# Jon Boat questions



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

That last sentence is missing a word. What are you wanting this boat for? If it were me I’d go with a 52-60” for all around fishing.


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## Matts (Sep 2, 2015)

LOok for a weld craft. I think your last sentence meant to say will a 48 pole better than a 52. My 1854 poled fairly well but sure wasn’t a warterman! If poling is your real desire, look for a Microskiff instead. If you want a work horse fishing platform, get an 17-20’ jon boat with some power and plan to wade. I caught many fish from my old Weld Craft but often on foot, even though I had a nice poling platform and light Stiffy. Hull slap is huge, unless you go with a Sabine Skiff.


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## formerWAflyfisher (Sep 5, 2008)

Thanks, I did mean pole that much easier. That’s what I get for typing quickly on my phone.

I know the poling skiff would be better. I just sold a maverick HPX and have owned 2 dolphin Super Skiffs in the past. I was originally going to buy another used skiff, Maverick 18HPX, East Cape Evo. But my complaint is cost. I have a hard time justifying 35-50k for a used boat with such limited use. Not to mention scratching it dragging it through the Glades. So I think I’m gonna fish a Jon Boat for a awhile and pick up a used 24 foot bay boat for hauling people and running offshore. ( and both boats would still be less than a new Maverick 18 ) I primarily fly fish, so poling is just the way I fish. I think the hull slap can be addressed with carpet or rubber fingers hanging off the bow, or just boat position as your approaching fish.


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## formerWAflyfisher (Sep 5, 2008)

I


Matts said:


> LOok for a weld craft. I think your last sentence meant to say will a 48 pole better than a 52. My 1854 poled fairly well but sure wasn’t a warterman! If poling is your real desire, look for a Microskiff instead. If you want a work horse fishing platform, get an 17-20’ jon boat with some power and plan to wade. I caught many fish from my old Weld Craft but often on foot, even though I had a nice poling platform and light Stiffy. Hull slap is huge, unless you go with a Sabine Skiff.


 like the Sabine skiff as well but it’s to expensive. I have a tiller motor already, so a jon is hard to beat for the cost. Plus I want to save for a bay boat. These were the two boats I found with a very quick search. Both 52 inch bottoms but I don’t think a 48 inch bottom would be very different in price.


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## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

I had an Alumacraft 1648 (16' x 48" bottom) semi-v with a 25hp tiller years ago. I caught a lot of fish out of it and no worry about oyster rash. This was running around the Texas marsh and hull slap was evident but manageable as Texas reds never seemed that spooky. No platform, I'd stand on a cooler on the bow casting deck and pole it backwards and whomever was fishing stood on the rear deck. This pushed the water so that unless I tried to pole into the wind the slap wasn't a big deal.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

My last boat was a heavily modified aluminum Polar Kraft 1652 mod v and I added a tunnel, step pods, full deck buildout with center console, poling platform, Tuffcoat on the whole deck and inside cockpit and for sound deadening I siliconed 3/4” foam board inside the entire hull. A couple guys on here fished off it with me and I’m telling you if you were blindfolded you would think you were riding on a glass boat. The only time it made any real noise was poling straight into a 20mph wind.


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## Matts (Sep 2, 2015)

Here's my old aluminum. Not so sure why I sold it to replace with something I can scratch The boat wasn't near as shallow until I added the hydraulic jack plate and large aluminum compression (cavitation) plate. It would easily run in 6" with a large payload. 18' x 54" bottom


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## formerWAflyfisher (Sep 5, 2008)

Sounds like a lot of people miss their jon boat.


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

formerWAflyfisher said:


> Sounds like a lot of people miss their jon boat.


x2 on what @Smackdaddy53 said, it's never going to be dead quiet, so you may as well have a more stable boat, because the extra few inches will neither be quieter or noticeably better on the pole. Jon boats rule, they just don't get a ton of love around here.

I definitely miss mine https://www.microskiff.com/threads/sold-2001-13-welded-hunting-skiff-sold.41735/#post-327201 should never have sold it. I'm now considering building another one. There's a lot to be said for owning something you don't have to worry about tearing up. I think I ran that boat over every log and Cypress knee between hwy 20 and the ICW, never gave it a second thought.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

LowHydrogen said:


> x2 on what @Smackdaddy53 said, it's never going to be dead quiet, so you may as well have a more stable boat, because the extra few inches will neither be quieter or noticeably better on the pole. Jon boats rule, they just don't get a ton of love around here.
> 
> I definitely miss mine https://www.microskiff.com/threads/sold-2001-13-welded-hunting-skiff-sold.41735/#post-327201 should never have sold it. I'm now considering building another one. There's a lot to be said for owning something you don't have to worry about tearing up. I think I ran that boat over every log and Cypress knee between hwy 20 and the ICW, never gave it a second thought.


I bought a homemade hull like that a couple of years ago from some guy in Galveston for $650. I sold it to my buddy for the same because I needed a bigger boat.


