10' jon boats???

[vlcmstn105]

I just got a brand new 10' G3 cause ive never had a brand new jon boat but the 10' was the only thing i could afford at the time. i read on these forums all the time but never see any pics of 10' jons. Im in the process of decking it out but not specifically sure of how im going to set it up. So any pics,suggestions or tips would be excellent!!

 

[marshman]

10 footers come in handy because they are light and easy to throw in the back of a pickup truck and dump in to a pond or small stream...but with that being said, its not a good candidate for decking...standing or sitting up high in a 10 footer will really be a balancing act...


plus...you will be adding weight that that hull is not made to carry...

im not trying to discourage you....congrats on the purchase, im sure youre stoked about it, just passing along info ive learned from experience...

 

[vlcmstn105]

Yea exactly i dont have a trailer just a little toyota truck i was thinkin just framing the back bolting the seat on flush no mount and wasnt sure if i could put like a 7'' mount on the front or atleast a somewhat fishable casting deck. i also have this old 70s sears 12' maybe it would be a better idea working on this?

 

[marshman]

i know nothing about them vhull boats...we dont have those down here..

 

[brettccameron]

I have a 10' Jon as well. I'm also curious about decking/carpeting mine. I love that I can just throw it in the back of my chevy and go, though.

 

[Jim]

In my opinion, forget decking the 10 footer. It is just to small. I would just put a simple level floor to stand and step around easily, and a couple of slider g5 seats and be done with it.

It will be very comfortable to fish on all day, and you can stand to stretch your legs for a bit. The max weight on those boats is critical. Adding too much will make it unsafe.

Just my .02

The beauty of the 10 footer is that you can carry that boat into those inaccessible watering holes.

 

[marshman]

Jim » 02 Jul 2013, 21:11[/url]"]

The beauty of the 10 footer is that you can carry that boat into those inaccessible watering holes.

yupp....we keep one on hand around here at the house...it has nothing done to it.... just a hull...we throw a trolling motor on it, a soft tackle bag, small cooler and a couple poles and its one of the most fish catching rigs ever!!

 

[brettccameron]

Jim » 02 Jul 2013, 22:11[/url]"]In my opinion, forget decking the 10 footer. It is just to small. I would just put a simple level floor to stand and step around easily

So just marine-grade plywood along the bottom of the boat, or?

 

[BCOWANWHEELS]

KEEP IT LIGHT AND SIMPLE. WWEIGHT IS NOT FOR A 10 FT BOAT. JMO

 

[marshman]

man i wouldnt even do plywood in a ten footer....but its your boat...go for it..

you dont need marine grade ply...some good exterior ply sealed with a good waterproofer will last for a good while..

 

[brettccameron]

So, probably just carpeting?
Sorry, not trying to take over vlcmstn105's thread here, just curious.

 

[Kismet]

I've just had one 10' jon boat in my life, so my experience is not wide-ranging.

My suggestion is that you just use it and see what you want to do afterwards. Mine set really low in the water with me in back (@165lbs at the time), and even with a light motor, I was VERY conscious of the weight in the boat. Even in a slow, shallow river, the boat just barely kept me and the dog on top of the water.

What ever you do, balance the load front-to-back.

The 10 I had was fine for what it was, but didn't welcome "enhancements."

Best of luck. Be safe.

 

[JRyno10]

I decked my 10' Jon boat last summer and had a trolling motor mounted on the bow (and it was a 24v trolling motor) and a 6hp on the back. In other words i had a lot of weight in it but still felt conpletely comfortable. I mad the deck removable that way if I had a 2nd person in the boat I could just pull the deck, TM, and batteries out, and just use the 6hp. I loved it so much but recently upgraded to a 12' because I found a good deal on it. Here is a link to the thread https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=26397&start=15

 

[Go Time]

My dad has a 1436 that we put a flat floor in by laying foam between the ribs. Then we glued plexiglass to the foam and carpeted over the plexiglass. We have had this floor in the boat for almost 15 years. Might be a good lightweight option for you. Plus it makes the floor removable. I believe the foam we used was similar to that used to float docks.

 

[Ranchero50]

My dad has a 10 footer, he bought it to hang off the back of his 28' Chris Craft cruiser as a tender but it was worthless where the cruiser is kept except in flat calm waters. He said with him and mom (normal sized folks) and a 4hp motor he felt he was one wavelet from capsizing...

I'm with Jim, enjoy it and pass it on once you can afford something with a 48" bottom to modify.