New to forum and jon boats

Hello everyone, I am new here and just bought a 14 foot jon boat. I don't have a pic yet cause my wife has the camera but I will put some up soon. Anyway this thing is ugly but I couldn't pass up the price $125. I have a few questions tho first the guy rino lined the bottom of the boat and it looks terrible. How dose one go about removing this. Also this seems to be a fairly thin boat so should I be worried about that. And lastly the bottom mesures about 32 in if I were to put a small deck on the back jsut for storage and a small one on the front with a short pedestel seat will it be to tippy. This is the first jon boat I have had and want to make it a fishing machine! :mrgreen:

welcome.

just rember the higher up you sit (your decks and seat) the tippyer your going to get.

I have one just like it. You can remove the rhino lining with sand paper, stripper, or a fine cup brush. If you are going to paint it, then i would take it off. Otherwise, I don't know if I would mess with it.

About decking. I think the rear idea is a good one. Just be careful with rear weight. The front may be a little much. You could take out one seat, reinforce, and put in a floor right on the ribs. Then it would be low enough for a more comfortable seat. I stand and fish in mine all the time but it is a bit tipsy. It has never tipped though. My friend has one that his dog climbs in and out of all the time and has never had a problem. Just have to be sure footed and not go to high.

Welcome! We aren't really supposed to give you any advice until you have updated your profile with your location.....but I will go ahead and give you my 2 cents.

There is a chance that the Rhino lining was put on the bottom of the boat to stop a leak. If so, be prepared to not only invest time into removing it, but also fixing a leak. I've never done it, but I have read that the process to remove any of the bedliner products is with a heat gun. Heard lots of agonizing stories of sanding/scraping without one.

Not sure what you mean about being worried about the metal being thin. I would be worried about creating a hole in the boat. How thin the metal is may determine how much I worry about it. You didn't list the boat manufacturer, so we don't know what "thin" means, but I'm guessing someone on this board has a simliar boat and doesn't worry about it being too thin. Lots of variables with that question, such as how you affect it's structual integrity and your use of the boat.

Putting on a rear deck for storage should not be a problem. Just don't add too much weight in the process.

As opposed to what is universally considered stable.........I would think your boat would be "tippy" being 32" wide. I'm sure some would say that it would be fine to put a short pedastal 4-7" up front while others would say not to. Again, a few variables. Your size, anyone else in the boat etc....

If you plan on having your wife with you in the boat, take a trip without seats first and judge the stability.

Start with a leak test if you haven't done that first.

Congrats on the boat and post some pics when you get a chance.

I do not know who the manufaturer is, there is nothing on the boat that tells me this. My wife and I are going to go out fishing in it this weekend if I can get all of my work done in time. Also the guy I bought it from said that there was a leak and it looks like they used JB weld to fix it and he said they put the liner on just for some extra protection but that he could fish all day and only get a little water in the boat before it was fixed.

Mmimsjr said:

I do not know who the manufaturer is, there is nothing on the boat that tells me this. My wife and I are going to go out fishing in it this weekend if I can get all of my work done in time. Also the guy I bought it from said that there was a leak and it looks like they used JB weld to fix it and he said they put the liner on just for some extra protection but that he could fish all day and only get a little water in the boat before it was fixed.

Click to expand...

First, I was just kidding about the whole not giving advice till you post your location , but thanks for doing so. We all like knowing what part of the world we are talking to, and I've watched some folks get asked repeatedly. Just thought I would try a different tactic. Hopefully the Mods don't get mad at me.

There is a chance that some pics will lend insight on the manufacturer to someone on here, so don't rule out the possibility of knowing out quite yet. That's great that your wife will be going out on the boat with you. Hope you both have a great time, and it will also make a good opportunity to get a feel for the boat, and ensure the boat no longer has any leaks. What all do you plan on having in the boat with you for your maiden voyage?

We won't have much in the boat with us just a small cooler, fishing gear, and safety equipment. I was going to take the dog but will wait to see how well it works out. I should have the pics up tonight just busy trying to get stuff done around the house before I start the next job for work, and getting the wifes breaks done on her car. Should be a good fishing trip if the weather is nice, never know around here it can be 80 one day and snowing the next.

