Jon Boat Conversions

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Jim

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Cruising the net when I came across this site. For those of you who want to try to convert Jon Boats into leam mean fighting machines, you might be able to get some ideas via this link. I want to thank Todd and Allen for letting me use there link.

https://www.bassingfools.com/jonboat/boat.htm

I always wanted to convert a Jon boat I had, But never knew how. Too late for me, but this might help you.

Check out there pics too, these guys catch nice ones! :D

If you try to do a conversion, post how it goes here. Also feel free to comment or ask questions to Todd and Allen, Im sure they can help you out.
 
Thats pretty cool. I did that to my 14' Alumacraft a few years ago. It made it so much nicer to fish out of. Plus I bought the boat and motor for 600 and sold it for 1500 and I had about 400 bucks in it with TM and a FF.
 
Hah, I was just thinking about that except with a v-hull at work, we have some nice G-3 v-hull boats, cheaper ones that could be made pretty nice doing the things done here, you could even add in storage and everything.
 
Hello,
Someone gave me a neglected 12 foot jon boat. Im thinking about adding a casting deck and a couple of chairs. Do you think this boat is too small. I think this would make the boat real heavy. Anyone ever convert a 12 footer?

Thanks
 
This is my 14' Lowes Jon boat conversion. Still pretty light, deck is 1/4" ply with thin fiberglass, aluminum box and angle frame. 2xtrolling motor batteries, built in charger, livewell (recirculating and aerated), bait well (aerated), trolling motor, 9.9 Nissan, dry storage, anchormate (change to a downrigger ball for striper since it's on the rear), running lights, night fishing lights, cockpit lights, auto bilge pumps. Floats shallow and works well on the9.9 limited lakes.

<a><img src="https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v346/secretsquirrell/kitchen005.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

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That is a pure fishing machine. It looks like you put allot of time and effort, and thought of everything....and it shows. I hope to see a ton of fish off this boat!
:D
Good job!
 
Thanks, I actually put it together over a week after almost falling out of the boat trying to shoot a fly, tripped over the rips in the hull, had loops of fly line caught all over the place

. I grew up fishing saltwater flats, so i just mimicked the small flats boats I used to use. I sure would rather have a 25hp on the back, but the lakes I usually fish in require a 9.9.
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Did mine back in 1998, first thing I did when I got it was deck it out :)

Unfortunatly, I just swapped servers, and lost my pictures!! I'll have to find them on my machine, and re-upload them to the web.
 
is there anything i can do to my 12 foot dinghy? i would love to be able to stand up and fish in it but it is so unstable, i am just too afraid i will end up on a swimming trip instead of a fishing trip. if there is anything you know if i can do, please share.
 
If the boat isn't stable now, nothing short of adding pontoons to the side is gonna help it, unfortunately!

Raising the center of gravity will result in a swimming trip if you're not careful!
 
funny, thats exactly what i was thinking of doing was adding pontoons to it. thing is, where do i get them and how much will they run? are they hard to install and will it affect the fishablity?
 
Not sure, you might have to make them, although a guy at work was talking about some he saw on a boat recently, might try one of the marine catalogs, such as West Marine or BPS or Cabela's, see if they have them.
 
wingshooter1002 said:
is there anything i can do to my 12 foot dinghy? i would love to be able to stand up and fish in it but it is so unstable, i am just too afraid i will end up on a swimming trip instead of a fishing trip. if there is anything you know if i can do, please share.
Nothing says you have to add a high deck to stand on. I fish standing in my 12 foot vee all the time, and am gonna get some type of level floor. 1/2 inch plywood with another board cut to fit the contours of the bottom of the boat. Could be raised 3 inches, and gain you a lot of flat space there.
 
wingshooter1002 said:
is there anything i can do to my 12 foot dinghy? i would love to be able to stand up and fish in it but it is so unstable, i am just too afraid i will end up on a swimming trip instead of a fishing trip. if there is anything you know if i can do, please share.

look at my post below this one...
 

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