Best boat for Detroit River

[MarkC]

What would be the best size boat to fish the detroit river, and what size motor would be best. I am now thinking about getting a Lund Alaskan 16 or 18 tiller model. I am looking at the 40 or 50 HP Mercury or Honda engines. I also do a lot of backtrolling, so I hope these engines would not be too big. I was originally looking at a 1775 tiller, however the boat seems so wide. Thanks for your opinions. MarkC

[Tom (Mich)]

You can fish virtually any kind of boat in the Detroit River. Very few areas get too rough on even the windiest days. However, an electric motor is an absolute must, preferably a bow mount. The boats you are considering would be just fine.

[Homer]

Tom's right, lots of boats will work. I take my 14' boat with a 15HP motor on days when I'm fishing solo, and my 1775 Pro-V with a 115HP when someone comes out with me. Both work fine, and both have electric motors.

If you plan to routinely fish east of Grosse Ile, there will be days when navigating around the mouth of the river can get bumpy, but you'll usually see your biggest waves coming from wakes off other boats.

[Brent]

Hey guys are you recommending the bow mount electric for vertical jigging or is there another must reason for your recommendation. I fish the St. Clair river all season and with the current up here vertical jigging is just now catching on.

[Tom (Mich)]

Without question, the bow mount is preferred, simply because it frees up both hands for fishing and it's easier to control the boat. When I first starting fishing the Detroit River years ago, I only had a transom mount - caught fish, but boat control wasn't the best.

[Homer]

If I understand your question correctly, the answer is "Yes, the electric motor is required strictly as an aid to vertical jigging." The Detroit River bottom is so snaggy that staying vertical is essential if you want to keep your jig very near the bottom (where the fish are) without being constantly snagged to the bottom. I agree with Tom that the bow mount is the best option, but not the only option. My 14' foot boat rides low enough in the water that I only need to make minor electric motor adjustments, and a transom mount still works OK. My bigger boat requires a bow mount.

I've also seen some bigger boats get by using an outboard kicker for boat control, but suspect that the guy working the motor does't get to pay a lot of attention to his rods.

[LoweMac]

Go with the 17 footer and don't worry about the width. When you venture out on the big lake,you'll be glad it's wide. A Tiller with a bow mount is the only way to go in the river. They don't catch the wind as much as a boat with a windshield,the bow mount allows you to effectively slip the current and there's no console to trip over. There's a couple boats for sale on the "Lakeside Fishing Shop" site that sounds like what you're looking for.