Been eyeballing and reading up on these layout boats. Leaning more towards them than the fatboy dp cause of the more horsepower rating. Just curious if anyone has any first hand knowledge of using these. I generally hunt alone so this type of boat would be perfect for me.

Hunting alone in the winter is never a good option as things can go wrong in a hurry and having a buddy along might be the thing that brings you back safe and sound. These boats are designed for a very specific purpose and they are not great in rough water. If you stay in shallow protected water they can be a good tool. If you are going across open water you are going to want more boat under you.

Dad taught me early on that "there are old duck hunters, and bold duck hunters. There are very few, old, bold duck hunters". Assess the risks involved and you will make the best decision for your situation.

Good luck!

I got a Momarsh fatboy DP 7 hp Stumpjumper, and love it. The key on stability is moving motor up and cutting the transom down. I don't dare take it accross big water.

All the places I hunt are no more than waist deep, so I won't be crossing any big water. I would never even consider trying too.

Guy - I like your rig, 7 hp would be all I need. Do you have a trailer for it or just put in the bed of a truck? How does it handle when making a turn?

I had a 4 Rivers and it was great but area I hunted started getting stupid so I sold it Now I hunt only private ponds

Just make one

Trailer, got it from a THF member. He had a 14 ft john boat on it before. It pretty much went right on with little modofications. Turn the motor around, and it trailers great. Moving the motor up the way I rigged it (turning the transom around, and move it up), helps here as well. I seen other rigs where they do not do this, and motor is hanging off the back of the boat...



It turns fine. You are not going to make fast u turn giving it gas, but you learn some tricks to make fast u turns, turn with gas then pull motor up and spin around, etc.. You can also use the motor tail like a paddle to turn it when sitting still. But going strait and making turns maneuvering thru stumps works great.

Deep water does not scare me, big waives do. Wind does not scare me either, except if motor dies, and blows you into big water with big waives, I'm always mindfull of that. I really like stumps, they break up waives, and if motor dies, you can grab a stump and tie off to keep from drifting into dangerous water. If something ever happend, and boat took on water and filled up, I would rather be in my Momarsh vs my gator Trax, because the Momarsh will float, gator trax will sink. I'm very carefull, neoprene waders, wader belt sung tight, life vest, waterproof phone case, and try not to ever get into a rush.

Guy that is the big thing. Never get into a rush to do anything on the water will rpobably save you from more accidents than anything.

Yeah I'd like to think I give myself plenty of time and don't rush either. Then I get to the ramp and somebody pulls in behind me. No matter how obscure the spot I wanna hunt is, knowing the odds of that guy going where I wanna go is almost nil... and I have a solid plan B and C, I still can't help the instinct to get moving NOW. MINE!

One thing I learned a long time ago cuz I know how I do... I put the plug in and check the batteries/lights before I even hitch the boat to the truck. Everything else can work itself out.

Nice Fat boy boat there Guy!

Thanks for all the information. After seeing yours and comparing prices, I'm starting think the fatboy is gonna be more suitable for me. I really like your setup. Shooting for around May to get one so I'll have plenty of time to get out on the water and get all the learning out of the way. One reason for wanting one is so I can take my time and not worry bout beating crowds. Did you buy yours from Momarsh or through like cabelas or bass pro?

No I bought the boat used from a THF member. The motor I bought brand new, directly from Stumpjumper, Bills Engineering, shipped to your house. My only complaint about the motor is the emergency kill switch. That little red cap just gets real sinsitive, and kills motor with just a little movement, not good, it is my second one. I plan on talking to Bill about it.. He was very helpfull with me rigging it up, and has been very responsive with questions I have had.

http://www.stump-jumper.com/stump-jumper.html

Thanks, it's a fun boat, a joy to hunt out of. I look forward to fixing it up more this summer.