New boat , I need some advice.

FISHNAKED · 12-12-2003, 06:22 PM

New thunderjet's sitting in my drivway.

03' envoy w/sportjet. Put her in the water yesterday, she ran good, but alot different handeling than i'm used to.

I'm used to a 20' bayliner trophy. This is my first jet and would apreciate any help (advice) that I can get from you folks. I plan on practicing quite a bit before springers. Dont want to look like a doork the first time I try to anchor in a hoooog liiine. [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

ISeeFish · 12-12-2003, 06:41 PM

If you have plastic covered bunks, don't unhook the winch strap and safety chain UNTIL you're backed into the water. Please don't ask how I know this.

love2fish · 12-12-2003, 06:49 PM

FISHNAKED, I have only had my inboard jet for a couple of years now. The thing that I have noticed the most is steering at low speeds. Anchoring hasn't been a problem at all. If you intend to take it out into the bays or ocean, watch out for weeds/seaweed getting sucked into the intake. I'm sure you will get a lot of good advice on this subject.

love2fish

DownTime · 12-12-2003, 06:49 PM

You're going to love that boat.I've got a T-jet luxor with a sportjet and it is my third and best sled.If you haven't bought your kicker yet go with the yamaha 8 high thrust.It works great too.When you're in the hog line use your kicker.The most important thing to know about a jet is keep the gas on if you are doing any hard maneuvering at speed. Don't back off the throttle or you will lose control.Have fun and catch lots of fish.

JB

Pickles · 12-12-2003, 06:56 PM

Fish naked, One big piece of advice for you. You might want to look into purchasing the optional rock grate for your sportjet. It will help to keep the twigs and sticks out of your impeller, which can ruin a perfectly good fishing trip. I know it happened twice to me on the Columbia last spring before I purchased the optional rock grate.

Pickles · 12-12-2003, 06:58 PM

Let's see pic's lots of pic's!

Mrdorkfish · 12-12-2003, 07:31 PM

I'm not a "Jet" owner but the best advice i have seen yet if you are planning on dropping anchor and backing down is the Kicker thing, I have watched Jets or guys with Pumps (whatever)drop anchor and get all sideways no matter what the current is doing...put the kicker in reverse and drop back. Easysteer hooked up ! Go out and practice now while pressure is low on the river.

Just my .02

MrDorkfish [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

Louis

swampy · 12-12-2003, 08:34 PM

Congrats on the new boat! Put a few hours on her and you'll pick it up in no time. I went from a 20ft Reinell to my NR and thought maybe there was something wrong with the steering or something!Real slippery. Remember to keep the power to her to maneuver. You're gonna love it. All the best...swampy

jimh · 12-12-2003, 09:35 PM

There is a lot of good information at this site.
Information About Jet Boats

It's an American Turbine owner's manual, but I believe a lot of the information about jet boats applies to your sportjet, too.

WaterDog · 12-13-2003, 07:07 AM

One thing to remember, at least for me when I went to a jet, is to point the bow where you want it to go whether in forward or reverse. Once you get used to it you'll find you can turn the boat around within it's own length.

When you suck up leaves and sticks, slowly advance the throttle and go as fast as possible then shut the motor down. The rush of water under the grate will clear it out. You may need to do this a couple of times.

Congrats and good luck!

TheRogue · 12-13-2003, 07:20 AM

Good advice here...no surprise!!

Just remember that jets perform best on plane, you can run circles around any prop boat. When you're dogging around, it's a different story. The beauty of a jet at low speeds is that you can utilize your reverse to turn around on a dime, back up, or just plain "slam on the brakes" when you need to!

Put her in the water and practice, practice your low speed operation. Find a nice open dock or even some pilings away from current and practice slow-speed manuevering, docking etc. When you get good, you'll be able to motor right up to a dock, point the nose into it, give a little gas, jam it into reverse, gas it again, and you'll be setting pretty, right next to it.

I'd never go back to a prop...but then again, I've been in and out of jets my whole life.

TR

Rippenlips · 12-13-2003, 07:21 AM

I think driving a jet is like driving on ice with a car. It is fun and takes antisipation. When backing into a hog line, don't float in use a little power. It will keep you going in the right direction. You can always put in in forward and straighten it out if you get a little sideways. In heavy current I don't trust my kicker. Just be carefull and practice.

Jon

ifish4fun · 12-13-2003, 07:56 AM

Another thing I found helpful with clearing debris in the jet is not just getting going and shuting the motor off, but turning left at the same time as shuting the engine off. It has worked a number of time for me. You can tell when something is in there, power seems low and usually there is an out of balance feel to the engine, like a car with a bad tire, wheel or drive shaft.

Enjoy the new ride

IF4F

Private-Aye-Fish · 12-13-2003, 10:05 AM

New Boat? Well then isn't it appropriate to shows us a picture so we can drool over it?

Congratulations on the new boat.

