# flat bottom vs. v bottom



## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

ducknuts has one on his 19' pm him if you need an jet drive insight. After talkin with him about his i dunno if thats what I would want. Not that they are bad or anything, just think about ice and how much you hunt cold weather before you commit to one.


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

Jets

Cons:
You lose about 30% hp converting, so you need a bigger motor.
You need clean water to run a jet. A few weeds are not bad, but too many are a problem. Sag Bay and the such it is not a problem. 
Reverse is not as effective on a jet as a prop. 

Plus:
*You draft at "least" a foot less over a prop. With a tunnel, it rides above the bottom of the boat.
*With the right boat, going full bore, you can pass over 6" of water. So, once you are on plane, you are "almost" impervious to hits.
*No prop to worry about tangling long lines in, cutting dog, etc...
*Since reverse is controlled by a "gate" and not changing direction of the drive shaft, you can be going 30mps forward and slam it into reverse and almost stop on a dime. The motor is always in forward, reverse and neutral are determined by how the gate deflects the water.
*No motor tourque.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> ducknuts has one on his 19' pm him if you need an jet drive insight. After talkin with him about his i dunno if thats what I would want. Not that they are bad or anything, just think about ice and how much you hunt cold weather before you commit to one.


And the other concern is I intend to use this boat in the summer fishing/boating as well, and I'm not sure if the jets will even get down to a trolling speed...anyone?


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## maximus (Mar 1, 2004)

The dealer downriver on jefferson, i think its called erie marina has some 03,04 and 05 alaskans for sale all new.

the problem is that they all sit outside uncovered all year round. the one i looked at had leaves in it blocking the water from draining and the corners of the floor looked like they were rotting. i also noticed that all the boats were sitting on used trailers. he told me if i wanted a brand new trailer it would be an extra 1000. i have heard no one can beat his prices now i see why.

not exactly what im looking for in a new boat.

i bet you could get the 03 for a good price if you dont mind the above mentioned.

im still waiting to see the frontier to see if the setup is any better than an alaskan. also have been looking at blinds, when you get in the 20-21' range it seems blind options get slim.


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

just ducky said:


> And the other concern is I intend to use this boat in the summer fishing/boating as well, and I'm not sure if the jets will even get down to a trolling speed...anyone?



The throttle determines the speed of the impeller, an impeller is not as efficient as a prop hence the loss in HP. So in theory, it should actually idle down slower than a prop motor at the same rpms.


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## Kevlar (Jul 21, 2004)

On anything above an 18 footer you should probably custom build. The blinds like the quick set blind are nice on boats 16 foot and smaller. ONce you put it on a bigger boat you run into all kinds of problems. I gave my quick set blind to my buddie after a year of using it. He put it on his 16 foot G3 and we couldn't be more happy with it. Best part is I contributed to the cause' now I can use his boat whenever I need it.  We use this setup strictly for Mott Lake. Works like a dream, plus it keeps me from having to trailer my boat all the way home. 


Kevlar


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## BFG (Mar 4, 2005)

I like the idea of a jet motor as well, however, I've heard they are a PITA in waves....loss of propulsion slows you down as the jet comes in and out of water....


As soon as they develop a 25hp air cooled outboard w/ reverse, I'm buying....

LOL


BFG


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

With a jet on a shallow v, I'm not quite sure how you would lose thrust since the only way the jet outflow would not be in contact with the water, would be if your transom is out of the water. Not likely unless your going 60mph in a bass boat


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## maximus (Mar 1, 2004)

Anbody make a move yet? I'm still looking. Dealer around here still doesnt have a triton. Need to find another Lund dealer too, I'm hearing to many horror stories about the one down here. 

I have been told that Jan-Mar is boat show time and that the manufactors will be offereing rebates and such.

Let me know if anybody has made a move.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

maximus said:


> Anbody make a move yet? I'm still looking. Dealer around here still doesnt have a triton. Need to find another Lund dealer too, I'm hearing to many horror stories about the one down here.
> 
> I have been told that Jan-Mar is boat show time and that the manufactors will be offereing rebates and such.
> 
> Let me know if anybody has made a move.


Getting closer. Yes, there are rebates coming according to several dealers that I've spoken to. My plan...get their best price now, then shop the boat shows and dicker.


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## Kevlar (Jul 21, 2004)

JD,

Just to let you know they have a couple nice alaskans at Chapmans Sports Center in Davison (Elba). 

I don't know if you got a price quote from them yet.

KEvlar


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## maximus (Mar 1, 2004)

JD

Nice plan I think I might do the same


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## thedude (Jul 20, 2004)

jets & trolling:
the speed is fine -- just remember you have no lower unit to act as a rudder and it can be hard to maintian your course when the wind is blowing.

jets & waves:
i only have 1448 jon w/ a 20hp jet. but i've had it in 2' waves w/ no problem.
the best solution on a bigger boat would be a hydraulic jack plate, if in heavy chop, lower the plate to set the foot deeper in the water. this will decrease performance, but help eliminate cavitation to get you safely home.

jets & hulls:
you need around 2' of flat bottom at the stern of the boat for optimal performance. some even grind the ribs out of the bottom of the boat to get a pure flat surface. a non-flat surface will create drag on the foot and also increase the chances of cavitation.
there's no reason to put a jet on a tunnel. it will decrease performance. a tunnel will draft more water at rest - requiring deeper water for take off. a properly set up jet will not sit more than a few mm below the boat, so it shouldn't be a concern.

all that said - the torque is seriously lacking (if you get high centered on a log for instance) and they will clog with debris. but they will get through the sand and rocks better than anything else.

(also - they won't clog at all if you are going in reverse  )


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## Lucky13 (Jan 6, 2006)

I have a 20' Lund Alaskan with the dual console and love it. I use it for both fishing and hunting out of in Lake Erie. It can handle some pretty big water. It is rigged with a 115hp two-stroke and a 9.9 four stroke kicker. I also have a custom made blind for it as well. If you're planning on multi-purpose boat (fishing/hunting) and you are going to be spending time on any of the Great Lakes, I would highly recommend a boat w/ a deep V.

Just my two cents. If you're ever in the cleveland area and want to take a look at my rig or go for a spin out on the lake let me know.


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## cupped-n-locked (Jan 5, 2006)

We use an 18 Alaskan with a sixty merc 4-stroke tiller - what a boat!!!
A lot of times we end up getting blown off the lake when layout shooting and we are forced to pick up in some nasty waves and it takes it no problem. The motor runs great. When I buy my own big alum boat it is going to be hard to talk me out of the Lund Alaskan.


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