Modified V/V hulls scarce in southeast - plenty up north?

[DuraCraft]

I am just wondering about the lack of V hull small aluminum boats here in the southeast; I travel in midwest and north some, and they definitely seem to be more popular there. My old Dura Craft is the V bottom style, and around here, it is about the only one I ever see. Plenty of flat bottom jons here though. Anybody else notice this? And, I wonder why they are so popular in midwest and north?

 

[fender66]

Hmmm.....I'm about as [strike]redneck[/strike].......I mean midwest as you can get. I'm nothing but flat bottomed. :mrgreen:

 

[DuraCraft]

Right, fender... you're in Missouri, right? And that is one place I go fairly often and see the V bottom tins. Lunds, MirroCrafts, Starcrafts, etc. and hardly ever see those around here - from South Carolina all the way to Mississippi. Now, big bass boats, that's a whole nother story...

 

[Outdoorsman]

In Wisconsin there are many more large lakes (even small lakes) than rivers...(although we do have many rivers as well...).... the V-Hull or even the Mod-V -Hull will handle rough, choppy, water better than a strictly Flat Bottom Jon boat...so I am thinking the type of boat hull based on geographical area is directley related to the most common body of water for that area...

Just a thought...

Outdoorsman

 

[fender66]

In Wisconsin there are many more large lakes (even small lakes) than rivers...(although we do have many rivers as well...).... the V-Hull or even the Mod-V -Hull will handle rough, choppy, water better than a strictly Flat Bottom Jon boat...so I am thinking the type of boat hull based on geographical area is directley related to the most common body of water for that area...

Totally agree. But don't try to follow me. :shock:

 

[DuraCraft]

That must be it, Outdoorsman. But, man, I fish some might big lakes here, especially when I am in Georgia. I was just wondering. When I am out of deep south and see more of those boats, makes me want to check out craigslist up there... oh me, oh me...

 

[Outdoorsman]

I agree that if the owner knows what he is doing and what his boat can or can not handle a flat bottom on a big lake is doable...I have see 18 - 20 ft flat bottom jon boats duck hunting open water on Lake Michigan....but on Lake Michigan you REALLY got watch the weather... todays forcast is S.E. Wind with gusts up to 35 mph... open water waves at 12 - 14 ft deminishing to 8 - 10 ft later in the evening.

The only thing out there in those kind of waves would be the ocean vessels 7 miles out in the shipping lanes...

Back in the day (20 yrs. ago) I had a 30 ft. Bayliner (Lake Michigan sized boat). I was out in 10 ft waves ONCE....thank God I had a change of shorts with me..... these days I stick to good weather days and inland lakes and rivers....

Outdoorsman.

 

[DuraCraft]

these days I stick to good weather days and inland lakes and rivers....

That's the ticket for sure. I respect the waves in my 14 V bottom; figured I've lasted this long, might as well go for the long haul.

 

[lbursell]

Sometimes, it's not what you CAN do; It's what you're smart enough NOT to do.

 

[Outdoorsman]

"Report this postReply with quote

"Sometimes, it's not what you CAN do; It's what you're smart enough NOT to do."

EXACTLY......

Outdoorsman

 

[captdan]

Ive never been up to lake Michigan, or on any of the great lakes for that matter, but can fully attest to picking your days.... one of my favorite boats I owned was a 1436 ft aluminum riveted jon boat with a brand new 15hp johnson. I used to beat the hell outta that thing, and felt comfortable taking her out to the reefs on good days.... I was out one day, trolling around and bumped into a school of mahi. we were into the school for a good 45 minutes and didnt notice the thunderstorm building up between us and the mainland.... What were slick calm seas turned into 6 ft rollers and a heavy chop on top of that....the lightning dropping all around us didnt help much either.... The only thing I could do to keep from flipping over was to keep it full throttle and "fly over the tops of the waves. I lost a rivet or 3 but made it back to the spoil islands... lesson learned: Watch your weather, pick your days, and bring a fresh pair of underwear in the dry bag....

 

[richg99]

The preponderance of flat bottom boats ( at least here in South Texas) is, IMHO, due to the need for extreme shallow water access.

Heck, the salt-water bays that I fish are never over ten feet in depth pretty much anywhere. Tons of hidden oyster reefs are all ready to tear up your lower unit or your boat's bottom. Jack-plates abound. The reds like to lay up in five inches of water.

I just bought a Lowe 160W semi V. I am HOPING that I can still fish my old haunts with it. We shall see.
regards, rich

 

[tccanoe]

Going back to the birth of the Jon Boat in the bayous and swamps of the deep south, these old flat bottom wooden pole boats had to be flat, narrow and shallow. Flash back to the same time period of the coastal and Great Lake fishing of the north east and you get the whale boat deep V type boat. When we would travel to Canada for our smallmouth trips, the camp owner would say about our bass boats,"That's the wrong kind of boat for up here."

 

[richg99]

You are so correct. I hauled my Center Console 16 ft Carolina Skiff (flat bottom...fiberglass (sorry)) up to a small Southern Wisconsin lake some years ago. I now leave it there year around.

You should see the looks I get...every time I, ....standing at the center console...., zip past a bream/panfish fisherman sitting anchored over a hole. I give them PLENTY of distance...but...they simply have never seen anything like that in their lives, I guess.

The boat works great. Big winds; chop; waves higher than normal...I just drift along, casting out in front while standing//sitting on my raised front deck.

My newest addition to the fleet, to be kept here in TX, is a 160W Lowe rigged as a bass boat. Its front deck should give me all of the same advantages that I feel with the CS front deck. For my style of fishing...nothing is better than being high over the water and casting far out in front of a drifting boat. Especially if you are on muskie; bass; or redfish/speck water.

regards, Rich

 

[FishyItch]

I'm near Madison in Wisconsin and fish a lot of smaller lakes. I see a flat-bottom jon every once in a while, but smaller v-hulls like mine are a lot more common, at least in my neck of the woods.