Need Help: G3 Jon Boats

I am considering purchasing a G3 1236 Jon Boat and need help.

Here is the reason for the 1236:

1. Saltwater flats fishing in protected bayous, Bay or the ICW. However, I will have to cross / navigate the intercoastal or shallow bay to get to my fishing destination(s). No major waves, mostly shallow water and primarily dealing w/ just the wake of barges or 1' to 2' waves.

2. The 1236 is 12' long X 56" beam X 18" side depth. It only weighs 143lbs. For most of my fishing locations, there is no boat launch or practical way to use a trailer. This means I have to load the 1236 in the back of a truck...deploy from improvised launching locations and sometimes carry it over distance to get to water. So far, a kayak has worked fine. However, I need to motorize to reach fishing spots without being too exhausted to fish. A kayak is simply not as deverse as a jon boat and there is no way for a larger, heavier flats boat to safely make it into the shallows or oyster reefs.

How is the quality of this G3 boat? What about for saltwater fishing?

The 1236 appears wide. Anyone have any experience with standing to fish or move around in a boat like this (solo passenger & I'm 6'4"/250lbs)?

How safely does it ride waves/ wake? Finally, what about paddling/polling into position after the motor has been lifted (1/2 mile or more sometimes)?

Any suggestions, help or shared experiences would be most appreciated.

Single person fishing standy on the floor of the boat you will probbly be fine. If fishing with a buddy you're gonna run our of real estate real fast.

I had a 1236 I used on small MN lakes. I had a boat wake come over the bow once and another nearly over the side. My boat had only 15" sides and two people, 9.8 4-stroke, etc. I suppose it was sitting lower in the water than it might have been with a lighter motor. I have to say it was unnerving to see the water come over the bow.

I don't get the physics of waves, but to me wind generated waves are different than boat generated wakes. It seems wind generated waves are more regular in a way and more predictable. The boat wakes seem closer together and my 1236 would ride up the wave and tip down (forward) just in time for the next wake to crest over the bow. If you have to carry the boat, what about the motor? Will it be small and light? If so, maybe the 18" sides are fine.

I have to say though I liked the 1236 because I could get into places a lot of others couldn't. Given that you have to pull or carry the boat sometimes you may have no choice. Maybe you just have to stay clear of large boats on the ICW.

Great information...thanks!

Single person fishing standy on the floor of the boat you will probbly be fine.

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Definitely going to be a single person boat and plan to sit down when the waves come from a barge or another boat. Nevillizer, did you stand / sight fish with your 1236? If so, was it tipsy or stable while in the center of the boat?

I had a boat wake come over the bow once and another nearly over the side.

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Does it ride waves well, or did you feel the nose tipped up too much? And, did you have to shift your weight forward to compensate?

If you have to carry the boat, what about the motor? Will it be small and light?

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Will probably stick with a small motor, perhaps 2.5 to 5 horse to make it easier to transport back and forth. How shallow were you able to get in your 1236? Less than 1' of water? And did you ever paddle far with your 1236?

Maybe you just have to stay clear of large boats on the ICW.

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The large barges can either put you on the bank or suck the water out of a cove. With a 14.5 kayak, so far no problem. Have either of you experienced anything like? If so, how did the 1236 handle. Thanks again!

My opinion. Get a 12 ft. vee. Having been on the Intracoastal (Ocean Isle Beach - Sunset Beach N.C. in the summertime) in a 12 ft. vee with 4 horse 'Rude, I can honestly say that I would not want to be there in a flat bottom. The vee will handle the rough water and boat wakes much better than the flat bottom, and especially flying solo, the stability difference won't be very much at all. I would want a little more than the 4 horses I had, however. A 7.5 - 9.9 would probably be a better choice to cover water a little quicker. Although, coming from a kayak, you might not have a problem at all with the speed of a 4 horse.

I had a boat wake come over the bow once and another nearly over the side.

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Does it ride waves well, or did you feel the nose tipped up too much? And, did you have to shift your weight forward to compensate?

Because it's flat it rides on top of the waves - it doesn't cut through them like a V-boat will. With just me it actually got up on plane a lot better. I worked hard to balance the weight so it would ride pretty level. The truth is, I didn't go out when there was much chop because it's too hard to steer the boat. I spent too much time running the boat and not enough fishing. If the big boys were out making tsunami-sized wakes I either headed for the shallows or just got off the lake.

If you have to carry the boat, what about the motor? Will it be small and light?

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Will probably stick with a small motor, perhaps 2.5 to 5 horse to make it easier to transport back and forth. How shallow were you able to get in your 1236? Less than 1' of water? And did you ever paddle far with your 1236?

I had mine in inches of water - it floated in about 6" I think. By paddling the boat, do you mean rowing? I didn't even have a set of oars. I did have a paddle in case the motor petered out on me but I never had to paddle far. I had a push pole that I liked to use. I made it out of a telescoping paint pole and bought one of those "duck foot" ends to push the boat around. I liked to use it in the lily pads so I wasn't chopping them up with either motor.

Maybe you just have to stay clear of large boats on the ICW.

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The large barges can either put you on the bank or suck the water out of a cove. With a 14.5 kayak, so far no problem. Have either of you experienced anything like? If so, how did the 1236 handle. Thanks again![/quote]

In MN we have barge traffic on the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers but I don't fish the rivers. The closest thing we have here are the ore boats and grain ships that come in to the port of Duluth. I wouldn't take a 1236 on Lake Superior for any reason, period!

All this may not sound encouraging and I'm not trying to rain on your parade. And, I haven't even been on the ICW so what I know may not apply to you. If possible I would try to borrow or rent a 1236 and try it out. The size makes sense for what you have described - especially if you have to carry or drag it. It's hard to imaging the conditions and I guess you'll be the judge in the end.

I have been doing what you describe for years, I just recently purchase a trailer, but drop the boat right off and get in manually, I spend Years rowing in no motor reservoirs, waves do slap across the bow on occasions because when you row you sit on the midddle bench, I would concur a 12 V migh be the better choice, but just too bulky and heavy, A light one will end up being trashed by manhandling as you describe. I think you will be fine, I fish alone, always had 12ft boats.

I ran my 1232 for several years with 9.9 on it. We had been in lots of nasty water. If the main objective is to get skinny stay with a flat bottom, a vee or semi-vee will draft more all else being equal. Taking water over the bow and sides can be a little freaky at first, but it's just part of running a flat bottomed low sheer boat in heavy seas. I used rain gear to keep me dry and a good bilge pump. The occasional, and sometimes pretty frequent, water in the hull was easily taken care of by the bilge pump. Suffering the abuse of a rough ride and occasional water over the sides is worth it to have 2" less of draft; it was for me anyway. I never modded my 12 footer other than electrical and getting the motor trim tuned just right. Standing in it alone wasn't too bad, but it still would wear you out by the end of the day; especially if it was rough and you needed to fight to keep your balance all day. I would recommend a single leaning type seat, like the bass boats use, that is movable. Just something to lean against while standing makes a big difference.

My home lake, Granger, has white caps about half the time I go out. It is very shallow and gets up in the slightest wind. I just put the rain gear on if it was chilly out and made sure the bilge was in good working order. They payoff was when I got to the slough and could get 50' back farther than the big boats to the crappie in 1' foot of water. Yes, they were dry, but I was catching fish!

Rat said:

Yes, they were dry, but I was catching fish!

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There's your answer.