# 2017 Ankona Copperhead



## jcgeiss93 (Feb 28, 2017)

My homemade stripping bucket thanks to help from a thread on here:









Cleaned up all of the post-rigging wiring and installed the SI-ACR system:


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## Godzuki86 (Nov 30, 2013)

Very nice! I'm jealous! I'm glad it went somewhere where it will be used.


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## mwong61 (Jul 28, 2013)

Beautiful boat. Super clean rigging. Congrats!!


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## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

I've seen a lot of Copperheads but this one may be the nicest!!


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

Congrats man. Great lil boat you have there. You will love it more and more as time goes by. I want that trailer haha.


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## jcgeiss93 (Feb 28, 2017)

Thanks for all the comments guys. The more I'm on the boat the more I like it! I'm working on propping it right and so far it has been a challenge since I'm a perfectionist and want every ounce of performance I can get. Does anyone have any suggestions on a prop they know of that works well on the F70/Copperhead combo?


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## Lip Snatcher (May 1, 2016)

Beautiful


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## j102 (Jun 26, 2017)

Beautiful boat!


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## jcgeiss93 (Feb 28, 2017)

A few more random pics of the lab-approved skiff. More pictures and a personal review coming soon.


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## jcgeiss93 (Feb 28, 2017)

What better to do on a cold rainy day than wrapping the wheel


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## fishicaltherapist (Mar 9, 2013)

Nice wrap & the best dog breed there could ever be.


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## not2shabby (Sep 14, 2016)

Your skiff turned out great! Congrats! Who would have thought such a gem would come from Colorado?


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## jcgeiss93 (Feb 28, 2017)

not2shabby said:


> Your skiff turned out great! Congrats! Who would have thought such a gem would come from Colorado?


Thanks! I definitely got lucky finding it. It was an odd buying experience pulling a flats skiff through the hills of Colorado!


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## not2shabby (Sep 14, 2016)

And it looks like Paul was able to hook you up with a V-Marine knob insert! Looks awesome!


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## High + Dry Adventures (Apr 11, 2011)

Nice looking sled Teddy Brozevelt


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## jcgeiss93 (Feb 28, 2017)

not2shabby said:


> And it looks like Paul was able to hook you up with a V-Marine knob insert! Looks awesome!


Thanks, I like it a lot. He has some awesome products and great customer service. This wheel is actually an aftermarket wheel from Ankona and he doesn't have a cap that fits, so I sent him my knob so he could work on a prototype so hopefully he will have some out soon! I decided to throw this Edson knob on my wheel and let him keep my knob for prototyping. The ball bearings are awesome, I'll never have another wheel without an Edson knob.


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## jcgeiss93 (Feb 28, 2017)

High + Dry Adventures said:


> Nice looking sled Teddy Brozevelt


Thanks man I appreciate it!


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## jcgeiss93 (Feb 28, 2017)

A few months later I have installed a few additions to the skiff. First is a walkboard made by Ameratrail. No more balancing on the I-beam trying to jump on the boat. Second is a 6’ pro2 powerpole. Ankona is known for their customer service, and for good reason. One call to the shop and Mel walked me through the entire install process start-to-finish. Third is a grab/backrest made by the guys at High Speed Welding in Wilmington, NC. Stuart and the crew do a spectacular job, and built the grab bar exactly how I wanted it. They even made the backrest cushion to match my existing cushions from Ankona.







































After running this skiff for several months I can confidently say this is the best skiff I have ever owned. With that being said I thought I’d hit some points and do a quick review of my experience with the Copperhead. 

Fit and finish 8/10
The fit and finish on the Copperhead is very good, especially for the price tag. With my background in gelcoat and fiberglass work, I’m a little more picky than the average guy. A few tiny air voids in the gelcoat have appeared but can be easily filled with a tiny drop of gelcoat (which Ankona sent to me very quickly for FREE). Other than that the boat is immaculate.

Poling 10/10
The Copperhead tracks true and straight with every push. It’s easy to get going at a good pace and effortless to spin. Coming from a Shadowcast to this Copperhead I honestly enjoy poling the Copperhead more. I don’t have to balance the boat while I’m on the platform, nor do I have to always ensure that the boat is balanced weight-wise. I can stand on one side of the platform or the other and never have to worry about balance, even if my angler is walking all around the boat or leaning over the side to land a nice redfish.

