jet boats

missionfishin · 01-07-2004, 05:39 PM

in board verses out board pros and cons im looking for other peoples opinions on v-8 v-6 4stroke i am trying to get the most out of my money thanks for the help

FEAR NO FISH! · 01-07-2004, 05:57 PM

EEEEEK! You are treading on the name of a master here!

hookumhi · 01-07-2004, 06:31 PM

I sure like my v-8 very dependable and sounds like a race car

salmurai · 01-07-2004, 06:55 PM

I went with an inboard just in case of trouble. It would be easier to find someone who can work on it but it is 22 foot and there is plenty of room for the dog house. A smaller craft with a four stroke will be more fuel efficient. I guess it would depend on your intended use and how much you plan on using it. I haven't found a boat that will do it all really well, that's why you have fishing partners with different hulls. Just my $.02,

troybuz · 01-07-2004, 07:56 PM

Call your insurance company, it may help you decide. Purchased a 454 (V8) inboard jet this year and nearly fell over at the cost of insurance; by the way, the 350 performed almost as well as the 454....lessons learned.
Good Luck,

Premo · 01-07-2004, 08:26 PM

Outboard tiller all the way!! The more horsepower the better!

Full Freezer · 01-07-2004, 08:30 PM

Hey! First a fish story! [img]graemlins/lurk.gif[/img]

Then we will reveal the valuable insights & sage advice of those who know that the best is a 350ci inboard! [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

c'mon cough it up. We wanna see pictures too. :grin:

Pickles · 01-07-2004, 11:05 PM

Personally I think a lot of it depends on the size of boat you are looking at. If you are looking at a boat under 18 feet an outboard is your best option. If you are looking at a boat in the 18 - 20 ft range, I would say either go with an outboard or a sportjet. finally if your going to go big, 21 ft and up, buy the 350. Of course if you really got a load of cash you can purchase motion marines new 22 ft diesel powered jet. That boat does 42 mph and only burns 3-4 gallons per hour. It all comes down to room. I like my sportjet, because it ways a lot less, takes up a lot less space and the motor weight is farther foward giving the boat a better hole shot. Just my 2 cents.

jimh · 01-08-2004, 02:25 AM

One consideration of inboard vs outboard is trim. If you don't have trim on you inboard, you have no way to either balance the boat or change the orientation of the hull based on load, or control the ride characteristics in rougher water. An outboard has vertical trim built in. I have trim tabs on my inboard, and it really does make a huge difference in ride in rough water although my boat rides well without trim in normal conditions.

Another consideration is how easy it is to clear a clogged jet. That is, it is fairly easy to clear an outboard jet and very hard to clear an intake under your inboard without the boat on the trailer. V8 350s are heavy but powerful.

Inboards generally have a lot more hp. That is, outboard typically have only about 200 for a max at a lower efficiency than the inboard 350s that can run up to 325 hp or so, like mine. If you are generally going to run a full boat, the extra hp may be helpful.

Inboard v-8s are heavier. This translates into a higher planing speed and more wake. Simply put, it means the minimum speed going down the river will be faster than the outboard. This can be a problem potentially since you have to read the water that you are passing at a fsster speed. Upriver is less of a problem since the current slows you down quite a bit.

Thumper · 01-08-2004, 02:53 AM

I am a new Sportjet 175 owner, hoping for the best. The SJ is an intriguing set-up. Lighter than the outboard, 35 more horsepower due to a better jet, and a whole lot cheaper. That is compelling for me.

As a side advantage the Sportjet moves the weight inboard and provides far more responsive steering than a tiller (yup, it's true). Now we are talking serious boondogging weight and balance! It should come out of a shallow tailout much better than an outboard.

I just hope it is as reliable as the outboard versions.

Nomad · 01-09-2004, 11:52 PM

I've had a 19'Willie With a 175 sportjet for the last six years. I fish the ocean, bays, green peter res, foster res, Detroit rs, Willamette, Columbia and little rivers like the Santiam North & South. It has all the power I have ever needed but because of the small dog house I have ROOM.

Once I chose a wrong path going down stream on the north Santiam and found myself face to face with a log jam. Because of the boats lite wieght and the power of the sport jet I was able to stop the boat and back it up in pretty heavy currant. but the tight turning ability of the sport jet is what saved my bacon.
A V6 or V8 will have a faster top end speed, but there isn't anything faster out of the hole and fater up on a plain than a sport jet.

With my family the inboard works best because I can pull tubes and the kids can drive from the stearing wheel. The small dog house still gives me good fish fighting room.

If it is the HP you want I think Sport Jets are in 240 HP now but the dog house is the same size.

TEST DRIVE THEM ALL. Consider what your needs are, buy, and start having fun.

Check out Willies link
http://www.willieboats.com/sportjets.htm

my second choice would be an outboard..