Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Jewelz on June 06, 2012, 09:35:09 PM
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Me and my dad are in the market for a 14' aluminum boat. Came across some of these jon boats at a local boat dealership and was quite surprised to see how cheap they were compared to V-hulls. We wanted to use the boat strictly for lake fishing. What's everyone's opinion about them...
Here's the model we were looking at: http://boats.iboats.com/alumacraft-boats-1448-20t-jon-boat/575271.html (http://boats.iboats.com/alumacraft-boats-1448-20t-jon-boat/575271.html)
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got one of them and they work out great for me in lakes n sloughs i would recommend them for the money :)
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Had a new 1236 which I sold after going out a few times in it last year. Was junk when we got into any waves!! The person up front would always get wet (wife did not enjoy that much!!) ::) Great little boat for flat water and fly fishing on small calm lakes!!
Just was not good for us and all the wind and other boats zooming by. Got a nice 16ft alum V-hull now.
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http://directboats.com/jonbobugu.html
http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=29574
It sounds like you only want to take that puppy out on a nice day. :)
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http://directboats.com/jonbobugu.html
http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=29574
It sounds like you only want to take that puppy out on a nice day. :)
Haha! How did you guess! ;D I might take it out when its raining, but prolly not if its windy! I know, I know... I'm a wuss :D
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Have a Lowe 1448MT. Don't use it a lot but works great when I do. very stable to fly fish from. not fun when it water gets a bit rough.
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Have a Lowe 1448MT. Don't use it a lot but works great when I do. very stable to fly fish from. not fun when it water gets a bit rough.
We are looking at that one now too.
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Those small 1236's are ONLY good for still waters/small lakes/little to no wind.
1448 is the way to go.
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The type of boat you purchase should depend on the type of fishing you do most. The boat you want is different than the boat you need and the boat you like is different than the boat you need. The smaller Jon's are great for fly fishing and at anchor. They can be tippy though. If you like to fish the big river and troll lakes where you need to zip around a lot, a deep v hull would be better.
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Green machine's advice is good.
The Jon boats look kool but if the boats is going to used in the saltchuck I'd pass.
As an alternative I can say I've had a 14' princeraft Yukon for 12 years now…and aside from looking it's age,
used it alot, it's still as soild as a riveted boat can be. The transom is still in great shape after bbeing pushed by 15 hrs $ stroke merc. all it's life.
it's wide beam males it very stable.
and that's not to mention the Legend series of boats …they look pretty nice too.
And of course the smokercraft has always made a great product….
so much to choose from …
one thing for sure, it will never be big enough!
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We have narrowed it down to 3 boats; Alumacraft Fisherman 145CS, Polar Kraft 1578 WT SC and the Legend 14 Prosport SC. We have done away with the jon.
If anyone else can suggest an aluminum boat with a side console for around $9000 that I haven't thought of, please share! Thanks.
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Lifetimer ;)
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Jewelz - dont do away with the jon boat idea. take a look for jon boats with a modified Vhull, basically they are a jon boat but they have a V on the underside of the front end to cut through waves easier in rougher water. I know LUND makes them but not sure what other companies do, well worth a look if you want something very stable to fish from ;D
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We looked at the modified v hulls, but i think what moved us away was they carrying capacity. The jons just don't carry as much at the deep v's, and with a family of 6 its kinda important. Maybe I'll give it another look just to make sure...
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I also forgot to mention that we now want to take the boat out to the bay to do some crab fishing.
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I use my 16' jon for everything, Lake fishing, river fishing, ocean fishing crabing and prawning.
(http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j135/canso/318.jpg)
(http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j135/canso/IMGP035901email.jpg)
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You find it stable and comfortable enough in the salt?
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If you compare bottom width, a Jon boat will be more stable than a v boat.
Jon boats also tend to be wider then most v-boats making them more stable.
I do get wet if the waves pick-up and the wind is blowing from the side.
Any boat without a windshield will get wet.
what ever boat you choose, get the widest possible. width is everything.
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The boats we've been looking at range between 68"-78". That should be wide enough right?
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sounds like it should be wide enough.
my beam is 86" and bottom width is 66".
What size power are you looking at?
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20 HP.
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if you're mainly fishing in the salt I don't think anyone would recommend a jon boat, you need the v-hull to cut through the waves. However in terms of comfortability I would say that jon's are generally more comfortable than v-hulls as long as there's not a big chop.
When I first started looking for a boat I was looking for the same thing, something that would do well in lakes, the salt, maybe the harrison and fraser. But really there isn't many boats out there that can do all of that well, there are just too many factors to consider (weight, trailer or no trailer, etc.). The only one that I know of has already been recommended, the Lund modified v-hull preferably with a jet on the back.
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95% of the time that we would go to the salt is just to drop some crab pots in the bay (Tsawwassen, Boundary). The other 5% we might troll the lower fraser or maybe head just a little way from the shores of Van and Richmond.
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then I'd go with a Vee for sure.
Couple of weeks back, spent part of a day on a 14 jon, I've been considering one for years, but after that trip which, got a bit choppy and an A-hole screaming past us, I'm canceling that idea.
not even sure I'd venture out in anything bigger than a puddle with one.
back to the drawing board, or garage, just as soon as I get some free time.
