Hey guys,

I'm new to the board and have a couple quick questions.  Sorry if they have been addressed before, but they are specific to my needs.

1.  I'm a BIGGin....lol  6ft 360lbs.  I want at least a 14ft boat......what would you guys recommend for me??  Most times will just be me in the boat, but maybe 1 other person at times.  I don't expect to have a motor on it at first, just a trolling setup for a couple small ponds/lakes around here.

2.  I have 04 crown vic.  I would assume that I could handle pulling a small boat and trailer with my car, but my concern is at the boat ramps........will I be able to launch and recover easy being that I don't have a truck?

Thanks guys!

Chop

No less than 15' with a 40" bottom & I pulled many a jon boat with a Crown Vic & LTD

Ok, I'll keep those #'s in mind when browsing this week. So how stable for that setup be 15/40?  And I know the car will pull it, but your saying its not to edging putting a trailer in/out of the water with a normal car?   Slimy ramps just scare me, jLOL

Thanks again.

Pork Chop,

I'd recommend a 1448 or 1648 jon.  Nice wide bottom for stability and higher max weight capacity.  I have a 14ft flat john with a 45" width bottom.  Large front deck, decked up to the bench.  I'd say boat is stable enough to fish standing and cautiously walk around.  Of course boat is less stable with 2 bodies in it.  I know a 48" bottom width is only 3" wider, but IMO it makes a difference for jon boat stability.

1648 or bigger for someone as big as you , it's just that simple.

My youngest son is 5' 10" 285 lbs & I'm 5' 11" 188 lbs, we both fished out of a 15' 44" bottom Alweld with a 25 hp Suzuki. The reference to "No less than 15' with a 40" bottom" would be bare minimum for just you in the boat. For you and someone else I would go no narrower than 46-48" and probably a 48" bottom, the wider the bottom the more stable the boat will be. I would also consider a modified V bottom as opposided to a flat, the V bottom will give you a smoother ride in choppy water and it will get on plane easier.

Your car will handle just about any jon boat you would want to pull up most any launch, just drop it in low and slowly apply the gas.

The smallest I would look at would be a 1442 and even with that, you will have to be care full getting in and out. I have a 1436 and one has to be carefull if you need to move around in it. I'm 6' 210#.

Another thing you have to figure, the smaller the boat, the smaller the horse power rating and the narrower the hull. You will run into a serious problem getting on plane with a small boat/motor combination, an really serious problem if you have two in the boat.

As for towing, you will be hard pressed to strain most anything with the average jon boat.  500 - 750 pounds would be about the max tow weight you would have to worry about with a jon.  You could pull that with a moped if you wanted.

For a guy your size, you'll want the widest you can afford.  Remember, the bottom width is the important number, not the beam at the top.  I'm 6'1" and roughly 235 and I manage with little trouble in my 1236.  You've got to be a bit cautious if you move to one side or whatnot, but you wont instantly flip into the water.  On a 32 you'd be swimming.  If you can, find something at least 40, or 48 wide.  You can get away with a 12, but you may find the extra length on a 14 or 16 footer handy.

There are no magical hull dimensions, because "hull configuration" is at least equally critical.

My only question to you would be:

why a "jonboat", and why not a 'modified deep-V' or 'semi-V'?

Roger

There are no magical hull dimensions, because "hull configuration" is at least equally critical.

My only question to you would be:

why a "jonboat", and why not a 'modified deep-V' or 'semi-V'?

I'm not opposed to a mod deep v or semi v at all.  I'm trying to stay between 2k and 3k price wise, but have been finding some good deals on used and older boats.  Most of the used stuff is 10 or 12 ft, and not even taking my size in to account, i'd like a at least a 14 or more.  I want to get something that will last me, and not want to upgrade after 1 season.    What exactly you have in mind?

To the rest of you guys......THANKS for the input.  I was thinking a 16ft and 48 wide would do the trick.......I would like to deck the front for storage and convert the middle bench to a cooler holder, or live well after I get something, so........Thanks again.

Check this site out PorkChop. Anything you will ever want to know about jon boats and conversions. Also a lot of discusssion on sizes, etc..

http://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=11485

The link is to my build. My last update is old, but I'll be adding new pics here in the next couple days as I've done a lot since then. I hope to have it done in a week or two.

Hey man I picked up a 1989 bass tracker tournament tx-17 on ebay for 2400.00, I had a 1989 pro-17 year's ago and me being 6-2 and 275 I never felt "unsafe" in it and it was plenty stable in my opinion. Good luck! junebugman

Ok....my next new question is this.

How long does a battery last with these trolling motors?  I have a couple small pond/lakes that I'll be fishing, but I don't see much trolling really......maybe to get around and hang outfor 20 mins, then move......    Am I looking at a couple hrs? a couple days????

Thanks,

All day if you don't run it full blast.