The Sky is my backyard and I almost exclusively only fish this river just for the fact that it is a two minute drive from my house. I am looking for a small sled. My question is can I run a sled all year around in the Sky even in the summer when the water gets extremely low? If a sled cannot be run year around can one of those Jon Boats with a small pump run year around or would I be better off with a drift boat? I do like the idea of a small motor boat so I can go back upstream if I wish. Do any of you guys with boats have some advice.

Lead thrower,
Your timing could`nt have been better to make this post.

In low water conditions like last summer you'd be hard pressed to run a sled on the Sky. You might be able run a few miles around Sultan but why not just get a drift boat. Talk to Ron Lavigueure at Lavro Boats in Monroe, he is located across the street from the main entrance to the prison. I've got a Lavro and love it. I can launch at Ben Howard and row upstream and fish that upper part all the way down to the Hershey Hole and pull back out at Ben Howard by myself, 1/2 a day's fishing and no shuttle. You can do the same at Tualco, fish all the way to Nordstroms and pull back out at Tualco. Easy.

Beezer

RC
I know, I saw the previous post on the Sky about sleds/jet skis but have been thinking about getting a boat and that post made me wonder, what actually is a good boat for the Sky.

You'll need two boats. Your "winter" boat should be at least 26' inboard sled that seats 12. That Sky can be a dangerous, Class-5 river once it get's above 5,000 cfs! Your summer boat can be any one of the high-performance "personal watercrafts".

More importantly DO NOT get any prior boat training before running your boats!

Finally, DO NOT be considerate when running the Sky. Feel free to cork other drift boats, run over their lines, and create six foot waves on the Sky. Since it floods on the Sky, your boat can't possibley do any more damage by making huge waves. It's also advised to "scrub" the bottom of your sled once in a while. I recommend finding a nice shallow area - you'll know you've found it when you see those salmon "redds" in ther water. Drive your sled slow enough so that you kick up at least 3" of gravel so that it's "scrubs" the bottom of your boat.

Finally, don't forget to brag about your catch at the boat ramp! Proudly show off those 3 "white tipped" chums the three of you caught! Boast that you hooked 6, but only landed 3. Make sure you qualify that "these fish will smoke up just fine!"

This next line is a joke- there seems to be a lot of sensitive guys here. Here go's---

Why get a boat, it seems that a lot of us walk on water.

I tried walking on water several times, good thing I live close and can go home and change those wet close quickly.

Hey Parker

What does cork other drift boats mean, am not up on boating terms.

"to cork somebody " means specifically that if you see Parker in a boat you should row over his lines or if in a 28' sled,swamp him. He really gets a kick out of it....to see that smile on his face.....priceless.

Lead,

I used to run a 14' Jon boat on the Sky with a pump on it. I could fish almost the whole year with the exception being very low water. The drifts that Beezer mentioned could still be ran during low water in it. The Jon could easily run in 3" of water on step without touching bottom. It was my favorite boat (I have a bigger sled now) for rivers around here since one guy could handle put-ins/takeouts and everything else very easily.

The nice part about having a pump is you can cork guys like Parker repeatedly all day and still get in alot of fishing. Throw in some sandbags and you could kick out a pretty hefty wake I bet. Being in a drift boat, he can only throw his old crusty sandshrimp at you for retalliation.

Sorry Saltine, I wouldn't waste the bottom bait even on you! I might toss a few Gammies at you, because we all know, that's the only thing they are good for!

Actually, we did get corked by some kid in a drift boat on Sunday, but since the person was too stupid to realize that he wasn't fishing in the "zone", we just pulled our plugs and went elsewhere.

PS. If you're going to cork us, at least try to PRETEND you know what you're doing!

Parker

Another light-hearted comment, please don't take personally:

I don't see the need to cork Team Vision at all. Just get within 100 yards of them and the overflow of all the fish they catch should be more than adequate to fill anyone's limit. :p

[ 11-20-2001: Message edited by: 4Salt ]

This is what happens on Metro rivers that have 6000000000000 people fishing them who all think there the best and know a secret that no one else knows on that river! Couple that with the easiest drifts on the sound and big room for sleds and you now have every joe blow who lives within an hour of that river fishing it! Rivers like that were made for scenerios like Parkers. If your gonna fish it especially weekends then ya just better get used to it!

Bob D

or just Brag on here---seems to be the place to do it.

Leadslinger, for gods sake dont get a sled. Check out Lavro in monroe.

Hey, might as well chip in on this one on a salesman note. Hey lead, I have a 14' sled for sale. It's not a jon, it's a semi V reinforced sled w/75hp pump. I've run iit on the Noch and Sop on lower flows (NO, I don't run the upper rivers, just near themouths of them). I have it posted in the fr sale cloumn. Ok, I did my plug.

Right on Parker,you read my mind

I went out and bought a 26' sled today that seats 10 just so I can run around and CORK parker.

Anyone know what river he will be on this weekend?

I'm gonna try to find him unless I'm out buyin a new jet ski on the day he's fishin. :p


Was out on the Sky. with a friends Jet ski last weekend what a blast I just gotta have one.

TM (on a mission) :p

EDIT: oh yeah- another reason I bought the sled is because I have Short Man's complex.. :p

[ 11-20-2001: Message edited by: The Reel Timber Man ]

I'll be on the Sky this Friday. Just follow the blood trail in the water back to the boat! You can't miss us. Or just look for the only boat catching fish.

I'll be sure to bring along the digi movie camera. I want to get a couple movies of you doing some bad-ass tricks on that water bike. If anything, I'll get a couple of photos of you with some of them tasty chummers - bragging rights, ya know? I hear they smoke up just fine!

Watch out for ducks!

LMAO!

No water bike this weekend Parker Just my 26' sled...Northerns are headed this way don't want to run into one.

I'm not so sure that the blood in the water will be from your fish. My jet pump is big enough to suck up, chew and spit out humans. :p j/k