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Let me clarify... The time spent on the water would be 75% lake and 25% ocean. Of that 25% in the ocean, 95% would be just dropping crab pots while the other 5% would be trolling the river or just off the coast. Make sense?...
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Canso,
nice pics! And yes it just goes to prove any boat will do the job if handled in a responsible ,informed manner.
And your Jon looks very nicely appointed. For inside waters on a nice day it looks like the ticket!
:o
CF
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Did you say family of 6? All at once? 25% ocean?
No way you want a jon boat.
Assuming you have kids, the freeboard is *way* too low. I switched to a higher side/higher freeboard boat and I'm much more comfortable with the kids in it.
Also, there is no boat for all situations. Don't underestimate the salt and the Fraser - the water can get rough and with little freeboard and no V, you will be hurting and scared.
Do you want to fish the bigger lakes or only the small ones? The bigger ones like Pitt, Stave and Harrison can get very rough. Even Alouette would be no fun in a jonboat.
Not sure why you want a new aluminum boat - those are the ideal boats to buy used, and you can get a lot more boat that way.
If you don't mind getting a bit wet and you're just going out and back (without beaching and exploring), consider a bigger inflatable from someone like seabright. At least it is very seaworthy for its size.
I had a 16ft Lund SSV that was pretty good for water around here, but I still found the freeboard low. It was seaworthy though, but not terribly seakindly. I agree with the beam comment above - the more beam the better. 78" is pretty marginal, especially if you have kids aboard.
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20hp might be small with 3 adults,
a friend has 14' princecraft with a yammi 25 and it has trouble getting on plane with three of us, has even more trouble when fishing higher lakes.
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The kids wouldn't be with us in the salt.
What about bowriders like bayliner, searay etc...
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The kids wouldn't be with us in the salt.
What about bowriders like bayliner, searay etc...
What type of vehicle are you towing these with? Trany jobs and big boats go hand in glove. Same with burning tires out trying to get your boat out the water. Just things to consider.
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Thanks for sharing the info and insights. I found this topic very useful as I've been in the market for the past 2-3 months. I think I'm now down to a couple of options but need to get your view to this as this is going to be my 1st boat:
1- Lund XL Rebel 1625 with 40HP Merc
2- Alumcraft 16 with 25 HP Honda
The main usage will be in the local lakes and upper Fraser for family fishing. I have 2 kids who love to go on a lake for fishing and they are still years before considered as adult children :) I don't think that I'll be using the boat in the salt but if I do, it will just be for crabbing in the Burrard Inlet/Indian Arms area or chasing the pinks in the Lower Fraser in the odd years. Towing shouldn't be a problem with my V6 SUV but I'd like to understand the difference, pros and cons between the Merc and Honda/Yamaha motors. Obviously with Honda you get what you pay for but is it going to justify the extra $$, compared to Merc for the kind of usage that I will have?? Do you guys have ideas/suggestions for any other type of boat other than the ones that I've listed above??
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The boat that sits on the top of my list right now is the Alumacraft V16 with optional floor and side console. Powered by a Tohatsu 20hp.
Take a look at Legend boats and Polarkraft.
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Take a look at Legend boats and Polarkraft.
I did look at the Legend Xcalibur series. WIth a 40 HP Merc it could be a good fit for my need but I didn't hear good reviews about the durability of the boat plus the resale value may not be as good as Lund or Alumcraft. Is that true?
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That I don't know.
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I would pick the lund since it has a 40.
a 25hp wont get your family on plain.
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We have narrowed it down to 3 boats; Alumacraft Fisherman 145CS, Polar Kraft 1578 WT SC and the Legend 14 Prosport SC. We have done away with the jon.
If anyone else can suggest an aluminum boat with a side console for around $9000 that I haven't thought of, please share! Thanks.
I would not recommend the legend brand... friend of a friend has one and managed to punch a rib through the hull while pounding waves in the chuck. Apparently all that legend would do is a half my friend patch job as part of their warranty.
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Thanks for the heads up. I have heard similar things from other sources. Any idea how Lund will deal with a similar situation while the boat is still under warranty?
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I would pick the lund since it has a 40.
a 25hp wont get your family on plain.
Really? I was only thinking of getting a 25hp at the max.... so I should look into getting a bigger engine?
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A 25 HP two stroke is pretty good. It will push a 14 foot boat along good with a full load. Always go for the most power the boat will handle. IF its rated for a 30 put a 30 on it.
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If you had a choice between a 50hp 2 stroke and a 30hp 4 stoke, both at the same price, which one would you choose?
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50hp 2 stroke
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50 HP 2 stroke.
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I don't like it that Lund and Legend are both forcing Mercury engines. With Alumcraft you still have a choice to pick your own choice of engine brand. I have heard that Yamaha motors are the most reliable among the 3 major brands. If that's correct is it going to justify the price difference for an average user (150-200 hours/year)?? ???
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What do you guys think about the ALumcraft boats and how do they compare to Lund and Princecraft in terms of durability and fishability in tidal waters?