So...after a year of searching...

[Jimbojump]

So Ive been looking for an older waverunner to modify into a beast fishing machine...and I finally found my baby...after I'm done with it...you all will be wantin one...trust me...rod holders...sonar...cooler cradle...possibly downriggers...its gonna be awesome! Not to mention a custom paint job and rhino lining on the hull for extra protection...im gonna go where no one else can go...Booyahhh!
[signature]

[monkeee2002]

[quote Jimbojump]So Ive been looking for an older waverunner to modify into a beast fishing machine...and I finally found my baby...after I'm done with it...you all will be wantin one...trust me...rod holders...sonar...cooler cradle...possibly downriggers...its gonna be awesome! Not to mention a custom paint job and rhino lining on the hull for extra protection...im gonna go where no one else can go...Booyahhh![/quote]

That sounds like a fun project! I look forward to seeing this progress... but, I'd advise against using rhino-lining on the hull. It's a rough texture, and will cause a lot of drag.
[signature]

[Jimbojump]

Thanks Monkee....I know it will cause some drag but im not building it for speed or performance...just to go in tight places and in shallow water if necessary...do you have any other suggestions to protect the hull from possible rock damage...im not talking about big rocks...more so if it gets shallow and gravel scrubs the bottom...Im also going to set the sonar transducer inside the hull shooting thru...Ive never installed one like that...hope it works just as well.
[signature]

[JoyRide]

I used inside hull on my last boat. It worked great. Just mount your transducer inside a container of some kind attached to the hull. I used a piece of PVC tube with the transducer mounted inside and one end siliconed to the hull. Run the wire through a PVC cap and pop it on the top. Use baby oil for contact medium.
[signature]

[FishingSteve]

If you are going into that shallow of water, you won't have to worry about the rocks against the hull, because they will take your impeller out first. If i was you I would mount a oar somewhere too.
[signature]

[Dry_Fly_Guy]

For the bottom check out frog spit. Duck hunters put it on there boats to get in and out of shallow water and protect the boat. Good luck with the project.
[signature]

[idahoron]

I have thought about this a lot in fact. Good to see someone doing it. My one bit thing I would need is a deck on the back. 6" above water level would be good. FOr a long time I have thought a guy could put a deck on the back and sit on there. Then you could use fins on your feet and maintain boat position for vertical fishing for Sturgeon, Cats, or Crappie. Being about to control the boat with fins is what makes the inflatable pontoons so nice to fish out of. If a guy had a small deck to sit on the back of your craft I think it would make a perfect sturgeon wagon for one guy. Well as long as the guy could operate it going up through rough stuff. You will get catching sturgeon in that thing soon. Good job. Ron
[signature]

[Jimbojump]

Thanks Ron...ive considered fabbing some kind of deck...but I have watched many videos on youtube of guys jet ski fishing and have yet to see anyone do that...the ski is actually very stable...Ive seen very large saltwater fish caught on heavy gear right over the side no problem...I'll probably try it out a bit first and modify as necessary...I would love to come down and fish with you when its done sometime...
[signature]

[Jimbojump]

As far as boat control we shall see...it has a lightning fast starter and can be repositioned in mere seconds...I did think about maybe installing an anchor that works like a downrigger on the nose to hold it in place....but anchors and current are scary sometimes..if it gets hng up it could be disastrous...LOL
[signature]

[idahoron]

What I mean about the deck is to put fins on and keep boat position without turning on the motor. When your drifting for cats or Sturgeon, the water has the boat moving all the time, and sometimes spinning. If your sitting on the seat your out of control. By having the deck on the back to kick off of you don't have to start the motor ( possibly spooking fish) you just kick your feet and put the boat where you want it. When they are fishing in the sea they don't care what way they float. They don't care which way they go. When they are done they fire the motor up and go. But when your fishing the river your being moved all the time by the current. If you anchor up and hook up with a large sturgeon it will wrap your sinker line.
Just keep my suggestion in mind. I have a pontoon that has oars and it is more handy to use my fins than oars while I am fishing, or fighting a big fish.

In this video notice how much current there is. Now what is a guy going to do if he has a fish on and current like this and no feet in the water to control where your going? In this case I don't see how a guy sitting on the seat could fish this kind of water. Here is the video. Ron

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-_Xvr7N8...Q&index=14
[signature]

[Jimbojump]

I see what you mean Ron...I'm not sure of the best way to do that though...I will think on it as the mods progress...I found a local guy to build my cooler/rod holder rack for the back...he's thinking about 200 bucks to build it...mount the Humminbird on the couling above the handle bars...im having issues getting the motor finished up but should have those bugs worked out by next weekend...
[signature]

[kochanut]

you realize you could have got a pontoon boat made by a certain company and add an outboard to it to do the same thing... that being said, your jet ski is going to be bad ass to see out fishing lol can you imagine some folks fishing a cove of a lake and you come in (polietly of course) on your ski and you see the "oh hell its one of THOSE guys" look's on their faces, and you start casting and catching fish.... would be worth video taping.
[signature]

[idahoron]

The thing about the jet ski vs pontoon is the jet ski has almost no limit to the water it can handle. I have seen them go right up rapids that a toon just can't get up. Also if he is looking at going up stream to a sturgeon hole he will make smoking good time on a jet ski. Ron
[signature]

[Jimbojump]

I know right??? The thing is its only the first one I have ever attempted so I didn't want to spend much on a theory...I already have a boat so I don't need another one...Ive had my fill when I was a kid of jet ski's for haulin butt and horsing around...but the thought of having a quick quiet jetted ride that can run in less than 12" of water sounds amazing...having the sonar on board to locate fish sounds even better...I believe it can run slow enough to troll...and I was looking at some mini downriggers that would be perfect for it...but mostly its the idea that I can get to places most cant and find seldom if ever fished areas...and the gas mileage is awesome too...its gonna be sweet....but believe me...I have had enough of the BS that others do to me on a lake...I will always be courteous and respectful...do unto others and so on....
[signature]

[flygoddess]

I think it is cool idea. I thought about it years back, but I don't think it has the appeal for a fly fisher as it does for a bait/spin fisher. As you said, down riggers. But, don't they loose a lot of the maneuverability at slow speeds.
I use to water ski behind one, they are quick, but not so stealthy[] (noisy)
Just a note, Pontoons can go in 6" of water with oars[]

Koch and my husband haul arse with their outboards on their pontoons. Fun to watch. One with a four, the other a five horse.

I can't wait to see what you come up with.
[signature]

[idahoron]

Have they ever checked their speed with a GPS on their boats both low end for trolling and high end for getting some where? Ron
[signature]

[flygoddess]

My husband didn't ever check, but it was fast. That Nissan four stroke 5 moved our aluminum boat with both us and a lot of weight about 7mph according to the Sonar and the GPS.
[signature]

[idahoron]

Thanks. Ron
[signature]

[flygoddess]

You bet.

Now back to the OP. How do those things steer at slow speeds?
[signature]

[Jimbojump]

They actually turn pretty quick at slow speeds...but if im trolling Im not going to be turning fast at all..this one also has reverse which is cool...and I doubt this one will be loud at all...I used to have a Yamaha Waverunner and it was really quiet at low RPM's...most stock ones aren't loud...I think the obnoxious ones have been modified to be that way...Im pretty excited about this venture...should be pretty awesome...
[signature]