North River boats

[msc]

Just got back from a salmon fishing trip on the Fraser River in BC Canada. While this is not your typical HT boating thread I thought I might give an opinion on the aluminum boat I was on. Made by North River in Oregon this deal was 23 feet long witha 400hp V8 tied to a Hamilton jet drive and was absolutely awesome. This was a pure case of form following function. This boat was perfectly adapted to life in a shallow water rock filled environment. The hull was .25" aluminum and the welds, fit and finish was excellent. In rough water it would beat the snot out of you but on that river it was the cat's a$$. If I lived in that world I would have to have one of those monsters.

[outpost22]

North River are nice boats....very well made and made here

Also, look at Hewescraft, Harborcraft (Jetcraft), Wild River, Boicejet, and Alumaweld.

There is definitely a market niche here for all the river fishing. You would be amazed how many of these same boats are seen out bottom/salmon fishing, and even Halibut on our Oregon Coast.

[bajafisher]

I agree on those sturdy and functional North River boats. I fish on one every summer at Winchester Bay and Newport on the Oregon coast. Offshore a few miles for salmon..and there's a ton of others out there with us...trolling salmon and pulling crab-pots. We take it upriver on the Rogue and other rivers for 'bows and sturgeon. They are butt-ugly but rockhard survivors in rough water. Would look a little strange down in Florida for sure.