Keeper Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 New here, great site. Have acquired a 1236 Jon that I want to put an electric on. I am contemplating between the 44 thrust versus the 55 (maximizer) transom. My question, is the 44 capable of pushing this size jon at hull speed? Or do I need the 55. Is there any benefit to the 55 for this application. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wistex Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 hey keeper, welcome, i just joined too, about a week ago. i just got back into fishing after taking off several years. lots to learn. anyway about your question: referring to "hull speed," do you mean the maximum speed that particular boats hull can attain no matter what power is applied or do mean other criteria ? i ran a 28# trust on a square back canoe it was ok speed wise. it beat the heck out of paddling and was certainly faster. these electric tooling motors are fractional at best and unless one gets into the big expensive 80# - 120#+ thrust, horse power is less than one. and the high power tm's require 2 -3 or more batteries. lots of weight too. suggest you get the biggest one you can afford, a good deep cycle battery, and a good battery charger. take a set of oars to have backup power. and a push pole if you would explore very shallow waterways. silent running is a wonderful way to see, hear, and smell the nature of a body of water. enjoy, wistex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampfishing Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 the 44 will get you to your hull speed no problem. I run a 50LB on my 12 foot modified-V and I normally run about 1/2 power and move along about 5MPH. Invest in a decent battery charger and charge as soon as you get home, you don't want it sitting dead. and remember to bring them oars with ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keeper Posted January 12, 2006 Author Share Posted January 12, 2006 Thanks for replies. I'm assuming the hull speed for a lightweight Jon is probably around 5mph. Hull speed being the point at which the boat will need to get on plane in order to gain speed. Swampfishing, I'm interested in how long you can run at 1/2 throttle. I'll be perfectly satisfied at 5 mph. Can you fish for a day combination of boat positioning, trolling and maybe running at 1/2 throttle for an hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagdbdg Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 44lb thrust would do fine on a 12 jon, 16foot they recommend 45 to 50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travlin_Man Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 You might want to consider using some heavy copper wire jumper cables so that the battery can be placed in the opposite end of the boat from where you are operating the trolling motor. This would only apply if you fish mostly by yourself. The trim ( weight distribution) is very important when using electric power on a small boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser89 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Welcome to the boards Keeper and wistex! IMO, the 44# will serve you well! I currently have a 43# thrust 12V Motorguide on the front of my 16' jon boat and it pulls it well except in VERY strong wind! There are several lakes here in my neck of the woods in MD that are electric only (including a 505 acre). I can go all day on that big lake on 1 battery unless I have to make alot of longer runs (then I switch to the other battery). I've also used it on the upper Potomac with almost no problems (high current areas obviously are a problem). I also run mine off a large gauge wire (6 gauge). I will be upgrading to a 52# 24V (for a little extra speed on some of the electric only lakes I fish tournies on from time to time) eventually but for now the 43 works well! One other trick I can pass on is to invest in a solar charger if you're going to be out for an extended period of time. This will help the batteries from draining too quick as well! Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatfish Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 I have a 40# bow mount on mt Lowe 1652 and have 2 group 31 batteries so I can switch if one goes down, when new each one would last about 10-12 hrs. running on lowest speed and about 2 1/2 hrs on high. The problem with the bigger motors is the slowest speed is to fast to work banks good, always on and off the switch. I have a small solar charger mounted on top of my Merc when we go to Canada and that really extends the run time. I just use my trolling motor when fishing, and getting to and from my spot I use the Merc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 I have a 40# bow mount on mt Lowe 1652 and have 2 group 31 batteries so I can switch if one goes down, when new each one would last about 10-12 hrs. running on lowest speed and about 2 1/2 hrs on high. The problem with the bigger motors is the slowest speed is to fast to work banks good, always on and off the switch. I have a small solar charger mounted on top of my Merc when we go to Canada and that really extends the run time. I just use my trolling motor when fishing, and getting to and from my spot I use the Merc. You could get a Minn Kota variable speed motor instead of a five speed etc. This way the motor will run at any speed you want a crawl to full speed. I have a Motor Guide variable