Silver Hilton · 12-13-2003, 10:24 AM

The key thing is learning that slow speed manuevering requires both steering wheel and burping the throttle. This just needs practice.

I disagree about getting onto the kicker for backing into the hog line. This is unnecessary. The drill is this: pick your slot, on the inside or outside of the line. If you're backing into the middle, these had better be your friends. But assuming that you're joining the end of the line, pick your spot, and drop the anchor. Keep control of the line, meaning don't throw out more line than is being pulled by the anchor itself. Nudge the boat into idle reverse to start pulling downstream. After you start sliding back, nudge the boat into forward, and steer the bow just a bit away (10 degrees, say) from the hog line. Put the boat into neutral, and let the current pull you back. If your bow is angled out from the line, the current will push you slightly away from the line as you slide back. This is OK. When you get close, pop it into idle forward, and kill your speed. Let the boat settle into place and tie off. See, no kicker required.

I don't like the kicker for close quarters manuevering because it has less power, less maneuverability, and it has a prop that can get fouled in the other anchor lines.

The one tricky part about this is that a sportjet's neutral is only approximate. The impellor is always turning, and neutral is approximated by the reverse gate being about half down. So sometimes you have to do a little throttle fiddling to get dead to the water.

My two cents. Hope you enjoy the new boat.

[ 12-14-2003, 10:57 AM: Message edited by: Silver Hilton ]

FISHNAKED · 12-13-2003, 04:09 PM

Hey folks:

Just want to say thank-you

to all that responded with all the great advice.
As for pics. I'll have to wait till after x-mas

I do plan on getting a lot of practice in befoer springers. Once again thank-you very much

SturgeonKing50 · 12-13-2003, 05:58 PM

I think The Rouge said it best. Practice,practice,practice. I have a 21' North River and I have had a lot of fun trying to adjust and move around at low speed. It is very trying at best. Gonna take me alot of practice. At high speed it turns on a dime and gives you change. LOW speed is a different issue. Also I was out fishing Sturgeon fishing last weekend and the intake to my pump was almost completely plugged with leaves and twigs. There was alot of garbage in the river. My .02 worth. Have fun!!!!

LT · 12-13-2003, 06:11 PM

A couple things that would complete your boat would be a cooler installed on the swim deck, an anchor choc mounted on the front of your boat so it's not wrecking you new diamond plating, and to make it the boat other anglers envy, pony up the 2 grand and have the TR-1 trolling system installed on it. It wast the best 2 grand I ever spent on my boat, period!

12-13-2003, 06:48 PM

Pick your spot. Back under power. Do a stop test on the anchor, safely above the hogline and other boats anchor buoys.

If you hold, put the socks out, one side, the other or both as appropriate to hit the middle of the slot. If you don't hold, or your alignment is bad, slowly motor straight back up and recover the anchor by hand.

When you hold, kill the pump and let yourself back by hand with the current and socks pulling you into the line and slot by slowly releasing anchor rope.

Safe practice, pump or prop.

Rick

Mrdorkfish · 12-13-2003, 07:00 PM

Silver Hilton, :tongue: Exactly ! Inside or Outside, I'm just making the point that they are not easy to get into a spot/slot...a minute on the kicker can save alot of trouble for everyone..it helps. Be careful...be patient...and allow room, Just cause you see me drop out a couple of times doesn't mean you need to get right next to me..it just means i'm "dialed"

******, I was wondering when you would chime in :grin:
MrDorkfish [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

Louis

[ 12-13-2003, 08:03 PM: Message edited by: Mrdorkfish ]

12-13-2003, 07:45 PM

Wonder no more. :grin: You don't have to come back at full throttle with the cam loping and throw out the bumpers to be cool. [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img] 'S :smile:

[ 12-13-2003, 08:46 PM: Message edited by: ****** ]

corkyking · 12-14-2003, 01:22 AM

Practice practice - getting comfortable with reverse can be tough.

Even at the slowest plane you'll be moving at a pretty good clip.

Although I haven't been able to afford it yet I am going to mount this trim tab which will allow slower planing speeds and better control.

Silver Hilton · 12-14-2003, 09:55 AM

Louis, whatever works for you is OK by me. I just think using the kicker just makes things harder. But I probably don't know the drill you're using.

The guys who get sideways have other issues than which motor they are using, methinks. :smile:

DownTime · 12-14-2003, 10:18 AM

Boy oh boy,didn't mean to start a controversy with my comment about "use your kicker when you're in the Hogline".I think I ought to clarify.I use the big motor to set up and get into position initially and when I get a fish I use the kicker to drop out and to reclaim my spot.I have met some really good guys in hoglines and I have met some of the exact opposites.Nobodys perfect and we all learn through experience.It is only going to get more crowded so tolerance is a good thing for us all!

JB

12-14-2003, 02:05 PM

Right on SH. Common sense.

Silver Hilton · 12-14-2003, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ******:
Common sense.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">A commodity which is all too rare, unfortunately.