12' Vs. 14' Jon Boat

[Hunter Drake]

Hey everyone, i am looking at buying a new jon boat and im looking at the 1236 and 1436 topper. My question is, how much more stable would the 14' boat be if at all being that their the same width? Im going to put a casting deck on the front but also im trying to keep the weight down so i was leaning towards the 12' because i will be transporting it in the back of my truck and most of the time i will be by myself but if the 14' is a noticeable difference in stability id rather that. So bottom line, would it be worth it to pay the extra money for the 14' boat rather than the 12'?

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Stick with the 12' a 1436 is trouble now a 1442 diff story i have been on both not fishing.just doin redneck stuff (40hp motor) flippin it and what not dumbstuff but fun .its stable goin straight but any turns yuuup.shyt happens fast in a 36 wide boat no matterwhat size.

[Hunter Drake]

Ok good to know thanks.

[zachb34]

With the added weight of a deck I would want to be trailering the boat. But then you might as well get the 1542

[Catt]

Stability is found in bottom width not length, so the 14' will be no more stable that the 12'.

[Bluebasser86]

Stability is found in bottom width not length, so the 14' will be no more stable that the 12'.

Exactly. I had a boat similar to the 1236 that was very unstable and hard to fish out of, even if it was just me. I also had a 1448 that I fished 3 grown men out of standing up and had a casting deck built on it with no issues. 

[gobig]

I would stay away from the toppers they are sketchy.

[Choporoz]

You said that 'most of the time' you'd be alone.  If you choose the 12 footer, and you ever bring one other person, you're likely going to regret it.  You will be amazed at how close you and the other fisherman will be to each other even with one against the transom and another forward.

[Fishes in trees]

If stability is an issue, you might want to look at one of those 10' pond boats.  2 guys can easily fish out of one of those and stability isn't much of an issue.   Jon boats, go as wide and as long as you can afford.  JMO.

[WRB]

Suggest getting a Shoreline Jon boat trailer and go with a wider boat if you plan on adding a seat or trolling motor.

Tom

[Snakehead Whisperer]

If you truly want the most stability out of your jon boat, I'd forget the casting deck and stand on the floor. 36" width jon boats are pretty stable to stand in when the center of gravity is low and the water is relatively calm. If you stand up on the seats, it gets pretty sketchy. 

 

I have a 1548 and I stand on the floor when fishing. I've built a floor out of plate aluminum and anti-fatigue flooring material. It's the best solution that I've seen for smaller jon boats. You could possibly raise the floor a few inches to allow for a recessed trolling motor pedal, but I wouldn't recommend going any higher than that.

 

The beauty of the jon boat is it's simplicity.