Question for veteran Jet boaters

[jimbojump]

So...Like I posted before...my buddy had a 16 foot Hewescraft Jet boat given to him...so we finally got all our ducks in a row and went up to troll for Kokes on AR...lemme just say it was aweful...the wind wasn't even bad but were were getting blown all around by the smallest of breezes...it has an Evinrude 88 SPL main with a 5hp Johnson kicker...the Johnson has to be damn near idle to maintain 1.5 ish mph...but the boat seems to slide all over the place...so my question is...can we add a rudder skeg to the hull that can come off easy for running the river to keep the boat going forward and straight???

Any advice on this is welcome...we have been trolling for three years but never had this problem with my boat...
Jimbo

[fishslayer13]

Your best bet might be a drift sock. I use them as my Thunderjet is an off shore model and the wind will take you like a sail. They take some learning to use right but work well and store very easy. You might look at one .

http://www.lindyfishingtackle.com/ca...d=driftcontrol

[fishingmom]

Maybe try a 5 gallon bucket before spending $ on a drift sock and see how it works? Use one occassionally for slowing a long back troll on the river....

[Metal Manipulator]

Use two drift socks one on each corner of the front cleats at the wind shield area. They should drag ahead of the down riggers so they do not interfere with down riggers or landing fish. If the wind gets bad then I will also hang my anchor off of the front with 6ft of rope. If the wind is so bad that you can not maintain control with this system then it is time to go in.

[Mudinchev]

Use two drift socks one on each corner of the front cleats at the wind shield area. They should drag ahead of the down riggers so they do not interfere with down riggers or landing fish. If the wind gets bad then I will also hang my anchor off of the front with 6ft of rope. If the wind is so bad that you can not maintain control with this system then it is time to go in.

Ya that!! I have a 21' Duckworth that would get rather unruly in the wind. I am running a TR-1 which solved most of my problems, but speed is still an issue. I used 2 36" socks off the bow of the boat and I can get down to .5 mph on calm water, in white caps and swells with a 20mph + tail wind I can still keep it close to 1.5 MPH with my top up. The gusts that use to slam the bow of the boat and pitch me 90 deg sideways even with the TR-1 now have very little effect.

[jimbojump]

Ya that!! I have a 21' Duckworth that would get rather unruly in the wind. I am running a TR-1 which solved most of my problems, but speed is still an issue. I used 2 36" socks off the bow of the boat and I can get down to .5 mph on calm water, in white caps and swells with a 20mph + tail wind I can still keep it close to 1.5 MPH with my top up. The gusts that use to slam the bow of the boat and pitch me 90 deg sideways even with the TR-1 now have very little effect.

Wow...those are a lot of money bro...LOL

[mrmike]

Jimbojump is the boat have a walk through windshield type with your canvas up thus you have a sail with can affect the performance of your boat in the wind/second check the pitch of your prop on the kicker it could be a simple thing as to change the pitch on the prop to lower your speed.My sled is a guide model I can fight a fish a lot easier and the boat tracks like a car but the draw back is your more in the elements has its draw backs.I've had the walk through windshield type sled also they just don't tract (steer) like a guide model sled. There are trade offs. I purchased a 9.9 Yamaha kicker the prop pitch was 9 degrees I couldn't idle slow enough for kokanee fishing without using sea anchors to slow me down went to an expert (Ampro prop repair they changed the prop to a 5 pitch with is the prop on the 8 horse Yamaha kicker problem solved.

[Lundman]

Just in case you're still needing suggestions....

Most of the time a bow mount trolling motor on low setting will keep the boat straight as it is always easier to pull the boat from the front than push it from the back.

[Mudinchev]

Wow...those are a lot of money bro...LOL

Yes...not cheap....but sadly it just a drop in the bucket compared to how much I have spent else where on the boat . I have accumulated $1000s in gear and equipment over the last couple of years and to make every thing fish "just right" in less than ideal to down right nasty conditions they were a much needed addition. Spent too much money to just "sit it out" in the bad weather.

[autorick]

In my 11 degree jet, i see what the wind is doing and try to use it in my favor. Its all about trade offs.

[3RivrFishr]

With a jet boat you are basically trolling a big sheet of warped plywood with a sail on it. The slightest wind is going to mess with you because there isnt a keel in the water. You can put a fin on the pump but it wont help the trolling, only the low speed manuevering. For speed I put a trolling plate on my 8hp yamaha kicker and with no wind can idle down to .8mph.

[fishfam]

fishingmom,
I like the 5 gal bucket idea.... I have actually used 2 to slow my drift down ... :)