Jet Boat Dealers

[Kevin Turner]

Who is the best MN / WS Aluminum jet boat dealer?

[Grabs]

Check out River-Pro boats!

They a new site sponser! Dennis Steele could probably provide you with a few answers to any questions you might have too.

http://riverpro-boats.com/

[Sarge]

Kevin, I'm currently looking into buying a jet boat, and truthfully there is very little for Dealers around here carring any Jet Boats or clip on jet motors.(SE MN)

I am assuming that you are the Kevin Turner who makes River Pro boats, and to be honest with you, it would be nice to know where I could go see one and take or get a ride in one.

[Dennis Steele]

Hey Sarge
I take it that my little jet jon boat had impresssed you. Nothing like running over those rapids.Wait untill you get a ride in a River Pro.There is no comparrison.I thought about getting another outboard but after my experience with jets on jons I knew that what I realy needed was a River Pro.I should have mine in a couple months and you would be welcome to go for a ride with me.

I haven't found any local dealers that have much experience with jets.I usually have to explain to the dealers about them.

[Kevin Turner]

Grabs. THX for the referral. I build the RiverPro. I've been trying to find a good dealer to work with. MN dealers don't seem to be to excited @ jets.

[Grabs]

I see,..I missed that part.

I guess there is a business opportunity here.

Kevin, would a good marketing guy be of interest to you? I'm looking for a new job,..I could see a need to determine the best local market to start a dealership in. This way the first dealership that is started has the marketing research to prove that these boats could sell in that area. This could benefit RiverPro and whatever dealership begins caring the boats as part of their offering.

Let me know,...
[email protected]

[Kevin Turner]

Grabs, A full time Rep is on my wish list. For now I'm stuck with myself. THX KT

[Grabs]

Well if things change and you need a local rep, let me know!

[mistermom]

I don't know if this is helpful or not: but the boat dealership that is in north Mpls just off I-94 on Washington has had jet outboards on jonboats in their showroom in the past. The first one I ever saw was in their showroom about 4 years ago. I can't remember the name of the place; but I know they had a mercury jet on an 18' jon in the showroom when I was there.

I just remembered I think it is Supreme Marine on Washington in N Mpls.

mm

[Sarge]

Yep Fishhead, that Jet was sweet! Even pushed my 300 pound of extra wieght right over them rocks.

I said to my self "I gotta get one of these". Thanks for the extra info you send me, it really makes me want to make sure, I get the right setup from the start.

[Kevin Turner]

Thanks for the replies. I've heard about Supreme Marine B4 but forgot about them.

[Dennis Steele]

Sarge
I ran into a lot of gray areas when I was looking into getting another outboard jet.I was realy concerned about doing damage to the intake since it sits 3" below the boat,I had hit a lot of stuff with my jet intake on the jon and wanted a boat that had a tunnel desinged for jet use to protect the intake.I could not be certain that any of the manufactured boats had a tunnel that would work.One manufacturer that had been selling a boat with a tunnel for jet use for some time suggested that I not buy one of theirs,They said their boat performed better without one.If they are not designed just right you get cavitation problems and that was what caused my last motor to burn out after only 3 years.There are a few custom boat builders out there that do make a boat with a tunnel that works but even then you may have to make modifications to the boat,the intake,or try to get the boat leveled just right to get the best perfromance. Their prices are comparable to a River Pro.Thats why I got the River Pro.No fooling around trying to get it to work properly, it just does, and the performance is far superior.You should come and take a ride with me this summer.We can chase some kitties or even head up to the Miss for some smallies.I know a stretch where there is probably the best smallie fishing in the state.I turned my brother on to it a couple years ago.He fished it 7 times last year and said most of his fish were 3lbs or better.He also got a couple that went better than 6lbs and he was limited to only fishing near the launch with a small prop boat.

Kevin
I told you the forums can be addicting.

[chunkytrout]

Never seen those before but has to be one of the coolest rigs. Wow! Impressive!

[redhooks]

I know I don't have much to offer considering the original question but had to chime in because I'm intrigued by the use of jets here in the midwest. I ran "jet sleds" up in AK for 2 summers and really miss the ride.I have lots of ideas for rivers to rip around on and get to the sweet spots that rarely get touched. We used 18' Lowe semi-V's w/ 40 HP outboards on them. What a gas! We did have one boat with a tunnel hull and it had some advantages but I'd rather have go with regular raised transom for better control on hairpin turns and reduced cavitation problems. Those Riverpros sure look nice but I think a guy could outfit a semi-V for about a third of the price. Hopefully someday I'll have my own-They make getting to the spot as much fun as fishing it-full tilt til ya hit the holes!!!
redhooks

[This message has been edited by redhooks (edited 03-05-2003).]

[Kevin Turner]

Addictive?
Addictive?
Addictive?
Addictive?
Addictive?

[kwkfsh]

Dennis, if you have not gotten your River Pro boat yet you are probably going to want to look at having a bigger fuel tank put in it. That 19 gal. tank they put in it is going to give you about a 45 min. run time before you are looking for a gas pump. That 175 sportjet burns about 18to 19gals an hr. at WOT and at cruise you are going to be burning about 12 to 15 gal. hr. depending on load. It would be far better to have about a 50 gal. tank and having a couple hrs. of run time and some reserve. If you could get a V8 option you could almost double your power, cut your fuel consumption almost in half, and save $5 to $10 an hr. in oil costs. Not to mention that a V8 will have a lifespan of almost twice as long as a 2 stroke engine. And a marine V8 does not really cost much more than the sportjet does.

