Jon boat casting deck/bow trolling motor mount

[j.davis]

Building a front casting deck with a spot to mount a bow trolling motor. Trying to keep this as simple as possible. Does anyone who has done something like this have any advice? I understand the stability will suffer some. That’s okay, I trust myself and my balance. I will be fishing alone in this boat 90% of the time. It’s a 1436, manufacturer unknown. Any input is greatly appreciated. Right now I’m going to make a template from cardboard or something similar, trace it onto plywood. Build a frame (this is where I’m not sure how I’m going to do it) to support the plywood between the front bench and middle bench. 

[Hewhospeaksmuchbull]

My only suggestion would be to use pressure treated lumber and ply. Could be painted and Non-Skid Grip Additive added.

 

Looks like after looking at a picture of your boat that if you used 3/4 ply that may be all that you need, cut to size and fit across the two forward benches. If you left a cut out on the edges, it looks like you could just clamp it to the benches.

 

This doesn't allow for a trolling motor though, thinking.

 

 

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=26953

 

Best yet, https://narrowboatsforsalemidlands.blogspot.com/2018/12/12ft-jon-boat-deck-plans.html

 

And, 

 

[Way north bass guy]

If you want simple, here it is ?

All I used was a piece of 3/4” plywood cut to the shape of the bow, so it fits between the middle seat and the front, wrapped with some carpet

( the black line in the pic is just gorilla tape to cover the seam in the carpet), and bolted a small length of aluminum angle across the bow and drilled holes in it to mount the two rear motor mount bolts, the front two are drilled and mounted through the edge of the gunwale. This is a super solid, stable and dirt cheap setup for my son and I to get into the small, hard to get to lakes and if I’m fishing solo, I can lay up to a dozen rods across the back of the boat, all ready to go just like in my big boat. 

[Elkins45]

I did this to my Lowe 1648:

 

 

 

I’m pretty heavy so I wanted to make sure the weight was transferred to the ribs. I mostly used scraps of 2x4 left over from another project.

 

 

 

 

I put my seat on a temporary support so I could decide where I liked it best before I mount it permanently.

[LonnieP]

Don’t  use Pressure treated lumber in a Jon boat. It will have a bad reaction with the aluminum.

[HenryPF]

  On 7/28/2019 at 3:09 PM, LonnieP said:

Don’t  use Pressure treated lumber in a Jon boat. It will have a bad reaction with the aluminum.

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I think J.DAvis means MARINE plywood not pressure treated chromated copper arsenate (CCA) or if you go to Menards, AC2 wood. Normal pressure treated wood has a high level of copper in the reacts with aluminum, causing corrosion.

 

If you want to go with weight savings, string up a system with aluminum angle via rivets to support:

 

 

Tinboats.net is a great resource (and has photos of everything ) of what you can do to your boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[j.davis]

I appreciate it y’all, I ended up just carpeting the board and laying it across my seats. I took a few 1”x6” and bolted them to the deck for the bow trolling mount, I think it’ll work fine. Probably going to get it on the water here soon to try it out. Thanks again for all the advice!