Land of the Giants Jet Boat

Having owned many boats, from poling skiffs to offshore boats and jet boats, I have learned that there’s no perfect boat. It’s always a give and take when building one. Speed, performance, and maneuverability all come into play. For the perfect Land of the Giants jet boat, I decided on the 1860 Crestliner with a Mercury 90/60 jet foot. I opted for the tiller model mainly to keep the boat open and the deck clean. My last jet boat had a center console, which had both positives and negatives. While it was nice on cold morning runs across Holter Lake up to the Land of the Giants, I disliked how much space the console took up once we arrived at the fishery. My main purpose for this jet boat build is to guide clients on the Land of the Giants section of the Missouri River. I wanted the boat to be comfortable, stable, and safe.

1860 Power Drifter

I chose the 1860 deluxe mainly for its stability and safety. While this is a bigger boat, it is still light enough to effectively row this stretch of river. To access the Land of Giants, we have to cross upper Holter Lake, which is known to get pretty sporty. The Crestliner 1860 Deluxe has a pretty substantial beam and a 60″ bottom. The 60″ bottom is about the perfect blend of draft and stability, especially with flotation pods off the stern. One of the biggest things I was looking for in a jet boat was lower freeboard and a low transom for ease of rowing on those windy Missouri River days. While no jet boat rows like a drift boat, having a lower freeboard really does help in the wind. Paired with the Mercury 90/65, this boat really scoots when loaded with two anglers and gear.

Custom Boat Work – Adipose Boatworks

For this boat build I called on Adipose Boat works in Helena Montana to do the fab work. Adipose has done a fantastic job on my last two boats and I trust the work they do. The fit and finish and quality of their work speaks for itself. Adipose not only builds some of the finest drift boats they also specializes in Jet Boat Builds | Modifications.

Oar locks and Oars

As a fishing guide, my days at the Land of the Giants are spent rowing and navigating across Holter Lake, so I wanted something comfortable. For a rower’s seat, I chose a Yeti 65-quart cooler with a thick cushion. The Yeti cooler is a stable and comfortable seat to work from, while also serving double duty for lunches and drinks. The guys at Adipose built custom oarlocks to my specs so the height would be perfect for rowing from the Yeti. I’m currently using the Sawyer Smoker Bandit oars. These ultra-light oars are 10′ and offer plenty of power for rowing a heavier jet boat.

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Fly Rod Tray and Storage

I love rod trays! The rod tubes that often come standard on boats don’t seem to work well for fly rods and always seem to damage the stripping guides. The tray is lined with AquaTraction foam to keep rods and reels safe from getting banged around when running open water. I had Adipose build the rod trays to run the length of the boat to accommodate the longest fly and spey rods. Having the tray run fore to aft allows both anglers access to fly rods. The tray neatly stores five rods, which is more than enough for a day at the Land of Giants.

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Jet Boat Anchor System

I’ve had negative experiences with battery-operated anchor systems, so I decided on a side-pull anchor system for this jet boat build. The side-pull anchor comes up easily with the doubler system, creating some mechanical advantage. The side-pull is great on days when I’m anchoring a lot to work tangles or land a fish.

Casting braces and Seating

Some anglers prefer to sit, while others prefer to stand when fly fishing the Land of Giants. From a guiding perspective, I prefer my anglers to sit, especially when dry fly fishing, but mainly it’s for safety. On windy days, it helps to keep a lower profile. If an angler prefers to stand when nymphing or streamer fishing, the casting braces are very comfortable. The casting braces can really help alleviate some of the fatigue often associated with a full-day guided trip. The guys at Adipose added a bracket so that I can easily remove the leg braces from my jet boat and move them to my drift boat. Overall, I’m really pleased with this build and look forward to a busy guiding season in it. If you have any questions about fly fishing the Land of Giants or this jet boat build, feel free to give us a call or drop me a line.