What would you guys suggest???

[billbrum]

I am 16 and I  have a job and I was wondering if I should save about $1000 and get a 12 ft. jon boat with a low hp motor that I would be able to put in my truck. Or if I should just save for a couple of years and get a bigger boat.

[emti56]

decide what you plan to fish big or small waters and remember bigger boat more money means more hours working less time fishing your call remember the boat does not catch the fish. Goood luck.

[Jake P]

If your ready to fish now, buy the jon. If you dont mind waiting a while then save up. Do whatever you can within your budget.

[fishfordollars]

The best way is to join a club and fish as a nonboater to see. Your age is a problem. most clubs are not going to let you join until 18. Check some of the local clubs out to get an idea though. Good luck.

[billbrum]

I  have fished out of both. I want the jon boat for winter fishing because my dad doesn't want to take his boat out in the cold stuff and I want a bigger boat for some of the larger lakes in my area.

So thats where I am having trouble deciding.

[kms399]

don't buy new. I see 14' even 16' vhull boats on craigs list all the time for 1000 and under. many with a trailer and some with motors. shop around it pays

[JShrock07]

I have fished out of both, I started with a very small jon boat and it worked well for me in large ponds and small lakes. But when I wanted to start fishing larger bodies of water I started shopping around. I wanted a nice BRAND NEW bass boat. but I couldn't afford it at the time and I was in such a need for a boat that I pushed myself into a fiberglass 14' boat. I had to do a lot of work to turn it into the bass boat I wanted but I finally got it into the shape I wanted. It did not have a motor so the only thing I used was a trolling motor. It worked for a while but I still didn't have the satisfation that I wanted with a boat. So I started looking around and finally after about 3 months of researching new and old boats I found a nice bass boat. I got a hell of a deal on it and it was pretty much in mint condition.

My advice for you is that if you are going to be fishing big bodies of water all the time get you a boat that will run. But if you are fishing locals ponds and small lake then get a smaller boat. There is no sense in spending money if it is not worth it for you. Especially in todays market boats are high plus gas prices and housing... Think about the long haul...(Later in your lifetime) You are going to want to get a house and get married and so on so plan for the future. Don' and I repeat DON'T get yourself stuck in a hole so young in life. I did that when I was 18... gotta have all new toys and do everything and spend money like its going out of style, but trust me it will catch up with you in the end.

Just my 2 cents

[Sam]

Bill,

When selecting a watercraft we tend to forget the "safety" factor.

The guys gave you some solid advice about boats, but one of the factors you need to including in your formula is safety.

If you are going to be fishing ponds and small lakes where the possibility of bad weather is not a problem, then a Jon boat is in order.

If you are fishing rivers and big lakes then a larger, safer watercraft is necessary.

All of the above suggestions have merit so read them, think about them, and then make a command decision.

Just be sure the watercraft is large enough to be safe should a storm pop up or you encounter windy conditions.  

P.S. Always wear your PFD, even when in a small pond in a Jon boat.

[Tom Bass]

Bill,

Sam hit the nail right on the head. Take his advise.

When I moved to NC I wanted a fishing boat but my wife wanted a pleasure boat. I bought a Regal 2120 Deck Boat thinking I could use it for pleasure and some fishing. It's a great boat but it's not a fishing boat, even though it came with the "fishing package". I knew I needed a boat to fish from so I bought a used "V" bottom 12' boat with a 10hp motor. I fish Lake Norman which is a pretty big lake.

One day I got out on the lake and a storm came up while fishing my 12' jon boat. The wind nearly flipped me and my boat a couple of times as I was headed for safe cover. That taught me a lesson. I now have a 2003 Nitro 750 bass boat that I fish out of.

If you're fishing small waters a jon boat should be fine. You didn't say where you fish so I'm not sure what kind of waters you're fishing in but as Sam said, Safety is most important. Wear a PFD. Get a comfortable self inflating life vest and always use it.

Another thing to think about is are you fishing alone or taking a pal. Two people in a 12' boat gets aweful crowded. If you're fishing alone a 12' is okay but you must wear the pfd.

Be careful and weigh your options. Even though I have two boats I still fish from shore and I have to tell ya that fishing from shore is just as fun as fishing from a boat when the fish are biting and you've found the right bait for them.

Good luck to you,

Tom

[billbrum]

They main reason I want a jonboat is to fish a creek that has good fishing in the winter and the only other was to efectively fish it is to wade in the freezing water with doesn't sound too fun to me.

And during the summer it would be used in small ponds and up to 750 acre lakes.