question for expert jon boaters(and anyone else)

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RStewart

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Mar 17, 2008
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Location
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LOCATION
Norman, OK
im looking for a 12 ft jon to customize. the bass club i want to fish in doesnt allow anything bigger than 12 ft. i also want to be able to fish 2 people in the boat. now my dilema. i weigh 350 lbs. any boats this size that have a person capacity of 600 lbs or more?

can i add extra flotation foam to raise the mfg recommended capacity?

thanks
 
I think I fall under the anyone else category.

To get 600 pound capacity, you are going to want a vee. The Lowe 1256 has a 602 pound capacity. My (now sold) Grumman was the exact same boat, just a different brand, and 11 years older, and I believe its capacity was in the high 500s. Even then, we overloaded it quite a bit, and it never felt burdened down. We had me - 150, dad - 225, outboard - 50, gas - 25, Trolling motor and battery - 100, plus tackle and all. Even with well over 600 pounds aboard, we never felt anywhere near danger, and the boat still took 2 foot chop just fine.

Putting more flotation foam will not help at all. Flotation foam doesn't do diddley until you capsize or swamp the boat.
 
Wow. A 1242 is nice! I didn't know they made one. Plus, it can hold up to a 20 horse. Well, that right there is your answer. Even if the vee was able to carry the load, they don't make stable fishing platforms.
 
thanks guys. i like that boat. another question. max weight is 700 lbs. boat weighs 220 lbs. does this mean i only have room for 480 more lbs, or is the weight of the boat not included in the max weight? thanks again for all your help.
 
stew6371 said:
thanks guys. i like that boat. another question. max weight is 700 lbs. boat weighs 220 lbs. does this mean i only have room for 480 more lbs, or is the weight of the boat not included in the max weight? thanks again for all your help.

The 220#'s of the boat does not count in capacity. So its a full 700 pounds of free use.
 
thats cool. now if i may ask another question. i do not know much about jon boats. they all look the same to me. why would one have a higher max weight than another if the boats are the same size?
 
That boat is much wider than most. Most 12 footers are a 1232, meaning that the boat is 12 feet long, and it is 32 inches wide at the bottom. Sometimes, you can run across a 1236, which would have a higher capacity, and higher stability than the 1232. But, that right there is a 1242, which is insanely wide for a 12 footer. A 42 inch bottom on a 14 footer usually is substantially more in cost, and more desirable, but on a 12, it is downright unheard of. If you are limited to 12 feet, I would say that is your best option.
 
yeah i like that boat. i was just asking to see if i could find a used one cheap. that boat new is $1500 and i was hoping i could get on that would work for a couple hundred. if not well thats ok. i wouldnt mind modifying a brand new boat. thanks
 
Good luck finding a used one. I didn't even know that size was available publicly. If you get one of those, you are probably going to have to buy new. :(
 
alright guys please compare these two boats and give me your opinions.

https://www.1stdirectproducts.com/12x42wejonbo.html

https://www.sundolphinboats.com/oz/4/com/fish/pro/pro.html
 
This is really close to call but if i had to choose i would go with the jon just because it is a little bigger and can hold a little more weight and can be a good all around boat to hunt and fish in. It is all in what you wont and i would think you could work on the jon alot easier too.
 
Jon for sure! After a few years those plastic boats start to warp, the plastic starts to crack, Water fills in them. So it weighs it down even more. I have a little Bass hunter and A buddy has the model underneath that one.
 
Never thought about the plastic longevity. Wonder how it will stand up to the UV rays?
Besides, if you get the jon you can stay a member cause this isn't plasticboats.net :lol:

I'm full of them today
 
flounderhead59 said:
Never thought about the plastic longevity. Wonder how it will stand up to the UV rays?
Besides, if you get the jon you can stay a member cause this isn't plasticboats.net :lol:

I'm full of them today

lol. thanks for the replies. i didnt even think about the plastic not lasting as long.
 

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