You've heard about them. Chances are you've even seen one plowing through riffles ankle deep in the land where lower units go to die. It's the jet outboard, and if you aren't familiar with them yet ... you soon will be.

With the popularity of fishing continuing to grow and long lines forming at the ramps of your favorite reservoir, what's an angler to do? You can make the move to finesse baits in hopes of luring an over pressured bass to bite, or you can go where no bass boat dares to tread. That's where the jet boat comes into play. I was skeptical at first, until my friend and fellow pro angler Billy Lowen took me out for a little run. Billy knows the river and tributaries as well as anyone, and when he pointed the bow of the boat towards the "V" in the rapids of a particularly shallow stretch, I'm not afraid to say that I puckered up pretty tight. But true to form, we skated along on plane in water that would barely cover your foot if you were standing in it. Don't get the wrong idea. It's not like you're flying over the water, and treachery can exist around every bend from a boulder or sunken tree, but the jet outboard has now made those bank-kayak-canoe only fishing holes accessible to anglers who just don't want to give up the comfort of front deck casting and bait presentation.

So does this story have a happy ending? Absolutely. The fishing was fantastic and the looks we got from people paddling their canoes were priceless! So the next time you want to check out some un-pressured fish without paddling, kayaking or hiking through mile thick briar patches, take a jet instead.

Good Fishing,
Joe Thomas