Any Drift boat users here ?

[NRG]

Im looking to buy a drift boat , for fishing the smaller rivers in the region, looking for local people that may have one .. likes and dislikes etc , also looking at maybe a canoe with motor mount for the same.

 

[Breeze]

how about a 11ft inflatable raft, needs motor

 

[SNUFFY]

Never used a driftboat there BIG....but like most non power boats on river is it requires 2 vehicles and people to drive them....emoBang
I have used a squareback aluminum canoe years ago and liked them for what they are...they are great if you can stand sitting on your butt all day and like most canoes they`re really made for small people or don`t mind getting wet on occasion.


being without a boat is killin` you.... ain`t itemoBawl

 

[SpurHunter]

I know that boat your in...er...not in. Still working on getting mine going. Good luck finding what you need.

 

[NRG]

It aint that i miss the boat .. so much as I want a boat that I can fish all over in Hiawassee, TN river, caney etc etc one boat for all , Ive looked at the drift boats online .. and Ive seen many with outboards but so far the biggest motor Ive seen on one is 10 hp .. Id really like a 25 hp and electric trolling motor too.
They aint cheap ... they start at around 6-7 grand plus motor. If I wasn't afraid of going down the Hiawasee in a big Jon boat .. Id just jet one around 18 feet, John boats and rapids dont mix well. Ive had a Coleman Scanoe several years ago .. extremely stable on the TN river but the rapids part is what makes me nervous about a scanoe.
I just dont want to have to buy 2 boats to fish from, trying to find one boat that will do it all. There is a drift boat dealer on Signal Mtn, I guess Im going to have to go see him . Ive about decided to just go fly fishing only for a while. may even dump all my standard bass tackle .. except maybe a spin rod or two and one jig box with a hand full of crank baits for the TN river.

 

[Guest]

I fished out of several different drift boats and a few jetted jons too. For the hiwassee I prefer a small oar ww raft. I happen to have a 12' raft for sale, pm if you r interested (you still need frame and oars). For the caney a drift for the upper and a jet-jon for the lower reaches. Jets,drifts, rafts are all hard to fish and drift at the same time, so a good anchor system is required, or someone else to control the boat. Also, I have taken down a jet from railroad bridge to patty on the hia several times, only two tricky spots.

 

[Guest]

Also wanted to add that even though drift boats are nice, I don't think they are worth the money. I like to get out and wade, and use the boat to get to spots, a raft is much easier to get in and out. Rafts take less maintenance too. When you do hit rocks, a raft is more forgiving. Of course my opinion maybe biased towards rafts 'cause I guide whitewater for many years.

 

[Troutbum]

You may want to consider a used drifter. Considerably cheaper and you can usually find them in pretty good condition. Check some of the flyfishing/trout message boards and you'll likely see one or two for sale. I think there's one on the North Georgia Trout Online board right now as a matter of fact. You can also go see Mac over at Choo Choo Fly and Tackle. I think he is a dealer for Clackacraft and probably has access to used drifters as well. He's a good guy and would be worth talking to.

I have a 16 foot drifter and love it. There are some good arguments for rafts, pontoons, etc., but I love those drifters. They're extremely stable and fun to handle on the water. And they just look cool out there on the water. Beautiful boats.

Good luck with your search. I think you'll find what you want if you do your research.

 

[Liveliner]

take a drive down South broad Street.  Just south of the I-24 overpass you will see drift boats on display.