# Feedback on Hog Island skiff



## reader4 (Jul 27, 2020)

I'm looking for something I can take on the rivers and small lakes in the upper midwest for trout, bass, musky, whatever I can throw a fly at and duck hunt in the fall. We're accustomed to a canoe but I have three kids 9-15 now and it's time to step up a bit. I looked at a neighbor's Towee and as much as I like the boat for me, it's not enough for the occasions I'd need to take more people. So I've been thinking maybe a Hog Island SW16 ... I talked to one guide who really likes his (traded his Towee for it). I'm curious to hear other opinions. I've heard they are "heavy" but they seem lighter than the 16' Al jons and flatter fishing boats I've compared to. Other flats boats really won't cut it for our use. I considered a power drifter but I think a boat like that would be only a small fraction of my usage. Other thoughts. Thanks!


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## Flycaster (Jun 19, 2018)

I have a Hog Island SW16 and love it. Took a friend out in it a few times and now he owns one too. I predominately use it to fish shallow rocky rivers but also use it to fish on lakes and ponds. I too looked at a Towee but opted for the bigger SW16 to have more room when going out with others. I’ve had three people on board fishing at the same time with no problems. I’ve also had three adults and two kids aboard joy riding around in a lake.


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## Crazy Larry (Nov 8, 2017)

Below is quoted from my reply to similar question on another forum. It’s definitely roomier than a towee (I have the towee). >>>>

I've got a good buddy down in Texas who has one. I've poled it in gulf coast mangrove flats and fished out of it in lakes and rivers.

It's a super stable fishing platform. I fly fish and I've stood on top of a cooler for hours on the bow platform and it never felt tippy. It's also comfortable up on the poling platform. However, that was in relatively calm waters (back bay flats). We did start to get out into the open bay (fishing out of port o'connor, TX) on a very windy day (I think it was blowing steady 25-30 mph) and we turned around because the wave felt too big. But it was more than small chop. We were not the only small skiff that turned back. We fished sheltered spots all day but the ride back involved some chop and a headwind. For me as the passenger in the bow that was a rough ride. I just zipped up my jacket and concentrated on holding my beer level (unsuccessfully). I think that's when he's had the most trouble with it. Driving into the wind with not much weight up front especially when he's out on his own; the bow sticks up and bounces and catches a lot of wind. He's got a 25 HP on it. It feels to me that it would run better and flatten out more with more HP, but I don't have a lot to compare it to.

He hasn't sustained any real damage to it aside from scrapes on rocks. Nothing that warrants a repair. I thought it was foam filled but it doesn't say that explicitly on the website. Buddy says he thinks foam filled. It's definitely not just air, because it's very quiet. He worried about the sun (he lives in the desert in West Texas). The company assured him that they have skiffs and driftboats in the sun and they can take it. After buying he lucked into some indoor storage near the lake so it's out of the sun for now. he's only had it about 1 year.

As you mentioned there are pros and cons. Sometimes they are the same thing. The main complaint I have with it is that the deck is diamond plate and it's hard on bare feet. That said, it's not a problem to jump in with spikes or toss an anchor around. Also, my buddy screwed eyebolts into the bow to tie down his cooler and I kicked them multiple times with my bare toe and cursed him and his ******* tie downs. But... you can screw eyebolts into the deck. One of his oar lock sleeves broke during use and had to be rewelded. The welder at the southeast texas marina he took it to was not impressed with what he saw (the welds on the rowing frame, not the boat). The transom and poling platform seem very well built and sturdy. It's got a lot of capacity both volume and weight for a 16' boat.


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## flyhack (Jul 15, 2020)

reader4 said:


> I'm looking for something I can take on the rivers and small lakes in the upper midwest for trout, bass, musky, whatever I can throw a fly at and duck hunt in the fall.


Where are you located? I’m in twin cities area and am in the process of buying a hog island from someone. If all goes to plan and I own the boat in a couple of weeks, you could come check it out. What you’ve described/intend to use the boat for is exactly how I will use it. I fly fish shallow rocky rivers for smallies/musky a lot but want something I can get on a lake with wife and two small kids.


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## The Dude (May 6, 2019)

flyhack said:


> Where are you located? I’m in twin cities area and am in the process of buying a hog island from someone. If all goes to plan and I own the boat in a couple of weeks, you could come check it out. What you’ve described/intend to use the boat for is exactly how I will use it. I fly fish shallow rocky rivers for smallies/musky a lot but want something I can get on a lake with wife and two small kids.


Are you buying the one that the guy had listed for 8k on CL then bumped it to 13k? Sorry to be nosy but, I reached out to him and that whole deal just seemed off. Perfect boat for the Midwest. My buddy runs one outta the Twin Cities.


