Trophy Fishing TN Forum - Caney Fork Trout Fly Fishing - Caney Fork Trout Guide
Boating => Shallow Water River Boats and Jet Boats.. => Topic started by: Shudy on March 22, 2012, 08:07:27 PM
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Hello,
I would like an opinion about the boats. I currently own a very nice LT 25 Gheenoe but have seen the Towee boats and am interested in possibly selling my Gheenoe and getting one. I fish the Caney, Clinch, and big TN river. Anyone owned either or both and can tell me what their opinion is on both?
THanks,
SHudy
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Thanks for starting this thread...I've been curious to see a comparison now for a while too. Hopefully someone will come along with some good info. I know Towee advertises a Jet setup...something that I have heard "just won't work" on a Gheenoe. I own a Classic and love it...but look forward to seeing some talk on this subject.
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I would suggest getting a demo and also fishing out of any boat before you buy !!!! never take somebodies word for anything, especially a salesperson.. I know towee is local and has local pro staffers who would be more than happy to take you for demo run
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Towee!!!!
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Not to make it more confusing but the Hog Island skiff looks interesting too.
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Yoda,
Hey can you be more specific? Have you fished out of both boats?
Shudy
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I haven't tried the Towee but it would have to be awfully good to make me prefer it over my Gheenoe.
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I have a River Hawk and I have debated the same thing as I am wanting to trade next year. In my opinion the Towee is hands down the better boat. I have talked to Todd (Owner of the company) several times and I am very impressed with their boats. He will be more than happy to take you out in one. He is a great guy and will fully stand behind his boats. Now I will say that my use may be different than yours. I would be fishing the Caney (while generating) the White and Norfork in Arkansas, and Dale Hollow Lake in the spring for smallmouth. I would also add that I use spinning gear. I am about 200lbs. and my fishing partner is around 300 lbs. The Towee is super stable and would be able to handle our weight issues.
I have rambled on but hopefully this will help.
Roy
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Like Jarrod said "Try one before you buy one". I am really unsure about a jet o/b on a Towee. I know first hand thay don't work well on Gheenoes or Riverhawks.
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Todd is a great guy. Its like any boat try before you buy. I'm starting to look at boat and the towee is up there.
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I have already contacted Todd about a demo. I am not just going to buy one without trying it out. I did that with my Gheenoe LT25 and am not disappointed in it but its not as big of a boat as I thought it was going to be. I have used my Gheenoe with great success and am very pleased with it except it dont have as high of sides as a Towee. I am going to be moving in about a year and will be moving much closer to Tellico Lake in about a year so I am going to need a higher side boat or buy another boat. I guess Im looking for a more multi use boat than the Gheenoe. If I sell my Gheenoe Im keeping the motor and using the motor for the Towee. I am just wanting some opinions about Towee boats and for those that have used a Gheenoe and went to a Towee boat.
BD,
I understand about a Towee would have to be better that a Gheenoe before buying one. One thing about the Towee is the price is pretty decent vs the Gheenoe.
thanks,
Shudy
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I'm sitting in my Jon under Cotter Aekansas bridge, dang it, every time I come over here leave wanting a Supreme or Shawnee
GHEENOE will not work with jet, I paid lots stupid tax on that one.
Yoda is putting jet on Towee.
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I thought you might enjoy this picture.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=401535709858500&set=p.401535709858500&type=1&theater
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I'm sitting in my Jon under Cotter Aekansas bridge, dang it, every time I come over here leave wanting a Supreme ir Shaw ;)nee
GHEENOE will nit work with jet, I paid lots stupid tax on that one.
Yoda us putting jet on Towee.
Let me know if you decide to get one David. I'd love to sell it to you. I can tell you this, 6 years of extreme abuse from me and my clients and mine still looks amazing. I've worn the paint off the floor from using it so much but its still solid as a rock all over. There's a reason so many guides on the White chose the Supreme.
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Yoda,
Hey can you be more specific? Have you fished out of both boats?
Shudy
The towee has more room, it also has more ass end, which allows it to run with a jet. (which was my main reason!!!
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...it also has more ass end, which allows it to run with a jet
This backs up what I had heard about the Jet not working on Gheenoe...due to lack of surface area at the transom or something like that...or no ass end as Yoda might say?
