Spec plate

[skoonce]

Hey Guys, I was raised on Weiss Lake pretty much my whole life and now Im 46 and just now buying a boat. Im a tinkerer and have been online since my purchase just getting new ideas when I stumbled on this site. This has got to be the best site going. Lots of info without a smart aleck attitude. Great site. Anyway my question is , I bought a 1981 Lowe Big Jon 15'10" length with a 15" transom. 70" across (I thinK) and my spec plate (label) is missing. Does anyone know what size motor this boat is rated for and also where I could get a spec label for this. I emailed lowe but no answer. This boat already has casting decks and alot of thought went into building this boat as it is. After seeing some of your projects it gives me the fever to start over.
Thanks
S Koonce

 

[ben2go]

:WELCOME:

I believe 30HP is max but other on here can give a more definite anwser.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Welcome aboard - glad you found us!

What do you catch there in Weiss Lake?

And were is it?


As far as max HP - 30 sounds about right to me as well

Is this going to be a tiller controlled motor?

 

[skoonce]

Weiss lake is labeled " Crappie capitol of the world". Growing up it wasnt anything to skip school and go catch 50 to 100 good crappie usually throwing back anything less than one and half to two lb and still make it back in time for football practice. That kind of fishing finally got the best of Weiss. Went several years without catching anything. They finally put a size and #limit and its making a good comeback.
Some pretty good bass and stripe there too. Good catfishing but I wouldnt eat them.
I found specs for the newer big jon and the same size boat is rated for a 35 hp but I wasnt real sure if the construction on these boats were the same in 1981. I bought this boat to go on a Gator hunt and I was planning on selling it afterward but now Im attached to it. Especiall after seeing some of the projects on here. Im a newbie to boating so I may be asking some off the wall questions.
S.Koonce

 

[bassboy1]

I would say 30 to 40 as far as manufacture specs. Those dimensions sound like what we would call a 1648 these days. I wouldn't bother putting a tag back on it. If the boat doesn't have the tag, hypothetically, the ranger is supposed to use good judgement. A 40 on your rig will be of no issue. I run an old 40 (equivalent to modern 35) on a 1542, with no issues from wardens and such. You should be just fine with a 40.

 

[skoonce]

Thanks Bassboy, Like I said Im new to the boating thing. I guess my question or concern is not so much the ranger as being too much weight for the boat but I also see 16ft aluminum boats sporting 50 and even 60 hp. My brother in law got a similar boat prior to me buying mine and of course he's now the pro, but he worried me when he told me that anything over a 25 would be more likely to cause water to rush in over the transom when or if I had to slow or stop quickly. (I could just picture that embarrasing swim to shore and the walk home) Not wanting anything too big but something alittle more than the 9.9 hp so when the family goes. I figure a 25 to 30 would be optimal. Thanks again.

 

[bassboy1]

Thanks Bassboy, Like I said Im new to the boating thing. I guess my question or concern is not so much the ranger as being too much weight for the boat but I also see 16ft aluminum boats sporting 50 and even 60 hp. My brother in law got a similar boat prior to me buying mine and of course he's now the pro, but he worried me when he told me that anything over a 25 would be more likely to cause water to rush in over the transom when or if I had to slow or stop quickly. (I could just picture that embarrasing swim to shore and the walk home) Not wanting anything too big but something alittle more than the 9.9 hp so when the family goes. I figure a 25 to 30 would be optimal. Thanks again.

Come take a ride in mine, and you may want a little more hp than a 25 - 30. Is the bottom width on yours a 48? Your beam is about 3 inches wider, and you are about 3 inches longer than my 1542 (it is actually 15 foot 7 inches). You can come take a ride in mine anytime you wish. I usually fish Allatoona, and the Etowah below 'Toona, but I plan on venturing over to Weiss, and up to Carters a few times this spring as well.

The weight thing isn't much of an issue. My motor is about 150 pounds, and the kicker, set back 13 inches off the transom, is 50 pounds. I have 2 batteries near the bow, and my fuel in the stern. I just recently got the kicker mounted, and haven't gotten many runs with it on there, but the few that I have did not show much issue at all, as far as being too stern heavy, except for hole shot (kicker really killed that). No worry of water coming over the transom, even with somebody back there. A modern 40 is right around 200 pounds, and you don't have the setback of my kicker, so you should be just fine, especially considering you are running a slightly larger hull than mine.

 

[Waterwings]

Welcome Aboard, skoonce ! 8)

 

[Zum]

My boats around that size...rated for a 35hp tiller 60 console
1652

 

[skoonce]

Thanks for the info and the welcome. I was spending alot of time on one of the hunting boards and if you made any kind of statement that everyone didnt agree with or if you ask a beginners question some of those guys would make you feel pretty stupid. I appreciate ya'll being patient with us beginners. I look forward to interractions on these boards and possibly meeting up and wetting a hook sometime. Ill be taking your advice to heart.

s.koonce

 

[Andy]

Welcome aboard!

 

[captclay]

Welcome Aboard!