Drift boat advise
I am thinking about getting a drift boat but I have a couple of questions. (The boat is a Hyde fiberglass low side) About 60 percent of my fishing are in lakes about 20 to 50 acres by myself. Can I sit in the rear seat and putt around with my electric trolling motor or do I need the weight of some one in the front. Also I am curios if anyone even uses boats like this to fish lakes? 30 percent of my fishing is in rivers around Michigan.
thats alot of boat for one person..you might do better to checkout Kayaks,Canoes and the sort....
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"I've often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before" A.K.Best
"Wish ya great fishing"
Bill
Wish ya great fishing,Bill
It is only some times that I am out by myself. I have a canoe and a jon boat already. I will be getting rid of the jon boat.
Hey Birddog,
Boats are a hoot and a boat that is well
designed for your fishery can be a source of
joy for sure. To buy a boat that was
designed primarily to satisfy 30 percent of
my overall fishery would mean to me that the
other 70 percent would be somewhat of a
compromise situation. I think you may have
already answered your own question.*G* Play
the numbers game and gear up accordingly.
My thoughts on the matter. Warm regards, Jim
Birddog,
I fish lakes a lot and do so 90% of the time out of my drift boat (I sold my 16' Lund after fishing out of the drift boat on lakes). I rarely use my electric motor because I prefer to go to a spot double anchor and fish. BUT, when I am cruising around trying to sight fish I do use my electric and no you don't need anyone in the front. Even though they are designed for rivers they are incredibly stable and easily fished from. Depending on your anchor system you may even be able to put a prop or jet on. As well, Due to regulations and fishing techniques I am usually in the boat by myself. Here we all tend to bring our own boats.
Westslope
[This message has been edited by Westslope (edited 05 June 2005).]
You can use a trolling motor on a drift boat without any problems. I have a friend that does it all the time on his Lavro. It is no big deal for sure. And it dosen't matter if it is just you in the boat. One thing to be aware of is that you should not try and turn it real fast or you may tip it over. A drift boat has no keel and is flat so it will turn so fast you can get into trouble if you have to much power when turning it with a motor.
Another thing to check on is in some states if you put any type of motor on a boat you have to regester your boat. Just a heads up. Ron
[This message has been edited by RonMT (edited 05 June 2005).]
Jim,
I understand that every boat is a compromise if you do more than one type of fishing. The hardest part of this decision is that I have one of the best warmwater fiseries in the World about 30 minutes away.(Lake St.Clair)
Most all my fishing is in the smaller lakes by my house. I have 10 lakes withen 4 miles that have gills bass and pike. My jon boat is too small for the big water and not manuverable in the rivers. I dont see myself getting an expensive motor boat since the family is not into the boating scene. I feel like a drift boat may be close to a bass boat for the small lakes. Stabil with 2 people standing.
Jeff
Hey Birddog,
Yep, it's all a compromise, but the one
ya gotta make happy is you. If your happy
fishing the lakes out of a drift boat then
thats not a problem. I don't have any first
hand knowledge with drift boats but am quite
familiar with the dory family from which they derived. The problems I had with them
were the reduced storage and comfort
factor and the lack of initial
stability. However, when it counts, they
harden up really quickly and will take what
comes. I can relate to the larger lakes as
our home lake is 60,400 acres. But checking
the reports and favoring the windward side
usually keeps it all manageable. Good luck
with your decision and have fun. Warm
regards, Jim
Birddog,
A drift boat is a big lumbering tub for small lakes and since you already have a canoe, I cannot see the point of going to the expense.
IMHO, if you don't fish the raging rivers you are already equipped pretty well for almost everything you describe...Lake St. Clair being the exception. Its big enough to be rough on occasion but even there I wouldn't choose a drift boat. Its windage has to be horrendous and directional stability extremely poor. This may be an advantage when navigating rivers but its a disadvantage on the lakes.
I'm assuming in the above that you are not interested in skimming across the lake in a plaining hull design, burning up big bucks for fuel but cruising along in a pretty, easily driven displacement hull type of boat. This means that the transom (if any) will be quite small. No need wasting energy pulling a lot of water around with you as occurs behind a submerged flat transom.
You can always trim your boat by adding ballast. If you are alone, put a large plastic container forward as far as you can get it. Add water until the boat trims out well with you seated aft. Then secure it with rope and snap the lid on. A cubic foot of fresh water weighs 62.5 lb so you will need about three cubic feet of water to make up for a 180lb man.
Ballasting a canoe heavily amidships will make her a much better platform for fly fishing in the standing position. I knew a guy who did this all the time. I never heard of him having problems even with strong winds and big waves.
Ol' Bill
Birddog;
Glad to hear that your thinking of looking at the drift boat option for your fishing, I have recently started usinga 15'LP Clackacraft drift boat here in Iowa this year for my guide business and pleasure.
My home waters are the Des Moines river and several of the small to meduim sized lakes in the area. The boat handles the winds(which can be intimidating at best)and the waves that they generate without hesitation. I am looking at getting a 42# thrust trolling motor in the very near future for the boat, but I have found that they are really not necessary, as the Clack rows very easily with either myself or someone in the front.
Be very cautious about the model that you choose and find other flyfishermen and/or guides that have the boat you are considering, ask lots of questions and maybe even try to see if they would let you operate one (with their onboard supervision) before you make the final purchase. Above all make sure you wear your PFD at all times when you are moving the boat from place to place.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call me:
Scott
(515)298-1962
If you are coming through Iowa sometime let me know
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Hatch
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