Let Me Be The First. Jon Boat ???

[slonezp]

Is a 36" wide jon stable enough for my fatazz to stand up and fish. I'm 6' 265lbs. Sick of ruining props on my deep v in a river I fish. Looking to get a 12-14' car topper to throw in the back of the truck. I figured the 42" wide may be a little difficult to put in and take out by myself. Already have the motor.

Thanks

[00 mod]

I would not go 36". My last tin was 36" bottom and while one person can stand(low decks) and fish somewhat comfortably, it is still pretty unstable. JMO. G3 experts should be able to help better than I. Now my boat is 48" bottom and my next will be a minimum of 60". LOL

Jeff

[SoFlaBassAddict]

By yourself, you'll be fine in a 36". I can stand with no issues in mine. Granted, it's not decked. I've got a hard floor in it. Nothing more.

[Fishing Rhino]

How stable is a boat with a 36" beam? Not very stable for me. Solid as a rock for someone with a good sense of balance.

In other words, it's impossible to answer that question, since it has as much to do with the person as the boat. Walk to the side of the boat to relieve yourself and you'll likely end up in the urinal.

Your main concern should be how forgiving is the boat when you make a mistake shifting your weight. A 48" wide boat is more forgiving than a 36" boat of the same style.

[Daniel My Brother]

I've had a 1436 g3 jon boat for the past 5 years. I bought it for the 10hp lakes in my area (anywhere from 20 to 2,000 acres).

It has a low front deck. I stand and fish when I'm alone, or when it's just a kid and me. When there are 2 adults in the boat it's better to stay seated. I'm 5'10" and 170#

[slonezp]

It looks like the biggest car topper I can get is 42" and those run 190lbs-215lbs depending on the mfg. I'd like to avoid getting a trailer If I don't have to, I don't have room in the garage and I already pay for storage on the other boat. and don't want the added expense of a welded hull. The boat will only be used a minimum number of times. At what weight does it become difficult to put and take the boat. Alumacraft 1448 is 250lbs. Tracker 1542 is 190lbs, G3 has a 1448 that weighs 233lbs. Is that feasable without a trailer?

[NCLifetimer]

With two people that are relatively strong you shouldn't have a problem at those weights(no motor, gas tank or supplies in boat yet), solo, i doubt its happening. You could pull it out of the bed(would probably hit the ground hard thou on the end you're not holding) and maybe use a winch to get it back in, but few people can lift and stabilize(which is the main obstacle you'll face) something that weights 200+lbs and is 14 feet long.

I fish out of a 36" bottom 12 foot boat when i go to a family farm pond. Its stable enough for me, but i do have a good sense of balance. FR made a good point thou, one misstep and it rocks a good amount(haven't flipped it yet thou) I’m 180 and decently built and there is no way I could lift my 1236 (120lbs if i was guessing) boat up and stabilize it enough to get it into the bed of a truck.

I think a trailer is your best bet if you want a smaller boat to transfer to various locations.

[Shawn Dompierre]

Forget the Jon boat and get a bass raider.

[CFFF 1.5]

Me and a buddy routinely fish out of a 1236 or 1232 and don't have any problems with either of us ever falling out. My jon the skinnier of the two has a plywood floor while his has just the aluminum floor. We both fish standing up 95% of the time. Stability is going to be determined by your and your partners balance. We also weight about 430 lbs combined. My dad was a little more unstable when we fished in my boat but he hasn't been in a jon boat in probably 20 years or more. Me and my buddy used to always fish out of a canoe and neither of us stood up all day. If I were to fish in a canoe now I would proabably feel very unstable.

[james 14]

Do what I did in my pre-trailer days - back the truck into the water and slide the boat in fully loaded. Just make sure your parking brake works well!

Considering you're putting the boat in the back of the truck you should be fine with any size jon you can fit. You may have not be able to drag it out of the truck with everything in it but the weight of the boat alone should be no problem as long as you're pulling it out on a non-concrete surface.

As far as stability is concerned - I have a 1236 with a front deck and I have no problem. I even fished with another guy who stood on the back seat. I about threw him out a couple times with the TM on high but we were ok. I fish in a decked 1436 with another guy and we manage pretty well. If you're careful enough you should be fine with a 36" but go larger if you can fit it.

