Please, explain your jet setup at the transom. It looked like your motor was high up off the bottom of the boat. Please also describe that angle aluminum and UHMW?
Sorry for the slow response. The jet has to be mounted so that when trimmed all the way down the front of the intake is slightly above the bottom of the boat. Varies from hull to hull. On these boats we have to go a little higher. The aluminum UHMW or UHMV plate is to help prevent spray from the front of the intake as well as helping drect more water into the intake.
Hey Alvin, im Mark. I just happened across your site, love your work! I’m one of the few who uses 10’ cataract oars on a 20’ sled. Works wonderful for drift hunting & fishing in Alaska. I’m retired from guiding in Alaska, after 27 years up north, and moving to southeast Missouri by my relatives. So I just sold boat # 24 and getting ready to buy/order boat # 25. This will be my last boat, I’m nearing 70 years old. I want to fish smallmouth bass on the southern Missouri rivers. Trying to decide between 1872 SeaArk with a 90/65 Tiller or a Black River 1652 with a 60/40 Merc Tiller. The SeaArk is a jet tunnel and the Black River is 6 degrees deadrise with a jet pad of .125. Any thoughts? The price if I put the SeaArk together myself is pretty close? Thanks Alvin, keep up the good work!!
Hello Alvin, Thank you for all of the information you share with us. I would be interested in how you attach your oars. What oars you use, how you set them up. Thank you.
@@AlvinDedeauxFlyFishing Can you please help me find your answer to this question? I contacted the boat manufacturer asking if they sell the oarlocks and cradles to Washingtonians!
Obviously you know a lot about jet motors, so I'm hoping you can help me. I got in some grass that clogged up my shoe. I stopped right away and cleaned it out, but I noticed considerably less power. I took the shoe off and checked the impeller area and there was no debris in there. Is it possible that the grass got sucked up further into the motor and has something clogged up?
Did you check the outlet? Sometimes you can get a rock or stick stuck in the outlet and that will decrease the water coming out of the jet nozzle. Sometimes you will also notice the engine wanting to pull to one side or the exhaust will sound different. Might need to get a flashlight and have a look inside. Hopefully that helps.
@@AlvinDedeauxFlyFishing Thanks for the quick reply. I just looked in the outlet, and it's clean as a whistle. Can debris find its way into the water pump and mess it up?
I live right near the Hiwassee in TN. Jet drives ability to handle rock shallow shoals is great. But like your advice with the oars, I’ve only got a 1436 Jon, what we be a good size oar to handle it. Using basic 5’ paddles is a joke at best. Makes me look bad in front of my daughters🤦🏻♂️
I’m building a micro skiff with my dad should I put a jet on it? I’m going to use it in the shallow flats of port a is it worth it? Or will a prop and flat bottom do the job?
Those are great, but they have to be custom built or bought for $$$. Also if you get the intake clogged you have to get under the boat to un clog. With the outboard jet you just tilt the engine up and clear the grates and keep going. Check out Rockfish Boats www.rockfishboats.com/. Very cool boats based around jet ski engines. Last I checked they were getting around $50k for them.
Whats your experience with the reliability or lack of between a jet powered and traditional prop if any? Do the jet motors have issues with heavily grassed areas? Thanks
The jet is terrible if there are lots of weeds. I think the jet requires more regular maintenance, but because it only has one bearing and is really simple the maintenance is pretty easy.
I want to see how you rig up your jet boat for fly fishing, always want to see how others do there's. I got a short video on my jet boat set up and would love your thoughts. Plus, 2 vs 4 stroke outboard for the river.
Alvin, I've got some in-laws that live on the water in Palacios on Matagorda bay. Can you speak to any limitations of your setup for bay fishing? Any concerns about oyster beds (prolific in Matagorda near palacios)? Appreciate what you do for fly fishing in Texas, man. Cheers.
No problem with oysters. Weeds are more of an issue. The other thing is that you need a bit more water to get on plane. Once you get going it runs super shallow.
@@AlvinDedeauxFlyFishing I saw you filing on that screw. Show how to lube the bearing and swap shims. That would be a good one. Best thing is to try to blast off and come off step in deep water or on heavy cobble.
I know sonny’s in POC said to carry a slide hammer with a hook bent in the end in case oyster fragments stop the impeller. You reach thru the jet tube while in neutral and free the impeller that way.
