Jon boat for a young basser

[cjbassinboy]

whats the difference between those 3?

 

[russ010]

I fish Carters and Lanier all the time out of my 1546 Xpress... If you want to be out there on the main lake and not back in pockets and coves, then I wouldn't go less than a 1436... The wider the floor, the more stable you'll be. I had a 1236 (heavy gauge aluminum), it was awesome on the bigger lakes, but I kept close to the banks in it.

I fish tournaments with the bass boats out at Carters, and never have had any problems.

 

[cjbassinboy]

i definately would be fishing closer to shore

 

[JBooth]

You asked what the difference was between a flat, mod. v, & v hull.
Flat bottom: zero point at bow; flat all the way to transom
Mod. v: point at bow then goes to a flat bottom
V: pointed all the way back to transom

hope this helped
if not look up Lowe 1436 for flat bottom
lowe 1440m for mod v hull
and lowe 1467 for v hull

In short if a boat has a v hull it will break through waves much better.
Good luck

 

[cjbassinboy]

oh alright i get it. the lakes i fish almost never have waves, and if they do the waves are only about 6 inches tops. Do you think a mod v would be okay?

 

[JBooth]

Definitely, especially if you stay in a little closer to shore. I have one that I only run in medium size lakes and bayous and have no serious problems in waves under 1 foot (when running). You should be fine with a mod v.

 

[cjbassinboy]

awesome

 

[bassboy1]

You know my advice based upon our PMs a couple weeks ago, but I'd like to add that if you are truly going to fish Allatoona and Lanier, you aren't going to be sticking to the shallows very much. To fish those lakes with much success, you are going to need to learn to fish open water - main lake points, ledges, etc, and I can't say I'd want to fish the open water areas of 'Toona or Lanier in a 1436.

And, I'd also say you are underestimating the chop in those lakes if you are thinking 6 inches. While the weather isn't going to create much in Allatoona (though I have been in some 2' whitecaps in the winter), the large quantity of boat traffic will really stir things up.

A boat like Russ has will be about perfect for what you want. A good mod vee in the 15' range with a 46 - 52" bottom would be absolutely ideal.

Speaking of which, Russ, its been way too long since we've gotten out. We need to hook back up when I get back home from Alaska.

 

[cjbassinboy]

well i really dont think that i would be fishing lanier much, but definitely allatoona quite a bit. Also Lake Blue Ridge and Lake Nantahala in the North Ga mnts. So i will be looking for a 15-16 foot mod v correct? What type of horse engine should i get?

 

[JBooth]

I'd say a 15 - 20 tiller or 25 - 30 remote.

 

[cjbassinboy]

tiller is with the stick steering and remote it the wheel right?

 

[JBooth]

yep

 

[overboard]

I would get a jon boat that is at least 14 feet. Any jon below this will be unstable unless it is really wide. Jon boats are good because you don't have to worry about messing them up if you hit something. 14' is a good length because they are stable enough for 2 people and can normally hold a 15-20 hp outboard.

agreed: 14'-48" floor. very stable, and should provide plenty of room. 1448 lowe seems like a really good boat. my buddy has one that we fish out of, and it serves its purpose very well.

 

[cjbassinboy]

where do you suggest finding a boat like that?

 

[JBooth]

They have them at Cabelas. I was looking at one last year. They had it marked for 1700 with a max of 25 hp. It's a real sturdy boat.

 

[overboard]

where do you suggest finding a boat like that?

other mfg. also make this type of jon . see the lowes on craigs list quite often, at least in our area.

 

[cjbassinboy]

thats right around my price range, because i wanna have it under 3000, but still be able to mod it

 

[JBooth]

Out of curiosity.... how big of motor do you have for it/getting for it?

 

[cjbassinboy]

10-15-20 hp. pretty much whatever i can find the best deal on

 

[russ010]

keep an eye out on craigslist.. and don't just search Atlanta. I found my 1999 Xpress 1546 on Craigslist in Athens and paid $1200 for it and the trailer. If I wanted to sell it the next day, I could have gotten over $1800 or more for it just because it's all welded.

Keep looking and don't settle until you get exactly what you want. Do it right the first time and be done. I got my first Alumacraft 1236 off craigslist for $350 (link is on here to my mods). I fixed it up ($150 total) and sold it for $1000, and one trolling motor - no electronics. If you can find a deal like that and flip it (I had it for about a year), you can make more money and get a bigger toy.