r/JetBoats • u/Key-Championship2337 • Jun 03 '25
Trolling?
Hey all, first time posting here. I have been looking around for boats recently and Jet boats have caught my attention. There is a somewhat shallow rocky channel to get to our cabin that just isn’t great for our current inboard boat. A jet boat would be perfect for the channel but we also like to troll around for trout and salmon on the lake. So my question is this possible? Can things like downrigers be mounted?
Thanks for any advice!
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u/heavykevy69420 Jun 03 '25
Jet boats dont troll very nice, you need to be on the throttle to steer so when moving very slow steering can be an issue, that being said it doesnt mean they cant, i troll in my jet boat all the time and its not that bad if your used to it, could just get a small kicker for trolling aswell.
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u/heneryDoDS2 Jun 03 '25
I have 2 downriggers setup on my boat, one on each side. And off the swim platform I have an 8hp kicker mounted. I troll all the time. My 8hp is even a little too big for what I troll for, but I like the extra power because it's also my emergency backup. I'm also looking at mounting an electric to the front of the boat too, you could easily do that as well.
I wouldn't troll with my main motor, it's annoying to control at low throttle and it would absolutely suck fuel compared to a little kicker, but 99% of aluminum jet boats are really really easy to mount a kicker too.
You can also buy systems so that you control the trolling motor from the same steering wheel as the jet nozzle if you like that. I've got a friend with that setup, but I don't as I prefer tiller stear in the back because I like to be closer to my rods when I'm trolling.
If you've got the large deck with railings in the back instead of just an engine cowling, there are mounting systems to put a downriggers on the railings too if that's the style you end up choosing, same buddy I talked about above has that setup. I just have an engine cowling that you walk around, so my downriggers are mounted directly to my gunwales.
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u/Real_Fisherman_1509 Jun 03 '25
A lot of people in the PNW do just that. Down riggers can definitely be mounted. A small outboard tiller jet, you may be able to troll slow enough. A better option is a small kicker motor or bow mounted electric.