[Kevin Turner]

Kwkfish, You make some excellent points. I did install 39 gal fuel tanks on some models, but we found the 20 extra gal wasn't needed for the average river fisherman. Saves about 150 lbs. The 175HP at 3500 RPM gets fairly good mpg (in my opinion). I don't want to quote exact figures because I can't back the up. My 1st inboard boats were V-8 Engines, The were sure fun to drive but they need a lot more water to shut down & take off. But the real issue with V-8's is the weight. As for the best reliabilty I don't have a opinion. Both Engines seem to be very reliable. Since you run AK rivers, I'm sure you have good 1st hand knowledge. THX for the input, we all want Dennis in the correct boat

[kwkfsh]

Kevin, the weight is an issue but the 6 ft bottoms you are using should give you plenty of bouyancy. A good rule of thumb for 2 stroke marine engine fuel consumption is A gal. an hr. per 10 hp. at full throttle, This is usually very accurate. The 175 OB powerheads usually pull around 18 gph wide open. I think you may have the smallest gas tank on any boat that comes with a 175 as standard power. Even if cruise is 12gph, it only allows approx one hr. and ten mins of running time to burn 14 gals. This leaves approx 5 gals left in the tank. At a cruise burn of 12gph this leaves approx 24 min of fuel. Hopefully you are not 26 mins downstream of the landing.

[Dennis Steele]

I did check into how much the boat uses in gas.I wanted to make sure it would travel far enough on one tank of gas.I was told by guys who run these boats on the same river I do that they have a range of about 70 miles under normal driving conditions.That is much farther than I intend to travel in one nights fishing.I after all, want to do a little fishing.
I also did check into some jets that had V8s.I don't know about there gas consumption but I know I don't want a boat that weighs that much.They draft too much.I beleive I have made the right decision for myself.I did do some homework.

Kevin, yes addictive.Soon you will be online all day talking about boats and fishing and not building boats.
Heck I have the day off and I should be out fishing!

[Aquaman01]

Okay Kevin & Dennis,
So when someone says "you cover the gas & bait" and they have a brand spankin' new RiverPro that's gettin' 'em the eye from all the catfish groupies (they exist - they really do) - how many gallons of dead dinosaurs are we talking about?
Was RobertC now...

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Aquaman
< )/////><{
"I think we're gonna need a bigger boat."

[wastewaterguru]

Hey guys,

Did you guys consider that if one gets lets say 12 GPH of fuel economy at half throttle (assume about 25 mph), then we also have to assume the following......

A. It's usually out of question to travel at speeds above 25 mph on the river unless you have reflexes as good as mine.....then you could go 35 or 40. Right Dennis?????

B. It's always dark on the way home. So speeds are reduced to the limit of the 1,500,000 candle power spot that Dennis will likely have on the bow. Subtracting some speed for blurred vision.....I would say 10 MPH.

Sounds like some good things to think about Dennis.

------------------
I fish.....Therefore I grovel.

Here....Fisheeeeeeee!!

[Dennis Steele]

Catfish groupies Ya I can see it now dozens of girls in halter tops and short skirts chasing a crusty stinky old catman down the launch as he hops in his boat to get away.

I am not that good at math but if you were covering my bait you have to spend half a day fishing some creeks to get chubs and suckers and then the other half fishing some mud hole pond for bullheads.What do you make in one day.
As for the gas I fish less than a ten mile stretch at a time even less when the fish are on a bite.At 30 mph which is more than fast enough on that river I guess that would be.... heck I don't know I need a calculator, not that much anyway!
Just write out a blank check and I will fill it in later

Oh.. do not get in a boat that waste is driving, it may be your last! He can't see anything that is large and directly in front of him!

[Kevin Turner]

I found the MN river thread today. You guys been talking a while.

Dennis: addictive? I've got aluminum chips on my keyboard.

I want spell check!

[Kevin Turner]

Kwkfish, Your'e just about dead on. The Merc SJ 175 Has a 200 HP power head. (Mercury dyno at 183HP at the pump) At wide open throttle I burn 20 GPH. At 3200 RPM, in my own country boy way of testing, I burn 10-11 GPH. I know by stating theses numbers I'm setting the stage for disputes, But I have many times checked it. As for the V-8 engine, the additional weight of 600 lbs is quite a lot when trying to drift or push off the gravel bar. Please keep on posting your points of view or opinions, our fellow web readers may be able to use the info. KT

Fish Head: addictive?

[This message has been edited by Kevin Turner (edited 03-05-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Kevin Turner (edited 03-05-2003).]

[wastewaterguru]

Alright Dennis, I'll give ya that one. But if it weren't for that darn blind spot, I would have been fine. Besides, I just wanted to see if the structure of the boat was up to the challenge of a 30 mile per hour head on collision with a tree. I won the battle with the exception of a splintered fishing rod and shattered lantern.

Maybe I should install some airbags. I think Lund needs to be informed of that darn blind spot right in the middle of the clear windshield....