10' Jon Boat Bassin'

BlakeRauch · Post by **BlakeRauch** » 03 Mar 2014, 23:09

I'm prepared to be made fun of for doing it, but here's my 10' Alumacraft Jon boat to bass boat conversion.

IMG_4538.jpg

I will be posting on this thread as I make the upgrades. 10' Jons don't usually get makeovers because they are less roomy and "tipsy". However, this boat is FREE which gives me the excuse to dump more money into it, right? It will be a fairly standard conversion with the exception of me wanting to avoid putting any holes in the boat(bench seats included) and having every mod removable.
The modifications I am planning on are as follows:
Outriggers
This is my attempt to solve the "tipsy" problem.
A Casting Deck
I'm planning on the deck stretching from the bow seat to the middle bench seat. (approximately 5')
A 6hp Motor
You know, to keep up with those Rangers on tournament days. Lol
A Foot Pedal Trolling Motor
This will be on the casting deck.
An Ice Chest Live Well
This is mostly for weight distribution towards the stern to account for my 6'0" 180lb self standing near the bow.
A Paint Job
Mostly for the ladies.

Throughout the process I would love to hear feedback and any ideas you have to improve the boat or about any flaws you see in my design.

Thanks, Blake

lckstckn2smknbrls · Post by **lckstckn2smknbrls** » 03 Mar 2014, 23:37

Have fun I'll be watching.

DrNip · Post by **DrNip** » 03 Mar 2014, 23:54

Haha I'm down!

BlakeRauch · Post by **BlakeRauch** » 03 Mar 2014, 23:59

I've already worked on the outriggers a little.

IMG_4550.jpg

It's a pretty basic design. I welded 1/4 inch plate steel to the C-clamps. From there, I guestimated the angle I needed to weld the angle iron to meet the water. On the ends of the slotted angle iron I used hose clamps to fasten the 5' piece of 4" diameter PVC to the angle iron.
This design was flawed because the angle needed to be steeper. No biggie, I'm just waiting on the weather to warm back up so I can get out and work on it. Also, I'm going to pretty much flip the angle iron and PVC over so that the PVC is on the bottom. I was able to take the boat out with this design. It GREATLY reduced the wobbling. It makes the boat around 8' wide which is what most actual bass boats are. It is out of the way of the future casting deck because it stretches from the stern to the middle seat and the casting deck will be from the bow to the middle seat so I won't have to deal with it when reeling in. When standing on the bow seat, the rear of the boat lifted more than I was comfortable with. Hopefully, the motor and gas tank will help with this problem. If not, I will be adding an ice chest live well.

I will be starting on the casting deck next, I need opinions or links to threads about the best way to measure the dimensions of the deck when trying to follow the curvature of the boat.
I'm using 5/8 plywood.
I bought indoor/outdoor carpet to cover it with.

lckstckn2smknbrls · Post by **lckstckn2smknbrls** » 04 Mar 2014, 09:54

Lay a oversized piece of cardboard over the boat and trace the shape of the bow on the underside of the cardboard. Cut this out then cut the cardboard in half lengthwise. The 2 halves will over lap when laying in the boat, tape the 2 halves together and you will have a pretty close template.

Clint KY · Post by **Clint KY** » 04 Mar 2014, 12:55

The outrigger floats do not need to touch the water while the boat is sitting still or under way. They only need to provide flotation when the boat is "tipped". This keeps the drag down while moving. Rig them to be about 1" or 2" above the water when the boat is loaded as it would be when you are fishing. Kayak fisherman use them to stabilize their boats so they can stand to cast. And in a kayak since you are the propulsion, you want to make it as easy to paddle as possible.

waterman · Post by **waterman** » 04 Mar 2014, 16:49

If you increase the pipe size to 6" you will have 61# of flotation per side. Compared to 27# with 4".

huntinfool · Post by **huntinfool** » 04 Mar 2014, 18:24

Why would I laugh?

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9885

BlakeRauch · Post by **BlakeRauch** » 04 Mar 2014, 20:53

lckstckn2smknbrls wrote:Lay a oversized piece of cardboard over the boat and trace the shape of the bow on the underside of the cardboard. Cut this out then cut the cardboard in half lengthwise. The 2 halves will over lap when laying in the boat, tape the 2 halves together and you will have a pretty close template.

Great tip! Thanks lckstckn2smknbrls

IMG_4562.jpg

BlakeRauch · Post by **BlakeRauch** » 04 Mar 2014, 20:57

waterman » 04 Mar 2014, 15:49 wrote:If you increase the pipe size to 6" you will have 61# of flotation per side. Compared to 27# with 4".

I might switch over later on, but that was the largest our Home Depot carries. Is there anything I can do to add floatation? I've considered putting swimming noodles inside before sealing them up for good.

BlakeRauch · Post by **BlakeRauch** » 04 Mar 2014, 21:02

Clint KY » 04 Mar 2014, 11:55 wrote:The outrigger floats do not need to touch the water while the boat is sitting still or under way. They only need to provide flotation when the boat is "tipped". This keeps the drag down while moving. Rig them to be about 1" or 2" above the water when the boat is loaded as it would be when you are fishing. Kayak fisherman use them to stabilize their boats so they can stand to cast. And in a kayak since you are the propulsion, you want to make it as easy to paddle as possible.

Thanks for the advice! They are adjustable so I can compensate for the weight I'm adding to the boat with all the upgrades. I have been a little worried about drag, but I since they are adjustable I can wait and test out different lengths.

lckstckn2smknbrls · Post by **lckstckn2smknbrls** » 04 Mar 2014, 22:57

Foam inside the floats won't add to their buoyancy unless they fill with water.

waterman · Post by **waterman** » 04 Mar 2014, 23:05

lckstckn2smknbrls wrote:Foam inside the floats won't add to their buoyancy unless they fill with water.

Dat's right. It's all about displacement.

BlakeRauch · Post by **BlakeRauch** » 04 Mar 2014, 23:22

Kinda figured. I might do it anyway incase they fill with water... Or the boat sinks. I've been reading too many horror stories about water coming over the stern on these little Jon boats

BlakeRauch · Post by **BlakeRauch** » 05 Mar 2014, 11:53

I'm also looking for the best product to use on the bottom of my boat to protect it from rocks, stumps, and dragging it here and there. What do you recommend, and how is it applied?