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Your opinion The best place to go airboating

A

Anonymous

Guest
I am from northern minnesota and never been airboating anywhere down south. Where is the best place you can go?? I Would also like to do some fishing out of my airboat. I herd south florida is good in the everglades. Also I have herd people going out in the gulf of mexico. But do they have lots of restrictions? Does anyone know of a great place to spend a week or two.[/b]
 
Also I have my own airboat 15 rivermaster with 500 caddy.
 
I wouldn't think for more than one second about going into the Gulf. Unless you want to make another headline that Waterlizard will be pasting here. Something like these.

"Airboater sinks in the Gulf"
"Coast Guard continues search for Lost Airboater."

Water can be deep, can get rough water fast, heavy chop with white caps in close to shore. Top heavy boat mixed with above is very bad mojo.

I jumped into the surf line one day in SE TX and thought I would zip down about 4 miles of beach instead of cross several miles of marsh and back again. Thought I would save some time.

The chop instantly picked up and running parallel to breakers in a top heavy airdrive is down right crazy. We beached her three times to let the bilge pump catch up and that was running with the drain plugs out. Hell the water was less than 3 feet deep and we were white knuckled. Cut out into deeper water to get away from the breakers, but the swells were just as bad. In the breakers, you got bumped into the bottom and that stopped the boat from going very far over. Had the offshore man acting as a outrigger to balance the boat.

Remember, airboats typically dive so fast that Navy submariners get jealous. Gulf and Airboats (unless very big) is VERY BAD MOJO.
 
Guest:

Florida offers plenty of great airboating spots. Two weeks, eh?

I'd start at Lakes Orange and Lochloosa just west of Gainesville and ride and frog hunt for a couple of days and nights. No license required to frog hunt, state non resident license required for all fishing fresh and salt are different licenses.

Then, I'd go west to Cedar Keys and I'd work the coastline for redfish and speckled trout for another two days.

Next, would be Camp Mack on the Kissimmee River at Lake Wales. Outstanding airboat running over a large area. Super bass and speckled croppie fishin' and some frogs, too.

Then, south and west to Englewood on the Gulf Coast for a couple more days of shallow water redfish, snook and trout in Charlotte harbor. Fishin's best on the lowest of low tides New & Full moons.

Finally, a day or two on Okeechobee or in the Glades south of Alligator Alley.

An airboating vacation you'll never forget. The Rivermaster Caddi will do fine. Just take several bottles of Tire Magic in case you hit some sticky spots.

Lowrance DGPS with internal chart will keep you from getting lost.
 
Yep sounds like big daddy has done his homework LOL If comin from up north I would suggest to always run fresh water after the saltwater to rinse it all off. And really do keep a good eye on the weather everywhere you go on his list I am not familiar with orange & lochloosa but the others are shallow and large areas that can get nasty in a blink. Just remember to put it on the bank instead of the bottom. Use plenty of sun screen and a hat with a lanyard on it so it dont end up in the prop. Oh yeah might bring your light winter jackets they should be about like our heavy winter coats LOL cause it does get cold on the water. The fishin license is a must the fine is definetly not acceptable. If you hit all of his spots you will need both fresh & saltwater fishin lisc. and pay attention to the size limits. One last thing that is important to know... is almost every plant and animal in florida either bites, burns, stings or punctures. Have fun and be safe.
 
Hey Minnesota airboater, If you do find yourself all the way down in the Everglades and want some help finding your way around get in touch with me. I'm always looking for a reason to go out. The Everglades Conservation Areas make up over 670,000 acres in 3 counties, there are many privately leased hunting/fishing camps located throughout and more miles of airboat trails than most fuel tanks can carry. You can check out my website and see some pics.
http://www.EvergladesAirboatRide.com
 
Thanks you guys for all the info. I will diffently try some of those spots. Just not sure on the dates we would go yet. I would have liked to already been gone are weather is cold -15 to -20 with -40 to-50 wind chill.

Frogin sounds fun, what would I need. I would guess you use speer's. Is it easy to do?

Airboat4fun I will look you up if we make it that way. I could use some tips.

