I have this boat in the Bass Pro Prowler version. I take it out mainly saltwater for mangroves, dock fishing and in the flats. We deal a lot with big wakes from passing boats and choppy waves from windy conditions. Holds up a lot better than a flat hull aluminum JB, which I used before this.
Hey,thank you for your honest strait forward & realist review of this sun dolphin 12' jon boat. Some of us are disabled & lower income & are not ever going to afford a $8000.00 jon boat or worse. It was bad enough being a woodsman,farmer ,trapper,hunter & fisherman & becoming disabled & getting left out & excluded or severely limited from participating in a very high activity world I had come to know as my life. Pretty sucky,but I'm not crying. Where there is will,there is way, I'm a determined S.O.B. In western n.y. I've seen many expensive sport boats destroyed from 80mph winds ripping off covers, filling with 4 foot of snow or rain in one pop,crushing trailers into the ground to the frame & buried tires in mud. Then -35°f windchills freezing & splitting the forward to aft. $750 is enough to loose this way or have stolen in my situation & opinion. You do a great job on your videos so dont let the abrasive commenters annoy you. I ignore most of their cry baby, "I cant the water out comments", everything takes alittle work. You know use your head. A coffee can & sponge. Bail it out,110lbs, flip it over ,siphon it out & for goodness sake ,turn it up side down when you threw for the day? I mean,really ,come on?
Mark, thanks for watching and your engagement on the comments. Yea the getting the water comments are funny. I have never had issues just flipping this thing on its side and getting the water out, it’s super easy. I have had this thing is several rain storms and I have had no problems. When you are on a budget you have to get crafty, lol. Thanks again for watching.
Man, I think I've watched at least 50 reviews and different DYI set-ups on this boat since I started looking this year and this is by far the very best one I've seen. Such a good and in depth review and explanation of different things that you've done to yours! Dolphin should sponsor your channel and I'm serious when I say that. I've only been able to locate one of these within driving distance from my house in Texas and I think I'm going to pick it up tomorrow while they still have it. You were right when you said they aren't easy to find! And up until I watched this video I was still tossing around a small aluminum Jon Boat and this boat in my head and couldn't quite decide which I really wanted. My primary fishing spot is the river, like you so this should serve me well. I'm going to try one of those cheap air cooled gasoline motors as well as a trolling motor so I'm not running down my battery traveling upstream against the current. The river can move a lot of water real fast and that current can be swift. I'm hoping the gasoline motor will deal with that easier than the trolling motor. It will be work for either one. I only wish this had a storage compartment for life jackets and an anchor. I'll just have to remember to load those up in my pickup when I load the boat. Thanks for this review man and I also subbed to your channel. Here's hoping you hit 1000 before winter.
Thanks Russell, I’m glad you enjoyed the builds. Passing on the build info was exactly why I got into UA-cam in the first place. Thanks for subbing as well man, and yea I should reach out to Sun Dolphin, it’s worth a try lol.
Thanks for your video on the Sun Dolphin build. I just purchased a 2021 model just like yours and like you, I did not like the floor ribs. So I will be looking at your other videos to do the deck builds. I liked all the little tricks you did with the anchor cleat and the battery tie down hardware, etc. I’ve subscribed to your channel. Thanks again, Ken Land
ive been looking for something to start with since im new to fishing. i didnt want to break the bank right of that bat. i was looking at this boat at academy but was skeptical about it since its cheap and plastic. but you really sold me on it! thanks for the review and ideas!!!
Glad I could help, I was also skeptical because of the plastic. I had only had aluminum ones in past and to be honest I don’t have to worry about denting this thing up on rocks like I did with the aluminum ones. DIYs are a bit harder on these but for the price and durability I don’t think you can go wrong.
I have a Sun Dolphin Pro 120, all electric, two , two trolling motors, front is foot controlled, rear is a remote controlled and kind of acts like my rudder, very stable boat, I add a Hummingbird Helix H5 depthfinder powered by a 12 volt trail camera battery with a solar panel on top, very simple, easy to launch and boat, rides a single jet-ski trailer, never thought I'd own a plastic boat, but I wouldn't trade this one for anthing.
Jeff, that is awesome, your setup sounds great. I thought about in the future adding a foot controlled trolling motor on the front or adding the Troll King foot pedal. I would love to add a depth finder to my as well. Thanks for sharing your build!
The main problem I have had with this boat is the water that gets trapped between the exterior and interior shells of the boat. Unfortunately, there appears to be many avenues through which the water can enter the area between the shells. Unfortunately too, the port to remove water from between the shells has a tube that runs from the exterior shell to the interior and of a length of approximately 2 inches. The length of the tube combined with the port being above the bottom of the boat prevents being able to thoroughly drain water from between the shells. When installing seat mounts, I found that having left the boat upside down resulted in the trapped water gettling into the top of the seat area below the external shell. The wood was then noticably soft as I drilled into it and I have concerns about rot and the screws eventually losing grip and pulling free. The other main issue is the lack of drain holes between the seats and front and rear of the boat. You have to either bail the water out or turn the boat upside down. Given the option of this boat or an aluminum, I would take aluminum. That said, Bass Pro sells a plastic 12ft boat that appears sturdier and better engineered than the Dolphin presented in this video. Best Regards
I’ve just purchased this but have yet to put it out on the water. What are everyone’s thoughts on opening up the boat and filling it with foam so it can’t fill up with water?
