Best shallow water river boat

jitterbug127 · Feb 11, 2025

I am looking for some recommendations for a good shallow water river boat. I think a kayak would be great, but I fish with my 3-year-old son mostly. Our river system here is more like a bunch of wide creeks. Slow moving and can be waded in lots of spots. I'd be more likely to hit bottom than any other issues. I have explored a few jon boats and they have been ok but not great.

My criteria would be safety first. I need enough room for my son and I to fish.
2 able to get in and out easy. I'd like to be able to drag when i need to.
3 a motor to get back up stream to get home. I'm happy to row, but I'll want a motor to make the process easier.

I thinking a 14 x36 jon (or 12x36), crawl dad crawler or a drift boat. I'm not a fan of mud motors due to them being so dangerous. Any back water or skinny water fisherman what y'all using?

dingbat · Feb 11, 2025

jitterbug127 said:
I am looking for some recommendations for a good shallow water river boat. I think a kayak would be great, but I fish with my 3-year-old son mostly. Our river system here is more like a bunch of wide creeks. Slow moving and can be waded in lots of spots. I'd be more likely to hit bottom than any other issues. I have explored a few jon boats and they have been ok but not great.

My criteria would be safety first. I need enough room for my son and I to fish.
2 able to get in and out easy. I'd like to be able to drag when i need to.
3 a motor to get back up stream to get home. I'm happy to row, but I'll want a motor to make the process easier.

I thinking a 14 x36 jon (or 12x36), crawl dad crawler or a drift boat. I'm not a fan of mud motors due to them being so dangerous. Any back water or skinny water fisherman what y'all using?

Locally, the small mouth guys/guides on the Potomac and Susquehanna are running center console Jon boats with outboard jet drives

These are a little extreme (I/O) but they are out there

XR-8

The River Raptor XR-8 is the ultimate shallow water fishing boat. It rips across shallow water with vast casting decks.

riverraptorjetboats.com

southkogs · Feb 11, 2025

Here in TN, the rivers vary in terms of how easy they are to navigate. Lot's of jon / row boats with small outboards.

The guides will use something more like an aluminum center console, like a Sea Ark. Or many of them use Drift Boats too.

Of course kayaks, canoes and the small plastic boats are regulars on the river too.

cyclops222 · Feb 11, 2025

For safety with son !!!!!!!!!!!!
FIRST motor / row / walk and drag the boat ONLY UPSTREAM !!!
Anchor up front and 1 in the back. Small enough for son to push over the side if needed. BOTH of you tied to each other AND to the boat. rigid jackets only.
After walking up stream you can go down stream faster in a emergency.
Get the widest boat you can. 48 to 50" a minimum.
Motor should have both electric & recoil pull start. Mine when I took young daughter fishing. She loved feeding all the different fish I attracted each day at the same time. Carp and Green Giant corn. 2 cell phones fully charge up.
You will enjoy the smile when son feeds the fish.

Almost forgot. NOO NOO hooks with barbs allowed in a special tackle box. They slide right out. Sun glasses at ALL TIMES.
I had a time and boat travel plan with wife an friends.
Enjoy the time together.

aspeck · Feb 11, 2025

A flatbottom johnboat with a reinforced bottom and a jet drive outboard. The jet drive will take away about 35% of the power rating of the outboard when you change the lower unit. Can be tiller or center console.

That is the cheap way to go and a lot of guys around here on the Juniata run them (and it is what we are currently running for our rescue boat). However, we are in the process of specing out one of the River Raptors that Dingbat posted. Those boats are sweet and made a few miles down river from us (about 15 mile).

The jet outdrives on a flat bottom are SWEET, but we also run a small outboard on a RIB. That works pretty well also.

cyclops222 · Feb 12, 2025

Almost forgot a very important fact about Aluminum seats and sunlight.

Hot HOT HOT unbearable A white dull finish seat cushion or throwable life device held in place with some stretch cord works fine. Some aluminum boats have BARE ALUMINUM inside surfaces. Warning !! they REFLECT ALOT OF SUNBURN and eye damage. Always wear sunglases with those side shades on them. Only you can protect your son from bright sunlight. I look like a Good Humor Ice Cream salesman. White is best with a SPF RATING of 45 or higher on clothing. IF you dress in long sleeves and legs ? He will do it to. Enjoy

Scott Danforth · Feb 12, 2025

Use the 14' utility or the kayaks in skinny water

jitterbug127 · Feb 15, 2025

I bought a 16 foot utility im going to try out this year see how it does. Its only like 250 lbs and barebones basic. I not sure how easy it will be to get in and out of if i need to drag, but to be determined.