Running 9/10
For a non-tunnel hull, I have ran it through some stupid skinny water that I could’ve sworn I was going to get stuck. Having a jackplate, tabs, a 4-blade prop and an engine with tons of power keeps me going skinny and never falling off plane. Granted it won’t run through spit like my Shadowcast would, but it never fails to get me where I need to go. I installed a water pressure sensor in my F70 that is ran through NMEA to my Simrad, so I can always make sure the motor is getting plenty of water. Dropping the tabs down about half way, raising the jackplate all the way up, trimming the motor up slightly and lettin’ her rip ‘tater chip will get you to places other skiffs just won’t go. With a 4-blade powertech rxb4 prop, it will run 38mph at 6200 rpm which is right at the sweet spot for the F70. I can see 40mph with a 3-blade, but I lose the holshot the 4-blade provides. The boat never slides or “blows out” when turning unless you have the jackplate all the way up and try to rip a hairpin turn at 35mph. The boat is incredibly dry, except on those extremely windy days where you have a 2’ chop and a 20+mph crosswind. Skiffs are low to the water naturally, so you’re going to get some spray at some point. It isn’t that big of a deal especially since I have trim tabs, which I think are essential in getting these small skiffs to perform to their highest potential. Adjusting the tabs properly and adjusting running speed can eliminate any spray from chop or crosswinds. I’m curious if some starboard spray rails like what are on mavericks would help in situations like this, to push spray down instead of out away from the boat.

Trailer 11/10
The forum member I bought this boat from had a trailer custom made by Ameratrail in St. Cloud, FL. I can’t say enough about this trailer. Everything is oversized for durability, it dry-launches like a dream, and it rides behind the truck like no trailer I’ve ever felt before. The torsion axles don’t bounce, and the oversized tires give me piece of mind on those long trips to LA and FL. The walkboard gives you confident footing when launching, and the other step boards aft of the tires gives you a great place to step in and out of the boat while it is on the trailer. If you can spend the extra cash to get a custom trailer, take my word for it and do it! You’ll never regret it. Ameratrail not only makes a great product, but stand behind everything they do and they have a fantastic customer service department that will help you with anything you need.

Overall I give the Ankona Copperhead a 10/10. It’s a reliable, efficient skiff built by some of the best people in the industry, and sold at a modest price. If anyone is in the market for a Copperhead and is close to the Wilmington area, feel free to let me know and I’d be happy to go for a test ride or to wet a line.


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

Very accurate review there @jcgeiss93! Glad she went to a good home were she is being used. If I can't sell mine soon I will be adding starboard spray rails like you mentioned. That should take away most of the bigger water spray but not the strong cross wind spray, no avoiding that.


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## Dan8383 (Nov 22, 2018)

Have any pics on hiw high you can raise your j.p before losing water pressure? Roughly whats the least depth you have ran it with the j p raised


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## jcgeiss93 (Feb 28, 2017)

Dan8383 said:


> Have any pics on hiw high you can raise your j.p before losing water pressure? Roughly whats the least depth you have ran it with the j p raised


 I don't have any pics of that, but I'll try to get some. I can run with the jackplate all the way up with the engine trimmed up slightly. If I trim too high I lose water pressure.


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## jcgeiss93 (Feb 28, 2017)

Before hurricane Florence, we were involved in an accident with the skiff. A BMW crossed the centerline and hit the left tire of the trailer. The axle broke off, and the frame of the trailer was completely demolished. Amazingly, the skiff got away with only one little scratch in the gelcoat. If it wasn’t for the build quality and rigidity of the Ameratrail trailer, I think there would’ve been a much different outcome from the situation. I worked with John, one of the salesmen at Ameratrail, and they sent me a whole new trailer identical to my old one in only a couple of weeks. They couldn't have made the process any easier.


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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

jcgeiss93 said:


> Before hurricane Florence, we were involved in an accident with the skiff. A BMW crossed the centerline and hit the left tire of the trailer. The axle broke off, and the frame of the trailer was completely demolished. Amazingly, the skiff got away with only one little scratch in the gelcoat. If it wasn’t for the build quality and rigidity of the Ameratrail trailer, I think there would’ve been a much different outcome from the situation. I worked with John, one of the salesmen at Ameratrail, and they sent me a whole new trailer identical to my old one in only a couple of weeks. They couldn't have made the process any easier.
> View attachment 69926
> View attachment 69928
> View attachment 69930
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Wow! Do you have any photos of the BMW?


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## jonterr (Mar 24, 2013)

Lo


jcgeiss93 said:


> Wanted to share some pics of the new skiff. I absolutely love this boat so far! As some of you may have seen, I purchased the boat from a fellow forum member about a month ago, and have since fully rigged the boat and hung a Yamaha F70. The skiff is a beast, running 38mph, floats a true 6", and is an absolute dream to pole. The Ameratrail trailer is AMAZING! By far the best smoothest trailer I have ever towed. The Float-on trailers that Ankona sells are good trailers, don't get me wrong, but the ameratrail meets and exceeds all of my expectations. Having a trailer that is truly customized to this specific hull has made a very noticeable difference in dry launching and receiving. The boat fits on the trailer like a glove, and doesn't move one bit. I'm very grateful for having such a great seller, and as always Erin and the crew at Ankona did a phenomenal job. Their craftsmanship, price point, and customer service is unparalleled, that's why I didn't have any hesitation buying another Ankona. I'll post more once I spend a few months with it and get some slime on the deck!
> 
> First owner's ad pics:
> View attachment 17175
> ...


I like the boat
I'd also like to see it float in 6"


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## ohg123 (Jan 6, 2010)

how do you like that console? im thinking of getting it on my build to save some space and be able to drive standing up - im 5'10". thoughts?

beautiful boat!


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