhere.

Conventional bass boat, not so much.

I do a little of this myself with a Canoe.

And it's very peaceful. 

Fish Hard 

A-Jay

 

[TOXIC]

1 hour ago, Darth-Baiter said:

On plane in 2 feet. Is it scary?  Logs and stuff?

We do it all the time on st Clair but like I said it’s got to be a sand bottom.  If 2 in the boat one sits up on the deck, hydraulic jackplate up and get a rolling slow start and crank the wheel in an “S” pattern.  Works about 75% of the time.  When you do the S turn you can actually climb the boat up on the wave you create by turning.  ?

[TnRiver46]

3 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Perhaps consider checking into waters that have NO Ramp

or other type of reasonable launching point.

A kayak can be simply carried in & dropped into just about anything anywhere.

Conventional bass boat, not so much.

I do a little of this myself with a Canoe.

And it's very peaceful. 

Fish Hard 

A-Jay

 

Kayak only please. Canoes need not apply 

 

kidding of course, got a canoe in the back of my truck at home right now 

 

“sign sign, everywhere a sign”

 

[A-Jay]

2 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

We do it all the time on st Clair but like I said it’s got to be a sand bottom.  If 2 in the boat one sits up on the deck, hydraulic jackplate up and get a rolling slow start and crank the wheel in an “S” pattern.  Works about 75% of the time.  

Really ?

Sounds pretty sketchy ~ 

May not fall under that safety first headline. 

Which might be to idle all the way though the skinny stuff (in & out) 

and get on plane without the musical chair act. 

Could be a new way to find uncharted, shallow hard cover though.

A-Jay

[WRB]

When did a kayak only become a bass boat?

If a bass can swim it’s deep enough for a kayak.

Tom

[J Francho]

8 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Really ?

Sounds pretty sketchy ~ 

May not fall under that safety first headline. 

Done it several/many times.  You have to check the bottom makeup before attempting.  Typically, it's just the skeg that is in the muck around here.  I don't think I've ever tried in sand.  I suppose you run the risk of hitting something unseen, but that risk is always there.

[Michigander]

I can get my TR-21 in about a foot of water if I lift the trolling motor and manually hold it just under the surface. Huge PITA, but sometimes I decide that I will not be denied.

[A-Jay]

10 minutes ago, Michigander said:

I can get my TR-21 in about a foot of water if I lift the trolling motor and manually hold it just under the surface. Huge PITA, but sometimes I decide that I will not be denied.

I have to do this just to get into & out of many of the access point I fish from.

Especially late season.

A trolling motor prop is considerably less of a hit to the wallet than the SS prop.

?

A-Jay

[Michigander]

18 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

I have to do this just to get into & out of many of the access point I fish from.

Especially late season.

A trolling motor prop is considerably less of a hit to the wallet than the SS prop.

?

A-Jay

Oh yeah, there's some skinny launches up there!

[WRB]

Shallow draft boat like a aluminum tunnel hull with a jet drive can run in inches of water.

Standard bass boats the C.L. Of the prop shaft is 3 1/2” below the plane pad, the prop is 14” D /2= 7” add 3 1/2 = 10 1/2” when the blade tip hit the bottom, the skeg is already hitting the bottom. Trim up and you can’t plane the boat. 

The engine weight and hull displacement adds another 6” of depth or 16” your digging a hole in the bottom and pulling in mud/sand into the water pump intake the prop is churning up.

I wouldn’t consider trying to plane in water less then 3’. 

It’s your engine lower unit not mine.

Tom

[gim]

You won't catch me on plane in anything less than about 4 feet of water.  And I d**n well better KNOW its at least that deep before I get there too.

[Tennessee Boy]

About 30 years ago,  I worked my tail off to get my bass boat from the Tennessee River back into this "kayak only water".   I brought a hand saw and cut out several lay downs that were blocking the creek.   I finally got back into the open water expecting to find many bass that had never seen a lure.  Never got a bite.  Most of it was about 6 inches deep. 

[WRB]

When looking at water depth the TD is at least 6” underwater, indicates 2” when it’s 2 1/2” surface down going slow.

Tom

[TOXIC]

18 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Really ?

Sounds pretty sketchy ~ 

May not fall under that safety first headline. 

Which might be to idle all the way though the skinny stuff (in & out) 

and get on plane without the musical chair act. 

Could be a new way to find uncharted, shallow hard cover though.

A-Jay

Freaked me out the first time one of our local St Clair buddies showed us how to do it.  We do it in big and little muscamoot bays.  Depends on how low the water is but you run in and trim up as you sit down so you don’t drag too hard.  Getting back up on plane is a bit more difficult but both of those bays are prime spawning areas so it’s well worth it.  Your only other option is to idle a couple of miles out to deeper water.  There are no rocks or hard bottom and we are not running junker rigs?.  The “S” turn accomplishes 2 things.  The first being laying the boat over gives a few more inches of water and second it creates a wake that you can run the boat up on like a surfer and get more water depth and speed.  Obviously the key is getting the nose of the boat down ASAP and that’s why the #2 guy lays on the front deck.  It’s only for about 15 seconds.  In 17 years we have never damaged a prop or spun a hub.  The local guys told us in the beginning, skegs  were never meant for paint. ?

[J Francho]

2 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

skegs  were never meant for paint

LMAO, so true.  You can always tell who those guys were in the parking lot.  Part of what I liked about my SportMaster LU was that it was unpainted.