Jon boat as first fishing boat any advice?

[detroithiker]

I would like to get my motorized boat and I think a Jon boat would be a good place to start.

Can anyone help me get started?

Tell me what to look for and what the boat will need.

What are the limitations of a jon boat?

[RoLo]

 

Does it have to be a jon boat, or can it be an aluminum modified-V?

[detroithiker]

For now I need something I can carry by hand with 2 people and stand to cast.

Also want the first boat to be cheap till I find out what I would prefer next.

[wdp]

1 hour ago, detroithiker said:

For now I need something I can carry by hand with 2 people and stand to cast.

Also want the first boat to be cheap till I find out what I would prefer next.

Seems to me that's gonna be a hard thing to find. Anything big enough to stand in is gonna be hard or impossible to carry by hand. I've fished outta a 12 ft jon boat for 20 yrs now. It's easy to load/unload from the back of my truck. And all I need is a battery, 30 lb trolling motor, seat cushions & my fishing gear. Plenty roomy when it's just me, but cramped with 2 people. Not too stable for standing either. 

 

Another option is is one of the little 10 ft plastic pontoon boats like a Pond Prowler or Bass Raider. There's a whole thread on here of people who really rig those things up nicely. Those little boats are stable & you can stand up in them, plus they have nice comfy seats that sit up kinda high. But they are really limited for space, especially with 2 people and fishing gear. And my experience is they don't steer the best with the trolling motor. 

 

Good news is both options are relatively inexpensive. Good luck in your search. 

[Fisher-O-men]

A 14' Jon Boat is stable enough to stand in provided you stand in the bottom of the boat and not on a platform.  7- 15 hp is all you need.  Fished from one for years. 

[Lonnie Clemens]

My favorites are jon boats.  Have owned 3 boats in my life.  Never bought a new one.  Would recommend you doing the same.  The market is flooded with nice used boats and lower prices.  Please beware of boats or trailers with no titles.  A lot of people have been burned by purchasing a boat with no title.  

 

Next Saturday I plan on buying my 4th boat.  It will be a 10 foot Lowe jon boat.  Will be using a 40# thrust Minn Kota trolling motor on it and no motor. 

 

Lonnie

[Catt]

10 hours ago, detroithiker said:

9 hours ago, detroithiker said:

For now I need something I can carry by hand with 2 people and stand to cast.

What are the limitations of a jon boat?

 

Limitations would be your budget & wanting to stand!

 

Why not a trailer?

[Way2slow]

As Catt mentioned, standing and hand carrying are not two terms that go together very well.  The smallest jon I would want to stand and fish in would be a 1436 and even then it's not the safest thing to do.   You are probably looking at approx. 135 pounds just for the boat in a 1436, not something I would care to carry around much.  

Having done it many times through the years, you will find it gets very old, very quick when you have to get the boat in the water, then the motor on the boat, then the TM which means carrying at least one big, heavy battery, then all your gear. Then looking forward to having to reverse the process when done to get it all back in the truck.  For me, it took a whole bunch of pleasure out of the fishing trip.

 

For two people and hauling in the bed of a truck, I prefer a 1232.  It's big enough to fish out of but light enough it can be handled.  However, I don't think I would want to try standing and casting in it.   

[Fishing Rhino]

At the top of your list should be to take a boat safety/handling course, regardless of what boat you get.

[Bluebasser86]

Also need to consider the bodies of water you're going to be fishing. Jon boats do not do well in the wind, especially light ones. I've owned several different ones from 10 footers to 16.5. Obviously the bigger ones are better for fishability, but not something you're going to want to carry far and a trailer is pretty much a must. For 2 people, I'd want a 14' boat, but again, not using a trailer is going to be difficult and you're getting pretty heavy to carry very far.

 

I'd seriously consider a 2 man style boat for what you're after. I fished out of one for years and 2 people can easily stand and fish at the same time. They're still pretty heavy, but you can make a cart if you're going to moving it very far. 

[ThePolkFolk]

I also recommend a trailer. Also be sure to keep an eye out on the forecasts. I went out yesterday in 20 MPH winds (in a pretty wind sheltered waterbody mind you) and I spent more time fighting the wind than I did fighting fish.

[Catt]

The measurement across the top of a boat is "beam", boat stability comes from bottom width not beam.

 

For a boat to be stable enough for me to stand on a raised deck it would have to have a minimum bottom width of 40".

 

Can you go narrower?

Yes you may...I ain't!

[Goldstar225]

I spent many years fishing out of a 14'X36" jon boat.  I swore that my next one would have a 48" bottom for stability.  Instead I bought an older bass tracker.

 

As others have said, I just can't see a boat that is small and light enough to be hand carried be stable enough to fish from while standing.  Can it be done?  Yes to some extent but I would also expect an occasional "man overboard drill".

[Deeare]

I've been in the same boat as you  (no pun intended).  Jon boats don't do well in any type of waves.  Especially if your a big guy (200lbs+) and I wouldn't stand in a Jon unless it's has a wide beam and it's a calm day.    I switched to a 14 foot v hull and its much much better.     I don't have a trailer but I do have a pick up.  

[Clinton john]

I don't know where you fish are the size of you and anouther guy plus gear, but a aluminum flat or Jon boat as most call it that's light enough to put in the back of the truck and then carry to the water is not going to work.

 

For two guys your going to want atleast 14 foot boat and for it to be stable enough for two guys to stand and move around in and fight fish your going to need atleast 44 in bottom at minimum a 48 inch bottom would be better. And your going to need a trailer for that size boat.

 

Not to go off topic but why do Jon boats not do good in waves?

 

I fished and duck hunted out of a 15x48 weldbuilt flat since I was 15 and have never felt unsafe in chop of 1foot or less and I'm a fat guy, 6 foot 350#

[Deeare]

9 minutes ago, A5BLASTER said:

Not to go off topic but why do Jon boats not do good in waves?

They have very low sides/gunnels.   Much lower than a vhull.   With all the weight in the boat and if the wind picks up a small wave could come over the side.  

[Clinton john]

Really cause I have never had that happen in over 15 years of running flat bottom boats in waves up to a foot are a lil more.

 

Most flat bottom boats have 20 inch or taller sides.

 

I was raised on the water from a young age, so maybe I have more boating skill then some, but I have never had the problems with flat bottom boats that some say there is.

 

Grow up hunting and fishing Grand Lake in south west louisiana in flat bottom boats, and that place gets white caps on it if a frog farts.

 

But that's enough of me dragging this off topic.

[ThePolkFolk]

7 hours ago, A5BLASTER said:

that place gets white caps on it if a frog farts

nice one!

[Way2slow]

My feeling on small 14-15 foot V-hulls versus small jon boats.  I would take a jon any day of the week over a small V.  Matter of fact you couldn't even give me one.  I bought 12' one years ago with a 9.9 Johnson because I wanted the motor.  I took the motor off and told him he could keep the boat, I didn't even want to haul it. 

Too many times you are getting in and out from the bow and my experience with them is those small V hulls will dump you in a heartbeat. 

[Jonboatben]

Hello. I’ve just bought a Lund predator 1760 sc. I was at the lake and I land on shore. The boat was bobbing on a rock. Put some scratches in the hull. Just wondering for the future can I repair an aluminum boat? It has factory spray foam in it. How much would a it cost to fix a tear? If one did happen.