jet pump in salt water

[calawahsteelie]

So I'm about to upgrade from the 12ft smokercraft to a boat that will be more family friendly. I've been looking at a 18 to 20 ft aluminum with a extended transom. My young boys are at the age that water sports are coming into play. I plan to tow it with my truck and camper. I want to use the boat in the bay for salmon, play and fish in the Columbia in the summer and possibly run it on the lower Skagit. My question is can I run a jet pump in the bay without costing me a fortune?

[fishcrazy]

Yes you can!!!

You have described ecactly what I was looking for when I was boat shoping. I ended up buying a 21' Willie Raptor. It's hull is for all around use. It does allot of things well. I run it out of westport when it's not bad and can run some scary small rivers.

Give Mike Jackson @ Willie boats a call. They have some really great prices going now. Their boats are custom biult to each customers needs.

If you would like I could take you for a spin and show you my boat.

Kris

[TEX-X]

but how big of a problem do you have sucking crap up in the pump?  I have a jet ski and it from time to time sucks stuff up in the bump in the bay... that means i get to get into the water and remove the garbage... or slowly drive it to the beach...

[fishcrazy]

I'm not going to turn this into a ford vs. chevy vs. dodge.  Sucking crap into to pump can have ALLOT to do with Hull design. I have not had any problems.  I know other guys who have brand x boats who fight it allot.  I know a guy who has the same boat as me and I asked him about this. He told me him and some of his buddys can run next to each other and run right over a debris line and 2 of them have to stop nearly every time and clean their pumps. The shape of our hull seams to push it around our pump. We both run sport jets. he has the 250 and I have the 200.

If you have an out board you can tilt it up and pull the weeds out. On the inboard pumps they have a special "stomp grate? that when you step on it clears the grate for you.  I don't have the stomp grate.

With this type of boat you will have a kicker motor so in the case you can't clear it you can limp back to the trailer and clear it.

Something els to think about more guys are getting the best of both worlds. they get the pump for the rivers and when they are going to spend allot of time in deeper water they run the prop. The prop will all so give you better fuel economy and more top end speed when yer out on the big water. It could cost you more money up front and a little time to swap the lower units out but might be a good way to go if you go with the out board.

Kris

[TEX-X]

no i wasn't trying to turn it into that.... i was just curious....  that does make sense....  the hull on my ski is designed to funnel all water to the pump  (so much that we are actually having a severe buck because of a pump overstuff issue on modified skis running over 70 MPH)  i could see where they would have room to design it differently on boats.... good luck with your search  I'll keep an eye on this thread

[fishcrazy]

No worry, I was trying to avoid it buy not listing the brands of the other boats.

Intresting how the same technology is used 2 different ways. Some jet boat hulls are built like yer jet ski. They put a small tunnel on them to allow the pump to sit above the bottom of the hull. this really helps when running shallow water or in shallow water hole take offs. This tunnel can be a killer when running ruff water as it allows more air and debris to enter the suck zone of the pump. Over rev from sucking air when going over waves can reduce the life of an engine.

Kris

[huntnphool]

 I take mine out in the bay, even been up the inside passage and fished Rivers Inlet. I have only had a couple times where I was not able to get the crap to fall out of the grate, once was going through the cut on Lake Washington, the millfoil was terrible.

 I keep a wetsuit in the bow just in case but have not had to use it to this point. It takes quite a bit before it requires actually getting in the water.

 If you are really concerned you could always get a stomp grate, this would make it much easier, but I really dont think its a problem as long as you pay attention to where you are going, just avoid the floating crap.
 

[Rick]

So I'm about to upgrade from the 12ft smokercraft to a boat that will be more family friendly. I've been looking at a 18 to 20 ft aluminum with a extended transom. My young boys are at the age that water sports are coming into play. I plan to tow it with my truck and camper. I want to use the boat in the bay for salmon, play and fish in the Columbia in the summer and possibly run it on the lower Skagit. My question is can I run a jet pump in the bay without costing me a fortune?

