My trapping partner just bought an air-boat. WOW, lots of fun, kind of like a jet-boat on steroids. The main problem we have with trapping along the rivers in our area is that they are always a combination of frozen and open water. Our idea is to use this air boat over open water, frozen stretches, slush, and snow covered gravel bars.
Anybody ever use an air-boat in similar situations? Any suggestions?

Is your bottom lined with poly or some sort of plastic? No vanes on bottom of most airboats. A thick piece of poly or something would make that thing indestructible for what your planning I would imagine

^^^^^^
It has 3/8's poly on the bottom.

I was going to say poly or one of the graphite coatings. Only problem is they ain't got no brakes so be careful.

We were wondering about the braking on ice issue; just throwing an anchor overboard probably isn't a good idea??

Cross winds on ice will spin you quick.

I built a model air boat in my younger years. It had a chainsaw engine. It was great fun on water and snow. But next to uncontrollable on ice.

The boat will turn 180 degrees in its own length, would trying to do that on ice result in a spin? Actually we probably won't be dealing with much slick ice, but snow covered ice.

Put carbides on it.

I always thought when conditions got slushy an airboat would be the answer. There are probably a 1000 of them within 80 miles of me and I have never seen one running the rivers during freeze up, melt down, or breakup. One came through during normal winter weather and packed the smoothest trail I ever road a sno-go on. Icing on the blades and shroud could be problem? Ice build up on the bottom or freezing in could also be problem? I know why guys don't trap with them here; same reason we don't trap with airplanes. Tough to turn a profit operating that expensive of equipment, especially with the price of fur now. I know if you drive through dry snow with an aluminum boat that is wet, the snow sticks bad.

I actually run mine more on ice and snow than open water. There is most definitely a learning curve and it's easy to get hurt or crash. Lots of small ways to get in trouble when it hot or cold out..I'm fortunate to have a mentor that has run boats his whole life. Was my high school science teacher. I'm just a rookie around most guys I know Here with boats.
Last winter I went over a small beaver dam I didn't see until the last minute. Meaning I went over it to fast. About put my butt threw the seat and would have been nice to have a mouth guard. No shocks, no soft snow cushion, made a pretty good bang and I swear I only dropped 6 inches. Foot of new snow over good ice with no other tracks in it can be like a pillow. I like running that more than open water.
If you run on ice with no snow that has a bit rough, slush that froze back hard. I compare it to driving a steel wheel cart with no suspension on gravel road.
My boat has 3/8 poly bottom that is bolted into the bottom ribs. After I run in broken ice and on the ice I always check for missing bolts. Running on and in the ice puts twist and torque on the boat running it in the water don't. So I'm always checking for cracked welds, loose bolts things that might twist.
Stopping on bare ice is a trick and you have to watch you speed. No brakes and boat will slide for what seems like forever. Some time it's best just go full power do 180. Then of course it takes only a small rat house or something sticking up threw ice to flip you if your going side ways..
But the boats are great fun and like anything have their place. My biggest issue is my boat has an aircraft engine on it. Scary amount of power, little more messing around to learn to run and everything cost more. Can only run to O-Reilly's for simple things like spark plugs or fuel filter.. Have to go to the air port for fuel is the only place I can get 100LL..
My brother in law has built I think 5 air boats now all different sizes. One he is building right now has a high power car engine on it. Waiting to see how this boat turns out and I may be swapping out engines on mine.
Then there is always the one thing I have to think about when I go out on the ice.
If I get myself in places where you can't walk out and break down. Only one can come get me is another air boat.
Then you have to hope ya got cell service and them guys are around.








Mac

I've had three of them. They suck for trapping because of several factors. First, they are sensitive about weight. You load them up with dead critters and all they do is push water in front of them. You need a boat with a ton of horsepower to carry weight. Second, they are too noisey to use for beaver. You use it near the dens and they hole up for awhile. Third, the backwash from going by sets will wipe your sets out, especially on sandy rivers. The only answer is to drive by your sets, then float and idle back down stream.

Positives....they work good on ice , but on river ice, most times it will break up the ice and cause ice jams and rising water. They are fun!!!

I tried for years to make it work, and came to the conclusion I was wasting my time. Went back to a canoe and never looked back. Oh, and one last thing, I lost a lot of traps to theives. They would hear that "airplane" down at the river, and be peeking through the willows watching, then as soon as you left, they helped themselves. Grrr! Good luck, you will need it!

Thanks for the good information guys, anymore suggestions will be appreciated.

Pretty common here at break up. Maybe add a couple carbide strips as skegs just for control. But if the ice has snow on it you should be OK

I have spent time on one like this. I don't remember that is was a problem on ice but then again I wasn't driving it either. I always thought they would be the cats meow. Ear plugs are a necessity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9-c3iJUf0Y

The Coast Guard Station in Sandusky ran one for Ice rescue.

Not sure if they still do or not.

Some commercial fisherman used to run one a steel homemade boat with a 12 cylinder Allison. It had a bad habit of the carburetor would freeze up when below 0. This was back before ethanol even. I went with them ONCE on the ice. They got it up to about 70 MPH when a side wind caught it and we went spinning down the ice. Besides about freezing that was enough for me.