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## Greg Allison (Mar 13, 2018)

I have one and you are welcome to PM with questions. I think they are great for rocky rivers, if you don't have rocks get an aluminum boat. If you want a really simple boat, they are good. If you want all the bells and whistles I would look somewhere else. I need to Here is a honest pro and con list from my usage:
Pros:
1.Super, super stable. You will not fear having three people leaning over gunwale on one side of the boat
2. Extremely durable, If you hit a rock, you will not notice (which also makes it really safe).
3. Can easily be set up for rowing
4. Cleans extremely easily
5. Easy to repair
6. Hog Island is extremely helpful with questions, even to me who is a second owner
7. Can drift in very little water, I think my might draft about 5" while rowing it. People are extremely surprised at that on my boat.
8. Extremely quit boat

Cons:
1.Hard to rig up due to it being plastic and have very thick, and tapered areas. Now sure if it would be easy to put a duck blind on it (through bolting involves probably 4" bolts). To add something simple, the mounting of something will cost you 2 to 3 times the amount of another boat. You can just cut a hole in it or epoxy something into the deck. 
2.The boat is not fast, you are looking at 20 mph tops, with its max HP rating. Maybe a little bit more but I don't see you getting above 25 mph out of the boat.
3. Parts of my floor are soft (boat from 2013), this could have been solved with new boats, I am not sure about the new ones.
4. Buying new, they are pretty expensive compared to an all welded aluminum boat (at least when I priced them).
5. Limited storage, throw a couple of life jackets in the bench seat and it is almost full.
6. Rigging a fish finder/depth finder is not easy.

The boat I have is set up with row seat, cooler up front (used as bench seat too), rod holders, jet outboard and anchor trolley. That is it. I keep my set up nice and clean, and use it for fly fishing rivers on the fall line of the east coast. I personally would like one set up like a flats boat. I think all the extra weight would really limit its performance. Its weight cap is about 1200 lbs, add a power unit and simple rigging and you are down to about 850 lbs. 4 Adults at 850 is a rarity these days. I would also look at the pros and cons of a jet if you plan on running one of those too.

Good luck on your decision!


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## flyhack (Jul 15, 2020)

Greg Allison said:


> I would also look at the pros and cons of a jet if you plan on running one of those too.



Would you mind providing your thoughts on jet vs. prop? I intend to fly fish shallow rocky rivers but also Lake Minnetonka (a large lake near my home in the twin cities metro) and have thought the pros of the jet for me outweigh the cons (which I understand to mostly be grass/weed intake and loss of hp relative to prop). Would appreciate your thoughts!


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## reader4 (Jul 27, 2020)

Thanks for the feedback so far. I'm in Madison, WI. Sounds like my use would be similar to other fly anglers in the area. Big thing for me is to be able to explore more water faster than paddling, and spend more time on rivers without shuttles. I'd also like to spend less time controlling boat position while my kids/wife do all the fishing  Speed is not a big concern. We do fish rivers that hold large boulders -- solitary and fields -- so the shallower draft is appealing for those situations. I would probably still just use a prop and take it easy when necessary. My thought was that the SW16 would just offer more flexibility to think about rockier rivers and flats on the great lakes that I've avoided in the past. 

It's definitely more money. For example, a Lowe Roughneck 1660 or Alumacraft 1650 AW $1500-1700 less than the SW16, though they are rated for less weight, the .100" hulls aren't necessarily bulletproof and there are the other drawbacks such as noise, heat, and comfort during the ride? Finding a more recent used model would be ideal but maybe not practical in my neck of the woods.


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## Greg Allison (Mar 13, 2018)

Opinion on the Jet:
Basically what you you mentioned, but you also lose some control, the prop motor sits in the water and acts like a powered rudder on rear of the boat. This does make it more agile. The jet slides around a little, like a jet ski. Where I live the grass and weed problem is definitely a problem (and leaves in the fall). You can throw it in reverse and hit the throttle real quick if the it is a light "clog".We just have hydrilla in my river, which causes all kinds of issues. Some body brought it to a lake years ago, and it has spread up and down the watershed.


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## walkercope (Apr 14, 2020)

I bought a lightly used 2019 a few months ago and have gotten a good bit of time on it and I'm loving it. Mine's got the 35hp tohatsu jet, front platform and poling platform. I swear I was running close to 30 going downstream with one other guy last weekend but I need to measure it - I'm definitely running faster than 20mph on mine though with one other guy in the boat.

A lot of people on here will complain about how heavy they are because they're comparing them to their fiberglass skiffs but a HI really shines in a river where every other boat you see is aluminum and hogs are much lighter than those. My buddy's G3 is 1200lbs, the Hog is 450ish I think.

@Greg Allison what motor do you have on yours?

I have a soft panel in the floor near the front which is a mild annoyance but not a big deal to me. HI's owner is a super nice guy but I've been trying to get him to ship me some parts for the last two months and from what I've read that's common. I've raised the motor up higher on the transom since I bought it and I facetimed HI's owner on a Sunday afternoon with no warning and he answered and gladly helped me out.

Feel free to PM me if you've got any questions.


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## Greg Allison (Mar 13, 2018)

Walker,

I have a yamaha 30/40 jet. I bought the boat used with low hours. Maybe my jet is not set perfectly. I am not sure when they starting making the boats, but I think I mine is definitely an earlier model, 2012. So there might be some differences. I do have a quite a few soft spots. Yeah my hull is light, and floats/drifts in some very shallow water.