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

I've owned/own both G3 and Seaark jons. You can't go wrong with either. Seaark is beefier construction, heavier and more expensive but may be easier to build out and customize. No jon is going to pole extremely well, so if shallow floating and running is a consideration, get the widest hull. If I were fishing mostly solo, I'd consider the G3 1548 VBW with a 25 hp 2-stroke as a first choice. If you want a something with more capacity, the Seaark 1660 with a 60 hp motor fills the bill. Floors are heavy, and in a jon can conceal problems. Consider customizing and installing a full length deck for more storage and space to move around. The photo above is a Seaark 1660 MVT. It's decked but hard to see in this shot.


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## Gatorgrizz27 (Apr 4, 2015)

FWIW, Flip Pallot said his inspiration for the Whipray was a 1648 Jon boat with a V-nose. I think the increased stern drag from the wider bottom might be more noticeable than the minor extra stability, but I don't mind skinny boats. The Jon boat I fish from now has a 30" bottom. The wide bottom jon boats are geared towards duck hunters that are going to pack 3 250 lb guys, a lab, a blind, and way to many decoys and gear into one.


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## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

Funny, in the Spring, I was looking at all sorts of true fiberglass Microskiffs. After considering all of the oyster reefs and other nonsense that I have hit over the last 25 years, I chose a tinny.
Found a good deal on a used semi-V Lowe 1756. Only had it out a few times, but I believe she will do the trick. Already has a manual JP and a lightweight 50 hp 2 cycle Merc. Sorry I can't help with the poling question.


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## Matts (Sep 2, 2015)

Gatorgrizz27 said:


> FWIW, Flip Pallot said his inspiration for the Whipray was a 1648 Jon boat with a V-nose. I think the increased stern drag from the wider bottom might be more noticeable than the minor extra stability, but I don't mind skinny boats. The Jon boat I fish from now has a 30" bottom. The wide bottom jon boats are geared towards duck hunters that are going to pack 3 250 lb guys, a lab, a blind, and way to many decoys and gear into one.


Interesting as my inspiration for my old skiff above came from watching the early days of Walker's Cay Chronicles with Flip fishing the Glades from an old jon boat


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Matts said:


> Interesting as my inspiration for my old skiff above came from watching the early days of Walker's Cay Chronicles with Flip fishing the Glades from an old jon boat


Someone on here had a Flip Pallot edition aluminum boat for sale a while back.


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## j102 (Jun 26, 2017)

My only concern is durability in Saltwater. Is it really a concern?


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

The first skiff I recommend for beginners in the 'Glades that want to pole up into around six inches of water is a 16' bare bones jon boat with a tiller steered 40hp. If you run out of water you can pretty much lift that end and walk back to where it floats... I prefer welded to riveted construction (my old "tin boat" was a 1976 Starcraft - they were riveted and a bit thin in the skin department). My tin boat was a semi-vee that we put a "bonefish" interior (deck front and rear, side console - no poling tower, I poled it off the stern corner or up on top of a cooler. We caught fish with it from Palm Beach to Key West then over to Chokoloskee (I was with the Tropical Anglers Club back then and there was a club outing - every month in a different place.. Heck I even took it out into blue water a time or two....) It was mostly used in saltwater and we had to re-build it three times over the seven years that I owned it... Rivets are a pain - but the real problem was the skin flexing over the ribs until metal fatigue ended up in cracks....

Enough about the old BoneBreaker (I was younger then and thought the name made it fish better....). I'd recommend the slightly wider beam with a skin of at least .100 on a welded skiff. Now for the fun part - look closely at the height of the gunnels (you'll note that tunnel models have higher sides (SeaArk) allowing the wind to push you around a bit more... Me, I prefer hulls without tunnels, if at all possible. Keep your rig to the bare minimum with a small forward platform and similar in the rear ( as long as it covers the area you need to keep covered....). If you stick with a tiller steering setup you'll again stay lighter in weight and less complicated. Avoid things like trolling motors and rely on a cooler or two for dry storage/ and a platform for standing on while poling....

Yes, a jon boat will beat you in a chop (learn to run as sheltered as possible). Yes, a jon boat can be noisy - but you'll find it's dead silent if you pole with the wind... If you must have a floor - make it one you can pick up - with an aluminum hull it's nice to be able to look at the inside of the skin to see what, if any, problems you might run into from time to time... On that same vein... for live well(s) - do without them if at all possible.... If you can, put your fuel tank(s) in the bow under the forward platform to balance the rig for poling solo (and a bit of weight in the bow will very slightly reduce pounding (every bit helps). With two six gallon tanks in the bow your fuel safety issues are greatly reduced (and it is nice to be able to take just the cans to the gas station any time you need to fuel up.... 

Hope this helps.


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

j102 said:


> My only concern is durability in Saltwater. Is it really a concern?


The potential for corrosion between dissimilar metals does exist, but it's not a major problem. Just be careful where you use stainless fasteners and rinse well after a trip in salt water. As noted above, a more common problem is stress cracks from pounding. Seaark's more robust construction is a plus on that issue. Both Seaark and G3 jons are welded, so no worry about rivets.


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## Gatorgrizz27 (Apr 4, 2015)

j102 said:


> My only concern is durability in Saltwater. Is it really a concern?


