A few newbie questions.

Hi guys. I'm new to the site, and I am seriously thinking about getting into jetski fishing. I have quite a few questions, and hopefully you guys can answer some of them. I live in Virginia, United States. The main places I'll be taking the ski will be the Ocean, and the bay.

To Ryan, I will answer your questions in bold

1. I can't afford a brand new ski, so what would be a good ski I could get at a fair price, maybe a 2001-2004 model that would be good for fishing in the ocean and traveling great distances.
Yamaha FX HO160 ( 2006 on) or Seadoo GTX (2004on)

2. Where do you get those Snap-Off fishing boxes, and how do you attach them to the ski. Also, I would imagine that would add quite a bit of weight to the ski if it's full of ice, how does it balance out?
Unsure about the Snap off boxes, they maybe Aussie made? We in NZ do the Ultimate Rod Holders and can custom build to a larger Chilli Bin if required, your exchange rate is very strong against our dollar, freight is the only bad expense. The most important part about rigging your ski for fishing, is to make nothing a permanent fixture, so you can also dismantle your kit and use ski for regular use. Another point is being able to ride the ski fully rigged to every element as if you had no gear on it. The larger kits concern me that if hit by a rogue wave they will sustain some damage. The Ultimate Rod Holders , to date have coped with everything we have put them through, my body gives out before the kit
3. Somebody said that the impellers on the skis tend to break. If I can scrape together the cash for the ski, I won't have a lot left to work with. How often do the impellers need fixing, and how much should I expect to spend on routine maintenance.
I haven't heard of the impellor issues, someone like Jase on here may have a better idea.
4. How do you flush mount the GPS/Fish Finder?
Jase or Mark can answer this.
5. Would I be able to run a jetski offshore for big game fish? In Virginia, it is probabley 50 miles to the nearest offshore fishing grounds. I guess I would have to take extra gas if I were going to pull this off????? I'd still get a jetski, even if I can't make it offshore. I was just curious.
I quite often go 10 mile off shore, 50 miles is pretty serious, you would need a great weather window and the right safety equipment. The skis use more fuel in the rougher conditions, so you will definetly need to carry extra fuel.
That's all I can think of right now. Thanks in advance for your help.

Ryan

I'm hoping you guys can help me with a couple of these questions.... Also, would a 2007 Yamaha VX110 make for a good fishing ski?

Thanks,

Ryan

Hi Ryan, just got back from a big day on the water. I can answe a few of your questions quickly and hopefully some of the other forum members add their input.
The VX110 has great fuel economy and stability will be fine for fishing, the only issue is it maybe lacking in horsepower if fully rigged and carrying 2 people. I would be more inclined to purchase a Yamaha FXHO 160 as that is my previous model ski and was a really fun, reliable PWC.

Thanks for the advice!! I've been looking at the two skis you recommended, and I think $8,000 for a used ski might be a little out of my price range. By the time I added the other equipment I would need to get started, I'd be looking at around 10-12 thousand dollars. I may have to go with something a bit cheaper, or wait until I can afford it.

Thanks,

Ryan

Sounds like your excited as I am to get into I took a VX for a hire out for an hour, I found it slugish but plenty of power for fishing for one person......... Last year i took a SeaDoo 130 hp and it nearly tour my arms off..........but I personally would not buy a sea Doo.

Something someone pointed out that is also important when buying a ski, make sure you buy one that has a fibraglass bottom as some are not and cant be repaired if you hit something.

How about marine radios guys? What are you all using?

I use the Raymarine Handheld RAY101, very rugged and reliable unit.

nowornever wrote:Sounds like your excited as I am to get into I took a VX for a hire out for an hour, I found it slugish but plenty of power for fishing for one person......... Last year i took a SeaDoo 130 hp and it nearly tour my arms off..........but I personally would not buy a sea Doo.

Something someone pointed out that is also important when buying a ski, make sure you buy one that has a fibraglass bottom as some are not and cant be repaired if you hit something.

Yeah, I'm pretty excited about getting a ski!!! I still have some more thought to put in it, but I'd like to go ahead and get the ski before striper season is over this winter. I still have a bit of looking around to do.

Jetskifishing wrote:I use the Raymarine Handheld RAY101, very rugged and reliable unit.

Thanks for all the helpful info. Andrew.