Do you really think you need a jet for the places you've mentioned? I wouldn't consider any of the places you mentioned as needing a jet.

Being less efficient than a prop,a jet is going to cost you more. You'll need more engine,and it'll burn more fuel.

[fishcrazy]

So I'm about to upgrade from the 12ft smokercraft to a boat that will be more family friendly. I've been looking at a 18 to 20 ft aluminum with a extended transom. My young boys are at the age that water sports are coming into play. I plan to tow it with my truck and camper. I want to use the boat in the bay for salmon, play and fish in the Columbia in the summer and possibly run it on the lower Skagit. My question is can I run a jet pump in the bay without costing me a fortune?

Do you really think you need a jet for the places you've mentioned? I wouldn't consider any of the places you mentioned as needing a jet.

Being less efficient than a prop,a jet is going to cost you more. You'll need more engine,and it'll burn more fuel.

Kinda what I was thinking. A guy can always have both if you have an out board motor

Kris

[huntnphool]

I fish the rivers so a jet was a must for me. If you are not going to be running skinny then I would agree with them, stick with a prop boat.

[h2ofowlr]

I just took my 60/40 jet off my jon boat and replaced it with a prop.  I was hunting in the shallow water, not open water and it sucked.  I was constantly sucking up eel grass.  If you can get out a little further it probably would be good.  Everytime the wind picked up, I had bad cavitation going on and I had to crawl back to shore.

[huntnphool]

Inboard baby

[cohoho]

Used to run some of the smallest waters in AK and a Jet was required, I have had almost every variation of pumps from outboards to Hamiltons.  So far here in WA, I can't really state that a Jet is "absolutely" required, especially if your used to fishing areas with a prop, you'll probably stay with in those safety areas if you buy a pump.....  Too many dams on the rivers here stop you before you get really shallow...  But seriously, a jet opens your options alot, you can run all waters without worries; salt included, but with draw backs.  Big water your going to lose performance as a jet outboard is about 30% lower HP on the lower end performance versus what the power head states, fuel consumption will suffer greatly and possibly ride.  As Fish Crazy stated it is all about the hull design for sure and HP and what type jet unit attached.  Wooldridge web site has some great articles about jet pumps you ought to read and test drive other manufactures to see what you personally like.  Some of the smaller HP motors will not have the juice to blow things out and some of the lower end jet pumps just aren't big enough to blow out the other stuff, a stomp grates is a good addition, but I only used mine a couple times from dead pink salmon carcasses in AK.  Ninety percent of the time if you do get something wedged and lack of power is displayed on your performance and sounds like a whining 4 cylinder car motor, a simple turn the motor off to release the sucking action will drop the larger debris, plastic branches etc.... On very rare occasions do they require hand removal, very- very rare, then it sucks.  Weeds-well if your near them- full throttle over them prevents most intake problems.  If you drive a jet like a prop, you be in trouble.  Too many times here I watch people with Jets get into trouble with beaching, getting debris, off loading and unloading boats, docking, etc...  It is because they are navigating waters like they are in a prop, nice and easy and a jet won't turn without power.  I got the same rule of driving Jet boats as I do driving snow mobiles, "DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!"  All around perfect boat isn't out there.  You sacrifice something here and there, but look at where you'll be utilizing the boat the most and get one for that specific water.  

[cohoho]

I just took my 60/40 jet off my jon boat and replaced it with a prop.  I was hunting in the shallow water, not open water and it sucked.  I was constantly sucking up eel grass.  If you can get out a little further it probably would be good.  Everytime the wind picked up, I had bad cavitation going on and I had to crawl back to shore.

The boat sounded like it wasn't properly set up with regards to the foot angle at the bottom of the pump (to high on the transom), or the hull wasn't designed for a jet and pushed water away from the jet foot intake versus towards the pump or totally loaded wrong, i.e. weight too forawrd versus middle load..  

[cohoho]

Inboard baby

Agreed without doubt...... With HP too!