speed but I am not impressed with it when compared to the Minn Kota my partner has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low_Budget_Hooker Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 By referring to hull speed, I assume you mean, maximum speed before breaking plane. If so, that would be apprx 4.5 mph for your boat. I have a 12 heavy gauge and my buddy has a 1236. If you plan on adding floors, the 40 will not get you to max speed. The 55 barely does on my buddies and definately doesn't on mine. I'm not talking heavy floors either, 3/8 cdx carpeted. THIN! I would spend the few bucks and not have to always wonder. I skimped with mine and got the 55 instead of the 82. Guess what I'm buying this spring,lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampfishing Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 I run a light boat, no floors on this one. I am thinking the modified-V helps me get to 5MPH a bit quicker. I thought about floors, but this thing goes in the back of my truck, and I have to man handle it to the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low_Budget_Hooker Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Same with ours. It's only a 15-18 ft carry but it's really no problem. This is the reason we use 3/8 cdx instead of 1/2 inch. Each floor weighs maybe 8-10 lbs. I can launch alone still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampfishing Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 I did not go with the floors because I could not get away with 3/8 I have ribs about every 8 inches in the floor that stand about 1" high, and the 3/8 would bow a bit between them. I really hate them, they prove to be a tripping hazard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low_Budget_Hooker Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 The bowing of 3/8 cdx is minimal. All jons have the ribs, they are what make these floors so awesome. The ribs keep the carpeted wood off the floor so when water gets in the boat from anchor, swimming,etc, the floors and essentially,your stuff, don't get wet. The tripping hazard elimination and noise reduction are 2 other main selling points. We have 2 jons. Both have the same wooden floors and work great. Does your boat look like this? (our other one) If it does, I promise these floors will work. Heck, if it's ANY jon Im promise they will work!! This pic shows how we notch out where the rib comes down the side. This helps keep them stable also. Another nice touch is that they lift right out for winter storage, cleaning or to lighten it up to carry if necessary. Check this out also: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1123797400/9#9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser89 Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 If you are concerned about the floor bowing, you could add styrofoam between the ribs. My Dad did that to his boat. It minimizes the bowing even more, its light and also buffers any noise as well. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low_Budget_Hooker Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 Seriously though, the bowing is extremely minimal. At first we used 1x1 strips of wood attached to the bottom of the floors, in between where the ribs are. We did this on the 1236 and they ended up falling off. When they fell off, we used the floors anyway and that's when we saw that they really weren't necessary so when we did my boat (red one),we didn't bother adding them and it hasn't been a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hipster_dufus Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 i used half inch plywood in mine,the weight was minimal. i only carpeted and floored about 4 feetx 4 feet. my g3 1444 has a front aluminum deck built in.i have been known to take a little nap on the floor, i put my feet up on my back bench. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low_Budget_Hooker Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 LOL, I've done that in mine too. I think w/ a 14 and 1/2 in ply, you are talking about a trailered boat. The 12's had to be kept light because although they are on trailers, they are "human launched" because we have to carry it about 12 feet to waters edge and then lift it out from about 5 ft down when we leave so weight was a huge issue, hence the 3/8 cdx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cephkiller Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 If you fill the spaces between the ribs with Quickrete it really deadens the sound and there is virtually no bowing of the wood. It's AWESOME! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampfishing Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 I will post a picture of what I am working with when I get home today, I have never seen a jon boat like this one, the guy I got it from said it was built in the 50's or 60's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yankee_Bassman Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 February's BASSIN' magazine has an article about outfitting jonboats......LBH, you should try and sell an article about your conversion to one of the mags....there's way more info on your site than in the BASSIN' article.....that little red boat looks so good, it ALMOST makes me want to sell my NITRO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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