Those drift boats look awesome. I'd never even seen one until recently.

southkogs · Feb 15, 2025

jitterbug127 said:
Those drift boats look awesome. I'd never even seen one until recently.

I normally wade the rivers, so I've never actually fished out of one. But from what I've seen looking at the boats themselves - they're setup really well and a great plaform.

cyclops222 · Feb 15, 2025

Cheat a little bit with one.
Buy and use a correct sized electric trolling motor to keep the boat facing up stream. A simple pulley and anchor with 50' of line completes your holding above or below any fish holding pools.
Or take someone who likes to do all the rowing. Very enjoyable then. You MUST know where any dangerous places are. Like a waterfall. Or the pilings of a low bridge. A 10 hp motor is also acceptable.
Drift boats are very enjoyable.

DeepCMark58A · Feb 15, 2025

I ran a 1448 Jon has a custom prop tunnel hull welded in had a Honda 15 hp prop on the back for years on the Mississippi in the Monticello to Elk River section of the Mississippi in Minnesota, very rocky. I never replaced the prop. I fished light, minimal gear knew the section like the back of my hand and read the currents. I was confident but also smart enough to motor upstream so I could drift back if crap happened.

Texasmark · Feb 15, 2025

cyclops222 said:
Cheat a little bit with one.
Buy and use a correct sized electric trolling motor to keep the boat facing up stream. A simple pulley and anchor with 50' of line completes your holding above or below any fish holding pools.
Or take someone who likes to do all the rowing. Very enjoyable then. You MUST know where any dangerous places are. Like a waterfall. Or the pilings of a low bridge. A 10 hp motor is also acceptable.
Drift boats are very enjoyable.

In pilings of an "old" removed bridge, I tore half of the mid section off my engine when I was a teen on a river with the sawed off pilings of an old railroad bridge being about 6" below the surface with murky water.

cyclops222 · Feb 15, 2025

I was walking across a R R siding low bridge. 3' above water. AAAGGGHHH
I slip and jam 1 foot between the wood ties. Several minutes I am tugging. No use. I hear a Diesel engine. I am out of the jammed wood and running for the shore. We just need the right motivation to complete a job.

jitterbug127 · Feb 16, 2025

Wading would probably be the easiest thing to do. I would love to get an all welded hull with a jet motor. I don't have the money to invest in this set up at this time unfortunately. Best i can tell i'd be around 8000-12000 for anything in this price range.

cyclops222 · Feb 16, 2025

Take your time !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Remember YOU have the money. Looks great. Start it when completely cold and then a hot restart. Walk away if you are given any excuses. He maybe selling problems.
Used jets are NOT worth more money.
Have you ever removed stringy weeds from that enclosed housing ? It can take quite awhile. Ours sucked up a ski rope. 1/2 hour in the water with a tiny pocket knife.
NEVER run into loose rocky areas and get them jammed inside. Tow home.

jitterbug127 · Feb 22, 2025

VERY excited to get this a1667 on the river. I'm going to give it my best effort and ill sell it if it doesn't meet my needs.

southkogs · Feb 22, 2025

jitterbug127 said:
Wading would probably be the easiest thing to do. I would love to get an all welded hull with a jet motor. I don't have the money to invest in this set up at this time unfortunately.

I've done it quite a few times where I run a canoe or kayak down the river ... fish a little while I drift. Then, stop and wade a little. Eat a sandwich ... rinse and repeat ... makes for a nice lazy day on the river.

jitterbug127 said:
VERY excited to get this a1667 on the river. I'm going to give it my best effort and ill sell it if it doesn't meet my needs.

A set of oars will be a great compliment to the outboard, and give you some options as the river puts you in some skinny water.

jitterbug127 · Mar 29, 2025

Got Boat out. Love it. exactly what i needed. Glad i made the buy.

jitterbug127 · 2025-04-23T16:35:48-0600

The bow mounted trolling motor i've got has turned this thing into a nice fishing machine.

Best shallow water river boat

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