[Way2slow]

If you are going to be fishing rivers, with current and you typical trees and stuff laying in them, get a trailer and go with the 48". For two people, a 36 is fine in ponds and fairly calm water but you probably will not like it at all if you get into moving water. My wife will not even get in my 1436 when I go to a river near my house. As a bare minimum, you will want the 42". Two people who are very comfortable in a small boat will have no problems with a 1436, I even like my old 1432, I also like my 17' canoe but I've probably spent 1,000's of hours in it and small jons over at least 55 years.

For comfort and safety, bigger is better.

[bwell]

I have a 1436 john boat with deck, it can get a little tipsy but if you pay attention to what you are doing its fine. I would not however take it on a river...

[smalljaw67]

I have a 1436 john boat with deck, it can get a little tipsy but if you pay attention to what you are doing its fine. I would not however take it on a river...

I had a 1436 and used for river fishing quite a bit, but standing up was a no no, you could do it but it will feel as if you are standing on jello especially at your size, I'm 6'2" and at the time I had my jon I was 270lbs. so it should give you an idea.

[J Francho]

Here's what I'd get before getting a tin can: http://www.wildernesssystems.com/product/index/angling/angling_kayaks/Commander_angler/commander_140_angler/

[slonezp]

I thought about a yak but had rotator cuff surgery 2 years ago and don't think my shoulder and a padde would work well together. Plus I have a 15hp in the garage collecting dust. If I opt to get a boat w/ trailer, would a small V bottom like this be more stable to stand up in than a jon in river conditions? http://www.loweboats.com/utility-boats/v1467/

[Gator Bait]

Check this out.

http://jacksonkayak.com/jk-kayaks/kayak-fishing/coosa/

I've been wanting to find someone that has one...see how well they like it.

[J Francho]

I thought about a yak but had rotator cuff surgery 2 years ago and don't think my shoulder and a padde would work well together. Plus I have a 15hp in the garage collecting dust. If I opt to get a boat w/ trailer, would a small V bottom like this be more stable to stand up in than a jon in river conditions? http://www.loweboats...ty-boats/v1467/

You'll know whether you can paddle or not, sometimes it's all in the technique. I've had AC joint issue for a few years now, I use my core for paddle, barely move my shoulders. You can also hook up electric motors to any kayak. But if you have a 15 hp laying around, get a tinny. I'd go as wide as possible for what I could lift.

[J Francho]

Check this out.

http://jacksonkayak....-fishing/coosa/

I've been wanting to find someone that has one...see how well they like it.

Pretty easy to come by on the for sale forums. Tyrns out they are pretty specific river current applcations, and aren't the best lake boats.

[slonezp]

Check this out.

http://jacksonkayak....-fishing/coosa/

I've been wanting to find someone that has one...see how well they like it.

Maybe 20 years ago LOL

[Way2slow]

I've never had but one 14" V-bottom, it came with a 9.9 motor and a trailer I was buying but had to take the boat too. I thought, what the heck, I would give it a try and took it to a friends pond to fish. When I left there, I left the boat there also, I decided I had absolutely no need for a 14' aluminum rocking chair. You move and it rocks, which made it much worse than even my canoe because in the canoe, you didnt have to move, you can reach you hand in the water from either side. Based on my experience in that one V-bottom, I would hate to know I had to use a 12'.

That was 14 years ago and the boat is still there, my friend says it's great because it's the only boat that has ever stayed on the pond that someone didn't steal. Even now, when I go to that pond, I take me a jon boat.

[Gator Bait]

Maybe 20 years ago LOL

You're right...the mind doesn't remember how old & fat the body got.lol

[Crookedneck]

I have an Alumacraft 1448. You will be hard pressed to get it on top of your car with out banging the snot out of something. I used to put it in the back of my truck with all my gear, drive to the river take the 6 hourse Evinrude and gas tank out of the back of my truck. Slide the boat out until just few inches rested on the tailgait then would put the second end down. Wasn't too big of a deal. Loaded it the same way only in reverse. The taking off and on of the motor was a pain. So one day I got a trailer and haven't looked back since. Two people it is a cinch. I'm not a smurf of a guy either. Spent 12 years of my lifeworking out for a living.