Looking at buying airboat. Need advice

[Saltyredfisher]

I am currently looking at getting into airboats. And like everyone new I am full of questions. I would like to use it for inshore fishing. Getting into and out of skinny water. First how would an airboat handle a chop on the water, and how dangerous would it be. How bad are the affects of saltwater going to be. Is this worth trying or not, maintance wise? And how hard is it to fish out of an airboat anyways?

 

[stan]

how big of a chop? big boat (hartline) ,stainless rigging .plenty of motor,would be no problem. we have run a diamond back with stainless rigging every day for years on the salt marsh with no problems ,have run a hartline hull also , handles rough water well

 

[FloridaQuaker1027]

if you go with a stainless steel rigging you will be better off.....i have never handled a boat in heavy chop so i cant answer that...with a bigger boat u should be alright.....fishing isnt bad off an air boat if u have the right size boat and a trolling motor.......you will have to do a lot of cleanning and scrubbing in the saltwater to prevent rust.....plus use alot of rust preventitive spays to insure that ur boat stays in tip top shape

 

[Muddyduck]

Previous replies are dead on. The bigger the boat, the better. If you can afford one, the new long belt drives that but the motor in the bottom of the boat will help a lot by getting the center of gravity down low. Good luck.

 

[GWTW-000]

I am glad to have someone else in Georgia that likes airboats. Salty I have a 15' Hoffman Rivermaster that I run on the Altamaha in the Jesup area. I have had it at to the coast 1 time in rough water. I love this hull, it has deep sides and handles very well in deep water. If it is stoped in deep water you can dive off the sides. I run it with a 500ci caddy and direct drive. We are working on motor now and expect to be running in about a week. Keep in touch and I will take you out on it here in Jesup to show you at least one boat and see how it feels.

Good luck

 

[Saltyredfisher]

Hey guys thanks for all the info. It is quite helpful. I figured sst was the way to go, from working on outboard. On the chop about one foot is all I care to go out in. Anything over that is a waste of gas and bait. Is there any motor you all like better then any other? I know I am asking the difference between Mercury and Yamaha. But what will hold up the best and not leave me on the hill. Hey thanks again guy.

 

[marshmaster pat]

Red - you should be able to handle 1 foot chop fairly easily. Just remember that there is no V on the hull to split the wave, so each one is a lick, just like an aluminum jon boat.

I personally would stay to 14 foot and larger. I see those big boats down in Laguna Madre, 17 & 18 footers. They use them for duck hunting and more and more are chasing reds and specks.

Have ran 2 foot chop, but that is only when I have NO OTHER CHOICE.> That will start breaking welds and cracking teeth. Seen those boys on the Madre beating across the bay in big chop. Didn't look fun to me.

 

[Gbenzx]

Salty,
Being a green horn myself I posed the ques abt diesels (Why no diesels) I got many reasons why they're not good for Airboats. Among them they say they not only stink & sink but also heavy & take a very long time to spin up. So I concluded that unless one is going to run a cruise ship or an ore barge best to stay away from them. I'm scared now to even tow an Airboat with my old diesel pickup truck.

Now I'm kiddin of course but may I ask the following which may help both of us here.

KJ,
You've said before abt the Hoffman Rivermaster & I too was impressed at their yard near Inverness.
You are running in places where we will go & also the ocmulgee & other like places in Ga. Do you use polymer & have any probs with the hull?
You spoke abt Caddy direct & engine work. Has this setup created any probs. Would you recomend a gear box?

Thanx Gben

 

[GWTW-000]

Gbenzx, No I don't have poly on the hull. Hoffman didn't recommend it unless I was going to run on or around rocks and oyster beds. Most of my running is deep water or sand bars. I had a problem with an old worn out engine. Wtaerthunder was right. I had a couple of bad cylinders which would not hold compression and we are working on a new long block and cam to replace it with now. It was NOT the setup. As to the type of engine, you will get a wide range of opinions. What I get out of it is 14' and smaller you might consider aircraft over 14' car motor. The type of car motor will again bring a lot of opinions. I run a direct drive Caddy 500ci because thats what I started with. After reading alot about it and running this one I beleave it is a good choice for the type of running and area I'm in. Parts are easy to get, minor stuff you can do your self. I need a mech. on timming and harder things but any mech. can do it you don't need someone with aircraft experence and I am 4 to 5 hours away from a airboat dealer to take it to for repairs. From what I have read, once it is set up right they are very dependable and will run for years if taken care of and not murdered running the hill. I am sure others will give there opinion on gear boxes and belt drives

 

[Gbenzx]

Thanx KJ,

Most of our running, 75% or so will be from here(near JaxFl) north & maybe 25% south & not too far south sense we don't speak very many languages

Salty must be out tearing up the Reds.

Gben