12' Jon Advice

[DrNip]

I've been lurking for a little while gathering information here and there and my time is coming up soon, that is ordering me a boat. I will be ordering it next month and would like to pick some brains for more info.

I have my mind set on a 1248 jon boat. I have been back and forth between a 12' or 14' and chose the 12 footer in the end due to garage space and that I will mostly be fishing solo. I purchased a trailer last month and have been fixing it up as far as new jack, winch, winch mount, bunks and hub assembly. It will only hold up to a 12 foot boat so that is another factor in me going with the 12 footer.

I want the 48" bottom for stability purposes. The problem is I'm torn between the Weld-Craft and Weldbilt version. I'm leaning more towards the Weld-Craft because I can get it in a 24" side, 21" transom and .1 thickness for $500 more. I can also have a bilge pump put it in at the factory. The Weldbilt boat is $500 cheaper and only 20" side, 16" transom and .08 thickness. I have faith that I could put a bilge pump put in it. Both are a welded. I will be crappie fishing and some bass fishing anywhere from small to large lakes between spring and fall. I have no real plans of fishing out in the main part of the lakes just mostly along the shore lines and creeks. I live in Oklahoma and winds can be a challenge in the spring time.

Which would you chose? Do I really need the taller transom? Thank you.

 

[Colbyt]

If you are going mostly solo or sometimes with one more and you guys aren't a porky like me than I think you will be happy with the 12/48. I would resist any temptation to reduce that width. The 12' with a 48" bottom should be a fairly stable platform.

I don't know your lakes, your weather or how quickly it can change. From my perspective I can't see the need for the higher sides. I just went to the garage to measure mine and I am 16-17" all around with an upturned bow. I would go about anywhere there weren't speed boats throwing major wakes. I would not be out if the waves were white capping.

Could you borrow or rent a couple of boats as a test run?

 

[DrNip]

Colbyt » 10 minutes ago[/url]"]If you are going mostly solo or sometimes with one more and you guys aren't a porky like me than I think you will be happy with the 12/48. I would resist any temptation to reduce that width. The 12' with a 48" bottom should be a fairly stable platform.

I don't know your lakes, your weather or how quickly it can change. From my perspective I can't see the need for the higher sides. I just went to the garage to measure mine and I am 16-17" all around with an upturned bow. I would go about anywhere there weren't speed boats throwing major wakes. I would not be out if the waves were white capping.

Could you borrow or rent a couple of boats as a test run?

I am definitely not straying away from a 48" bottom.

My thinking is if I can save the $500 I will and apply it to an outboard, trolling or fish finder. The 20" sides I know is plenty high but the 16" transom is what I was worried about. I don't plan on being out when it is real windy and definitely not around any jacktards and their ski boats/ski dos.

I don't know anybody with a boat. The one person I did, it was a fiberglass boat and he sold it.

 

[chevyrulz]

i take my 16" transom 1436 in rough water & it's fine. not exactly safe, but if you're not stupid it's ok. i don't do it on purpose, but i don't worry if i am caught in a storm. just keep moving & keep that bow up

the 16" is made for a shortshaft motor & the 20-21" transom is for a longshaft motor

 

[DrNip]

Am I wasting my time and money with a bilge pump on a john boat? Would it just be easier to manually pump or strain the water out in the event it gets in?

 

[Colbyt]

DrNip » Today, 17:16[/url]"]Am I wasting my time and money with a bilge pump on a john boat? Would it just be easier to manually pump or strain the water out in the event it gets in?

My used boat came with one. I was thinking about trashing it. I went to Home Depot about a week ago under partly cloudy skies. As I was about to leave it rained so hard I stayed for an extra 20 minutes. Had I been out in a boat I would have had over an inch of water. Most unusual but always possible.

For $20 it is cheap insurance.

 

[Dcmoony]

Been a time or two I have been out on the lake when the wind picked up and white caps become the norm. It is really handy to reach over and turn the bilge pump on whie I continue to head for the boat ramp. If I had to stop and hand pump water out no telling where the wind would take me and it would take much longer to get back to safety of the boat ramp. My jon boat is stripped other than lights and bilge pump and the battery that runs them. My sides are somewhere between 18 or 19 high and as long as I am moving forward in rough water it really doesn't take on that much water. It's like I skip across the waves like a flat rock would skip across the water. A little rough ride but ray Hubbard can go from smooth to white caps really fast especially the further away from the boat ramp I get.

 

[Ranchero50]

Get a 1448 or regret it... I've been solo fishing twice in the last five years with mine. I have a list of guy who'll fish at a moments notice. If they are busy, move on to the next guy. If you have a decent sized boat, you'll get asked for riders and they'll even buy gas / bait on occasion. Smaller cramped boat, not so much. Plus with a 1448 you get a lot less rod smacking vs. a smaller boat.

Not enough garage space, get a folding tongue for your trailer and set the boat up on it as far as it will go.

When it's time to sell your boat a 1448 is a lot more valuable vs. a 12 footer.

