# need your expert opinions



## Biggysmalls (Feb 2, 2012)

What's up fellas??? I have been a long time lurker who felt the need to join the forum just recently.Let me start by saying I am a river smallie addict that never intends on coming down off this bender.

I am looking at a 2003 Lowe Roughneck 1448 with 2003 Johnson 25hp jet and 2003 Bear trailer, all three look soo cosmeticly perfect it's hard to believe. the guy who is selling it is basicly on his last bit of time on this earth and when he used it, which he claims was only 7 times, it scared him because it spun on him.Sounds like it wasn't balanced at the waterline very well???

His estate only wants approx $2000 which I feel is a very good deal. I am worried about all the time this rig has been sitting idle.....should I be??? Most of all i am worried about whether or not a 25 hp can plane out that boat enough to get me up and over the ripples and shoals I intend on going thru??????? Also do you think a 1448 would be a one man boat to fish out of???

I really want to go pick this thing up and stop freaking out but, I don't want a jet that I can't take someone with me to fish or the not even get up on plane with two in the rig.

By the way this forum is friggin really cool and the most friendly I have ever seen.

here is a clip from my one tin boat I have currently, out scouting locales for some Hybrids on the Missouri River
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4cS9O4W0D8&feature=related

[youtube]v/R4cS9O4W0D8?[/youtube]

and the fruits of our labor on the Missouri


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## Jdholmes (Feb 2, 2012)

Seems like lots of juice to me....

I would not worry about a motor sitting too much...I just started a Johnson the other day from the early 70s that hadn't been run in three years. Started no problem.

Nice deal!


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## Brine (Feb 2, 2012)

Welcome to the site.

I don't know jet motors from jet planes, but I know Sadie is a handful. :mrgreen: 

I miss hearing your music.

Brine


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## Biggysmalls (Feb 2, 2012)

JD....so do you think a 25 hp jet would push that hull upsteam adequately????


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## Biggysmalls (Feb 2, 2012)

Thanks Brine!!!! I guess I may have posted the wrong clip???? duhhhhhh!!!! you guys will like my smallie clips :LOL2: Sadie is one of the best Black n Tan coon hounds you will ever meet :wink:


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## Bhockins (Feb 2, 2012)

The rule I've always heard was never buy an outboard without doing a compression test. Plus, is seems like you can't get your answers with out a test run. If neither is possible and your gut says its a good deal, I say go for it! $2K isn't much in the scheme of money spent on enjoyment over a lifetime!


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## Jdholmes (Feb 2, 2012)

Yeah...I don't know the difference between what a jet will do versus a normal outboard, but the boats are only rated at 30 hp from what I can see online, so you are nearing the top end anyway. I don't see any reason it shouldn't get on plane, I have heard of guys on here getting their Jon's up on less.

As far as two guys, I think that is going to depend on the size of the two guys. 

If they are my size you could probably do 3-4, haha.


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## Brine (Feb 2, 2012)

Biggysmalls said:


> Thanks Brine!!!! I guess I may have posted the wrong clip???? duhhhhhh!!!! you guys will like my smallie clips :LOL2: Sadie is one of the best Black n Tan coon hounds you will ever meet :wink:



nah.... I checked out some of your other vids and saw the Sadie one. The forum is dog friendly too... :LOL2:


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## Biggysmalls (Feb 2, 2012)

Brine said:


> Biggysmalls said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks Brine!!!! I guess I may have posted the wrong clip???? duhhhhhh!!!! you guys will like my smallie clips :LOL2: Sadie is one of the best Black n Tan coon hounds you will ever meet :wink:
> ...



sweet!!!! your Brine Craft is rediculous.....I love the camo, my SeaArk is all camo.....I will have to post vids from my other youtube page for my guide service, there are some really cool underwater and action fishing vids you would probally like. I met Bulldog from this forum the other day, what a really nice guy and I am going to put him on some smaliies in the 20 plus range but, I was looking at possibly buying his jet project???? While at his wharehouse I saw his boat wraps and they are very nice.Is the Brine Craft wrapped wtih his product???? I was going to have him and his design team make me a smallmouth wrap for my new jet.


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## Brine (Feb 2, 2012)

Glad to hear you got to meet bulldog in person. 

He's done a few things for me and has been great to work with. His rig would be a great buy for any jet enthusiast. 

The Brine Craft was actually painted that way. Me and the airbrush developed quite a bond during the process :roll:

Thanks for the comments, and I'm going to embed your vid in the first post if you don't mind. 

