The scoop on sleds

[troutpocket]

I’m starting to look into a small sled for fly fishing. This will be my first boat although I’ve worked from and run other’s similar setups.

The boats I’ve seen and liked are a Crestliner 16’ modified-V jon boat, North River Revenge, and Lowe Roughneck modified-V jon. All are welded jon boats and I like the wide-open layout, tiller motor arrangement. I’d get a set of oarlocks welded on for controlling drift on rivers like the Clearwater and upper Columbia. I’d also want to use it on lakes like Sprague and Rock. Are there other boats out there that I should consider?

For power, I’m thinking a jet pump in the 75hp range. Subtract 30% power for the jet unit and I’m still at around 50hp. Adequate power for running big, flowing water?

I estimated the weight for this setup at ~1600 lbs using:

Boat 700lbs
Trailer 500lbs
Motor 250lbs
Gas/gear 150lbs.

Did I miss anything on my weight estimate? If that’s a fair ballpark guess, I should be able to tow this thing with my Subie Outback, which is rated to tow ~3000lbs. Other than having my manhood called into question for using such a lame rig, is there any reason this shouldn’t work?

thanks

:beer2:

[chadk]

Just remember the 'boat launches' we have around here can be a real mess (steep, rutted, sandy, loose gravel, rocks, boulders mixed in). Getting that thing in and out of the water with a subie is what i'd be worried about. Hauling down a paved road would be no problem. Breaking power might be another consideration.

[doublespey]

Ditto Chad's comments. Many areas you'll get into sand and loose rock @ the POS boat launches in this state, and the clearance 4WD trucks have can make the difference between driving out and getting towed.

Additionally, just because your car is rated to tow 3000lbs doesn't mean it will do so comfortably. Get the hitch and try towing a comparible rig before trusting the rating.

I have a 17' Alumaweld Super V with 90/65hp 4stroke jet that I tow with a Ford F150
w/4WD. Going up serious inclines is doable, but not much fun. I wouldn't want to find out what it felt like with anything less.

Just my .02. The jonboats you're looking at are going to be a bit lighter than my rig, so it might be doable with the subaru.

My .02,

Brian

[miyawaki]

Ditto Chad's comments. Many areas you'll get into sand and loose rock @ the POS boat launches in this state, and the clearance 4WD trucks have can make the difference between driving out and getting towed.

Additionally, just because your car is rated to tow 3000lbs doesn't mean it will do so comfortably. Get the hitch and try towing a comparible rig before trusting the rating.

I have a 17' Alumaweld Super V with 90/65hp 4stroke jet that I tow with a Ford F150
w/4WD. Going up serious inclines is doable, but not much fun. I wouldn't want to find out what it felt like with anything less.

Just my .02. The jonboats you're looking at are going to be a bit lighter than my rig, so it might be doable with the subaru.

My .02,

Brian


I fish with Brian in his jet. I also own a Subbie. He never lets me drive and I never volunteer.

Leland.

[troutpocket]

Ok, ok. I get the picture.

I had to ask because I know people who pull drift boats with subies and never seem to have problems. I was guessing the weight difference to be about double (800lbs for a 16' drifter + trailer) but with a 4-cyl engine, that could be enough to be trouble. Ground clearance I'm not worried about . . .one of the subaru selling points . .. but power to pull a trailer up out of a sand and gravel launch makes me nervous.

time for a truck.

[veilside180sx]

Hop in your buddies rig with the drift boat and throw three more people in the car and see how it does. That's basically the equivalent of what you want to do.

[doublespey]

I fish with Brian in his jet. I also own a Subbie. He never lets me drive and I never volunteer.

Leland.

I have an idea. We'll throw a hitch on Leland's subbie and head to the gnarliest launch I know (Sky Lewis St @ low water). If we can get my sled into/outta the water and thru the quicksand you'll be fine with the subbie. If not, you can reimburse Leland for the tow bill and go buy a truck. :clown:

How's that for a deal??!! :D

[troutpocket]

I see that the only part of my original post that raised any concerns was my choice of towing vehicle. If I remove Subaru from the equation and add 4wd truck, I must be balancing things out.

Another question for the sled owners. Assuming I start with a bare-bones jon boat, some features I'd like to add are:

drift boat style knee brace on the forward casting platform
Two or three fold-down seats (two on the sides, maybe mount to gunwales?)
river anchor system
fish-depth finder/gps
transom mount electric motor for lakes

What else do I need to be safe and set up to fish large rivers and lakes?

[sothereiwas]

I'd go with a bow mount trolling motor. I had a transom mount one on my Smokercraft 1660 and with a 5 degree hull the bow would get blown all over the place, it was very frustrating to control. As far as seats go, I would do pedistal seats so you can take the ones you need and no more. Fixed seats waist space when not being used. Dual batteries are a must.

Brad

[Salmo_g]

Troutpocket,

I tow a little lighter setup with my Outback. 16' Lund SSV (390#), 50 hp Evenrude (185), 4 hp kicker (50), Easyloader trailer (??), plus a couple 6 gal. gas tanks, folding seats, battery, anchor, etc. No problem on any boat ramp I've used, but all have been concrete, or mostly so. Steepest is Kalama on the lower Columbia. Haven't tried Lewis St.

Sg

[Itchy Dog]

I have an old Valco riveted 16 foot flat bottom sled with center console and a slightly less old Merc 85 pump. With one person the boat jumps out of the hole (is even squirrely). With two or three it still gets out of the hole plenty good. Factor in that a riveted boat is going to be lighter than a welded boat- I wouldn't want less than 50 effective hp for a 16 ft welded sled. Preferably more.

• Rod holders (for storage whilst in transit from hole to hole)
• Bow line for tying off
• Fire extinguisher
• Large cooler
• Extra drain plugs