Boat recommendations for southern Alberta

[J_mcrane]

I’m looking for some boat recommendations. I live in Chestermere. I fly fish and regular fish both the bow and local lakes like chain lakes and others.

Is there a “unicorn” that would be suitable for a family of 4 to do both? I’ve paddled canoes, kayaks, jon boats. But is there a boat that seats 4 that can be used on all southern Alberta water? I’ve looked at inflatables and every thing else? I’m struggling to fit a family of 4. I typically drift from McKinnon flats to Carsland. I fished most lakes within a 2 hour drive. But I need to find something that holds me, wife, 2kids.


Thoughts?


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[stob]

Kingfisher 1875 fast water or extreme shallow in 2075 I think it is

[AK47]

What is your budget? if you plan to fish rivers you will need a jet boat and they are pricey.

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by AK47

What is your budget? if you plan to fish rivers you will need a jet boat and they are pricey.

Yes, adding the river component to the equation really does add a lot of bucks. In my opinion buy a boat for lakes and wade the rivers will save a ton of bucks.

[Dean2]

A drift boat or river raft will handle four people quite easily but they are not ideal on a lake and most don't handle a motor well. A 16' John boat with a jet outboard will hold 4 and will work on a river or a lake, as long as the lake does not have large waves. A 16' Lund will work well on the Lake and decent on the river as long as you don't try to run too shallow. You can run them with a Jet Outboard or a standard prop drive if you are good at reading rivers and add a prop cage and guard, and run with the motor not locked in the down position.

Big trick on rivers is you want a boat light enough you can manhandle it is you need to.





More plush version

[AK47]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

Yes, adding the river component to the equation really does add a lot of bucks.

But it is well worth it not to fight the crowds and generally get to the spots nobody but jet boaters can

[BuckCuller]

The biggest thing is budget and what you are willing to spend. I’ve got a Stryker pro 650( 16.5 ft) with a 60/40 Merc jet which works good on both lakes and rivers but has two main draw backs. You lose space for people and gear because it’s an inflatable and with the jet on really rough water you can get some cavitation if you try to go full speed.
Stryker has good Black Friday sales.
Other than those two issues it’s been great.

[schleprock]

I learnt many years ago that one boat won’t do it all so I recommend getting two. One nice one and one utilitarian one.

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by schleprock

I learnt many years ago that one boat won’t do it all so I recommend getting two. One nice one and one utilitarian one.

Would be nice if many budgets is this economy allowed that….

[schleprock]

Fall is a great time of the year to buy boats. A person can easily pick up a decent used one that will fit four plus a utilitarian one (tinner) for under 10k. Use them for a while, decide what you like or dislike, then sell and upgrade to something else. Or, you can spend 30-70k on a really nice one that won't fill all of your needs.

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by Dean2

A drift boat or river raft will handle four people quite easily but they are not ideal on a lake and most don't handle a motor well. A 16' John boat with a jet outboard will hold 4 and will work on a river or a lake, as long as the lake does not have large waves. A 16' Lund will work well on the Lake and decent on the river as long as you don't try to run too shallow. You can run them with a Jet Outboard or a standard prop drive if you are good at reading rivers and add a prop cage and guard, and run with the motor not locked in the down position.

Big trick on rivers is you want a boat light enough you can manhandle it is you need to.





More plush version

I cannot see anyone trying to run any of the southern rivers with a prop, way to many shallow sections where the river is impassible. Maybe the bow upstream of the Carsland weir?

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

I cannot see anyone trying to run any of the southern rivers with a prop, way to many shallow sections where the river is impassible. Maybe the bow upstream of the Carsland weir?

Your points are valid. When I lived in Calgary, I ran a propped 35 horse on large water or a ten horse with guard for shallow rivers, on a Zodiac. You put in upstream, float down, only time the ten horse got used was in deep runs or on the reservoirs you floated into. Many of the rivers, we didn't put even the 10 horse on, just used the paddles. Many had no significant sections of deeper water.

Short of a true skinny water jet boat, there is nothing that will let you run up river on most southern streams, including a lot of the Bow. Even with a skinny water jet, there were lots of places you won't go on many of the streams. With the Zodiac, there were lots of times we had to get out and pull it over gravel or sand bars as there wasn't enough water to float over even with just 2 people in it, and the Zodiac drew very little water floating. That is why I said you want a boat you can manhandle when necessary if you are going to try to use it to stream fish.

[pikergolf]

On the SS you are pretty much limited to the hole you launch in with a prop. When I was a young man we would on occasion drag the boat upstream to the next hole to fish, but it was a lot of work for not much reward and drifting a 14ft v boat through rapids on the way back downstream can get dangerous, or so I hear, no I know having been involved in a mishap or two. Not much maneuverability if you cannot get the motor in the water. Oars don't cut it, or at least the tiny oars that are used in car toppers.

[roper1]

[QUOTE=J_mcrane;4751867]I’m looking for some boat recommendations. I live in Chestermere. I fly fish and regular fish both the bow and local lakes like chain lakes and others.

Is there a “unicorn” that would be suitable for a family of 4 to do both? I’ve paddled canoes, kayaks, jon boats. But is there a boat that seats 4 that can be used on all southern Alberta water? I’ve looked at inflatables and every thing else? I’m struggling to fit a family of 4. I typically drift from McKinnon flats to Carsland. I fished most lakes within a 2 hour drive. But I need to find something that holds me, wife, 2kids.


Thoughts?

We run a 16'Explorer with the 90/65. Seats 4 easy, bow mounted fly-fishers brace. Awesome boat gets 4 full sized men on plane in 5 lengths. Crawling Valley in the wind is manageable, Chain Lakes, Pine Coulee, Twin Lakes all fine. I would not run Newell in a wind.

Ran many a skinny water.

I'm trying one more Bow run before I park it, you can come see it in action if you wish. No. it's not for sale.