Is it possible to row 1448 alumacraft jon boat

[Faina]

We live on the bay of small lake. Usually it is covered with tick vegetation. We are planning to but new boat, because our V shape fishing boat is not stable. Our plan to buy alumacraft 14’ boat 48” wide at the bottom, modified to bass boat. We would not have gasoline motor. 2 electrical trolling motors at the end and foot operated on the bow. If vegetation are very thick, trolling motors may stop. In this case on old boat we used oars. Is it possible to use oars on this boat? It has about 70” at the top. Please advise. 

[WRB]

My back aches just thinking about rowing through weeds!

Look into a Ninja prop for the TM's.

You need good strong oar locks placed about about 1' in back of the seat or in front of where you plan to sit. Oars paddles end should be long enough to be submerged, when straight out,   the handles about 1' apart, not too wide. About 7' long oars.

Tom

 

[Catt]

I don't care if you have MotorGuide or Minn Kota get a 2 bladed prop it will cut through it.

 

I fish a lot of grass & it's the only way to go.

 

[HenryPF]

You wont have to worry about the weeds on the prop - its the weeds that get caught on the shaft. The current minn kota or motorguide motors have almost weedless props but the shaft is another story.

 

As long as you can flip up the trolling motor and slide the weeds off of it, you will be fine - foot controlled motors via cable (not powerdrive units) are great for this, as well as hand controlled units.

 

I regularly fish places with hydrilla so thick 1.5 oz punching weights have a problem slipping through.

[MN Fisher]

5 minutes ago, HenryPF said:

You wont have to worry about the weeds on the prop - its the weeds that get caught on the shaft. The current minn kota or motorguide motors have almost weedless props but the shaft is another story.

Since my primary 'drive' on the canoe is a MinnKota C2-30, I can confirm this. I go through weed-beds that have lily pads, hydrilla and milfoil in abundance, and my prop stays clear.

[Faina]

8 hours ago, WRB said:

My back aches just thinking about rowing through weeds!

Look into a Ninja prop for the TM's.

You need good strong oar locks placed about about 1' in back of the seat or in front of where you plan to sit. Oars paddles end should be long enough to be submerged, when straight out,   the handles about 1' apart, not too wide. About 7' long oars.

Tom

 

 

6 hours ago, Catt said:

I don't care if you have MotorGuide or Minn Kota get a 2 bladed prop it will cut through it.

 

I fish a lot of grass & it's the only way to go.

 

 

32 minutes ago, HenryPF said:

You wont have to worry about the weeds on the prop - its the weeds that get caught on the shaft. The current minn kota or motorguide motors have almost weedless props but the shaft is another story.

 

As long as you can flip up the trolling motor and slide the weeds off of it, you will be fine - foot controlled motors via cable (not powerdrive units) are great for this, as well as hand controlled units.

 

I regularly fish places with hydrilla so thick 1.5 oz punching weights have a problem slipping through.

 

23 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Since my primary 'drive' on the canoe is a MinnKota C2-30, I can confirm this. I go through weed-beds that have lily pads, hydrilla and milfoil in abundance, and my prop stays clear.

 

[TnRiver46]

Yes you can easily row a 1448. I wouldn’t call them stable though 

[Faina]

The bay which i must cross to get to the main lake looks afoul. Whad 2 

blades prop work on such algae covered water surface 

[WRB]

Go online and look at "weedless trolling motor props" that are designed to cut through heavy aquatic weeds....or buy 7' oars or a duck bill push pole your choice.

Tom

[TnRiver46]

I use a 10 foot galvanized water pipe as a push pole a lot, only $9.99

[813basstard]

It’s possible to row a cruise ship, however not recommended. 

Looking into my crystal ball here....

it’ll be fun at first, then it will be the reason to NOT go fishing. 

 

Learned from experience:

Fishing is hard enough.

Getting to the fish shouldn’t be.

[Scott F]

I've got a 16x48 that I row on occasion. There are places on the rivers I fish that are too shallow for the trolling motor so I have oars in the boat. I'm sure a 14 footer is easier to row especially when it isn't loaded up with other stuff like a gas motor, gas tank, batteries, and trolling motor. It isn't like paddling a kayak, but rowing isn't that hard.

[WRB]

Having worked on a boat landing that rented row boats and rescuing folks with boats stuck in weed beds, rowing isn't easy when oars are loaded with weeds. Rowing a 1448 Jon boat set up properly in open water shouldn't be a problem. What happens is wind comes up making it difficult. I think a duckbill push pole may be the ticket for short distance through heavy weeds. The water the op added a photo doesn't appear to be heavy weeds, looks like more like surface algae with a few clumps weeds that a good TM should get through.

Tom

[GreenPig]

On 8/27/2019 at 10:53 PM, TnRiver46 said:

Yes you can easily row a 1448. I wouldn’t call them stable though 

I've spent 1,000's of hours on the deck of my 1448. They're plenty stable. Only time I've been wet was fishing in the rain.

[TnRiver46]

4 hours ago, GreenPig said:

I've spent 1,000's of hours on the deck of my 1448. They're plenty stable. Only time I've been wet was fishing in the rain.

Nice looking rig, I would spend thousands of hours up there too. I still wouldn’t call it stable if you’re on Kentucky lake in a 25 mph wind 

[GreenPig]

Thank you. I prefer fishing in rough weather. I've fished multiple times when small craft advisories were issued. The very reason I went with the Kong mount for the heavy Solix. With the 80 lb Terrova I've fished up 3' waves with spot lock holding position for hours. Now running with the 25 Mercury in those conditions is a rough slow ride with the flat bow. Anything more than 3' waves I'm gonna fish a smaller more protected body of water.