I have an electric steer troller on mine so when I fished solo I could just set in the wider rear platform and steer from there.

Finally with a 1448 you can catfish with 3 people and it's not crowded.

 

[DrNip]

That was the debate I had on whether I was going to get a 12 or 14 footer. I kept telling myself that I needed a 14 footer in case somebody went fishing with me. Problem with that theory is I only know of two people that fish. One won't get on a boat and the other I will never get on a boat with again! Do I spend the extra couple hundred on a boat that I might fish with somebody in the future? Chances are I probably won't because I enjoy fishing by myself. I looked at the trailer tongue extension at Trailer Parts Depot before. In the event I do talk myself into the 14 footer I would get it. I only have two weeks to make up my mind. A 14 footer isn't out of the question but I am closer to the 12 than the 14.

 

[Ranchero50]

Well, I tried. Hopefully you'll be able to sit in them side by side and that'll help settle it.

 

[joseph101088]

DrNip » 9 minutes ago[/url]"]That was the debate I had on whether I was going to get a 12 or 14 footer. I kept telling myself that I needed a 14 footer in case somebody went fishing with me. Problem with that theory is I only know of two people that fish. One won't get on a boat and the other I will never get on a boat with again! Do I spend the extra couple hundred on a boat that I might fish with somebody in the future? Chances are I probably won't because I enjoy fishing by myself. I looked at the trailer tongue extension at Trailer Parts Depot before. In the event I do talk myself into the 14 footer I would get it. I only have two weeks to make up my mind. A 14 footer isn't out of the question but I am closer to the 12 than the 14.

i had a 12 footer for about a year i bought it thinking i wouldnt go out with anyone either and then once i got it people started coming out of the woodwork to fish with me on my boat. i finally sold it for alot less than i paid because no one wanted it and got me a 16 footer. i also have a family that consist of three about to be four sons so i had to plan on the future. just my two cents but i would check out a riveted alumacraft or tracker. if you only use it on lakes it wont get beat up that bad and for the cost of a allweld boat and amount of weight it would add over rivets could put alot of money toward a motor and your boat would be 50 to 100 lbs lighter from the get go. my 1648 cost 1950 from alumacraft and weighs only 300 lbs. and the 1448 with no center seat runs for around 1400.

 

[DrNip]

All we have around here is Tracker. Not to thrilled with it. A state over in Arkansas I can get the Weldbilt 1248 for $1045 or 1448 for $1299. Both no center bench. With 48" front deck and two seat mounts tacks on $200. Both are welded and around 240-270 lbs.

 

[joseph101088]

DrNip » 17 minutes ago[/url]"]All we have around here is Tracker. Not to thrilled with it. A state over in Arkansas I can get the Weldbilt 1248 for $1045 or 1448 for $1299. Both no center bench. With 48" front deck and two seat mounts tacks on $200. Both are welded and around 240-270 lbs.

wow well living by the ocean and alot of water really inflates prices. i looked at weld-built jons to and here there were almost 2000 for a 1448. for 1299 i would snatch that up. we have a dealer up here that moves alot of boats and for 3300 i got a 4 horse and trailer with my 1648. wish i lived where boats were cheap.

 

[DrNip]

Only downside is it is a 6 hour drive to get it but in the grand scheme of things that isn't really that bad.

 

[Colbyt]

If you decide for the 14 and need the folding tongue I suggest you shop online unless your local place is really cheap. The prices vary widely for the exact same product.

 

[DrNip]

Any ideas on how a 9.8HP outboard would do on the Weldbilt 12'? Would it plane or would that even be an issue? The boat is 240 lbs, 20" sides, 15" transom and .08 thickness. I weigh roughly 160 lbs and will be having a 45-55 lb thrust bow mount trolling motor, size 29 deep cell battery, small 12 volt battery for electronics, 3 gallon tank, fish finder, bilge pump, couple of seats, life vest, small ice chest for fish, small extinguisher and small amount of fishing gear.

I'm not looking for anything to fly, just get me there. I don't want to make a bad purchase though and with the motor wide open the bow be straight up in the air.

 

[Ranchero50]

It should work well enough as long as you don't overload the hull. I'd recommend maxing out the HP sticker if possible. Slow boats suck when you really need to be there (or out of there).

 

[Scott1298]

I have a 1048, and love it for 1-2 adults, or 1 adult and 2 kids on small lakes. It's like standing on a sheet of plywood. It's rated for 5 hp, but I tried my 6 hp 4 stroke on it this spring with the kids and found it was too much weight at the back... I'm sticking with a 30 lb electric, and a little 3.3 hp 2 smoke as my back-up.

 

[Paddler]

Everyones needs are different and there is a boat for everyone but...

I don't know of a single guy who purchased and uses a 14' boat who wishes they had bought a 12'.

Get the 14'. You'll be glad you did after a few times on the water.

 

[DrNip]

If I get the 14' then I have the dreaded question, semi-vee or flat. The semi-vee is only $135 more.

Also I only have 6' bunks with a 2' jon boat cross bunk at the front. Would this be enough or do I need longer bunks?