Tin boat popularity

Over the past 59 years on this earth I have owned about 15 boats of various styles. 2 wood( never again), 2 fiberglass, and all the rest tin. I have been treated to the best service from tin. I have noticed that various areas of the country are partial to one form or the other. When the wife and I were looking for a new boat to handle the bay and sounds of Lower Alabama, we were looking on CL for a larger boat to replace our 1436 jon. I was looking for a Starcraft but in the local area they were like hens teeth. We expanded our search from New Orleans to Tampa. Tampa and Jacksonville had the best selection of what we were looking for. As it turned out we were going to make a trip down south when I found a 15' 1996 Duroboat in Pensacola, Fl. New TM, new batts, new starter, new FF, live well, flares, oil, strong motor(30 Rude), new custom boat cover, and side consul . Wide, deep, and vee bow. All this for less than 2K$. As with any purchase of a "used" boat I wanted to make sure it was reliable and safe. All new tires, new wheel bearings, new water pump, rebuild carb, new anchor line(125'X3/8), new bow and stern lines, and an extra gas tank.

Last Nov the wife and I went to SC for a family function. We were on the lookout for the types of boats on the road. Going up we went through Montgomery, Atlanta, and Columbia and saw mostly FG with Tin jons mixed in. Coming home we came down 95 to Jacksonville and then I 10 to home. We saw many more tin in the vee bow configuration and many in the 18' to 20' center consul. Has anybody else noticed this kind popularity? Tin boats in my area are few and far between in the coastal area. Fla, Coastal GA, and Coastal SC seem to have many more tin boats to handle the waters.


Frank

well, I do know, if you go way north, Mostly you will see tin v's, or fiberglass...

In this area the further you get from the ocean the more tin boats you will find. Of course, in the areas that are big on duck hunting you will see lots of tin as well

In Minnesota where I live there are many fewer jon boats in general than other kinds. Maybe it's because we have a lot of big waters where the waves can kick up. Lake fishing here far exceeds river fishing (there are a lot of trout fishers of course without boats) - we are after all the "land of 10,000 lakes". When I looked for a jon boat there were fewer choices and at the time almost no used ones to be found. Lots of duck hunters use them so the dealers mostly stock for fall sales rather than for the fishing season. It is interesting to go on CL and just pick an area of the country to see the types of boats people are selling. It is also interesting to see how different manufacturers are also regional. To get the nice welded jons you guys in the south and east use, I would have to go to Missouri or Illinois. I guess in the end it's a regional thing. I once was traveling through NW Colorado and noted that of all the vehicles on the road, trucks were about 80% of the total and most of those were 3/4 ton 4x4's. I guess boats are regional too depending on whether you have lakes, rivers or ocean nearby.

:twisted: Since we really don't have much big water(freshwater) here in South Jersey the tin really out numbers fiberglass. Mostly the serious bass tournament guys use glass boats at these smaller puddles.

Around here, boats just about out number cars. If you go a little South towards New Orleans I would bet that boats out numbered cars. I would say that ~50% are tin boats, 40% glass, and 15% commercial boats. Driving the 13 miles from my house to town and I would say that there is a tinboat at every other house or at least 1 out of every 3 houses. We are blessed with many rivers, lakes, and the Gulf within a 30 minute drive. ~ 30% of the hunters around here hunt out of tin boats for hogs, deer, duck, and etc.

I think Tin Boats speak about who you are, to me it means roughneck, not redneck but roughneck.

example would be Cumberline river by the Dam, in KY. all you see by the Dam is Jonboats, out more you'll run into the fiberglass tourney boats. Lets just say I can get along with the guys by the Dam easy, the other guys I can talk to but they ain't the kind I would hang out with.

A tinboat kinda guy to me isn't worried about getting dings or scratches on his truck or boat. He works on his own stuff. Thats a good'ol roughneck to me :wink:

fish devil said:

:twisted: Since we really don't have much big water(freshwater) here in South Jersey the tin really out numbers fiberglass. Mostly the serious bass tournament guys use glass boats at these smaller puddles.

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Same here in Mass. But here all little boats like plastic crawdads and basshunters are popular too. Lots of these little kettle ponds that hold huge bass are out of the way. so a small tin or plastic is the only way.

Arkansas has a lot of jons around also. Here in oklahoma there are jons around but i think most prefer the glass boats. Not to hijack the thread, Jim I will be in your neck of the woods on Wednessday. I deliver in Northboro at a place that distributes rebuilt Ford transmissions. I will blow my horn at ya when I come through so be listening.

Mostly tin around here. Probably 50/50 split between O/B's and electric-only.

With the Chesapeake under 2 hours away we have everything from 10' dories to 28' ocean going fishing craft around town. Most of the fishing boats are outboard jets and every weekend will see a tinboat migration to the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, the Mecca for shallow bass fishing on the east coast. The rivers here are rocky, shallow and deep with limestone razorbacks poking out of the water next to 10' wide by 10' deep pools ans then another razorback.

Jamie