I'm running a surface drive motor and love it, similar to a jet motor but it's heavier and more expensive. Sometimes I wonder if I should have gone jet boat but hey it is what it is. It's been way tougher than my last outboard
Yeah that's one of the main differences. You lose about 30% of your power. That's why you will see people refer to their jet outboards by 2 numbers. Like 40/30 or 60/40. The first number is the horsepower with a prop and the second number is the horsepower with the jet.
Do you need to reinforce a transom for a jet since they use a higher horsepower powerhead to get the desired equivalent horsepower rating? I'm looking at buying my dad's 16' jon boat that has a propped Mercury 25 2 stroke. I would like to get a 25ish horsepower jet for it too so I can swap motors to run on rivers or shallow areas of the coast.
@@AlvinDedeauxFlyFishing oh what I meant is Mercury and other brands use the 40 horsepower powerhead to get a 25 horsepower jet. I didn't know if the extra weight out the outboard required you to reinforce the transom.
Yeah that's what I meant as well. So if your boat is rated for less than 40 HP l wouldn't put a jet on it. I have seen a few smaller engines with jets on them, but they are hard to find and don't put out much power.
A dealership is telling me that a 60/40 jet will push a 16 foot havoc river rat side console 32 mph. What’s yals opinion on that? Seems to good to be true.
Pretty much depends on how much the hull weighs and how much weight you put in the boat. With a light hull, one person and not a lot of gear in it that's possible for sure.
I have a question about mounting height of my jet outboard. I have a war Eagle 1652 with a 20hp mercury jet outboard. I have to use a jack plate which puts my motor an additional 4 inches off the bank of the transom. I'm also installing a jet doctor whale tail. Any help with motor height from the bottom of the boat would be incredible
Man that's the million dollar question. Different on every boat. If you have the jack plate it should be easier, but 1/4 of an inch can make all the difference.
Would a 200hp outboard give an advantage over a 150hp? Ive heard some guys say anything past a 150 may not be worth it due to the amount of water you can move through the jet pump. What are your thoughts on this?
It’s all about how much water you can move thru the pump, it can only move so much. After 150hp you run into your power to weight ratio and that extra 50hp isn’t going to make a faster engine.
Hey Alvin, how much water is required for put in and take out with the Hog Island? I'm on the upper Brazos and the ramps and access points I have access to are very shallow and/or not really ramps (just river gravel banks).
Depends on the trailer you use and the angle of the bank. With most trailers you are going to have to get deep enough to float the boat off or have a steep enough angle for the boat to slide off. With a trailer designed for dry launching you would only need a foot or so, whatever it takes for the boat to float. Same for loading.
@@AlvinDedeauxFlyFishing all good, with outboard jet in California being slow to produce and engines hard to come by I got all the time in the world I’m afraid.
Don't know exact numbers, but it's worse with the jet. We run 50/35 Tohotsu Jets on most of our rigs, so that's the weight and fuel consumption of a 50 HP with the performance of a 35 HP.
Outboard jet boats have opened up a lot of water for us.
Yes they have!
Been running OBJets for 20 years now. on my 3rd rig. Alweld1856 JC with a yamahammer 225 jet. love it. Good info you got too.
I need to come down, been putting off a long time. Co e see what y'all's catfishing is like on the Colorado.
Dennis Bohannan Colorado is one of the best bass fishing rivers in the state. Hard to get to too, so doesn’t get as much pressure
Please, explain your jet setup at the transom. It looked like your motor was high up off the bottom of the boat. Please also describe that angle aluminum and UHMW?
Sorry for the slow response. The jet has to be mounted so that when trimmed all the way down the front of the intake is slightly above the bottom of the boat. Varies from hull to hull. On these boats we have to go a little higher. The aluminum UHMW or UHMV plate is to help prevent spray from the front of the intake as well as helping drect more water into the intake.
Hi Alvin could you tow one of those boats/motor with a Subaru Forester
Nice breakdown! Thank you. I am curious how well it does in faster shallow water and rapids?
Works great in shallow fast water, rapids too as long as you know your line through them.
What dealer would you recommend for a Mercury 50 Hp swap to jet drive? I love fishing the Colorado, easy access & lots of cats!
Hey Alvin, im Mark. I just happened across your site, love your work! I’m one of the few who uses 10’ cataract oars on a 20’ sled. Works wonderful for drift hunting & fishing in Alaska. I’m retired from guiding in Alaska, after 27 years up north, and moving to southeast Missouri by my relatives.
