Prop or Jet???!!!

[Semper Fi]

I'm planning a new boat. Will be used mostly in shallow water on the North Branch of the Susquehanna and small lakes. I have a Ranger 16 ft. with a 115 hp for bigger waters.

My question is prop or jet on the new motor. One salesman told me that I wouldn't be able to troll with a jet because of manuverability. I'm thinking 16 ft. jon boat with a fairly wide beam for stability. Maybe a 25 hp? Grizzly by Tracker?

Any thoughts, suggestions???

Semper Fi 

[billditrite]

shallow water says jet but from personal experience,a jet ski is harder to control at low rpm's makes perfect sense,however with a little practice im able it to manuever it quite well! docking is a breeze and while i dont fish from it ,i could...hope this helps a little ...good luck with your new boat!!!

[seaweed01]

Jet boat - hands down if your going to fish the North
Branch of the Susky. Iv'e had a jet for the past eight years and would never have anything else for the
river. Reason being - in the summer and fall when
the river is down or real low you are confined to fish
between the riffles with a regular motor, unless you want to pull the boat back up by hand. With a jet
it is a different story. I don't believe that there is a
riff between Sayre and Towanda that I cannot get back up over with my jet. I have a 25/18 jet and have
some friends that have the mercury 20 and 40 jets and they all like them.

[Barleydog]

Semper Fi,  I have a jet and a prop.  I use the jet in the shallow rivers here in Alaska.  I run an 18 ft. semi-V hull northwest style river boat with a 90hp Jet, which drafts about 6" of water.   Anyways, I did change it over to a prop this year, due to my lack of river  fishing.  I can tell you this!  If you go with a boat (say 18ft. flatbottom), and  you plan on weighting this boat down with gear, GO BIG!  I would not suggest any jet unit below 50 hp. when running the shallows.  The larger motor will help you get on step much quicker and maintain a better draft through the turns.  I have had my boat loaded down with lot's of wieght and had a hard time getting on step, (one moose and myself) and that's with a 90 horse!  Seaweed, are you running a smaller boat in these rivers?  That configuration of a 40 and 16 ft. sounds good.  How shallow are you running?
As for trolling, whoever told you that trolling with a jet is tough is correct!  Your troll can be done, but once you loose your nose in the currant or wind, your done!  I have trolled with my jet, on a really slow river, but its loud and hard to steer, period!  I use a 9.9 Honda 4 stroke as a kicker motor that is dropped once the jet shuts down.   

[seaweed01]

Barleydog,
I am using a 25/18 with a 14' jon-boat style. About as
shallow as I have to run is 4-5". No problem once it is
on plane. Our rivers here in NE Pa are different than
where you are. We do not have the heavy current
with the large bolders to contend with, so we are not
fighting heavy current all the time only the riffles at the head
of each pool.

[Barleydog]

Seaweed,  You are so right!  The heavy current is much harder to keep a boat in a straight line.  I had fished the Susquahanna a couple years back below the dam outside Havre de grace, but that was below a dam, BIG DIFFERENCE in flow eh!  I can't even say I have ever witnessed a 25 horse Jet up here!  Most of our rigs are HUGE!  Your rig sounds perfect for the river your fishing.  14ft. is nice and manueverable....   Fish on!

[Riverjet]

Jet hands dowm for n branch susky

[seaweed01]

I agree with you Riverjet!

[Jigwiggler]

Definatley a jet!!!!!  As for trolling I find that trolling in neutral works best.  The jet pumps all the time, even in N.  If you get in more current or wind use your high idle lever or bump it into gear.  As for your boat, pick whatever size you need for room but, stick with a FLAT bottom!!  John boats work good, the wider the better ( for stability and lift).  And for a motor, as you most likely already know a jet takes 1/3 more horsepower than a prop.  For a 16' boat I would say no less than 40 hp at the crank.  My father had a 15' 6" Fischer that he took to a local welding shop and had "widened".  It is now 62" flat across the bottom.  It looks a little different but works great!!!  He runs a Johnson 40 jet (60 hp) and it works great (3" no problem).  Don't forget you lose a lot of speed when switching to a jet also.  If you travel very far you will appreciate the bigger engine/jet.  I think the cut-off is 40 hp before you go to the bigger pump which is much more efficient so any thing above that would work good.  Good luck in your purchase.  Once you have a jet you will wonder how you ever got along without it!!

                                               Jigwiggler

[Semper Fi]

Thanks for the advise guys! Especially you Seaweed, for sharing your experience and boat configuration with me. I ordered a new Lowe Roughneck 1448M with an electric start Mercury 25/20 Jet on Monday. Next Wednesday I go in for a hernia surgery, so the waiting period will not be wasted. Sounds like fun, heh?

Semper Fi 

[Fat Boy]

SF, go with the jet definitely, for all the reasons covered above.  We've trolled with no problems out of a jet.  You'll probably find yourself on the river most of the time anyway when you take it out!

[howey1176]

I don't understand the ratios or whatever they are. Ex. 25/18, 40jet 60 hp, 25/20. What do they mean?

howey

[thedude]

a 25/20 is 25hp at the head, 20hp at the pump.

you loose roughly 25-35% of HP when converting to a jet.

[seaweed01]

Ernie,
Glad you orderd the jet. Good luck next week with the surgery. Let me know when you are back on your feet and we'll give the boat a spin.
                         Pete

[Semper Fi]

We'll do, Seaweed! Thanks again. Oh, by the way, I took your advice and ordered the motor with an electric start kit. Added around $400 to the price, but that's why I asked your advice! They don't list the jet with electric start, but do list a kit for the 25 HP. Caddie LaBar researched it for me and the Mercury people said it'll fit just ducky! Save my arm when I get a little older. 

Semper Fi