Southern_Comfort Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 Howdy y'all, just found this site while looking for jon boat information. I was lookin' to buy a jon boat, Tracker topper in 12,- 14 foot. Which would be better? I know longer, and wider it would be more stable. I only plan to fish my local park ponds, And other local ponds, There would no boat traffic just maybe one or two other jon boaters. I don't want a trailer, So would a 12 or 14 foot jon boat fit in the bed of a 2001 chevy silverado 2500 hd ext cab? It would be me and my fiancee, 2-3 rods, cooler, TM/battery. Weight shouldn't be a problem, I weigh 155, And she is around 104. Any and all advice would be nice! Thanks, Y'all! Quote
Super User 00 mod Posted January 19, 2012 Super User Posted January 19, 2012 Wider is better for stability. The 12 foot would probably fit better into the back of your truck because I believer the extended cab trucks have a 6.5 foot bed. The 14 footer would hang more than half off the back.( not including tailgate) 12' boat weights 87lbs and the 1436(wider) only weights 117 lbs. I personally would never buy another boat that is less than 48'' on the bottom, which neither tracker topper is. JMO Jeff PS> check out tinboats.net LOTS of great ideas and knowledgeable people! 1 Quote
NCLifetimer Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 I second tinboats.com, they can probably give you a better idea of what to look for. A ton of info over their about jon boats. Why no trailer? you can probably find a used one for 200. would make offloading way easier and after a few trips it will probably seem well worth it. 1 Quote
Super User Hi Salenity Posted January 19, 2012 Super User Posted January 19, 2012 I have a Chevy Silverado 2500 hd ext cab long bed and it has no problems hauling a 12' boat. With the gate down the bed is 10' long. You'd be able to haul a 14' boat no problem as long as it was a narrow boat. As far as the load I'm not sure, It may help us decide if you'd post some pics of your 104# fiancee... Just kidding 1 Quote
Super User Fishes in trees Posted January 19, 2012 Super User Posted January 19, 2012 For the most part, wider and longer is preferable to shorter and narrow. Unless you have significant storage issues, a trailer is preferable to loading and unloading it out of the back of your pickup every time you want to go fishing. Wider + longer = weighs more. You might want to look at some kind of a pond boat, like a Water Buster or Pelican or something like that. They are much more stable and comfortable than a 12'jon boat. 1 Quote
nightmid Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 yeah u should look into a bass raider or even look on your local cl list at boats u may find one on there cheaper and with more stuff than buying new 1 Quote
teacherman Posted January 20, 2012 Posted January 20, 2012 I am a newbie here.....first post!! I had a 12 ft Montgomery Wards Jon Boat and loved it for 15 years. Finally sold it and got a 15 foot canoe. I wish I had my Jon Boat back! I am going to keep my canoe but I am looking for a 10 ft. Jon Boat. I don't like to "trailer" a boat.....been there....done that with a 14 ft. Crestliner. Just too much trouble for me in my beyond 60 years of age life! Go with a 12 ft. Jon Boat and you will probably be well-pleased. I also have my eye on getting an Ocean Kayak! But I will keep my canoe and .....if I get a 10 ft. Jon....I will keep ;that too!! Tight Lines!! 1 Quote
Southern_Comfort Posted January 20, 2012 Author Posted January 20, 2012 As for storage, I have no where to park a boat and a trailer. I'd rather have a aluminum boat rather than plastic, And I'd rather just get a new boat, So I know it has/or had no issuses. Like I said, It'll just be two people in the boat, With little gear/weight. Just stuck on rather to get a 12 or 14. Only mods I'd go for is carpet, And some seat's. Thanks for y'alls help. Quote
Southern_Comfort Posted January 20, 2012 Author Posted January 20, 2012 I am a newbie here.....first post!! I had a 12 ft Montgomery Wards Jon Boat and loved it for 15 years. Finally sold it and got a 15 foot canoe. I wish I had my Jon Boat back! I am going to keep my canoe but I am looking for a 10 ft. Jon Boat. I don't like to "trailer" a boat.....been there....done that with a 14 ft. Crestliner. Just too much trouble for me in my beyond 60 years of age life! Go with a 12 ft. Jon Boat and you will probably be well-pleased. I also have my eye on getting an Ocean Kayak! But I will keep my canoe and .....if I get a 10 ft. Jon....I will keep ;that too!! Tight Lines!! Agreed, I don't like trailering at at! I'd rather just throw in the bed and go. Plus, I fish alot of mountain ponds. Quote
Super User Fishing Rhino Posted January 20, 2012 Super User Posted January 20, 2012 There are a lot of places where you can launch cartop boats, or boats in the bed of a pickup but do not have parking for boats with trailers. I love fishing out of the Bass Hunter our daughter has in the small pond behind her house, but I'm not sure how comfy it would be for two fishermen. I don't know what it is like in a slop because the pond is so small. It is indeed very stable, but I don't think I'd like to get caught in a blow, if I was any distance from the launching area. For an all around small boat, a jon is tough to beat. They are fairly light, and easy to load into the back of a pickup. It's not as stable as a Bass Hunter/Pelican style "boat", but I think I'd prefer it if I got caught in a windy situation. One caution about a jon. Some of them are light gauge aluminum. As much as possible avoid concrete ramps or rocky beaches. It doesn't take much for an abrasive surface to wear through the v stiffeners on the bottom of the hull. Been there, done that. 1 Quote
Southern_Comfort Posted January 28, 2012 Author Posted January 28, 2012 My price range is 1000-1200. Quote
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