Drift Boat/Raft Rental

[theoriginalnickyp]

Just got back from the WB of the Delaware and rented a drift boat for a few days. Super convenient not having to trailer and shuttle the thing. Anyone know other East coast rivers where this is offered? Upstate NY? Shenandoahs? Not just interested in trout, could be for smallmouth too.

 

[tjsingle]

Just got back from the WB of the Delaware and rented a drift boat for a few days. Super convenient not having to trailer and shuttle the thing. Anyone know other East coast rivers where this is offered? Upstate NY? Shenandoahs? Not just interested in trout, could be for smallmouth too.

How was the cost on that?

 

[theoriginalnickyp]

How was the cost on that?

$250/day, the boat is waiting for you at whatever put in you want and they pick it up where ever you take out. Pretty great to just beach the boat and and walk away after a long day on the river.

 

[Swattie87]

That seems fairly reasonable to me, and while it makes sense, it isn’t a service I ever considered. The best part about it IMO is the boat doesn’t have a guide in it.

 

[bringthepain]

Seems like a good value for the customer in terms of convenience and a good money maker for whoever is renting them as well

 

[Nocktavius]

Great way to learn to drift the river while dinging up somebody else’s hull.

 

[Overboard]

Who/what place did you go through to rent the boat?

 

[krayfish2]

West Branch Angler

 

[TimMurphy]

West Branch Angler

Dear krayfish,

Honestly, that's a more than fair price for a day in a drift boat, even if I have to row. With the 500 cfs minimum I'm sure their boats make the trip without damage. I'd consider renting one just to take my wife on a boat ride and scenic photography adventure for that price.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[falcon]

They wont rent you the drift boat above a certain CFS.

 

[CLSports]

Not East Coast, but for price reference, I just rented a raft on the upper Colorado River for $250/day, but no shuttle service included. Still worked out for us since we had another raft/trailer and just stacked it on top of our trailer and shuttled ourselves.

 

[Millsertime]

$250 a day to rent a drift boat with no guide...That sounds reasonable. Is tipping still required?

 

[krayfish2]

$250 a day to rent a drift boat with no guide...That sounds reasonable. Is tipping still required?

If you don't tip, the only one losing out is you 😳

 

[mt_flyfisher]

Full day use of this boat (or a Clackacraft Eddy 360) for 1-2 anglers, including

the guide = no charge.

Anglers are asked to supply their own tackle and flies, drinks and lunch, and assist with shuttle.

Tipping - Anglers who enjoyed themselves during the day should give their guide a 🤝 and a big 😀.

 

[krayfish2]

Dear krayfish,

Honestly, that's a more than fair price for a day in a drift boat, even if I have to row. With the 500 cfs minimum I'm sure their boats make the trip without damage. I'd consider renting one just to take my wife on a boat ride and scenic photography adventure for that price.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Tim

First time rowers at 500 CFS = beat up chines. At those flows, wade fishers everywhere that push boats into water they normally wouldn't be going through. They often sell the used boats after a year or two. Most need significant repairs to chines and the bottoms redone.

 

[TimMurphy]

Tim

First time rowers at 500 CFS = beat up chines. At those flows, wade fishers everywhere that push boats into water they normally wouldn't be going through. They often sell the used boats after a year or two. Most need significant repairs to chines and the bottoms redone.

Dear krayfish,

Thanks for the heads up about the water flows. What level to you suggest for a first timer? I'm an experienced jet boater and have even kayaked and canoed a few rivers but I've never manned a drift boat.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[jifigz]

So guys, enlighten me. What's the draw to a drift boat? What are the pros of a drift boat?

 

[KeviR]

So guys, enlighten me. What's the draw to a drift boat? What are the pros of a drift boat?

For fishing a river it makes it possible to get to so many places that you can't get to by wading. And position yourself in ways that make fly presentation possible or just easier.
Take a very basic example: a fish is rising 5ft off a steep bank. A wade fisherman is going to have a very hard time getting into position without spooking the fish. And there is almost always tree canopy to deal with. Even more so for rising fish - they rise much more often under a canopy, not so much out in the open. That makes the wade fisherman's job harder. Sure, the wade fisherman may be able to scramble into a position and get one or two drifts before spooking the fish. And it probably took them a while to get in position. By contrast, the drift boat can maneuver into position quickly and quietly, drop anchor 30-50' away, upstream and towards the center of the river. The angler now has a clear cast with no backcast obstruction. The fly drifts to the fish fly-first so the chances of lining the fish is greatly reduced. With care, the angler can get many casts over the fish without spooking it.
Oh, and spotting rising fish is much easier - on a large pool, you can scan a hundred yards or more for rising fish, then slide into position when you spot one. By contrast, a wade angler can scan a swath of the other side of the river, but usually can't see such a large area on his own side of the river.
One other thing - it's easy to cover up to 10 miles of river in a day of drifting, scanning for risers or fishing a nymph rig along the way. A wade fisherman will be pretty whipped if they are able to hike and fish 10 miles. A drift boat fisherman does it sitting in a comfortable seat with a cooler in reach.
I could go on and on. It's not that I only fish from a drift boat - in fact, this spring I have wade fished more than I have drifted. But if you want to fish a larger river and can use a drift boat, it's a much better way to fish. More effective and more comfortable.
Oh - wait a minute - I just re-read your post. Did you mean a drift boat versus something like a rowboat?

 

[KeviR]

Full day use of this boat (or a Clackacraft Eddy 360) for 1-2 anglers, including

the guide = no charge.

Anglers are asked to supply their own tackle and flies, drinks and lunch, and assist with shuttle.

View attachment 1641236483

Tipping - Anglers who enjoyed themselves during the day should give their guide a 🤝 and a big 😀.

When do we leave?

 

[TimMurphy]

So guys, enlighten me. What's the draw to a drift boat? What are the pros of a drift boat?

Dear jifigz,

The most important pro to a drift boat is that if you ain't in the center seat then you are free to fish.

Seriously though, my experience in a drift boat is limited to 4 trips with a skilled guide. Last year we fished from Millersburg to Newport May 29th and May 30th. The Juniata was literally at a trickle compared to today's flow that are lower than normal. To put things in perspective, the river today is moving 600 cfs more water than it was moving on our trips last May. The gauge height is 6 inches higher today. Our guide kept the boat moving downriver, knew all the lines through the really bony stuff, and we never once scraped the boat on a rock. He did have to do some serious back rowing in a few spots to get a better line, but the man is really good on the sticks.

We did a trip on the Susquehanna last October on Halloween. It too was very low for the time of year, but he kept us moving down river and even worked through a passage so we could fish the Rte 147 side of the river.

This year we did the Susquehanna on the same float as Halloween of last year and the river was considerably higher. On May 27th, the guide had to also deal with a steady 20 mph plus upriver wind, and row us the last mile through it in a thunderstorm. On June 1st the conditions were ideal, and he barely had to break a sweat.

As a fishing platform they are fantastic. A 16-foot drift boat is as stable as my 1685 jon boat was. I'm older and out of shape, so I can't stand up so well in a boat. In all 4 trips my brother only sat down to take a whizz and to eat lunch.

But the key to a drift boat trip is 100% the man on the sticks. It you are considering one for personal use there are smaller 10- and 12-foot boats that can be soloed. But realistically you be better off fishing alone in an inflatable pontoon or smaller 8-to-10-foot raft.

Regards,

Tim Murphy