So I just sold boat # 24 and getting ready to buy/order boat # 25. This will be my last boat, I’m nearing 70 years old. I want to fish smallmouth bass on the southern Missouri rivers. Trying to decide between 1872 SeaArk with a 90/65 Tiller or a Black River 1652 with a 60/40 Merc Tiller. The SeaArk is a jet tunnel and the Black River is 6 degrees deadrise with a jet pad of .125. Any thoughts? The price if I put the SeaArk together myself is pretty close?
Thanks Alvin, keep up the good work!!
Alvin, thanks for this informative video. I enjoyed it.
Glad you enjoyed it
Hello Alvin, Thank you for all of the information you share with us. I would be interested in how you attach your oars. What oars you use, how you set them up. Thank you.
I have that on my list.
@@AlvinDedeauxFlyFishing Thank you!
@@AlvinDedeauxFlyFishing Can you please help me find your answer to this question? I contacted the boat manufacturer asking if they sell the oarlocks and cradles to Washingtonians!
@@jeffdodd2879 Mine Came with the oars, locks and rests. I do know the oars are Sawyer.
"Make every river longer" Outboard Jets- San Leandro, CA
Pretty much!
Obviously you know a lot about jet motors, so I'm hoping you can help me. I got in some grass that clogged up my shoe. I stopped right away and cleaned it out, but I noticed considerably less power. I took the shoe off and checked the impeller area and there was no debris in there. Is it possible that the grass got sucked up further into the motor and has something clogged up?
Did you check the outlet? Sometimes you can get a rock or stick stuck in the outlet and that will decrease the water coming out of the jet nozzle. Sometimes you will also notice the engine wanting to pull to one side or the exhaust will sound different. Might need to get a flashlight and have a look inside. Hopefully that helps.
@@AlvinDedeauxFlyFishing Thanks for the quick reply. I just looked in the outlet, and it's clean as a whistle. Can debris find its way into the water pump and mess it up?
I live right near the Hiwassee in TN. Jet drives ability to handle rock shallow shoals is great. But like your advice with the oars, I’ve only got a 1436 Jon, what we be a good size oar to handle it. Using basic 5’ paddles is a joke at best. Makes me look bad in front of my daughters🤦🏻♂️
You can probably get away with 8 footers.
small hybred eltrc car
I’m building a micro skiff with my dad should I put a jet on it? I’m going to use it in the shallow flats of port a is it worth it? Or will a prop and flat bottom do the job?
Hey check out the new question and answer video I just posted. I answered your question there. Thanks!
Got to get me one. Opens up some many more options.
It really does.
Hey Alvin, Bonez, from NC, what about jet ski motor on Jon boat? Looking for builder.
Those are great, but they have to be custom built or bought for $$$. Also if you get the intake clogged you have to get under the boat to un clog. With the outboard jet you just tilt the engine up and clear the grates and keep going. Check out Rockfish Boats www.rockfishboats.com/. Very cool boats based around jet ski engines. Last I checked they were getting around $50k for them.
How about how the Hog Island rows vs. the driftboats/rowboats you've guided out of?
Got it on the list, thanks for the suggestion,
Whats your experience with the reliability or lack of between a jet powered and traditional prop if any? Do the jet motors have issues with heavily grassed areas?
Thanks
The jet is terrible if there are lots of weeds. I think the jet requires more regular maintenance, but because it only has one bearing and is really simple the maintenance is pretty easy.
Where on the Colorado do you fish? I’m here in Columbus
We fish from Austin down to LaGrange.
Alvin, what are your thoughts on 3 blade vs. 4 blade impeller?
I haven't tried the 4 blade. I hear it helps on larger engines, but I can't get any info on smaller engines.
Where do you get that Tahutsu motor? Great video man. I grew up along those stretches of river. 👊💪
Austin Action Marine out on Bee Caves road can get you set up.
I want to see how you rig up your jet boat for fly fishing, always want to see how others do there's. I got a short video on my jet boat set up and would love your thoughts. Plus, 2 vs 4 stroke outboard for the river.
ua-cam.com/video/uywwVhyzIpA/v-deo.html
Alvin, I've got some in-laws that live on the water in Palacios on Matagorda bay. Can you speak to any limitations of your setup for bay fishing? Any concerns about oyster beds (prolific in Matagorda near palacios)?
Appreciate what you do for fly fishing in Texas, man. Cheers.
No problem with oysters. Weeds are more of an issue. The other thing is that you need a bit more water to get on plane. Once you get going it runs super shallow.
Fine sand will also ream your cone something fierce (and impeller if it isn't stainless)
@@anisenkrill6179 Yeah we deal with that on our river as well. Been thinking about doing a video on jet pump maintenance.
