Watching videos of the guys running jet outboards on aluminum boats in rocky rivers is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Does anyone own one or have experience using one? There are places I would like to fish and a jet is the only way to get around well on them, but I don't wanna own 2 boats.

So how much of a handicap is the jet when fishing a reservoir? I know it will be slower than a similar prop outboard, but that's not an issue for me. I don't fish tournaments and current boat tops out at 32 mph and I don't even need to go that fast. I've read that they clog up at the intake around weeds and sticks, but I don't know how big an issue it would really be. Any experience?

I've had two guys in my bass club both own a Gator Boat jet. Gator Jet Boats


They are built like a tank for those Missouri and Arkansas rivers. You can take one anywhere which can be good and bad. Both of my friends damn near killed us multiple times running over stuff and getting airborne. Both of my buddies got rid of their boats after BASS made them illegal to use in their tournaments. If I got one tomorrow, it'd be a smaller boat that I could use to deer and duck hunt with and fun fish with.


ETA: Important piece of information, just like a jetski, a jet boat will only maneuver when it's under power. So, when you make a wrong turn like my buddy did and you're suddenly headed right for the bank, shutting it down and turning the wheel does NOTHING.

Roland won a BASS tournament one time using one. He, or one of his guides, found some good smallies way up a river. Had to have one to get through the shallow rocky river.

You can buy a jet gear case for yours. You’d have to change cdi units as well. Don’t ask me how much that would cost. But all in all, you wouldn’t want a jet fishing deep rivers or lakes, they suck. I’ve ran them a bunch. Top speed suffers a bunch, overall performance and maneuverability falls off sharply.

I’ll let you borrow my mud motor 🤷🏻‍♂️

Topcat, it was Roland. He had a tx coming up and got a local to put him on'em. The old fella was on the show. Nobody else used a shallow boat and Roland ran away with it. It's been done a bunch since then.

Ol Roland won a bunch of tournaments on fish he would send the guides from his marina to find before the event. He was the reason several of the BASS rules are in place today.

I have had both inboard and outboard jet boats. My dad built race boats that are used on the rivers in the Pacific Northwest. They are fine for running shallow water, with the right hull. They will run thru 6” of water on plane but still draft 2’ at idle speed. You better know how to read water and drive one before running shallow water.

If you want to watch a wild ride search YouTube for videos of closed course jet boat racing, they are using 16’ boats with 800+ hp.

I don’t own one but I see a guy in a bass tracker with a jet . I watch him in drive over rocks I know are only inches under water with 33,000 cfps rolling around him ...with out a life jacket . He can definitely get in places I cant with my outboard .

Ive been around the jets a long time. I have lots of fishing friends that have them and I have a G3 1656 CCJ. It has a 60/40 yamaha jet. 60 horse powerhead that translates to 40 hp at the jet. They are a must have for rocky rivers and that's pretty much all I fish, or use to at least. I dont fish as much as i use to.

If you get one, get the absolute highest hp engine you can afford. They aren't as efficient as a prop driven boat. 2 strokes make a little more bottom end torque, but the newer 4 strokes like mine hold their own, and they're much easier and cheaper to maintain. Overall I like the 4 stroke for day in day out use.

They do suck stuff up but usually raising the trim up will clear the clog. If you're in a rocky river you usually dont have to worry about stuff getting in there and clogging it. Outboard jets are much easier to get unclogged that an inboard jet. If you get an inboard jet you will need to install what's called a stomp grate.

I used to fish a river the past couple of summers where I caught a limit of crappie when no one else could when the water was low. I had to pass over a shoal just had 6" of water over it in order to get to the deep holes.

Someone above mentioned putting a jet foot on your boat. It may work, but here are 2 reasons why it may not. 1) If you have a prop outboard on now, your current powerhead almost certainly wont be enough to handle the jets 33% reduction in power, and still push your boat or even get it on plane. 2) A jet requires a smooth transition of water from the hull to the jet foot. Laminar flow must be achieved to keep it from ventilation or cavitation. There must be no obstructions on the hull ahead of the jet foot, and the water coming off of the hull must be flat, not at a V like would be the case in a transom with a steep deadrise. For example, lifting strakes on a prop driven boat are placed in a manner that works best for them. Jet boats have a totally different setup to avoid what I just described. Another example, if your hull is a V hull or semi V, and that V goes all the way to the transom you can forget about running a jet, unless the deadrise is very very low at the transom. Even then you will have to hang your jet foot pretty low to get laminar flow and that would create alot of drag. Mine is a semi V at the bow and transitions to a zero degree deadrise at the transom, and it also has a 2" tunnel that allows me to run the motor above the bottom of the boat, making it where the motor is not the lowest hanging thing. Most true outboard jet boats have a tunnel hull.

Thats just scratching the surface, but should give you an idea. If you want to know anything else just let me know.

Id like to build a jet Jon but it's just to much of a project right now

Thanks for all the info. I would sell the boat I have and get one that was designed for a jet if I decide to do it.

I used to fish the Hooch above West Point a lot. I could be fishing and hear a guy coming up river in his jet tin boat. It seemed like I could hear him coming for 30 mins till he got too me. It was a dog, but he could go past the shoals above Franklin and kill big spots.

Perch, I used to fish the hooch alot too. Love that place. I would fish for stripe right below morgan falls dam. That's as far up as the stripe from west point could swim. It's great for some big shoal bass too.

If you want to watch a wild ride search YouTube for videos of closed course jet boat racing, they are using 16’ boats with 800+ hp.[/quote]

Those are absolutely crazy! Hell I couldn't remember the turns.

Those are absolutely crazy! Hell I couldn't remember the turns. [/quote]
Yeah now those are something else! I'd love to drive one of those. Also check out the turbine jet races. What I'd give to drive one of those! Dont want to own one, just drive it one time

Check out tunnel hull boats. I think a tunnel hull boat, a jack plate, and that 50 you have would be an awesome setup. They will run in inches of water without the draw backs of the jet.

Now is the time to be looking. Dealerships have 18’ and 19’ models they want gone. I just got an 2018 model hull that’s never been in the water for a steal of a deal. (Like I kinda felt guilty sorta deal🤣). I put my old 2007 model motor over on it.

I had a phantom sportjon. Tunnel hulled. Got it in Alaska. It was nice and would haul a load. But, grass and leaves are not your friend. Luckily I had a stomp grate. Man I could run NE/SW ON Toledo Bend and not worry.

Also had a jet with a 351 Windsor and American turbine pump. Heck of a moose hunt rig on the AK braided rivers. Check out Compeaus in Fairbanks Alaska. The sell the Sportjons. Long way from here, but you can get a good idea of what rough use jet boats are like

Tunnel hull boat is a general term when it comes to fishing boats. In fishing boats theres a jet tunnel and a prop tunnel. Theres a hull design/class of racing boats called a tunnel hull, but I dont think that's what you're talking about. I think what you're referring to is a "prop tunnel". A prop tunnel has it's time and place and very well may work in his application. It wont work in rocky rivers or rivers that have alot of downed trees in the middle, or stumps though. If he is going to be using it in water where there isnt obstructions close to the surface then it can work.

Those phantoms are nice.

If I were getting serious about river fishing again, I'd get one of these https://rockproofboats.com/ He puts UHMW on the bottom and builds with .250 and .190 aluminum. They're pretty much bulletproof. If you hit a rock you're good. But you pay. The top of the line loaded models are in the mid 50's. I'd have to have a model with a little less options lol.

If he wants a factory inboard jet boat with a mercury sport jet, he could get a sea ark jet or something like that.