Jon Boat to Flats Boat mods

[JRyno10]

Hey all, i have been fishing from a kayak on the flats for the past 8 years and am wanting to upgrade. What i was thinking about is a getting a smaller rivited jon. I am not too concerned with it being tippy, as i am used to standing on my kayak seat to spot redfish, which is about 8'9" long and 29" wide. I am looking at getting a 10 or 12ft jon, so i can easily move it by myself, be transported safely in my truck bed, as I am able to put it in the general area i want to fish - with no access to a boat ramp.

So what I am wondering is if anyone here converted a jon to a flats boat? Nothing extreme, but something along the lines of adding a small casting deck to the front of their jon w/ a trolling motor.
I have seen this done many times on here for fresh water fishermen but it seemed like most i have seen use a foot control trolling motor along with a swivel seat. (I have never fished freshwater from a boat, but i am assuming the are seated the majority of the time?) I would prefer to use a tiller handle trolling motor and be standing to spot fish for redfish. Does this sound feasible? I may would use it for gigging flounder as well.

If so, What would be best to cover a deck for saltwater fishing, spray in Bedliner? I just dont see the carpet getting along with blood, crap from the castnet, salt, etc.. but I could be wrong.

 

[fool4fish1226]

:WELCOME:

Check out my project (It is in my signature) (It maybe a little extreme for what you are looking do) but it may give you some ideas. I do have two removable seats in the boat but rarely take them or use them. I also like to stand and fish and so do a lot of bass guys. A lot of bass and flats guys use a butt seat mainly just to lean on not really sit.

As far as the boat goes I would get the 12 footer the extra 2 feet is very noticeable. Keep the deck/s at seat level. The deck material can be anything from ply to aluminum it’s a matter of expense and preference. The deck covering, you have so many different options available from (paint, hydro turf, grizzly grip, just to mention a few). I would stay away from carpet and that’s JMHO.

Good luck and remember we love pictures.

PS: Check out the build section it should confuse you even more
:LOL22:

 

[JRyno10]

Thanks for the reply, and WOW!! that is a very nice job you did on your boat!! That is incredible.

I found on craigslist a "flat bottom, v-hull" - as quoted from the ad 12ft jon. The front is V but the floor is flat, is the V going to make it less stable? It claims only needing paint and the guy is asking 250$ for it. The seller did not mention anything about a title, and there is also no trailer or motor with it. It is also about 80 miles away from my house. I am wondering if this is a good deal or not because i can just go to bass pro and get a new tracker 1232 for 550 and i do not have to mess with the lack of title and i know that it does not leak, and have the warranty.

 

[Kismet]

Two things:

First thing:

Your kayak may be more stable than one of the jon boats. Your center of gravity in the kayak is actually just above the water line; standing in a jon boat will raise it substantially. The 12 would be a much better choice...and they may have a variety of widths...I don't know. Wider and longer is mo' betta.

Second thing: Don't know where you are, but $250 for boat alone seems high to me. Craig's list up in WI will usually show up with a boat and trailer, sometimes more...like small motor...for that price.

I'd keep shopping.

Best wishes.

 

[JRyno10]

Im from florida and for a boat, trailer, motor combination anywhere near my area id say people here try to get 800-1200$ for them(10-14ft about a 5hp motor & the trailer). Seems like they think their old boat is still brand new. And honestly, these boats just sit here for months and months and never budge but maybe a 50$ reduced price. I have been lurking a few different craigslist regions that are with about 85 miles of me in order to try to find these deals alot of guys on here tend to find.

The three best that i can recall seeing, is the one stated in my last post, a 10ft with a 28lb thrust trolling motor for 300 - no trailer, and most recently (i think yesterday) a 12' alumacraft for i think 250 - no motor - no trailer.

Both of yal recommended the 12', is there a noticeable difference in stability? or the extra 12ft of space is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the replies!
- JRyno

 

[Kismet]

In my limited experience, the only thing they share is the shape.

Stability comes from width more than length, in my experience. The longer boat can handle chop and ride easier, but the width of the boat is along the axis of balance (?just made that up, sounds right.) and every extension of width creates substantially more stability. Uhh...think ice skates versus roller skates, maybe...?

You might look up some posts on outriggers, or sponsons. Some excellent work was shown, as I recall.

Be safe, have fun.

 

[JRyno10]

I currently have a Motorguide Great White 24volt 67lb thrust trolling motor that i plan to mount to the bow, but doesn't that require 2 batteries for just that trolling motor? That means about 80 lbs of battery correct - assuming a battery weighs about 40 lbs?

Like i said earlier i am able to put my boat in the general area where i will be fishing, so I'm not to worried about battery dying or something along the lines of that. But in case that does happen I will have an 83' or 84' Cruise n' Carry 6600. Do you think this will be good enough in case of an emergency - batteries die - wind? etc..

-- I am trying to figure out how to post the pictures.

