Wooden Boat People

By McKenzieDriftBoat.com

Need boat advice

Hello everyone,

I have been on here for a while looking and learning about boat building and design etc. and I an considering building a wooden boat. I would like to ask some advice about the style of boat I need.

I am in Eastern Idaho and I like to do Salmon fishing up by Challis and the Pahsimeroi River when the season allow. I also like to go bass fishing on the snake river below American Falls reservoir and over by Massacre Rocks. I have only ever fished these sections from the bank. In fact, I have only ever been in a drift boat once, so I am a very inexperienced novice at best. I do know people who have run driftboats and intend on getting some lessons.

I guess what I would like to know is how tough are the sections of river I described and would I be able to navigate them without life threatening incident? I know right where the Pahsimeroi dumps into the Salmon looks to be fairly slow and smooth, but up past Royal Gorge resort looks quite a bit bumpy so I probably would not go that far.

I would also like to be able to put it on American Falls and cruise the shore line to fish once in a while, so I am looking at a power drifter/dory type boat that might be able to handle the Upper Salmon, Slower parts of the snake, and maybe take the family out on the lake ( I have two 8 year olds so safety is a concern as well I ( I probably wont be taking them on the rivers just yet))

Ideally I would build a drift boat for the Salmon and get a fish-ski boat for the lake, but cant really afford two boats at the moment.

ANyway, I could go on but getting long winded enough, I would like to here what you all think...

Thanks

Larry

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by AJ DeRosa on January 22, 2015 at 8:02pm

A 16' Rapid Robert will do what you want to do. Great drift boat and a very good still water boat with a 15hp out board. Nothing else comes close as a river/lake boat.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Robb Grubb on January 24, 2015 at 11:15am

Larry,

I agree with AJ, the Rapid Robert is a great all around boat up to class II and even III with the proper skill set. It is stable, proven and can be used for many types of water. You can row a bathtub down the river with the proper water reading ability, experience and skills. Without the proper skills, the best equipment and the greatest performing boat hull will get you in trouble.

Cheers, Robb

www.RiverTraining.net