Jon boat?

Looking for a small boat to take duck hunting and get on the water to go fishing.

I found a couple but this one has me interested...not sure what it is.

Wouldn’t mind a 8-12’ Jon boat or a plastic one like a pelican or such.

What you think about this one vs a normal aluminum Jon boat, vs a pelican plastic boat??

Seems like that boat would be restricted to flat calm waters.

How much gear do you take duck hunting? I’m no expert (still mostly asking questions), but I’m not sure where you’d put decoys or a dog if you use those things.


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SeaFaring said:

Seems like that boat would be restricted to flat calm waters.

How much gear do you take duck hunting? I’m no expert (still mostly asking questions), but I’m not sure where you’d put decoys or a dog if you use those things.


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It’s mostly for creek areas to get back off in the marsh and shallow areas, not really for open water.

I don’t have decoys but if I borrow some, it would be a dozen or two. No dog. A small pack and my gun.

In the case I want to go in open water, what would be the minimum length I should go with? My dad has a 12’ Jon boat he said I could use but I kinda want my own so I can go anytime I want.

I think “minimum length” is a complicated question depending on 1) your skill level 2) your definition of “open water” 3) weather and 4) a host of smaller variables.

My personal opinion is that flat bottom jons are not open water boats in any size, unless the weather is perfect and you can run for shelter faster than it can change on you. But I’m thinking about the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. If you’re talking about a large river or a bay without large vessel traffic, you might get a different answer.

To try to turn that into useful advice, I’d think about the specific uses I wanted (which bodies of water, how much gear, how many people, how much hp/speed/range, etc.) and then look for a boat that can carry the weight that I want at the speed that I want for the distance I want in the conditions that I want at the price that I want. I’ve not yet found something that checks all those boxes, but that’s the five main considerations I’d use to drive the decisions.


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Makes sense, each situation is different so tailor it to my needs.

I’m on Cedar Creek lake but I won’t be crossing it or anything, mainly going to duck spots and back and fishing around the shore no more than 100 yards off of it.

I try to be a minimalist and I hate loading down with gear so I should never come close to the weight limit.

Thanks for the thought provoking info. This will be my first boat so I’m trying to learn as much as I can before the purchase. Also want to keep the price low enough so the wife don’t complain but also buy something of quality that I can use for a while!

Sure thing! There are others here with a more encyclopedic knowledge of makes and models that might be able to give you some specific starting points.

Based on the weld quality control issues documented in my current thread in this forum, I’d stay away from Tracker Boats. A lot of members here have them and are happy. But they usually seem to put a lot of work into them.


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If your tossing it in the back of a truck, 12’ is your limit probably. If you are trailering, consider a 1448. Lots stable and you won’t outgrow it. At least not right away.
“Jeez I wish my boat was smaller” said no guy ever!


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Weldorthemagnificent said:

If your tossing it in the back of a truck, 12’ is your limit probably. If you are trailering, consider a 1448. Lots stable and you won’t outgrow it. At least not right away.
“Jeez I wish my boat was smaller” said no guy ever!
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lol, thats funny!

My dad has a 14-16', that i can go grab if i need something on a trailer. I'd like to keep it fairly small so that i can throw it in the back of my truck and roll out by myself. I think a 10-12' would fit real nice in my 8' bed!

I’ve never been in one but I bet those plastic boats would be about impossible to sink. A 10’ Jon can be tippy and weight capacity isn’t much. Get as wide a boat as you can.


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ive seen videos of guys trying to sink those rubber boats and it looks impossible, thats what caught my eye in the first place.

The 14-16' that my dad has is, IMO, way to narrow but he got a good deal on it and its free to use if i want. but man....is it narrow...

lots to think about, thanks for all the good info!