Is it safe to have a 18' flat bottom sled out on the Columbia? I live way up north and am planning on buying a boat in the next year and sometime in the future hitting the river for some springs and was just curious if thats safe? Is that type of boat big enough? From what I have read, sleds can be the ideal way to go on rivers around the Northwest. Dont know if I can afford a jetboat right now but it sounds like they go real shallow to. Thanks :p

Springs? How far up North are you?

There are 100's of sleds on the Columbia. I wouldn't think it would be a problem.

The Columbia should be strictly a drift boat river.

Remdrake, a flat bottom would work fine on the Columbia river, but if you havn't bought one yet, you might look at a vee hull sled, like a Alumaweld super vee. It comes in a 18' and will give you a lot smother ride over the flat bottom. Don't get me wrong a flat bottom fish's and runs small rivers great, but a super vee fish's great in the small river and rides a lot smother in the big ones. Try to get a test ride in both.

damn it Coho...you stole my punch line!!!!!!

BAN ALL BOATS ON THE COLUMBIA DAMN IT!!!

I run my 17' flat bottomed sled on the Columbia year round. When the water is rough, it beats the sh*%t outta ya and you don't get anywhere too terribly fast. But when it's smooth, it's a beautiful sight. And when the river is low at the Hanford reach, I'm sure glad I've got a shallow running boat.

That said, my next boat will probably be a deeper V jetboat because I fish primarily on the Columbia and not much on smaller rivers. I'm sure that will offer different advantages and disadvantages. Bottom line is that there is no one boat that will do everything, but a sled comes mighty close. My $.02