Din Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 Looking for opinions on which one people would prefer to fish out of...a jon boat with a flat bottom or an aluminum? Doubt that I will ever take it on the bow...just for some pothole lakes to take the new kid and wife out in. Thanks, Mitch Quote
jksnijders Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 An aluminum jon with a flat bottom. About 14 feet long. Very stable, nice to stand and cast out of. Quote
dryfly Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 Agree that the jon boat will be more stable. Depends on what you want to spend because you can probably buy a good used aluminum car topper for way less money. Another serious consideration should be a small inflatable. Inexpensive. Light. VERY stable for standing and casting. Samples here. A few of my friends have similar boats and they are great. I have an ancient 11½-foot alum car topper...rarely used it. Last fall, I removed the bench seats and added a flat plywood casting floor. It is not as stable as the inflatables, but is fine for me. Quote
Taco Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 Clive the truly ancient mariner.... BTTOQ, buy a jon but not cheap narrow ones that are only 32" wide across the bottom, get at least 36" preferably 40". I'm looking for a 12' Spratley. http://www.spratleyboats.com/index.htm Quote
kphebert Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 i used my wide bottom 12 ft jon on the bow all the time.nice and light to load.now i have a 14jon very wide but really heavy.i think the jons are great all around boats. Quote
DonAndersen Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 Din, A consideration is weight. A 12' typical car topper will run <>120 lbs. whereas a jon could got <>180 lbs. Most roof racks won't carry them. I had a 12' Harourcraft 12' boat for years. Used it on both the Bow and Lakes all over. The Harbourcraft is a lot wider and flatter in the bottom. I had one of the "rounder" bottom styles. Got rid of it quick. Rowed both Jons and car toppers. - not a lot of difference on the Bow. The jons will ship more water. regards, Don Quote
Guest 420FLYFISHIN Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 i would think that the alum would be more versatile as you can run it in most rivers and not care much about whats underneath the waves. Quote
fishinglibin Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 I just sold my 2nd jon and a 14 ft alum laker. I just bought another flatbottom. And I also suggest a wider beam (width). Bottom line is have fun with the family. Quote
Guest 420FLYFISHIN Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 buy jays boat, you can probably put a small electric on it. Tones of room for kids to run around it, or at least enough room for us kids to run around it lol Quote
Din Posted January 5, 2012 Author Posted January 5, 2012 Which boat did you just go with? I just sold my 2nd jon and a 14 ft alum laker. I just bought another flatbottom. And I also suggest a wider beam (width). Bottom line is have fun with the family. Thanks for all the replies everyone! Quote
dryfly Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 Taco HA HA "Clive the truly ancient mariner...." Purchased the car-topper in the T. Eaton Co. store in Medicine Hat in 1971 for $219. ... slips neatly in the back of a pickup. Weights about 70 pounds. Not one leak in the welds and rivets. The 6HP Johnson kicks it along well. You won't find a more versatile and stable boat than these ... Quote
fishinglibin Posted January 6, 2012 Posted January 6, 2012 Which boat did you just go with? Thanks for all the replies everyone! Crestliner welded aluminum Quote
Din Posted January 9, 2012 Author Posted January 9, 2012 Anbody have experience in these or have looked at them? Bass Pro has them for $890 + GST...not a bad deal if they are decent. Tracker 1436 Riveted Jon http://www.trackerboats.com/boat/?boat=3419 Quote
reevesr1 Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 I've never had a tracker, but there were TONS of them in Texas and I've never heard anyone knocking them. As some said above, my personal preference would be for something wider, but if you are using it as a car topper, then I think you would be fine. I have had both riveted and welded aluminum. If I had my choice, I'd go with welded. But my experience is more with saltwater, and I beat the crap out of my boats (windy all the time, big water, didn't have the sense to slow down, ran pretty big engines). If I was buying for lake fishing up here, I would have no hesitation in buying riveted if the price was right. $890 for a new Jon boat doesn't sound bad to me (though it's funny how it is $700 in the states). Quote
Tungsten Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 I'm a big guy so 36" at the floor is just too small.I've been in one for about an hour there was 3 of us just too tippy.Length is nice but for fly fishing you want wider.Your able to stand and walk around ,you can lean over the side to release your fish. As far as rivets go i had a 1448 Jon with an outboard jet that was riveted and it served me well for 10 years of hard river abuse. Quote
Din Posted January 10, 2012 Author Posted January 10, 2012 Thanks for the input Rick and Tungsten. Quote
DaveJensen Posted January 11, 2012 Posted January 11, 2012 Mitch - we have a 1236 Aulmacraft and the gunnel width is wider than that of those trackers. So, while the base width is important, so too is the gunnel width. A fellow I know bought that 1436 Tracker and hates it - he and his wife and dogs - as it's too tippy. But that's him. AJ & I, however, love the 1236 for the Red Deer, Bow, small lakes. Heck we took it to a bigger lake in WA state and used the 8HP Evinrude on the lake. We did 18mph on the flat calm lake (a 'touch' slower in waves tho!). It hauled ass and we giggled ow nicely too. If you aren't in too much a rush, as I think it's still winter there (wink) come up to Red Deer in the spring and try out our 12' raft and frame as well as the jon. TTYS Quote
SanJuanWorm Posted January 11, 2012 Posted January 11, 2012 I quite like my 14ft aluminum. It's the model with the floor in it. That's the only comment I can make as I have no experience in a Jon boat. Quote
chalke Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 If you can find an 11' Harbercraft Flyfisher that would be the boat to get, they are coveted this side of the Rockies. I just found one this winter in the classifieds of a local paper so they are still out there.... Cheers Rich Quote
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