To jet or not to jet?

To jet, or not to jet! That...is the question. Trying to decide for sure on a engine to power my future to-be Alumacraft Pro 185 ModV. Pretty sizable aluminum and I fish alot of sketchy water. I had my little hellgiver attractor sinker chugging in about 1ft yesterday but a few places it was like doing a slalom dodging rocks. My experience with jet drives in slim to none right now. The boats rated for a 115 and the powerplant will be a Yammie. I think the 115 Yammie jet is rated somewhere in the neighborhood of 80hp which I'm guessing will knock me from around 48-49mph to low-mid 30s. Although dissappointing I am considering. I've had a few buddies say they can't turn worth a crap with a jet that the back end tends to try and slide alot. Also that reverse it almost non-existant. So what do you guys think? It's just too bad I can't get a 150 yammie jet which has an actual rating of around 105.

I have ran many jets and still do. I can say they will slide on you in the corners, especially if your boat has rounded or angled sides ( where the bottom connects to the side). With a properly set up rig, a jet can trim on a dime ( YouTube jet sprint boats). You could always put a jet on the 150 Yamaha to get the 105. They are able to reverse decently if adjusted properly. The impeller is always turning the same speed as the motor rpm, the gate just redirects the water forward causing the boat to reverse. In all reality a jet only has 2 advantages over a prop. They can run shallow and they are very safe ( kids wont get cut up by the prop). Downsides are very poor mileage, less speed, less slow speed steering control, plugedd up by grass, leaves, or ice. That said if you need a jet, nothing else will come close.

Didn't know mileage was alot worse. that does stink. Usually when I'm shallow too it is when the lake is raising and there is a substantial amount of trash in the water so that might be a concern as well then.

Debris (ie leaves, grass, small sticks etc) can get sucked in and clog a jet. If you have a 20" transom you will need a 15" motor, or use a jackplate. Jackplates that set the motor back too far can be problematic, as jets need smooth water. Most jets are very hard to maneuver at slow speeds. 105 jet is fine on a 115 rated boat. However the boat balance may be off. Lots of jets static draft (ie when drifting down river with motor off) is improved by moving batteries, gas tanks, console etc towards the bow so that the boat floats level (vs stern deeper).

I have an 1860 Alweld with a 80/115 Yamaha jet. Only place a jet is better is in skinny water. Otherwise, all the problems previously mentioned apply. I have a prop drive for mine that I can change out to if I don't need the jet for awhile.

I put a jet on a 75 merc on the back of my old bass tracker pro team 17. I had to build a riser to pick the motor up higher. Installation was very easy. The reverse was ok and I added the intake fins on the side of the shoe. My boat turned very well. I had sharp corners on the hull. Went on Plane very quick but topped out at 30mph. Very inefficient. Drank fuel. My biggest disappointment was putting it back on the trailer. Slow speed it is very hard to keep it tracking straight, also while trolling. You are always turning the wheel trying to compensate. They do what they are supposed to do very well, like running in skinny water. But they have some drawbacks.