What kind of boat

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sbeaucha007

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I fish a small, private 30-acre lake in East Texas. The deepest water is about 8-10 feet and many areas are three foot are less. On most days, wind is not a problem, as the lake is surrounded by heavily wooded terrain. There is very little in the way of stickups, since the lake was built to ski on. Generally, there are two of us in the boat which we would like to leave at the shoreline. I live in Granbury and would like to avoid trailering the boat (thru the outskirts of Dallas/Ft. Worth) the two plus hours it takes to get there.

In the past we have tried a stripped down 14-foot Alumnacraft jon boat which proved difficult to operate from a transom-mounted trolling motor. It is a loaner boat and we had to resort to clamp-on seats that are not reliable (I have already had one close call). If there is any wind at all, the guy in the back spends most of the time steering. From what I can tell, the front bench on most Jon boats is too far back to operate a hand-controlled trolling motor. We tried mounting the trolling motor on the bow and using an extender, but it was clumsy.

We also tried a 9 and 1/2 foot mini-pontoon (Buster Boat) with a bow mounted trolling motor -- which was close quarters but worked nicely. I would, however, prefer to go with an all-weather Jon boat. Is there a compromise boat anyone could recommend, for instance a 12-foot aluminum boat? Something that would not require a lot of modification on my part. We fish sitting down and do not need an outboard motor: we rely solely on the trolling motor. Whatever we get, it will have to stand up to the weather, need to have comfortable, permanently-mounted seats, and the front seat arrangement should be forward enough to operate a hand-controlled trolling motor. It does not have to have a live well. As to the electronics, we would like to place the battery near the transom and operate a simple fish finder up front.

Other than that, we want to keep things simple. I am a new subscriber and would very much appreciate your input.

Steve B.
 
I think a 1236 or something close to that in a riveted flat bottom jon would be the best for you.Something like this. https://www.trackerboats.com/boat/?boat=2861


https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/boa/913790661.html
This boat is in the 80 to 120 pound range.Easily carried by 2.A small 1.5 to 5 horsepower motor weighs 20 to 50 pounds and is easy to carry and hang on the boat lake side.That's what I do.I don't use a trailer and fish by my self.A 40 to 55 pounds thrust foot operated trolling motor would work up front, with no deck, just a small platform for the trolling motor to mount on.
 
Welcome to the site!

I have a 1236 jon that two can fish comfortably. I have a mounted seat in the back and the guy in the front sometimes brings a comfy lawn chair that fits in the front area.

Sounds to me like you need a foot control trolling motor. They can be a little tricky to master at first. But after you have used it awhile it becomes second nature and you find yourself keeping the boat under control without hardly even thinking about it. Both hands are free to fish!
 

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