:WELCOME:

welcome to the zoo, where round Spokane do you fish?

I fish everywhere around here. There are so many lakes and rivers to fish it is nice because you can switch things up. I even go over to Idaho which is a short 30 min drive where I am and fish some of the lakes there also. It is nice to have a wide variety of fish to go after. Plan on doing more sturgeon fishing this year but it won't me in my boat :mrgreen: some of the fish are as long as the boat.

I'm thinking I am going to leave the rinolining on for now. I am just going to paint it flat green or something so I will just paint over it. I have a friend that puts bedliners on and he says it should hold paint for a year or 2. Probably going to upgrade in a few years anyway, I have a 6 month old daughter and this boat is a little to shallow to be taking her out when she gets a little older.

Mmimsjr said:

I fish everywhere around here. There are so many lakes and rivers to fish it is nice because you can switch things up. I even go over to Idaho which is a short 30 min drive where I am and fish some of the lakes there also. It is nice to have a wide variety of fish to go after. Plan on doing more sturgeon fishing this year but it won't me in my boat :mrgreen: some of the fish are as long as the boat.

Click to expand...

I was looking more for specifics on where you fish. I grew up in Spokane , I wouldn't be taking a 14x32 to lake Coeure d' Alene, It's way to rough. smaller lakes you'd be fine. Down here I put in and fish on the rivers also, you aren't going to be doing that on Spokane river......lol....I sure miss Sturgeon fishing on the Columbia.

Mmimsjr said:

We won't have much in the boat with us just a small cooler, fishing gear, and safety equipment. I was going to take the dog but will wait to see how well it works out. I should have the pics up tonight just busy trying to get stuff done around the house before I start the next job for work, and getting the wifes breaks done on her car. Should be a good fishing trip if the weather is nice, never know around here it can be 80 one day and snowing the next.

Click to expand...

No motor?

I was looking more for specifics on where you fish. I grew up in Spokane , I wouldn't be taking a 14x32 to lake Coeure d' Alene, It's way to rough. smaller lakes you'd be fine. Down here I put in and fish on the rivers also, you aren't going to be doing that on Spokane river......lol....I sure miss Sturgeon fishing on the Columbia.

Click to expand...

[/quote]

Sorry, I fish Newman Lake, Liberty Lake, Clear Lake, Pend Orielle River, and many others. We go to lake Coeur D Alene with small boats but stay in the bays and the chain lakes. We have taken 12ft boats in there before. It is fine if you pay attention and know what you are doing.

No motor?

Click to expand...

LOL I wasn't thinking about the motor when I wrote that, we will have a small 5 horse it is old but runs.

Mmimsjr said:

I was looking more for specifics on where you fish. I grew up in Spokane , I wouldn't be taking a 14x32 to lake Coeure d' Alene, It's way to rough. smaller lakes you'd be fine. Down here I put in and fish on the rivers also, you aren't going to be doing that on Spokane river......lol....I sure miss Sturgeon fishing on the Columbia.

Click to expand...

Sorry, I fish Newman Lake, Liberty Lake, Clear Lake, Pend Orielle River, and many others. We go to lake Coeur D Alene with small boats but stay in the bays and the chain lakes. We have taken 12ft boats in there before. It is fine if you pay attention and know what you are doing.

Click to expand...

Cool, Ya been on lake Newman, Deer lake, Long Lake ,I grew up on Liberty lake , if we weren't fishing , we were swimming.

never been to Pend Oreille , even though my sister lived there for years. been all over Coeur D'Alene boating, always seamed to of had the wind blowing across the lake , kicking up the chop.

I used to only fish Liberty Lake when I was in high school since I could drive there after school. I think I probably fished everyday for a month one year. It was a good time :mrgreen:

Welcome to the forum I am also in spokane I have a Polarkraft 14 ft Jon. I fish alot of lakes Newman,wife caught an eight lb bass last year ,williams ,clear,loon maybe we will run across each other sometime.

I have two brothers and a sister that still live in Spokane. I spent many days throughout high school on Liberty lake, but my high school days were in the 70's .... #-o

Here are pics of the boat