@@AlvinDedeauxFlyFishing I saw you filing on that screw. Show how to lube the bearing and swap shims. That would be a good one. Best thing is to try to blast off and come off step in deep water or on heavy cobble.
I know sonny’s in POC said to carry a slide hammer with a hook bent in the end in case oyster fragments stop the impeller. You reach thru the jet tube while in neutral and free the impeller that way.
I'm running a surface drive motor and love it, similar to a jet motor but it's heavier and more expensive. Sometimes I wonder if I should have gone jet boat but hey it is what it is. It's been way tougher than my last outboard
get searay 630 súñspir super spirt surface frves r foit feldraft
Any loss on power or speed or anything going from the prop to jet?
Yeah that's one of the main differences. You lose about 30% of your power. That's why you will see people refer to their jet outboards by 2 numbers. Like 40/30 or 60/40. The first number is the horsepower with a prop and the second number is the horsepower with the jet.
Do you need to reinforce a transom for a jet since they use a higher horsepower powerhead to get the desired equivalent horsepower rating? I'm looking at buying my dad's 16' jon boat that has a propped Mercury 25 2 stroke. I would like to get a 25ish horsepower jet for it too so I can swap motors to run on rivers or shallow areas of the coast.
I would stay with the rated HP of the hull before adding the jet. So if the hull is rated for a 40 HP prop you will be ok with a 40/30 jet.
@@AlvinDedeauxFlyFishing oh what I meant is Mercury and other brands use the 40 horsepower powerhead to get a 25 horsepower jet. I didn't know if the extra weight out the outboard required you to reinforce the transom.
Yeah that's what I meant as well. So if your boat is rated for less than 40 HP l wouldn't put a jet on it. I have seen a few smaller engines with jets on them, but they are hard to find and don't put out much power.
A dealership is telling me that a 60/40 jet will push a 16 foot havoc river rat side console 32 mph. What’s yals opinion on that? Seems to good to be true.
Pretty much depends on how much the hull weighs and how much weight you put in the boat. With a light hull, one person and not a lot of gear in it that's possible for sure.
My problem with Jet motors is the noise. Fished the White River in Arkansas last year and you could hear the jet motors coming 5 miles away.
ñot disél jets
I have a question about mounting height of my jet outboard. I have a war Eagle 1652 with a 20hp mercury jet outboard. I have to use a jack plate which puts my motor an additional 4 inches off the bank of the transom. I'm also installing a jet doctor whale tail. Any help with motor height from the bottom of the boat would be incredible
Man that's the million dollar question. Different on every boat. If you have the jack plate it should be easier, but 1/4 of an inch can make all the difference.
@@AlvinDedeauxFlyFishing hope I get it right the first time!
Can you put a jet outboard on any kind of boat?
Check out this page on Outboard Jets website. outboardjets.com/boat-selection/
@@AlvinDedeauxFlyFishing Thanks!
HI, Alvin i just bought a 60/40 mercury Jet Drive and what kind of boat you prefer i am on the river lots and its get choppy.. 18 lund?
I have been using the Hog Island skiffs for a while, mostly because of how well they row. Not much chop on the river where we do most of our fishing.
whaldre 17 montuck 90 hp maxoum
Would a 200hp outboard give an advantage over a 150hp? Ive heard some guys say anything past a 150 may not be worth it due to the amount of water you can move through the jet pump. What are your thoughts on this?
It’s all about how much water you can move thru the pump, it can only move so much. After 150hp you run into your power to weight ratio and that extra 50hp isn’t going to make a faster engine.
Hey Alvin, how much water is required for put in and take out with the Hog Island? I'm on the upper Brazos and the ramps and access points I have access to are very shallow and/or not really ramps (just river gravel banks).
Depends on the trailer you use and the angle of the bank. With most trailers you are going to have to get deep enough to float the boat off or have a steep enough angle for the boat to slide off. With a trailer designed for dry launching you would only need a foot or so, whatever it takes for the boat to float. Same for loading.
How you liking the Tohatsu jet?
Sorry for the slow response. I like the Tohatsu. I just bought a new 60/40 4 stroke and I like that even more.
@@AlvinDedeauxFlyFishing all good, with outboard jet in California being slow to produce and engines hard to come by I got all the time in the world I’m afraid.
Can you tell a difference in fuel consumption between a jet and a blade?
Don't know exact numbers, but it's worse with the jet. We run 50/35 Tohotsu Jets on most of our rigs, so that's the weight and fuel consumption of a 50 HP with the performance of a 35 HP.
Nice
Thanks
Hell yea
Cool beans