New boater on the river. Help please!

[Bmastro777]

So, today I officially popped my cherry for boating on the river! My step son and I launched in sultan with my 14' Alumacraft with a 30hp short shaft w/prop. The skykomish was on the drop from the day before and almost lost 2 feet of water but I was determined that I would finally get the boat in. We headed up river past the first bridge and prop started grinding on rocks in about a foot of water. AHHHH! Luckily I wasnt going super fast as this was our first outing and safety was a huge priority. We ended up not being able to make it past this spot at the speed we were going so I turned back down river. I then decided I was going to get past this shallow area. Gunned the motor and got up on plane and we made it through. Im sure just barely. Ventured a little further up river and dropped our gear and had a double within a minute. LOL. What a way to start our first river adventure! Good amount of chums in the river. Not what we were looking for but fun none the less. We fished for roughly 6 hours and floated back down river to the launch. We tried a variety of methods but I was really interested in learning back trolling. Plugs in particular. I ended up doing very well in my mind So, I guess my question is. With my prop motor I dont think I could get past this shallow area with anything under 5000cfm. So when the river is low do you have any advice on a different launch/location to go? We didn't venture down river from the sultan launch. How is that area? Any tips for boating the snohomish? Thanks guys.....tight lines!

[spoonman]

Right below sultan is very productive. And nice deep water. Just dont go down the rapids or you might not make it back up! On the snohomish the general rule of thumb is props dont go much past the pilchuck, but ive seen em up higher. Just depends on the size of your cojones. With it as high as it is you could probably make it a long ways.

[Bmastro777]

Thank spoonman. So from the sultan launch, if I go down river it's nice and deep? I wonder how far down I can go?

[spoonman]

Maybe close to a mile before the next rapid. There is a fairly deep channel to the left throught the rapid but there are some big nasty prop eating boulder s in there too

[Bmastro777]

awesome. thanks man. Remember guys, I'm really looking for information for me and my families safety. Im not asking you to tell me where your spots on the river are. Anyone else have any helpful info on this area? Shallow water? Rocks? Places to avoid? Thanks

[sickbayer]

Why don't you switch out to a jet pump? Wouldn't have to worry so much.

[SkyRiverMan]

the jet is the best - but spendy (ohhh santa clause.....) got some decent oars? First time or two on the sky, you may want to raise the prop as you go through some of the rapids till you get a good feel for the lines..... once you think you know what your line will be, you can come back upstream on plane. First time or two out from the sultan launch i would stick to the first 3/4 mile below the launch (as mentioned, there is good backtrolling water here) then 3-4 miles upstream - you can make it all the way up the clay banks pretty easy when water is 4K+
If you put in at monroe, you can make it all the way down to the snohomish without destroying your prop (remember, no fishing from floating device for first 1500 feet downstream of the monroe boatlaunch) and upstream past the benhoward launch.. in the summer low water, I would not run a prop without a backup on board - the water gets low and the rocks get bigger ( .

Congrats on the new toy.....

[Bmastro777]

Thanks skyriverman. Great advice. I wish I could find a pump. Can you buy any pump to fit your motor? I mean, are they universal?

[spoonman]

Pumps are made for specific models. I just made the switch this year from drift boat to sled. There is definitely a learning curve! But as stated i learned a lot drifting for a few years about where my boat wont fit. Caution is the key especially with family in the boat. Good luck.

[Bmastro777]

So when launching at lewis street where is the next takeout? I heard of people taking out at a mobile home park?

[Bmastro777]

Anyone know how I might go about finding a 30ish hp jet outboard? I have a 1988 30hp johnson right now. Now sure If I can swap the lower unit for a jet?

[Bmastro777]

Ive searched craigslist and ebay, nothing....

[sickbayer]

Use the prop while you keep looking..something's are hard to come by and take time. You could also research your motor for sale with a pump. Who knows you may find a whole motor for parts.

[bassplayer17]

C J marine in Marysville had one a few months ago..

[spoonman]

So when launching at lewis street where is the next takeout? I heard of people taking out at a mobile home park?

The mobile home park is a private launch. The next pullout would be snohomish, a long ffloat. If i had a prop boat, i would work to learn the upper snoho, which isnt too bad for a prop boat. You can launch at high bridge on the Snoqualmie and go down into the confluence. There is one sketchy spot on the Snoqualmie that im not to familiar with what line to take in a power boat. As far as a pump on your 30 horse, keep in mind a pump will reduce your power by approximately 30%. I think if you could actually find a pump for it you would be dissatisfied with its performance.

[Bmastro777]

spoonman. Its tough because I think a 40 or 50hp would be too big for my boat. Its an alumacraft 1448. Not rated for much.

[spoonman]

Thats the tough part of sledding. But i think you would be happier with a 40 or 50 just because of the power loss. I have an 85 horse on my 16 foot valco and wish i had more! Even at a 40 you are sitting at about 27hp, which wouldn't be over your rating, technically. You dont ever see coasties on the river, so the only problem is boat insurance, they wont insure a boat thats over powered. But what they dont know wont hurt them.

[Bmastro777]

I get what your saying, its not the hp I'm worried about....its the weight of the motor :/

[spoonman]

Without seeing your boat obviously i couldnt say. But a friend of mine had a 40 on a little john and it seemed to work fine. Might be worth it to research anyway. Sledding is a blast! It really gets my heart going when i go through a skinny section and can see the bottom less than six inches below the hull!