Northwest Fishing Reports

So, those of you who own and know a thing or 2 about drift boats, i need some professional opinions. Right now i am for sure getting a brand new Guide Drift Boat for around $ 10,000. Now, i have the option of getting ALUMINUM or FIBERGLASS. now, i know a thing or 2 about this, but not all i need to know to make a decision. I am going to use this boat a lot, its gonna get a lot of use, and probably get dinged up a bit. I will be fishing rivers like the skagit, nooksack, sky and stilly around here, and Definitely fishing the sol duc, bogachiel and Hoh on the coast. These kinds of rivers...

So, anyone who can give me some pros and cons of each, what they think would be best for my first drift boat, its gonna be a nice brand new boat, let me know your input boys! \\http://guidedriftboats.com/

Pavati. The only boat with a door in the side. Easy in easy out makes for more clients. Check them out and you will see.

Hey Danny,

Pavati is way overpriced for the product and the door is not needed. Especially if you plan on doing the Duc, it's a boat eater and that door is asking for problems. Glass vs. Metal? I would go glass with the Guide Boats. I have rowed quite a few boats and the best tracking most durable glass boat I've found is the Guide. I've rowed Hydes, Clacks, Willies and Lavro.

The plus to a great tracking glass boat is it will draft less water in the summer making those mid summer drifts less of a drag, literally and in the winter it will still track for plugs and divers. They are crazy stout boats, I currently run a Hyde and the big problem with metal, especially when you run it on rocky rivers like the Duc is the hull will begin to tunnel trust me on this one. If you bang up the chines and hull on a glass boat you can always reglass it. I would go Glass man, if you have any more questions PM me and I can send you my number and we can chat about it.

Ben

Sweet, thanks Ben, I just ordered the 16 foot northwest glass, CANT WAIT TO GET IT!

we have a 17ft koffeler alluminum and it is great on the skagit, should have got a used drift boat off craigslist though a lot cheaper, lots of nice ones too but I look at the guide elite everytime I go to defiance and he made it sound like it is more of a plug pulling boat but the feature of have the seats rotating and the higher seat for the guide rowing is a nice addition but make sure you get a front anchor too, it is nice that the boat does not swing around.

One thing I would like to point out for any type of boat or usage. Fiberglass is not water proof nor are any of the resins used in it's production. So when anyone talks about repairs, please note that NO repairs are permanent and the more time a fiberglass boat sits in the water, the more water is absorbed. Gel coat is pretty water resitant and that's why it's used on the outside. Breach the gel coat and water is on it's way in. You can heat and dry and solvent and what ever but you can never get all the water out. So glass and rocks = bad juju. I know many glass boat mfg's warranty their products for life, a warranty is just and insurance policy, nothing more, nothing less. For work boats that knocked around on a daily basis, like costruction skiffs or log skiff for the rodeo, steel or aluminum, they do not absorb water.

If it were me, I'd go with a raft or cataraft, but I'm just weird that way...

Gringo Pescador wrote:If it were me, I'd go with a raft or cataraft, but I'm just weird that way...

haha either that wait a couple years and buy a nice wooldridge sled than you do not need to worry about glass or alluminum haha.

There are so much more opportunities to catch steelhead especially with a DB now. What are my options in a sled... Cowlitz like thats it. Lol. Much more opportunity for steelies with a drift boat. Fiberglass is much easier to handle and it being my first boat its gonna be a lot easier to learn tougher rivers. Just cant beat it up too much

fishenfreak wrote:There are so much more opportunities to catch steelhead especially with a DB now. What are my options in a sled... Cowlitz like thats it. Lol. Much more opportunity for steelies with a drift boat. Fiberglass is much easier to handle and it being my first boat its gonna be a lot easier to learn tougher rivers. Just cant beat it up too much

It so much more personal......Good choice...

Bodofish wrote:One thing I would like to point out for any type of boat or usage. Fiberglass is not water proof nor are any of the resins used in it's production. So when anyone talks about repairs, please note that NO repairs are permanent and the more time a fiberglass boat sits in the water, the more water is absorbed. Gel coat is pretty water resitant and that's why it's used on the outside. Breach the gel coat and water is on it's way in. You can heat and dry and solvent and what ever but you can never get all the water out. So glass and rocks = bad juju. I know many glass boat mfg's warranty their products for life, a warranty is just and insurance policy, nothing more, nothing less. For work boats that knocked around on a daily basis, like costruction skiffs or log skiff for the rodeo, steel or aluminum, they do not absorb water.

There are quite a few modern epoxy sealers that can be used in marine fiberglass applications that are waterproof. It just depends on what the boat manufacturer uses, or that you can do yourself in an application that will not void a warranty on your boat. Polyester resins are not waterproof and neither are Vinylester resins, but there are fiberglass compatible epoxy resins and sealers like Coat It by Tap Plastics (which is Kevlar reinforced), Gluvit by MarineTex, AeroMarine 300/21, and several others from various manufacturers. The problem with them is they are usually susceptible to UV exposure and must be painted, and some are rather thick resulting in a coating depth of about 10mil. The epoxy resins have come along way as many were developed for carbon composites and adapted well to fiberglass.

Thats why i chose the guide series from defiance sniper, i looked at a lot of boats but their northwest glass has great reviews for strength and durability

Gringo Pescador wrote:If it were me, I'd go with a raft or cataraft, but I'm just weird that way...

I bet i could get a damn good raft for the price of this freakin boat

fishenfreak wrote:There are so much more opportunities to catch steelhead especially with a DB now. What are my options in a sled... Cowlitz like thats it. Lol. Much more opportunity for steelies with a drift boat. Fiberglass is much easier to handle and it being my first boat its gonna be a lot easier to learn tougher rivers. Just cant beat it up too much

try the skagit bro, with a sled you can go up past the bridge if you really want to and keep hitting all of the holes up there over and over again, during the salmon season a handful of sleds would do that everyday.
Chehalis, cow, satsop, skykomish, snoqualmie, snohomish are just some more examples and wooldridges can go shallow, real shallow from personal experience like 10 inch deep water shallow. As a first boat I would get a cheap small one just to learn but your call I do not really care but congrats on the boat purchase as long as it keeps your cascade fish killing to a minimal I am fine just make sure some actually reach cascade alright...

fishenfreak wrote:

Gringo Pescador wrote:If it were me, I'd go with a raft or cataraft, but I'm just weird that way...

I bet i could get a damn good raft for the price of this freakin boat

You'd be surprised, rafts are spendy too. Looked into it and if you're getting one that can guide two clients comfortably with the bells and whistles, you're not going to be saving much money.

Hey Danny congratulations, you'll have a blast with the new boat. I would recommend doing a float with a local guide before shooting the OP waters. A good investment for both yourself and your clients.

My drift boat is coming in close to 10,000$. Spendy i know, but i want something brand new. Kind of a thing i have, not a fan of used stuff

rseas wrote:Hey Danny congratulations, you'll have a blast with the new boat. I would recommend doing a float with a local guide before shooting the OP waters. A good investment for both yourself and your clients.

Yep, im planning that now. Wouldnt go for it without knowing the drift. Those rivers eat drifters

fishenfreak wrote:My drift boat is coming in close to 10,000$. Spendy i know, but i want something brand new. Kind of a thing i have, not a fan of used stuff

How does a college student afford a ten thousand dollar drift boat? I dont understand. Seems like the equavalent of a gent like myself picking up a Masarati off the lot in Bellevue.

If it's your first DB you better go tin. Unless you like ruining your brand new glass boat.