AJ Hauser Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 Hey fellas. I have just about squeezed every drop of life out of my 1978 jon boat... while it has been a great project and worked well for the smaller waters I like to fish, last year it developed a nice fat crack in the underside (aluminum - not on a rivet or seam - just a dead center split). I patched it and I have fished out of it several times this year, but I feel like the clock it ticking... Next year we will be moving to Arkansas and I plan to fish The White River out of... well, whatever I end up with. I was looking at the 1648 because it's affordable, and it's 16' x 6' - which is only slightly larger than my current boat at 14' x 4'. I'm hoping the width makes it more stable for the wife and kids to fish out of, and it's still small enough that I can maneuver it in my marshes and small (electric motor or rowing only) lakes, but I'm also hoping that the welds and aluminum are tougher than what I have now and they can get beat up in that river after the move... Do any of you have any experience with these? I'm also not opposed to buying a used one, but I don't see any in my area and I have been saving for a new boat for years, so buying new is not out of the question. Thanks! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted May 28 Global Moderator Share Posted May 28 Never had the grizzly myself but I’ve heard they are very heavy, which probably equates to tough as nails. I wouldn’t get it if I needed to pick it up or go super shallow but probably great for 99% of applications (again, second hand info) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Hauser Posted May 28 Author Share Posted May 28 Thanks @TnRiver46 I appreciate the feedback. I do need something that will go pretty shallow... I'm good with a bit more weight for sure, but figured the 16' x 6' wouldn't be a huge increase. That said, if the weight is from the thickness of the aluminum and the welds, that is probably worth figuring out how to deal with. Hopefully we got an owner or two in here that can chime in Thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susky River Rat Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 My buddy had a grizzy 1648 side console with a jet. I believe they are .100 hull thickness. They aren’t bad boats. Pretty stable. They get the hell beat out of them on the susky. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User king fisher Posted May 28 Super User Share Posted May 28 What size motor do you plan on using. I had a Lowe 1648 that I used for years duck hunting and some fishing. A 15 horse 2 stroke would get it on plane with me a friend and decoys. It was not as heavy as the Grizzly, but didn't take a lot of horse power to get it on step. I beat it up for many years with no leaks. I would launch it over steep embankments, drag it across rocks, and many other crazy places to get to the ducks and never had a complaint. A majority of the lodges in Alaska use Lowe 1852 john boats with either 30 to 40 horse props or 30 horse power jets. Lodge boats take a beating and will leak after a few seasons. The Grizzly is far tougher, but the weight makes them less practical so not many are used in the same areas. They need more power, and take longer to get on plane which is a huge disadvantage in small rivers. You can row a 1852 easily, I know because most of me guiding was done rowing one. The 1648 is a big jump up in size from what you are using. The Grizzly is a well made tough boat. It very well be the perfect boat for you. Just remember it is heavy for it's size and will need more horse power than many other aluminum Jon boats. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRiver Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 @AJ Hauser l’ve got a 15/48 mod V Polar Kraft with a 25hp Yamaha. It’s all welded, tough and very stable. Might look at those as well, I couldn’t be happier with mine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Catt Posted May 29 Super User Share Posted May 29 I'm currently running a Alweld 1652VJT with a Tohatsu 40 hp. The Grizzly is built very similar to an Alweld. The front deck, rear "deck", floor, & sides all add weight. The Grizzly is rated for a 40 hp, personally I wouldn't go below a 25 hp. 48" bottom would be the narrowest I would go. I believe the 4,995 is without a trailer or outboard. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Hauser Posted May 29 Author Share Posted May 29 Thanks boys! This is very helpful. I'm on the Lowe website now, and it looks like the Lowe is lighter for sure (0.072" thickness versus the Grizzly's 0.19") - aluminum is half as thick, maybe? I could see where that would be helpful when fishing in current for sure. My current motor is a 15 HP 2-stroke which will work for the foreseeable future. I have a Minn Kota with 55 lbs of thrust but that wouldn't really get used (destroyed) in rivers, but in the marshes and stuff it would need to come into play. @king fisher the wide open plan on their Aura model looks awesome. You also mentioned a very important element: rowing. The attached pic / bass was caught in a marsh using homemade oars (wheelbarrow handles to duct-taped kayak oars - yes, I am a hillbilly). They sucked, but they helped me move through the area where my trolling motor got destroyed... I have yet to find any type of oar socket attachment that would fit on the Grizzly or Lowe and neither have sockets that I can see by default. Any thoughts on that? @Susky River Rat thank you for the feedback as well - when I move to Arkansas, it's gonna get beat up I think, so I am really hoping I can get something that is going to last for several years, just not sure what the balance is between maneuverability and toughness. It is fun trying to figure that out though. @GRiver the Mod-V looks like a great option and it's slightly thicker than the Lowe - how does a Mod-V compare to a standard jon boat? Can't go as shallow? Livewell is a nice touch. So far these all look to be roughly in the same ballpark for $$$. @Catt for the Alweld is that a 1652 Marsh Invader or some other model? Those look like a good option as well, slightly thicker but still not as heavy as that Grizzly. (I'm having a hard time making sense of their models / sizes on their site.) They have a jet model too it seems... very interesting. Thanks guys - really, really appreciate all of the helpful feedback! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Catt Posted May 29 Super User Share Posted May 29 The Grizzly hull thickness is 0.100 5052 aluminum. The 0.190 is the floor thickness. There is a bottom hull, ribs with flotation & a floor. This dampens noise & adds to structural rigidity. The sidewalls do the same thing. Mine is a 1652VV Marsh RD Package Tunnel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susky River Rat Posted May 29 Share Posted May 29 I would ditch the ore idea and use a good sturdy push pole in shallow or marshy areas. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Catt Posted May 29 Super User Share Posted May 29 @Susky River Rat once you learn how to use a push pole it's a whole lot easier. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Hauser Posted May 29 Author Share Posted May 29 Sweet - more research to do - thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Hands Posted June 1 Share Posted June 1 On 5/28/2024 at 1:58 PM, TnRiver46 said: Never had the grizzly myself but I’ve heard they are very heavy, which probably equates to tough as nails. I wouldn’t get it if I needed to pick it up or go super shallow but probably great for 99% of applications (again, second hand info) I have a 1648 Grizzly (tiller steer) and it is night and day beefier than the 14' Valco it replaced. The hull weighs around 650 lbs, and seems plenty sturdy for me. I definitely appreciate it when it comes time to put it in hilly and get back where others dare not to go. On 5/29/2024 at 6:33 AM, Catt said: @Susky River Rat once you learn how to use a push pole it's a whole lot easier. I carry two. . . a short one and a longer one. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Hauser Posted June 13 Author Share Posted June 13 Got it - thanks @Big Hands - good to hear from someone that has one. I took a trip the other weekend to check one out in person. To be honest, I was surprised at the size difference between mine (4 foot beam) and the one I was looking at (6 foot beam). For the small waters I'm fishing (strip pits and small to medium-sized lakes), that is probably about max what I would want, which was really surprising to me. That said, when we move to Arkansas and I take it into the river, as long as I have the right motor for it maybe we'll want to go even larger at that point. River fishing is going to be different, that's for sure... Thanks again. This has been very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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