What is the tire magic for??

Thanks again
 
Hey . . . if you are planning a trip to Lake Kissimmee, don't pass up Thomas Landing. See the September 2004 issue of Airboat World Magazine. You can reach it by either land or water. A visit to Thomas Landing will be a trip that you will not soon forget.

WaterLizard 8)
 
Well stay out of the Gulf in Louisiana and Texas, it is just to rough.

The Laguna Madre in Texas is excellent redfish and specked trout fishing. The bays starting around the Brazos River and heading south are decent for airboating, just have to plan to stay near the edges. Beware of the fishermen that are wading and the duck decoys at this time of the year. They both expect you to stay way wide of them. But with a little wind the chop gets mean.

Specked Trout in the Madre is known for having lots of near record size fish.

Most of the marshes are privately owned and trespassing is frowned own. Some of the rivers are ok on the upper coast, but most of the good running is on limited access property.
 
Froggin ain't hard, once you get the hang of it. It is best done at night with a 12 pack and some good friends. First you need a headlight to scan the swamp for their beady little white eyes glowing back at you. And the speer is called a GIG. Typically it is a 10'-12' fiberglass pole with a lightweight 4 prong spear head. Then there is the frog chute, usually mounted to the grass rake or front of the boat and made of PVC with a bag at the bottom. You get the boat on plane and then find the frog you want drive up next to it and just GIG'EM'. After you gig the little bugger, you drop it in the chute, pull back, the frog SHOULD come off the gig, fall down the chute and drop into the bag just waiting for a couple dozen more. So at the end of the night you clean them up and bring home your fresh frog legs. They are kinda like chicken wings. Most people batter them like fish and deep fry them (350 degree oil just till they start to turn golden), others sautee them with butter and a little garlic. However you do it, just don't overcook them, they get rubbery. By the way I have relatives in Minnesota (Eagen, Invergrove Heights, Chisolm, and an uncle with a farm somewhere up North) Where do you run your airboat up there?
 
This is my favorite place to airboat, though the weather is often nicer than this:)
http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=6&n=7182796&e=372920&s=500&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG250
small_cold_boat_ride.jpg
 
We have a cabin on rainy river, The river borders minnesota and canada. Other wise we have some river close to home Duluth,mn
(tip of lake superior) I also us it alot in the spring and fall when the fishing is great and there is shore ice. That is a blast going from ice to open water. But this time of year they are all ready driving truck on the lakes, Airboats are fun on the ice but its cold and ruff ride if the ice isn't smooth.

I think I'm going to have to try frogging for sure. sounds like fun. Thanks again for all the info.
 
That was one cold trip. Spent 10 days out but only got to hunt two of those because of the weather - it dropped to -20F. We spent most of the time in the wall tent stoking the wood stove.

Notice how the photo shows the snow curling up and into the front passengers' laps. Even though the operator was more exposed to the wind, it beat getting snow in your face. We needed handgrip warmers on the steering lever though - my left pinky will never be the same. Once frostbit always cold sensitive.
 
Well all I can say is Kississime rocks. Don't know if you've left for here yet or not but that place has got it all. Even people acting the fool. You can sit on the ridge Friday or Saturday and your bowned to see something you've never seen up that way. Plus the other 4 lakes ain't that bad either.[/quote]
 
Looking for a good place to airboat?? You need to come to Lake Seminole in Bainbridge Ga. 38 thousand acres of playground.Nice camp ground at Jack Wingates Lunker Lodge.If you need some directions or help just call Paul Dixon of Airboats Unlimited Inc. 229-246-5760 He has been building airboats for about 45 years and when it comes to anything to do with an airboat ---------WELL need I say more!! Just call him,you will be very glad you made the call.
 
Orange Lake is a haven for airboaters. If you like ridin trails and seeing alligators and other wildlife, Orange is for you. There is also a giant "hill" to run in the middle of the lake, probably sticks up a good 12 feet or more. Good place to park and have a "picninc"

Lochloosa is a good lake if you like riding open water, but it is very shallow, so not too rough for airboats. LOT'S of cypress trees.
 
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