I'm looking for a 1-3 person "craft" to use on a nominally 12" deep, 100ft wide slow moving river. The primary purpose will be fishing, trapping, and/or leisure. The "system" will be float down, power back.

I think the two contenders are jon boat, and inflatable to minimize draft. Gas and electric are possibilities. Since my landing site is on a fairly steep hill, and I am old, fat, and lazy, so, weight is somewhat of a factor.

Any brilliant ideas, that have worked for you folks?

I have 12' Jon, kayaks, and a canoe for that.
But really want a Mokia...

Mokai websiteLove it.

Two problems:
Single place
Would look stupid with Bimini top

19' Grumman canoe with a 5 or 9 hp outboard.

22 ft freighter canoe with a 25hp motor,can maneuver up pretty strong rapids

I had pretty much given up on the canoe. A bit difficult to paddle and cumbersome to pole in the shallow water.

But, as I think about it, maybe rigging up outboard oarlocks or mounting a trolling motor might work ok.

How about a 48v jet trolling motor? I've seen them for sale, but, never knew anyone that used them.

I have another idea that I am trying to repress:

I've got a 65 HP Hirth 2 stroke with an Ivo prop that was mounted on a powered parachute. Mounted on a wide 14ft jon boat, that thing might nearly fly.

Original post: Since my landing site is on a fairly steep hill, and I am old, fat, and lazy, so, weight is somewhat of a factor.

Hmmmm . . . landing is on a fairly steep hill and it sounds to me like you need something lightweight to get up and down this hill. Especially with the old, fat and lazy parameters.

I've launched and retrieved off of cornfield banks, similar conditions except for the parameters specified above. Since they were "my" landings (with permission from farmer) I improved them by first digging out a "ramp" that wasn't as steep as the bank. Then I staked in lengths of PVC pipe starting at the bottom of the ramp parallel to the river. Spaced them maybe a foot apart all the way to the top. Boat was launched from up on top by gently sliding it down the ramp off the trailer. Boat retrieved by locking trailer winch line into eyebolt of boat and driving the truck away from the ramp, thereby sliding the rig to the top, then backing up and winching boat up on trailer.

This was an Alumacraft 14' V-bow with a 9 horse Honda Go Devil in short shaft. Excellent rig for these conditions. I believe they called this the crawdad model at the time.

If it's not possible to improve your steep hill landing site, you might want to consider a canoe with sponsons. I've had both the Radisson and the Sportspal, and favor the Sportspal for a variety of reasons. The Sportspal I have now is 13' and a 2 hp Honda, air cooled, does the trick for pushing this back upstream no problem. Small oars are preferred to the paddle for maneuverability. This rig can easily be slid down the bank or hooked up to your truck and pulled back up the bank. Done both.

There are some suggestions.

Sportspal loaded up for solo deer camp couple years ago with Grumman mule tied alongside. Honda 2 horse pushed this rig upstream just fine.

Grumman sport boat

I want to see a video of that! I bet it will look like a galvanized washtub with a tornado strapped on the back!

Excellent info, Muskrat. Lots of info I could put to use. Sponsons. A new word for my vocabulary, I recall a bunch of times in my past where I was wishing for outriggers but could have actually used sponsons.

John Carter: I looked up that sports boat. It looks like a nice rig, and one to consider if canoe mods don't quite work out. I am getting the impression that they are no longer made, though. At first glance, it appears to be very similar to Muskrat's Sportspal.

160user: one of these days when I have too much time, and too much beer on hand; it could become a reality.
That's just one more reason that I don't dare to really retire.

Muskrat,is your 2 hp honda on the sportspal the short shaft or the longer one?
Thinking of getting the small outboard for the radisson.

^^^This^^^
With a lift.

Also, Osage Canoe makes a 17'X44" cargo canoe, it's about the same as the Grumman. Shorter and a little wider.
These two will get you about 10 to 12 mph gps on flat water, a good 7 to 8mph going up a shoal.
I run a 4.5 Merc on mine when I'm by myself and a 7.5 Evinrude on when taking another person or during high water.
I can run up a 10" shoal when I'm in the boat by myself with the 4.5 on and 100lbs of lead weight in the very nose.

Also, Grumman makes (or made), a 15' Sport Boat, but I've never seen one with a lift attached. The stern on the Sports Boat might be a little wide to attach a lift. They're a pretty decent boat for skinny water.

Muskrat, I like your river.
I smell catfish.

Nah, the way you do that is to motor UP and then float back DOWN.
That way, if your motor takes a dump, bust a prop or what ever, you can still get out with minimal effort. Paddling out UPRIVER ain't any fun.

about 24", must be the short shaft

I see the new ones are now 2.3 horse with larger gas tank

https://marine.honda.com/outboards/models/portable/BF2_3

Says 16.5 inch short shaft and 22.5 long shaft.
Guess I'll get the longer shaft if thats what works good on your sportspal.16.5 seems pretty short.

Hmmm . . must be the longer shaft then. Didn't look up the specs. The transom on that Sportspal of mine is 15".

Good point.

Another point is by floating back down you don't wash out newly made pocket sets by running back up river.

The dam and civilization are just upstream of base camp (my new home). Downstream is my only option. Hence the dilemma.

BTW, I ain't paddling, I intend to row