| I have a Lowe 1648 jon boat that I put fore and aft decks on with about 4 inches of free board above the decks, with 8 1/2 foot oars and 8" blades on them I can effectively row this rig anywhere I want and fish 2 fly anglers easily with no hassels. I have been Guiding from this rig for over 6 years now and have no complaints. I have it powered with a 25 hp 4-stroke Mercury, but I could have easily gone with a 15 and had plenty of power for running back upstream, it also handles shallow water and small rapids and riffles with no trouble.
I thought about a drift boat, but powering one is more difficult and the wind can really push them around a lot making control difficult. I do admit they are nice if you have lots of whitewater to run, but most Musky fishing is not done in such water. Musky rivers tend to be wider and flatter so getting around was my main focus, along with giving my clients the best, most stable platform as possible to cast large flies to big fish.
The boat is also very good in lakes and a drift boat is a hassle on flat water. |
