Best boat

[RFowler]

Just so you'll know, there is a difference between a prop tunnel and a jet tunnel. I lost over $3,000 dollars because a dealer in Lenoir City didn't know the difference. I wanted to run a prop and a jet, like the guy Byron mentioned, but a jet will not work properly on a prop tunnel. You're better off getting a regular hull or jet tunnel. I didn't want the jet to be able to run on low water, I wanted to run it for peace of mind. There's no way I would go out on one of these tailwaters, during low flows, and run a jet.

The boat I'm talking about isn't anything like one of those jon boats. As far as I know, it would be the first of it's kind. If you've got $30,000, Jason Cajune can build it for you. In my opinion, $30,000 is cheap for a go anywhere boat. And I mean the Hiwassee to the Mosquito Lagoon.

[Mike_Anderson]

I just bought this one so it hasn’t been everywhere,,, yet! Went over some white water last Sat in it and she did wonderful. We saw water that has not seen a motor boat in a veeeery long time. If there’s enough water to cover your boots, you can run it. This is about my 6th river boat and so far is way superior to anything I've owned or ridden in yet. At 20’ it has plenty of room yet it can maneuver through some pretty tight stuff. Nowhere near $30, 000 either. Sun three of us cast sink tips all day with only one collision and two of the guys had almost no experience casting a sink tip. One was a righty and one was a lefty so I kept the boat positioned so that they were whizzing by each others heads and not mine.

[Byron Begley]

Mike,

She looks great in the water. I'd only seen the driveway photos. I sent you a PM.

Byron

[RFowler]

Yeah, that boat looks like it can handle whitewater really good. Fiberglass with all the bedrock in TN. Better you than me, a driftboat takes enough beating. I looked at those several years ago but declined. Good luck. I can just see that thing on Clinch with all the placid water.

[Mike_Anderson]

Byron I got the PM. Thanks and I appreciate and will take your advice. Great site you have here!

[John M]

Anyone here ever used an outboard on a drift boat for slack water or motoring up river. I know they dont handle an outboard well due to hull design. I know that it has been done but haven't found much info on it. Any thoughts from anyone here.

[RFowler]

John, try this link and look up Drifter. He runs a small outboard on his drift boat. NGTO is nonprofit so I hope LRO doesn't mind the link.

http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ngto/

[billyspey]

you can not do what you want with just one boat.imho. a tunnel john with jet for the cumberland and holston between differnt areas suchs as indian cave and river bend,and the clinch with 1 generator or water off *peach orchard and miller island, the so holston with 1 generator. a prop tunnel works great with jet outboard. with proper setup. most boat dealers don't know how ,to do a proper setup,you can run ankle deep water but can not float this shallow. so you need a glass drift boat to slide through these *shallow area . the best jet set up is a river pro with 200hp mercury sport jet but you will pay around 30 grand. so i chose a smaller 16ft tunnel john with ribs running length ways with 60hp 2 stroke jet. and a older southfork skiff 14 ft.with a 6hp outboard to run slack water so i don't have to row my butt off. a good pair of waders i can cover all waters. i keep my prop so when leafs *are bad in the fall i can still fish. *i have try the ark boat w jet *and bigger john with 4 stroke 115 hp jet with ribs running across.you get a wash board effect to the bottom. from my experience you can not cover all with just one boat

[Mike_Anderson]

Tell me about it Bill, I keep trying to convince my wife that one boat just isn't enough. As it stands now I have three, my Supreme, a Stratos center console, and the old Aluminum prop job. I moved the aluminum behind the garage in hopes she'll forget about that one. What boat honey :-?

[RFowler]

So Billy, you're saying that a jet drive will run fine on a prop tunnel? Then why do boat manufacturers make jet tunnels?

I agree that one boat won't do it all, but the boat I'm talking about will do more than anything currently available. Where there is a will there's a way. Heck, if there aint a book out there, write you own, I say.