Boat recommendations for the river

Hey I’m looking to buy my first boat in the next year or so. What would you guys recommend as the bare minimum to be able to handle the current on pool 4/5 as far as motor and boat is concerned. Right now I have a kayak with a smaller trolling motor which I doubt would handle the current of the main river. I’m 22 so I don’t have the biggest budget in the world. Any recommendations on what amount of power I would need to be safe would be appreciated, thanks.

I spend a lot of time on pool 2 with just a 6hp. You’ll waste some time struggling along at 12mph if you have to run up river. On the other hand you’ll spend a few days fishing trying to work through a 6 gallon tank of fuel. I don’t feel any less safe in my 14-footer/6hp than I did in my 16-footer/50hp to be honest.

Safety on the river in a small boat boils down to keeping your head on a swivel at all times. Be aware of barges, paddle boats, yachts, etc and be ready to drop everything and get your bow pointed into on oncoming wake when necessary. Carry a reliable anchor so you can stop yourself in the event of a motor failure.

Pool 4 and Pool 5 are both so unique that without more specifics, it’s tough to answer your question. If you fish the backwaters for panfish or casting for bass, you could get that done on either pool in a 14′ flat bottom without issue and could get anywhere. If you are looking to fish main channel wingdams or open areas of Lake Pepin, I wouldn’t probably go less than a 16′ tiller that isn’t overly shallow. If you want to go anywhere including cruising up and down the main channel on mid-summer weekends, you may not even feel comfortable in a 16′ boat.

I’ve seen a lot of guys who run 16′ V bottoms with anywhere from a 25hp up to a 75 hp that can fish most days on Pool 4 without breaking the bank on fuel or initial purchase costs. You will have to play the wind and know there are days or holidays that it simply isn’t an option. In a 17.5′ fiberglass boat with a 115hp I stay away from the main channel on weekends due to the idiots out there and not wanting to deal with the wakes. I’m not sure there’s a boat size to fix those concerns.

great question ! But even on the river it certainly can have big water circumstances occasionally.

IE Barges, big water recreation boats, stiff winds etc etc. If possible , i would really avoid the short transoms as i have seen boats fill up with water from boat wake.

I think any 14 ft jon or v hull 20 in transom will serve you well on the river or any lake in most cases with common sense. Motor ? really up to your budget and how fast you feel you need to get there. I actually used a 2.5 hp on my jon boat and was pleasantly surprised at how well it did ! 9 mph by myself

Natural river fishing, not like Lake Pepin or Lake Stcroix,i have a 14-42 Alumacraft jon with a 25 Yamaha. does the job.

Dean Marshall wrote:

IE Barges, big water recreation boats, stiff winds etc etc. If possible , i would really avoid the short transoms as i have seen boats fill up with water from boat wake.

I have taken water over my 15″ transom twice on the river and both times it was because I had the boat dragged onto shore and left my stern vulnerable. My fault. On the water with the tiller handle ready I have yet to meet a wake I couldn’t take head-on. But a 20″ transom would definitely be safer.

I run a 16 footer with a 25. I would have no trouble running a smaller boat with less power as far as safety is concerned. You see many 14-16 footers out there. The only reason I would try to get a little more power would be if you plan to make some longer runs.

On a side note don’t forget a good trolling motor when figuring out your budget. I would never go any smaller than my 24V if you want to have the option to fish with it anytime, and not just controlling a drift with the current. It’s also nice to know you have the insurance of a strong trolling motor when your engine breaks down or you loose a prop to a log/stump(it happens). If my boat was any bigger I would find a way to have a 36V.

I’ve seen some pretty tiny boats out on Pool 4. And I’m sure they out-fished me.

But….if it was me, a good starting point would be 14-foot with a 25-horse motor. 16 foot would be better, as would a 40 hp. But you said you’re on a budget.

Good luck. Good time of year to be searching, so keep your eye out.

Find a nice 1648 jon boat with no bench seats. Plenty of room and a good stable boat. Dont go less than a 25hp on it. Tilt and trim, electric start would be nice but you’ll get by without it. A boat like this will get you buy for many years and you wont be wondering about upgrading your boat right away.

Thank you a lot for the quick replies. To get more specific I would be wanting to boat to use to fish the main river above and below lake pepin as well as pepin when there isn’t much pleasure boaters or lots of wind. I will still use my kayak for the backwaters as I can get around 6-7mph out of it on full blast with my trolling motor but i would like to use a bigger boat back there if possible also. My preference would be a 16, possibly 14 foot deeper V to handle waves a little better, and I would only really would be interested in a tiller as it saves a lot of room. Thanks again for the replies

Hard to go wrong with a old resort special 16′ deep and wide aluminum boat. Plywood over the front benches for a deck if you want. 25 to 40hp on it. It will handle just about any waves.

I have run a deep V 14’with a 30hp for a long time.Run it all over pools 2,4,Pepin and the St Croix.Never any issues and I dont think twice about being out on windy days.If its really windy I will throw some extra weight in the bow,helps to keep it down and pushes thru the waves better instead of slapping and bouncing so much.

I used to have a 16 foot deep v. You can go any were yo want. But i have been out on days were you should not be out there. But other than those very few days. That is all you need.

Most of the lower priced, older, aluminum fishing boats will also come with an old, two-stroke motor. I would suggest you hold-out until you find a decent four stroke. Either a Yamaha, Honda, Mercury, or Suzuki should all be good. I saw an add on Craigslist that had a brand new 15 hp Honda with small scratches for $1999. That motor would push a 14 foot or even 16 foot V or jon boat pretty good. A 25 hp, also with scratches, was $3299. These motors would troll down pretty good and just sip gas and be trouble-free for years. Nice thing about these types of boats is that you won’t need a big tow vehicle.

Good luck. Now is a good time to be looking.

boone wrote:

Most of the lower priced, older, aluminum fishing boats will also come with an old, two-stroke motor. I would suggest you hold-out until you find a decent four stroke. Either a Yamaha, Honda, Mercury, or Suzuki should all be good. I saw an add on Craigslist that had a brand new 15 hp Honda with small scratches for $1999. That motor would push a 14 foot or even 16 foot V or jon boat pretty good. A 25 hp, also with scratches, was $3299. These motors would troll down pretty good and just sip gas and be trouble-free for years. Nice thing about these types of boats is that you won’t need a big tow vehicle.

Good luck. Now is a good time to be looking.

First boat, 22 year old kid. I wouldn’t shy away from a 2-stroke for a second if that’s what’s hanging on the hull you want. LOTS of 2-strokes from the 80s and 90s still running strong with very little maintenance required.

Just my 2 cents.

This looks like a really nice river boat.

Lund wc-16 25 Honda 4 stroke Tiller – $4950