Do I want a john boat

[FishingWebGuy]

I'm considering buying a 14' or 16' tiller to do some mild trolling, casting and bowfishing with.

We would primarily use the boat on small, calm lakes and possible the Minnesota or Mississippi.

Is a john boat a good option for us? I like the idea of being able to go into some more shallow water than a v-hull but I'm wondering what the cons are to the john? We really don't care about speed at all. If we could go 10mph it would generally get us where we need to go quick enough.

Is speed and big rough lakes the main reasons to go deep-v?

And is stability the main reason to with the john?

TIA

[goblueM]

i love jon boats. nothing better for river fishing. they're great for bowfishing

you could split the difference and get a modified v jon boat, they handle chop a little better. thats the main problem - they don't take waves very well

[toughguy]

Is speed and big rough lakes the main reasons to go deep-v?

And is stability the main reason to with the john?

TIA

Jon's will ride in shallower water too. This can be a major help in shallow duck hunting water and low rivers.

[DTro]

For the water you described it should be a good buy. The biggest downfall to jon boats (true flat bottom) is that they take a beating in even the mildest of chop.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Definitely an awesome river boat, but for medium to large lakes you will go nuts driving them in the waves. I used to own one with an old antique Mercury 5 hp outboard on it and that thing was lots of fun but definitely uncomfortable on choppy days and seemed unstable. Just have to be careful and make sure to not overload the thing with people or equipment.

I plan on getting a 14' flat bottom for the MN River for Catfishing. May use it on smaller lakes as well.

[FishingWebGuy]

Does anyone know any names for the modified-v jons? I'm checking that craig guys site but am not finding any under modified-v

So the biggest drawbacks are bodies where other boaters would create wakes, and windy, choppy days?

[traveler]

Yup. And I'll second...they are great for bowhunting and poling if you do that. We used one on the weed flats on the Mississippi when i was (much) younger and nothing else even came close. We did take it out on some medium lakes as well, and yes, they don't handle waves well, but i found it to be more of an uncomfortable thing rather than dangerous. They also maneuver great over current in skinny water.

[chub]

Does anyone know any names for the modified-v jons? I'm checking that craig guys site but am not finding any under modified-v

War Eagle, Lowe, Alumacraft, Crestliner, Grizzly, Sea Ark...etc. There's quite a few manufacturers out there.

Try searching under "duck boats". That should open up the fields for ya.

[Gordie]

I have an 18 ft huskey jon mod vee from lowe and love it but the down fall is the speed on rougher waters it will pound the waves put my body just doesnt like that anymore I also found that when back trolling for eyes and even in a light wind the front of the boat catches the wind very easy as it sits up out of the water and makes it a little more work to control but I'm used to it. I will say that it is an awsome boat for the river and smaller lakes. I have had it out on Mille Lacs quite a few times and not worried at all when the the wind comes up I just know that it will take longer to get to shore.

[FishingWebGuy]

I have an 18 ft huskey jon mod vee from lowe and love it but the down fall is the speed on rougher waters it will pound the waves put my body just doesnt like that anymore I also found that when back trolling for eyes and even in a light wind the front of the boat catches the wind very easy as it sits up out of the water and makes it a little more work to control but I'm used to it. I will say that it is an awsome boat for the river and smaller lakes. I have had it out on Mille Lacs quite a few times and not worried at all when the the wind comes up I just know that it will take longer to get to shore.

An 18' mod-v jon sounds perfect. Is there a downside to an 18'? I'm not going to be picking it up and throwing it in the water much anyhow. And more space for my 2 boys and our gear is always good. I suppose more hp to come back upstream is about the only downside?

[MinnesnowtaWild]

On the Minnesota River, the current in most places won't be much of a problem for a 20-25 hp motor on the back of a 14-16' John. Just make sure you have enough power and keep it close to the maximum rated power to ensure you and your childrens safety on the river.

[chris63]

Sounds like your mostly fishing out of your boat.(Looks like lakes primarily)I think a semi v or deep v would be better (safer)if you are fishing with children.Bigger deeper is more $ all around but safety has no cost barriers.IMHO,If you were going to hunt,river fish a flat bottom would be a better choice.Again this is all personal choice and going to a boat show or Big boat dealer and ask questions is a good option.Hope this helps some.c63

[DTro]

Also another tip for searching C-List it to look at Wisconsin/Iowa/Missouri. For some reason there is a much larger market there and you will probably have a much easier time finder a Jon boat there, you just might have to drive a few hours.

[Gordie]

Originally Posted By: elwood

I have an 18 ft huskey jon mod vee from lowe and love it but the down fall is the speed on rougher waters it will pound the waves put my body just doesnt like that anymore I also found that when back trolling for eyes and even in a light wind the front of the boat catches the wind very easy as it sits up out of the water and makes it a little more work to control but I'm used to it. I will say that it is an awsome boat for the river and smaller lakes. I have had it out on Mille Lacs quite a few times and not worried at all when the the wind comes up I just know that it will take longer to get to shore.

An 18' mod-v jon sounds perfect. Is there a downside to an 18'? I'm not going to be picking it up and throwing it in the water much anyhow. And more space for my 2 boys and our gear is always good. I suppose more hp to come back upstream is about the only downside?

I run a 50hp on mine and as it goes the motor could be more but I happy with the only down fall of this boat is. Hmmmm I'll have to think about that for a while dont really have any other than what I ve mentioned earlier.