I have been fishing out of a small "bass hunter/pelican" type boat for years, but am thinking of maybe purchasing a small 10ft aluminium Jon boat. I was wondering what are the advantages and disadvantages of both?

What is the overall length & bottom width of both?

The main disadvantage to a flat bottom aluminum jon boat is stability...or lack thereof. 

12' jon boat no less

semi v reccomended with a trailer and casting deck

12' jb reccomended if you drag it to launch

15 hours ago, Catt said:

What is the overall length & bottom width of both?

 

15 hours ago, Catt said:

What is the overall length & bottom width of both?

Jon Boat 10'x32''

pelican type 8.5' x 36''

The Jon boat will give an additional 18" in length but the lose of 4" in bottom witdth will cost ya stability.

 

In small boats larger bottom widths equals stability!

Are you willing to trailer your "new" boat?  If so, I really can not stress enough about the benefit to stepping up to a 1448  or at least 1442.  The difference will be night and day.

Back 42 years ago my wife (then girlfriend) and I fished out of a 1236 but only used a 12 volt trolling motor. Stability was not a word I would have used to describe it, however we never fell out either.  

 

If you are serious about getting a different type of boat go look at a Gheenoe boat.  These boats have a special flare at the bottom which creates a very stable fishing platform as well as a boat with similar weight specs to an aluminum jon. If you choose one to trailer with than the sky's the limit, because they custom rig these boats into bass style, stick steer bass and panfish style boats and even flats boats with center consoles. Check them out on youtube