Brine


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## Brian J (Feb 2, 2012)

Hey Biggy:

Our little boat is a 1448 riveted Alumacraft with a 25 hp Mercury jet. This boat is very stable to fish out of and its compact size and relatively light weight makes it easy to manuever and sometimes man handle on the river. With the exception of a two feet extension to the front deck that is supported by legs, a 46lb thrust trolling motor, a three gallon gas tank and a battery that serves as both the start battery and trolling motor battery, the boat is bare. With me and a small amount of gear in the boat ( my weight varies between 220 and 235) it will plane fairly easy. With our two daughters (10 and 8 in the boat with me, it will still plane but struggles. But put an adult equal to my size and their gear in the boat with me and it will not plane at all. Though people will argue with me and say that a 25 is plenty of engine, in my experiences jets that are less than 40 HP are pretty ineffective; unless you fish by yourself, aren't very big and travel light.

So my advice would be that if the boat and trailer are in good shape buy it. But buy with the realization/understanding that the boat will have it's limitations and would perform much better with a bigger engine.

Attached are a couple of pics. One is a top view of the boat. The other is a pic of the girls and I in the boat. It was taken by my wife from Blackwell Bridge on Big River. We had put in at the Hwy 21 boat ramp at Washington State Park.


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## Jdholmes (Feb 2, 2012)

You can always sell the motor to upgrade if you really feel like you have to...it's a nice price for that new of a boat, trailer and motor, I think.


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## Biggysmalls (Feb 2, 2012)

Brian, thanks for the input.....I was thinking what you are saying. Thank you. I'm not sure about this little rig, it does look nice though.I also have talked you before about swim baits and evening tourney's on the Meramec.We have a place on Lac Marseilles in Terre Du Lac. The boat I'm looking at is pretty much the one in your pics.i was worried about what you are saying and i guess it helps me comming from someone else. Cool looking little boat though, i think I may get cause i can't quit thinking about it just sitting there and they don't want much for it at all........just have no idea of what issues that little Johnson jet may have.


Brine, thank you fixing that, I'm new and still don't know the best way to post vids.


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## fender66 (Feb 2, 2012)

Biggysmalls....

I too am from St. Louis. I have to say that if you plan on taking that rig out on the Missouri or Mississippi....I'd be worried. I've been on both in my 1756 with a 225 Jet Merc. and not been comfortable....especially on the Mississippi where the Meramec dumps into it.

Bulldog's boat is a great boat too. I've hooked up with him a few times on a project or two.

Send me a PM and we can exchange phone #s and chat. I'm always open to making new fishing buddies.

And....WELCOME to TinBoats. :beer:


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## Biggysmalls (Feb 2, 2012)

Chris, thanks for the hospitality!!! I will pm you some #'s..... I only go on the Mississippi and Missouri in my SeaArk, it's a deep V and I had SeaArk build me their .125 hull, which they don't usually do for the model I have. It's kinda heavy but, a beast, my mph isn't as high as it should be. I'm not worried about needing to go faster than 40 to 42, when I was younger mabey.

The little jet will be used primarily on the Meramec as we have a little chunck of land out of Bourbon. I'm just leary about what my wife is going to say about a one man boat??? I have put her thru the ringer with boats over the years and our garage if full of boats now....she cusses up a storm when she has to go outside to get in her car when two rigs are parked high and dry right in front of her.

I'm ready to go hit some smallies right now.....we can be at the best strech of the Meramec in 35 mins....... we have been doing okay, some real nice fish......I just need a jet in my garage. We have space right now as we sold a Basscat 5 weeks ago to a really cool cat from Indiana thru craigslist.

p.s:: Oh, and some of our biggest cats are caught where the Meramec dumps into the Mississippi
from before the recent rains


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## S&amp;MFISH (Feb 2, 2012)

Hey Biggy, Welcome. The St.Louis/Missouri contingent is getting pretty large. I'm from out in Cedar Hill. If your looking for some Big River action,maybe we can get together this summer. I also like to run the Meramec,between Pacific and St. Clair, But I'm up for just about any water that will float the boat(Alumacraft MV1756RR w/80hp Merc jet).


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Feb 2, 2012)

Now that's a hog.

Just wanted to chime in on the 1448s. They are great small boats. Surprisingly stable and fun to rip and run through skinny and narrow waterways. 2 men works fine for space. Anything less than a 25 prop will get you there, but it won't get you there very fast.


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