Getting a sled soon.

No interest in Jetcraft by Harbercraft?
Harbercraft.com
They are coming out with a 4st jet made by Yamaha.

I'm sure before this thread is over you'll have all the sleds suggested to ya.

Sidedrifting or Boondogging is my favorite fishery of all. I've ran all sleds from Alumaweld 20-24 ft, Willie 20ft, North River 20ft, Thor Built 20-22ft, and Koffler 20-21ft.

My first pick is the boat I own a 20ft Koffler with a 4 degree front and tunnel bottom, hands down there is not another boat out there that tracks as good as it does. The same boat in a longer length works just as good if not better but you in low water conditions (narrower rivers) you have less room for a 22 or 24' boat and less room for error. A close second is the Thor Built, it's built by one of the best boondoggers Mike Sexton. Presentation is an extreme key to boondogging success and there should be no reason to have to fight the boat all day to keep it tracking properly. One of the major things you fight in the Alumaweld, Willie and North River is the stability. You constantly have to make sure the boat is in balance or they will tend to drag one way or another, it will drive you nuts.

All the same goes for plugging or hover fishing. It's extremely important to not have a boat that you have to fight all day long to stay on line with your presentation...

If you choose to go with Koffler or Thor Built let me know as I know both owners extremely well and can make sure you are set up right.

Keith

hn

I would go Thorbuilt 17' more versitale for Satsop and Wynoochie. Turns out I have one for sale 425-890-3600, see the outdoor gear section.

Im sure someone will buy it. too small for what I want. I do like the looks of those boats though.

Anything designed by Mike would be a safe bet for sure.Just curious though do the Thors have a tunnel hull?

No tunnel hull on the Thors that I'm aware of but I'm sure Mike would build one if wanted...

Keith

does your koffler have a tunnel?

sent another pm

Why an open boat. the windshield doesn't get in the way and you will be glad you have it on the mornings you're chipping ice out of your eyes.

Nothing beats my customweld

not many sled guys on here?

Sorry, another windshield driver here...well when I'm not using the driftboat or pontoon. I think ifish would be a better choice for asking about open sleds especially since they live near the factories of many of the brands that you are interested in.

Alumaweld or Northriver.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

I own a 20' Riddle Marine open center console with a 240 Sportjet. I use it to fish the Salmon River in Idaho for steelhead. I have always been an open boat fan since the mid 60's when my dad first took me on a guided trip on the Salmon River to the Shepp Ranch. I use an 8hp LS Merc to troll with and a Riptide 80 w/ 3x steering to side drift and bottom bounce. I fish quite a bit by myself and this boat is just the ticket. Also it has a 1/4" bottom in case you misjudge the depth. You can view Doug's website at http://www.rmrboats.com/

Open sleds leave you a lot more room than the windshield boats. Although there are cold days I wish I had a windsheild and a built in heater I'll sacrafice those to catch more fish!

Keith

Yes it does have a tunnel starting about 3 feet from the back and is about 16" wide and peaks at about 2" at the back of the boat, if that all makes sense.

The Koffler Lite like mine is an extremely light boat that runs extremely shallow water, I've seen other boats (flat bottom to 4 degree) run shallow but 90% of the time will drag their shoe in anything less than 6" of water without the tunnel. It also comes in handy for those shallow water starts at the end of your drifts.

Keith

That tunnel sounds really like the way to go if your going to be fishing smaller rivers where the drifts get super shallow in low water conditions. I even hit my drift boat in water that is 3" deep so thats awesome.

Best brand of sled?

Whichever friend's I happen to be on.