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## en_wick (Dec 20, 2020)

Greg Allison said:


> Walker,
> 
> I have a yamaha 30/40 jet. I bought the boat used with low hours. Maybe my jet is not set perfectly. I am not sure when they starting making the boats, but I think I mine is definitely an earlier model, 2012. So there might be some differences. I do have a quite a few soft spots. Yeah my hull is light, and floats/drifts in some very shallow water.


It could be the way your jet is setup, but I'd venture to guess it's just a bit underpowered. The 40/30 Yamaha isn't really suited for a Hog Island Skiff. Sure it will get it on plane, but a jet boat shines when it gets on plane quick. A 50/35 is the minimum I'd run and preferably a 60/40 if you can swing it.


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## flyhack (Jul 15, 2020)

en_wick said:


> It could be the way your jet is setup, but I'd venture to guess it's just a bit underpowered. The 40/30 Yamaha isn't really suited for a Hog Island Skiff. Sure it will get it on plane, but a jet boat shines when it gets on plane quick. A 50/35 is the minimum I'd run and preferably a 60/40 if you can swing it.


How do you reconcile this with Hog Island’s 40 hp rating and their recommendation to keep outboard weight as close to 200 lb as possible?

I’m not saying you’re wrong at all, just genuinely curious how you get comfortable with this. Is it common knowledge that manufacturers’ rating is very conservative and the transom can handle a substantial amount of additional weight?


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## SLa2Ga (Dec 3, 2017)

flyhack said:


> How do you reconcile this with Hog Island’s 40 hp rating and their recommendation to keep outboard weight as close to 200 lb as possible?
> 
> I’m not saying you’re wrong at all, just genuinely curious how you get comfortable with this. Is it common knowledge that manufacturers’ rating is very conservative and the transom can handle a substantial amount of additional weight?


Big Frank's recommends the Tohatsu 40hp jet. 237 lbs.


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## en_wick (Dec 20, 2020)

flyhack said:


> How do you reconcile this with Hog Island’s 40 hp rating and their recommendation to keep outboard weight as close to 200 lb as possible?
> 
> I’m not saying you’re wrong at all, just genuinely curious how you get comfortable with this. Is it common knowledge that manufacturers’ rating is very conservative and the transom can handle a substantial amount of additional weight?


Weight is an important factor, which is why a 2 stroke on these Hog Island Skiffs is good way to go if you can find them. As far as the hp rating goes it's about output. It's a 60hp head but only 40hp at the jet. A 40hp Tohatsu running a prop is 209lbs dry and a 40hp factory jet from Tohatsu (60/40) is 237lbs. For me personally the extra power is worth 28lb increase and can be compensated for by figuring out the proper weight distribution of gear in the boat. I probably wouldn't run a Mercury 40hp factory jet coming in at 267lbs on a Hog Island though.


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## SLa2Ga (Dec 3, 2017)

What are the plates for on the front deck of the HI? I can't find any info about their purpose or use?


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## NealXB2003 (Jun 8, 2020)

How would one of these hold up to bumping trees in flooded timber?


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## en_wick (Dec 20, 2020)

SLa2Ga said:


> What are the plates for on the front deck of the HI? I can't find any info about their purpose or use?


Mounting plates for seats and such.


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## SLa2Ga (Dec 3, 2017)

en_wick said:


> Mounting plates for seats and such.


I got that for the universal plate, but the smaller plates aren't mentioned anywhere, and I didn't find any pics or videos of seats being mounted to those. Have you mounted a seat or bar to those smaller plates? Do you use the existing bolts?


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## en_wick (Dec 20, 2020)

SLa2Ga said:


> I got that for the universal plate, but the smaller plates aren't mentioned anywhere, and I didn't find any pics or videos of seats being mounted to those. Have you mounted a seat or bar to those smaller plates? Do you use the existing bolts?


They can be used to mount a raised casting platform for flats fishing. I'm sure John would be able to tell you more.


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## Ron Mexico (Jul 19, 2018)

I have a friend, Dave Hosler, he goes by Pilecast on Instagram. He had a Towee and sold it to purchase a Hog Island. He uses this boat hard and always raves about it. May reach out to him and pick his brain.


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## SLa2Ga (Dec 3, 2017)

Ron Mexico said:


> Pilecast


Thanks


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## flyhack (Jul 15, 2020)

NealXB2003 said:


> How would one of these hold up to bumping trees in flooded timber?


It would be completely unphased


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## Ryanc236 (7 mo ago)

Greg Allison said:


> I have one and you are welcome to PM with questions. I think they are great for rocky rivers, if you don't have rocks get an aluminum boat. If you want a really simple boat, they are good. If you want all the bells and whistles I would look somewhere else. I need to Here is a honest pro and con list from my usage:
> Pros:
> 1.Super, super stable. You will not fear having three people leaning over gunwale on one side of the boat
> 2. Extremely durable, If you hit a rock, you will not notice (which also makes it really safe).
> ...


Just saw your pros and cons very good list. I just recently had the issue of water inside the hull of the boat after a tropical storm in Miami. I keep my boat very simple but I'm thinking about putting in electronics beside my trolling motor.


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