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by Kurt Beckstrom
Kurt, the smallies are going, and they’ve got your name on ’em,”
came the recorded voice on my office phone. It belonged to my old friend
and notorious river rat Dave Genz, and I’d been waiting for his call
for more than a week.
Not only was I ready to get in on some great fall smallie action on treacherous
stretches of the upper Mississippi, I was really looking forward to getting
into Dave’s new rig, an 18-foot RiverPro jet boat. It would be a
big improvement over his old 16-foot jonboat outfitted with a pair of
8-horsepower outboards. They were his insurance policy in case one of
the millions of prop-eating rocks got hungry when he was miles from the
launch ramp. It was a fishable boat, but a little cramped for space.
Since he started driving the RiverPro, rocks haven’t been a problem.
Not that he’s never hit one with the new rig. Once, he missed seeing
an exposed rock in a shallow backwater, but the .190-gauge hull came away
with barely a scratch.
“When you run rivers with a prop-driven boat, it’s not a matter
of if you’ll hit something, but when,” says Genz. “You
feel edgy all the time you’re on plane. Driving the jet boat I can
relax because I know it’ll ride over anything more than about three
inches below the surface.”
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| Shallow
water? No sweat! Reverse chines on the hull provide enough lift
that just a few inches spells clear sailing for the 176 HiPro XT.
A wide-open floor plan means there’s more than enough room
for tackle boxes, coolers, and of course, anglers. |
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Driving A Jet
I stepped behind the center console, fired up the Mercury V-6 Sport Jet
175 I/O and headed upriver. Running a jet boat is different from a propped
rig. Turning is a function of water pressure from the jet nozzle pushing
the stern to the side. Without power, the boat won’t turn. Consequently,
if you need to make an emergency turn, backing off the throttle is the
worst thing you can do.
You need to add power in an emergency, which means you want to cruise
at about three-quarters throttle instead of wide-open so you have something
in reserve just in case trouble pops up.
For our test, however, we did run flat out down a deep stretch long enough
to GPS top speed of 46.8 mph (a couple of mph slower running upstream).
“That’s one of the best things about this boat,” says Genz.
“It allows me to hit a lot more of my hotspots from the same launch
ramp.”
Pure Fishing Rig
RiverPro’s 176 HiPro XT is built for fishing. Its high sides (28 inches from
floor to gunnels) helps keep spray off the occupants, as does the hull’s
reverse chine. The hull design, along with built-in trim tabs, also help
create lift for getting on plane in shallow water.
Inside, the spacious floor plan allows anglers room to move about. At
18 feet, 10 inches in length (including pump guard) and 92 inches of beam,
it’s a very solid fishing platform as well. The driver leans against
the engine housing, while the livewell’s padded lid serves as passenger
seating. There are also two fold-down seats on the bow.
Genz stores PFDs and seat cushions under the fore deck and an anchor
in the semi-dry storage area at the front of the deck. A shelf along each
sidewall is a handy place to keep tackle trays and miscellaneous gear.
Genz also mounted horizontal rod holders on each sidewall to keep his
sticks within arm’s reach.
The 176 HiPro XT is a riverman’s dream boat, offering plenty of power
and lots of room to fish. But don’t take my word; check it out for
yourself.
Web posted by permission
© Copyright 2003 North American Fishing Club
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