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LT25, paid the stupid tax with it, but was a head turner :o but that don't get it on plane ;)
http://trophyfishingtn.com/smf/index.php?topic=2437.0
http://trophyfishingtn.com/smf/index.php?topic=2165.0
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It may sound weird, but I say don't buy just any boat and put a jet on it, buy a jet boat..... a shallow running SOB travel on plane across a slight dew on the grass or a trickle over a gravel bar !!! :o
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Upper White is less than a trickle on zero generation :o
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It may sound weird, but I say don't buy just any boat and put a jet on it, buy a jet boat..... a shallow running SOB travel on plane across a slight dew on the grass or a trickle over a gravel bar !!! :o
Guys,
I have a pretty hard and fast policy against participating in forum discussions about our boats but someone sent me an email a few days ago about this thread and I finally got a minute to get over here and take a look. Mike has an outstanding forum here but I rarely have time to check in more than once every few months anymore. As I’m here, I’ll weigh in too.
First, Jarrod makes a valid and absolutely critical point. Don’t take anyone’s word on anything before you buy a boat unless that person is someone who you trust and they have actually ran the boat for an extended period of time. Then run the boat yourself and make up your own mind. Our entire business model is based on having professional guides who represent our boats rather than traditional boat dealers – people who have enough experience and background to have an opinion that matters. The last thing that we would ever want would be to put a customer in a skiff that wasn’t right for them – it wouldn’t be good for us or them. We offer anyone who is considering going to jet power the opportunity to contact one of our jet owners for a demo.
The Rivermaster was flat out never designed as a jet boat – it wasn’t even a remote consideration. It was designed as a tough, stable and versatile shallow river boat. It was actually our customers who began to switch to jets and began to call us to tell us about it. We began to talk with the folks at Outboard Jets who helped us to understand why our hull did pretty well with jet power – turns out it moves plenty of clean water to the jet.
As long as the parts come in on schedule, you folks should get to see Yoda’s skiff later in the month. This boat was our shop “test mule” and has an interesting history. It started life as a standard Rivermaster and was used by Brad Bohen for a full season to test a rowing set up. It appeared in a couple of different magazine shots. When it came back in, it was used for several prototype projects and finally was used for some stability testing – it was “mocked up” to Calusa standards and the trays were filled to simulate our shallow tray option. Casting decks were added after the fact with not too much attention to appearance as she was a prototype. She had over 4,200 pounds of pig iron stacked in her by the Coast Guard and she still floated. This boat has been through absolue Hell. She’s scratched up, scarred, a bit ugly and somewhat heavier than our normal boats. However , from the calls I got, Eric seemed more than pleased with her performance when he ran her on prop power last week. Im guessing she seems pretty darn nimble compared to his last ride.
The boat business has changed dramatically from the days when the big companies gave boats to pros because anglers looked to those guys to see what they fished. Today, internet forums of full of opinions – some grounded in fact and some not. Either way the information is out there. Buying a new boat is a very personal decision. If you’ve been fishing for anytime at all, only you can make a decision about what is the right boat for you and the way you fish. If any of you ever have questions, there is no need to wonder - my cell is posted on the site – call me directly and I’ll give you a straight answer.
Thx
Todd
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Just read a post over on the Gheenoe forum. Guy is running a 20hp Jet drive on a Gheenoe Classic. Runs Stik Steer from the front seat and says the boat peforms just fine, no issues with the Jet not running properly. Makes me wonder why his works and others haven't...because his is a Classic, not an LT? Because he's running Stik from the front seat and not tiller or stik from the middle seat???
Hmmm....
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Can't speak for the Gheenoe. But I love my Towee w/ jet!!!
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It may sound weird, but I say don't buy just any boat and put a jet on it, buy a jet boat..... a shallow running SOB travel on plane across a slight dew on the grass or a trickle over a gravel bar !!! :o
Agreed. The rocker on back of my Supreme was pure genius. It keeps the foot of the jet higher then a standard transom. Even with the weight of me, my fuel tank, and the outboard, the jet foot is at the same depth as the middle of the boat. It also has a jet tunnel built into the bottom where the foot can tuck under and get even higher and still have a clean water supply. This allows it to run OR FLOAT in some amazing shallow stuff fully loaded with three people. My rule of thumb is if there isn't anything sticking out of the water I can run it.
Another thing that really impressed me was the ability to open it up in shallow water. I don't need much water to open the throttle wide open and blast through.
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Had the opportunity to fish with my bud Yoda today, we chased Smallmouth on the Elk.
Gentleman, he has a JET boat, thing will run on dew on the grass, zero cavitation, and as stable as a Gheenoe if not more, totally impressed with this boat.
Todd knocked a home run.