 

[fool4fish1226]

That will be fine any motor is better then rowing!!!

 

[JRyno10]

I actually have two identical Motorguide GW24v67 lb thrust trolling motors. Can two trolling motors be attached to the same 2 batteries? How much run time should i expect from using jut one TM? What about if i was able to use both? I would not be running them at the exact same time though. I was thinking about using one on the transom and the other on the bow. Also does anyone know how well they 1 would push a 12ft'er from the transom?

 

[fool4fish1226]

I actually have two identical Motorguide GW24v67 lb thrust trolling motors. Can two trolling motors be attached to the same 2 batteries? How much run time should i expect from using jut one TM? What about if i was able to use both? I would not be running them at the exact same time though. I was thinking about using one on the transom and the other on the bow. Also does anyone know how well they 1 would push a 12ft'er from the transom?

The short answer, you can hook up both trolling motors to the same two batteries. As far as how much run time you will get depends on alot - battery conditions, how fast your running, wind, tides etc.

24V67lb trolling motor should have no problems pushing or pulling a 12 footer around.

 

[JRyno10]

Well I was about to buy a 12 ft alumacraft - with no trailer when i started to think about what i was doing to myself... I will be moving about an hour away from where i currently live, to go back to school. In the bay that i will be very close to they catch grouper and snapper - often. I guess where i am going with this is i am wondering how well a flat bottom can take any choppy-ness. How much better would a V-hull jonboat take the same chop. (lets say 1 ft or less).

Stability - is there a significant difference between a flat bottom and vhulls stability if they have about the same beam/bottom width?

Since i Am wanting to be able to bottom fish in the bay out of my jon - I would need a bigger outboard (than the 1.5 i planned to use) as well. It seems like a lot of people on this forum like the old outboards like the 80s - especially johnsons?
Im thinking i would want somewhere between a 5-10hp.

-Trailer - I will now be going with a jon boat that is going to be trailered and in the 12-14 foot range but most likely will be a 12ft as i think i have found a pretty good deal on one for my area and am trying to go see it tomorrow. How much would you value a 12' Vhull on a trailer and 2 gas tanks?
I also do not know much about the boat (capacity, weight, beam, bottom width) as the craigslist ad was vague, but since it is less than 2 miles away, I am definitely going to give it a look.

- If i went with the Vhull i would not deck the front, i would only make a raised floor, just a few inches so i have a nice flat surface to stand on.

I hope i covered everything i wanted to say without repeating myself, sorry for the long post!

 

[flatsfisher]

Hey there. Have you solved your jon boat issue yet? I live in South Florida and turned a 12ft. alumacraft flat bottom into a little flats skiff. You can see it on my facebook page "Fishing with Tin". There is an album called "evolution of the jon boat" I think, that shows the process I took. (I tried to post a pic here, but the file was to big) I got the boat, trailer and trolling motor for $400-. One thing, make sure you get a title with the boat. It is not a fun process to try to get one. I had a jon boat without one that was given to me, and after attempting to go through the process here in Florida, I decided to sell it because it was to much hassle. Anyway, the trolling motor you are talking about will be overkill on a little 12ft. I have a 12v 36lb bow mount that I use on mine (A freshwater one, which has been going strong for 2 years+) that works great. I can go for 8hrs. trolling the mangroves on one battery charge. I put a front casting deck on it and a floor all out of plywood that I coated in fiberglass resin. I did the top, bottom and sides. Anyway, I've been fishing in the Matlacha area for two years now with that little boat and have had a blast. I just recently purchased a 14ft. 48" wide jon and plan on making that into a little flats boat too. I'll have more room for a suitable bait well that will keep that bait lively, and some more space to take out friends. I wouldn't go out in anything that has white caps. That's where I draw the line. The boat can handle it, but it's just to choppy and not enjoyable. This is kinda all over the place, but I hope it helps ya out.

 

[Aft Backwards]

I put a deck on mine, granted it's up high, but that's exactly how I wanted it. Just like anything else, you get used to it, develope "Sea legs", and adapt. I destroyed my knee and I have no problems walking on my deck, but you plan your steps, and don't make sudden moves.

 

[flatsfisher]

Aft Backwards,

That's the same thing I did on mine. And you're right. After getting "sea legs" it isn't a problem for me at all to fish from. I really like the view from up there too, it's almost like I'm out there walking on water. The closest I'll ever get I imagine Nice to see pics of your boat.

 

[JRyno10]

Thanks for all the replies, I ended up going with a 10ft'er because i was able to get one for 80$ which I thought was a great deal! I put about another 80 into to redo the transom and make a small deck, strip and repaint it. Goofy thing with the transom was it called for 2 different sizes of plywood.. that was kinda frustrating. Anyways here is what it looks like.

First trip site fishing for reds and trout I caught one of my biggest trout ever.
5lbs 7oz @ 27inches