Aluminum is the material of choice for Alaskan commercial fishing boats in saltwater, and they are run FAR harder than any of us run our skiffs, guaranteed.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

If you use TefGel on stainless fasteners and brass hose fittings you won’t have any problem with dissimilar metal corrosion. The last boat I built 4 years ago lives in Louisana now and the guy that bought it said there is no corrosion anywhere and she is still holding up like a champ.


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## Matts (Sep 2, 2015)

lemaymiami said:


> Now for the fun part - look closely at the height of the gunnels (you'll note that tunnel models have higher sides (SeaArk) allowing the wind to push you around a bit more... Me, I prefer hulls without tunnels, if at all possible. Keep your rig to the bare minimum with a small forward platform and similar in the rear


Yep, gunnel height is important. I gave up freeboard when I ordered maybe 18 or 19" gunnels specifically for a lower profile in the S. TX wind. IMO, welded 0.100 or slightly thicker, is the only way to go. No rivets for me again, ever. Most of the G3s, Allweld, Alumacraft, etc have much higher gunnel height than 18-19" and they sail in the wind.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Matts said:


> Yep, gunnel height is important. I gave up freeboard when I ordered maybe 18 or 19" gunnels specifically for a lower profile in the S. TX wind. IMO, welded 0.100 or slightly thicker, is the only way to go. No rivets for me again, ever. Most of the G3s, Allweld, Alumacraft, etc have much higher gunnel height than 18-19" and they sail in the wind.


Before the Maverick I was looking hard at Scandy White custom aluminum boats...very nice


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## BatesInTheZone (Feb 2, 2017)

I have an Xpress duck boat- my favorite boat I've ever had. The model I have has a pad hull like a bass boat, so it rides much smoother than a typical jon, and drafts next to nothing. I use it year round, and its a great fishing platform. Very stable.

https://xpressboats.com/xpress-hyper-lift-duck-boat-series/


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## treydyer00 (Sep 14, 2009)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Before the Maverick I was looking hard at Scandy White custom aluminum boats...very nice


X2 on the Scandy's. They are tanks. I sold mine when I bought my Whipray.


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## GullsGoneWild (Dec 16, 2014)

I just sold a 95 or 96 17 Alweld with the semi v last year. Not a single spot of corrosion on the hull. Washed and rinsed after every trip. That boat only saw a freshwater lake once in its life. I was incredibly hard on that boat too and it held up very, very well. We did have to patch the bottom of the hull once after hitting a reef but had we been in a riveted hull I think we would have had to swim home.


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## jtf (Jan 16, 2014)

I just spent 4 months pursuing the "all around" Jon for the mountain rivers (rocky and limited access), and something easy to tow and use in the sounds down east. My choice after comparison and owning five metal boats is the Alweld Marsh VV Series.

The 1652 or 1648 has room for extended decks in front and rear. The 1756 was my choice. They will build most anything for your specs, the modvee 20" sides, .100 ga. works fine. I would suggest a full transom and if you need a console, a small side box, with rear bench storage/seating. This is a great place for polling platform.

I ran two metal boats in salt, one was a Lowe 1648 tunnel with prop. It made many trips out to Bear Island and Cape Lookout. Most of the boats you see in the northwest are metal.

I found a used Weldbilt locally in 1648 and just finishing the add-ons this week. 50/35 jet tiller, extended front deck/storage/fuel tank, it runs in 4" of water and wot is faster than I like to go.

The Alweld tiller Marsh VV 1756 is about $6K. That's with nav-lights/trolling plug,mount/floor. Hull doesn't have side ribs and is very roomy! If I hadn't found a used hull/trailer, it would have been an Alweld.


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## jimsmicro (Oct 29, 2013)

I have a 1660 MVT. With a jack plate it runs pretty skinny. I run rock bottom areas that are very unforgiving so it was an easy choice. I think my Sea Ark has a 3/16inch plate keel, and like a 3 or 5 degree deadrise that helps it in a chop (it's still rough but better than totally flat bottom rigs) and it has deep sides which I really like for staying dry and confidence when running the bays in rough weather. It's very dry. It's noisy trolling/poling into the wind, and IMO it totally sucks to pole a jon boat. I'm very happy with the boat, but it is definitely a shallow water specialist.


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## jtf (Jan 16, 2014)

There is a new Seaark 1660MTV (prop tunnel) in Ocala. FL for $5400, lights/floor/etc.

That was on my wish list for a prop set up, like my old Lowes, it will surprise you where it goes especially with a jack plate.

Too far for me to drive. Do trolling motors lay the fish down?


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## Cronced (Nov 18, 2016)

I have a G3 1756 and I totally love it. I almost pulled the trigger on a Robalo Cayman 206 this year and ultimately decided that a 40k setup wouldn't help me catch any more fish than my dad's old jon. I fish the ICW and freshwater lakes in Palm Beach County and occasionally trips to Biscayne Bay or the keys. 

It's such a cheap and simple boat to operate that it is just a pure joy. I have no idea why jons don't get more love on this forum and out on the water. They are such perfect fishing platforms and can be customized and modified more than any other boat type.


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