I recognize a few names here from TKF!

I live about 3hrs north of Corpus Christi and have been kayak fishing in the bay but mainly offshore for the last 3 years. My wife and I just had a baby and my time is limited for the next few months but am doing as much research as I can before I dive into the Jet fishing.

I will primarily be fishing offshore and taking my PWC out to the rigs a few miles off the Texas Coast. I want to be able to reach them faster and further out than the range my Hobie Outback Kayak provides! However I also do some bay fishing and I am very curious how the jet skis will handle or work in the flats like around Port OConner, Galveston Texas areas?

I am worried about sucking up mud, sand, weed or worse yet shell! Do I have anything to worry about when if I hit the back bays?
Are there certain models that will handle trash better than others
Thanks
Longshot

you should hit up jlai92! he goes out almost every week and he's got a pretty good setup!

as for make/model, i'd go with the popular brands like Yamaha and Seadoos. Honda's are good and it has a long range, but the ride is wet and you'll be bouncing a lot more. yamaha's are stable with fairly good fuel economy. Seadoos are right in the middle of Honda and Yamaha.

Good luck!

So are they all about the same in shallow water?

I origanlly wanted a Honda FX12 but I am not stuck on anything. I like a dry ride....LOL

I am also not out to jump waves and play so Range and stability is important, how do the honda's figure in on range? what about Kawasaki and Yamaha either way I think I can afford somehting newer than a 2005 or so.
Thanks
Longshot

These are great questions. Wondered about this myself. I was thinking for the back bays I could use the deeper channels to navigate. In shallow you could cut the engine and drift or poll along. I think anything less then three two feet deep would be the limit. Also I was wondering about the grass. I no most os the back bays I fish have spots with grass.

2-3ft is pretty deep for a lot of back bay fishing and I would think in that depth there would be NO problem! I was hoping to draft in about 6-8inches (any experts got insight on this?)

I wouldnt think the grass would be too bad, not any worse than running through a floater of Sargassum offshore.

I was told by a spearfisherman in CC that the older model jetskis would clog up going though a floater but yould jump in and pull it out and keep going. But the newer models could chew the weed up and run it though. I hope someone who really knows can debunk these myths for me.....LOL I really dont want to buy something that wont work for me.

Longshot

Yeah I know as far as fishing the back bays thats deep. I was talking seadoo depth, according to the owners manual they say no shallower then 3'. Thats why I was thinking about poling shallower to fish and polling to get out. IDK maybe some one with more knowledge will chime in. I would like to know so I could hit some bays too.

i'd say 3' is the absolute minimum.. i like the polling in/out idea. it's much safer that way. or, install a small trolling motor.. check out the torquedo!

id sugest either a fx ho or the new gtx. budget is a big factor.... the fx ho has an awesome deck and is good on gas think full tank its around 80-100 miles. so yeah storage is nice and it has a big dash area for electronics... but the sea doo gtx 11' are basically the same as the fx just different brand. if you plan on buying new then those 2 are the top picks in my opinion. if you buy used a fx ho is easier to come by.

ive been in shallower than 3' just dont gun it and let it cruise slowly. as for sucking up debri ill share my stories... me n my friend travel up creeks with floating leaves, wood, submerged tree branches and pine needles..... i havent had a problem but my friend on his older wave raider sucked up some leaves and had to pull over reach under and remove it to run back to full speed. ive sucked up mud, shells. rocks, grass. so yeah if you idle through the shallows youll know when its to shallow cause youll throw mud up. good advice is to throw it in reverse give it a little gas, if you see the water dirty up be care ful cause its gettting shallow. if you idle and throw mud its too shalllow. i went over some small patches of grass but my ski tore it up and was fine. the rocks and shells will damage and sometimes get stuck in the prop throwing it off and making the ski feel rough... youll definetly notice it. but just go to the deep turn it off then onn and toggle reverse itll adventually come out, if not then get out and reach in for it. other wise its gonna hurt the ski.... wear rings are easy to replace but can cost a pretty penny. impellers worse so becareful ! sand shouldnt be a problem. just dont beach it... IF you cant avoid a patch of what ever or anything just shut it off immediately. and youll glide over the patch. for btb, its gonna be a wet ride .... even in the bays itll be a wet ride cause the ski's to light and itll fly out on a good size wake.... but youll love it for btb. i sure do.

if you fish the flats with it, itll be better to pole, drift fishing will suck cause the wind will catch it easily so youll need a drift sock if the winds howlin.

as for fishing on it, ive been in flats, bays, off shore, jetties, lakes, creeks. never had a problem with sucking things up if your cautious. good luck !!

Thanks for the info!

I fish Galveston a few times a year. When I get my ski I will look to hook up with you and head the the rigs!
Longshot

good info