Jet Boats for Fishing – What You Need to Know
While the boating industry as a whole has witnessed a considerable decline in sales over the years since the recession, there’s one particular boat that’s experienced steady growth. That is the modern jet boat.
Jet boats are different from other types of boats seeing as they’re propelled by a jet of water rather than an externally mounted propeller. Because of this difference, jet boats have several unique advantages revolving around usability, safety, and maneuverability. These days, jet boats are used for a vast range of activities such as fishing, tubing, etc.
In this article, we will look at why you can use jet boats for fishing.
Why Use Jet Boats for Fishing?
Here’s why jet boats are great for fishing.
1. Safety
Safety is the most essential feature anyone interested in fishing should look for in a boat, and a jet boat’s one-of-a-kind drive system offers users one of the most secure experiences on the water.
Jet boards don’t have external props. Rather, they use an impeller. The spinning impeller pulls water in from access inlets and then forces the water out of the nozzles situated at the boat’s end.
These impellers are located inside metal tubes that are situated in the boat’s hull. This system allows you to fish for hours without risk of possible injury due to propellers.
Jet boats truly excel when it comes to water safety. They offer safe and unimpeded access to and from the boat through the rear swim platform. Such integrated swim platforms are huge and sit close to the water, which allows for a seamless fishing experience. Moreover, multiple people can use the platform at the same time. Thus, if you’re going fishing with a group of friends, you don’t need to worry about not having sufficient space.
2. Easy to Maintain
Another reason why you should invest in jet boats for fishing is because its easy to maintain as compared to other types of powerboats.
Jet boats aren’t maintenance-free. However, as compared to other types of engines and drives, there’s less maintenance required.
To keep your jet boat in good shape, all you have to do is replace the oil and change the air filters and spark plugs as needed. Plus, you need to do a little greasing every now and then. That’s literally it! You don’t need to worry about transmissions, water pumps, impellers, or props.
Plus, it can be costly to maintain motors, particularly if there are major problems. However, jet boats require less maintenance overall.
3. Protected Drive System
As we mentioned earlier, jet boats don’t have external props. The engine components don’t protrude past the swim platform, and there’s nothing underneath the bottom of the boat.
This reduces the chances of damage to the drive system due to hitting an underwater object, something other boat propulsion systems do not guarantee.
For inboard, outboard, and sterndrive boats, boat drivers need to make sure they don’t operate in very shallow water as shallow water significantly increases the possibility of a propeller hitting the ground.
Operators also have to constantly look out for items sitting right below the surface of the water, such as stumps and rocks, even when the water is slightly deeper. This can make your fishing trip a very unpleasant experience.
On the other hand, submerged objects are much less concerning for jet boats. This means you can focus all your attention on fishing without worrying about anything else.
3. Swim Platform
Swim platforms aren’t unique to jet boats, and many other boats have them too. Nevertheless, the best thing about swim platforms on jet boats is that they’re integrated into the boat’s design, not something that’s bolted on as an afterthought.
The swim platforms on jet boats typically have cup holders, padding seating, mounted grills, and in-water-mounted benches.
They even offer easy access to and from the water, along with a safe spot for lounging after an exhausting fishing trip.
4. Easy to Operate
Jet boats are quite easy to operate. When you’re ready to go fishing, you just need to give it a little throttle and go. You don’t have to worry about motor trim or think about whether you’ve set the trim correctly.
As there are no gears, shifting is simple and fluid, allowing seamless switching between reverse and forward.
5. Multifunctional Design
Another great thing about jet boats is that they have a multifunctional design. Even if you are mainly using these boats for fishing, you can still use them for lounging, skiing, tubing, cruising, along with several other activities. How well your jet boat performs these activities depends on which model you select and its accessories. The multifunctional design means that they are great vehicles for adventure.
6. Shallow Drafts
Jet boats have extremely shallow drafts, which are usually 12 inches or less. This is beneficial in various ways. For instance, it lets you operate the boat in extremely shallow water. Moreover, it also means that there are fewer chances to collide with submerged items, given that you maintain an appropriate depth. In addition, it also means that you can back up closer to the beach while anchoring. This way, you can allow other people to access the rear platform of the boat.
A shallow draft offers another when navigating inland backwaters and sounds. Continuously changing coastal tide should have you on your toes throughout, searching for shallow places that weren’t there a couple of hours earlier. The shallow draft of a jet boat allows you to maneuver through shallow areas other similar-sizes boats would not be able to access.
Last Few Words
Jet boats are one of the safest and most easy-to-operate boats out there. They are sporty and quick and offer a good bang for your buck. Plus, if you like to go fishing in shallow rivers or lakes, jet boats are your “go-to” mode of transport.
At Jet Boats of Texas, we manufacture jet boats for fishing. Some of the most popular features of our boats include navigation/depth finder, T-top, LED light bars, trolling motor, underwater green lights, rod holders, live wells, additional hull storage, power pole, custom decals, custom sea deck, fishing platform, casting seats, and much more!