I just bought a new 17x54 Willie Thursday. The last couple of days i've been looking at kicker motors and Oars. I've been haveing a hard time deciding whether to go 2-Stroke or Fourstroke. I've got a 15' wood drift boat with 9' aluminum oars now , and have never rowed anything else. I like to drift the North and South Umpqua river. If anyone could help me decide on the right motor and oars for this boat I would appreciate it.

I use a 6 hp long shaft Johnson motor on my drift boat alot to fish the Sound and some rivers. What I have found is that weight is not your friend. Horse power is not important with a max hull speed of maybe 8kts tops. On the 17' you're probably looking long shaft too. Even though you can go small and light, you definately don't want a self contained gas tank type of motor. That puts you up in the weight class again. By the way, you are going to want to get the tank as far forward as possible (under front seat?) for weight distribution (a good distance on a 17'). 4 strokes are nice, but even the newer 2 strokes are on the heavy side for me. I really don't know what to recommend since I'm not all that happy with mine. Best I had was an ancient (and lighter) 6hp "Fisherman". For lakes the bigger electrics are intrigueing and I've wondered how they would do as a kicker on some rivers. Hope this helps somehow. I'm interested in what recommendations this thread brings. Dang motors are a HUGE investment.

Wade, I used to own a fly shop and ran three to four boats out of it ranging from 15' to 17' and found that especially on bigger water such as your North Umpqua, 9'3" to 9' 6" oars worked great on the bigger,wider boats. Some of us used wooden oars (Sawyers - smokers )and put about 18" of motorcycle tire tubbing over the paddle of the oar. This made them extra tough and lasted much longer. I hope that I was of some help. Good Luck Fishin'

As for a kicker, Get a 2 stroke. An 8 will be about right for your boat. 4 strokes are too heavy for a drift boat.

As for oars, I reccomend getting some 9.5' Cataracts. Thats what I run on my 16x54 Willie.

My old Eastside (18') has a motorwell in it so that is probably a bit different than what you are talking about.

One thing that I often need to do, especially if fishing alone, is to throw the anchor in the bow. Really makes a big difference in the amount of "Freeboard" in the back.

I run a 4 stroke 5 horse Honda. There are a few things I don't like about it. The #%$^ @#$%^& dies an awful lot. New Carb etc. Still a pain in the ass. It also tends to be too fast. I have a new trolling plate, but haven't "modified" the hull for it to fit yet. I use it mostly to travel or to pull plugs in big water like the Cow or Columbia.

I have 10' Ash Oars which are getting pretty beat up. Looking for a pair of 10' Cataracts. If you care to part with a set, even 9 1/2 please e-mail me at ifishthere4iam@hotmail.com

I run a 16x54 ( length doesn't mean as much as width, width is the same). Heres what I have found and had confirmed by some guide friends.
2 strokes weigh less and on a DB that means a lot. 4 strokes are still too heavy. In a couple more years they will have them weighing the same, but for now, stick with the 2 strokes. Go with a 10 horse over the 8. The weight is the same, just different carb and internal stuff. ( Sorry I can't be more technical, I'm not mechanically inclined). You'll be able to get back up to the top of faster moving water with it. My friend has an 8HP and can't make it back up in spots where I can, or at least it takes him forever. Also, your 17 footer weighs a little more and can carry more than most 16 footers, so the extra oomph would be nice.
Oars are dependant on where you fish and personal preference. I fish the upper Rogue where some of the water is technical and quick pivots are needed. 9 foot oars are perfect for this. 9'4" are ok too, but anything longer is too much. Double-check with Mike at Willie for more info, but I believe they normally sell 9 footers with the boat you bought.
Enjoy your boat. Thats the one I'll be getting in a couple more years. They have great responsiveness (probably more than the 16 even), and the more you put in them, the better the row...not too common for a driftboat.
PS... don't forget to rebalance your boat with the motor on. I have to move my front seat up 1-2 notches depending on who is with me.