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Your setup will be good for small lakes, but that's about it.  Most interior rivers are both fast moving and shallow, so as mentioned, you want a boat with a jet pump, and plenty of power.  From the air and on a map, the rivers look like they are placid and meandering, but they deserve a healthy dose of caution.

I'd be curious about the "nice guy" who mentioned using your boat in Valdez.  It is saltwater bay, and while the water is protected, winds can easily drive the water into nasty chop, not to mention the tides.  An 18 foot boat with a 50 horse engine is small for those waters.  Not to mention Valdez is a several hundred mile drive from Fairbanks.  I would suggest visiting Tangle Lakes, some great fishing, and could definately be handled with your boat.

The advice of coming up and testing the waters so to speek is sage advice.  Find out what type of waters you'll be plying, and what type of boats work best for you.  I like paddling canoes in lakes, am building a 22 1/2' cabin cruiser for salt water, and could do with an 18' jon boat with a jet pump o/d for the rivers.  Trying to get one boat to do it all usually results in one boat that doesn't do anything paticularly well.  There are plenty of used boats up here, spring and fall are the best time to look for them.  

Not sure about inexspensive rent, rental housing in Alaska is rediculously expensive, even in out of the way places.

Message Thread:

• Moving to AK and need boat advice jssbastiat May 24 2005
  • good advice jssbastiat May 29 2005
  • Small lakes are about it Paul H May 25 2005
  • Ditto Snowwolf DreamCatcher May 25 2005
  • Boat choices Snowwolfe May 25 2005
    • buying a boat grizzeyes May 27 2005