I thought I read in the sun dolphin specs that the boat was pre wired front & rear for electric motors. I dont know,but I would have hoped or imagined that an internal wire harness ran the length of the internal boat hull so you could keep your battery & motor where ever you liked or even use 2 batteries at once on either or both eletric motors,front & back?
@@bluecollaroutdoors5556 Thank you for clarifying about that. I may have been mistaken because I did read the specs on the 120 that is marked discontinued. It might have been for that,but I thought it was so on the new sun dolphins too? Not a big problem. If I get one that is something I will certainly do with plugs & easy disconnect to use it how ever I like, & it maybe better to have it in a conduit out side of the hull where it is easy gotten at for change,up grade or replacement. I plan on starting off poling,rowing & paddling to begin with ,but having that option with lake Ontario a stone throw away would be nice on calm days.
They did do this in the most recent addition. You could mount your trolling motor on either end and the battery at the other end. I just got mine last week for $485 at Tractor Supply.
Great video's seen most of yours and got one of them boats here in Ireland after there is only about 4 or 5 here id say but i love it and have done mods all so just like yours thanks again
What would happen if you foam it.? Expand foam. Would it increase the weight for people and hear and what not or would that just be a nogo. I know the foam will make it more likely to stay float. Also how will it fair in saltwater?
So the boat has foam inside it already, I’m not completely sure how much of it contains foam though but I think the majority does have it. As far as saltwater goes I’m sure it would be just fine since it is made of plastic. I hope this helps man!
@@bluecollaroutdoors5556 Thanks for the reply. My Mercury 8HP 4-stoke is also a 20 inch shaft model. Looks like I will have to rig up some kind of transom riser. Most likely add a hydrofoil to it too. Whatcha think, any advice ?
Wow man ! I have a question… Here at my local lakes in Southern California do you have to pass a one time inspection and one of the points they look at is to see if there is a minimum of 12 inches of free board from the waterline to the top of the side rails exposed above the water with one occupant. Would you guess there’s a foot of expose sidewall when you are just fission solo? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
@@bluecollaroutdoors5556 awesome thank you! I have came to the conclusion that I will probably just purchase from my store back has a good return policy, then bring the boat home and just throw it in the pool and see if it works out lol.
Yea you can screw items into the ribs in the floor, I would just make sure to use silicone around the fasteners to prevent water from getting into the hull.
I have a question that I have found, when it rains the boat fills up with water. There are no holes in the seats so the water could go out the back. Is that an option, to drill holes?
I like the low casting deck because if I fall backwards, I will be able to land my ass on the rear seat. The sides are also higher, so you're less likely to fall overboard...I just purchased this Jonboat, and to tell you the truth, I have buyers' regret. The first thing I did was mount the motor at the stern. It was impossible to steer the electric motor because you have its handle right behind your center or lower back. Drive that for 10 minutes and tell me how it feels; I know it was very uncomfortable for me to steer, and I can guarantee the same will happen to you. 95% of my fishing will be done at the bow with the electric motor on a flat bottom. I am in the process of making the flat center floor for it. The battery will be at the stern of the boat for weight. Weight distribution is a must. I don't think I will have a problem balancing myself; a great way to keep in shape and tighten your core. I want to install a 2.5 Yamaha and a swivel seat, but will it end up being as uncomfortable as steering the electric motor with the handle in your back?
I need a small boat for me and my three chocolate labs. We bought a house on the water in the quickest way to get to my dads is by boat. It’s only about 300 yards. What an expensive boat do you recommend?
Great video! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I’m close to buying one. Want to be able to get to more spots than the bank allows and didn’t really like kayak fishing.
Sweet, that is exactly why I bought one, it allows you to be able to fish more effectively than from a kayak. If you watch my sun Dolphin adventures series where I only fish from the Dolphin you’ll see I stand most of the time, that is something you can’t really do with a kayak the entire trip. Good luck man!
Honestly I have never experienced that issue before, but I have heard others saying they have. My advice would be to stand it straight up with the drain holes down, and leave it standing for several days to let anything in there drain or possibly evaporate and air out. Good luck!
Thanks for the comment Mike, I definitely read through you comment way to fast and didn’t answer your question. No I don’t have a video for the mod but I will be glad to do one showing it step by step. The materials are just an old nylon military belt and schedule 40 PVC pipe. Look out for the video soon. Keep it Blue Collar brother!
Hey man I'm looking at getting the same jon boat. Do you know what size drain plugs it takes? I found info online but can't figure out if its 5/8" or 3/4"
Sorry, I’m not sure either. Does the one your trying to purchase not have any. If not you could probably contact sun Dolphin directly and get some replacements.
The boat should work fine with saltwater too, since it is plastic it should be fine and the rivets on the side would potentially be the only thing that would rust but it only holds on the rubber trim along the edges it doesn’t seal up the boat. Go for it man!
Recent subscriber. I've had my eyes on one of these for a while and picked up one in perfect shape used. My question is I want to put some cleats to the inboard side of the boat for anchoring points. Do you have a video of that or a recommendation. Thanks in advance and keep the great videos coming.
Thanks for the question Truitt, I don’t have a video specifically about the cleat install but I didn’t really do it the best way. I only used 3 in screws and drilled them into the hull and used silicone to seal it up. I haven’t had any issues with it coming loose or anything but for maximum security I would use use marine well nuts which provide great security and strength and the rubber seals up the area nicely as well. If your not sure what well nuts are just do a quick UA-cam search and watch how to install them. They are really good for using on kayaks and other plastic boat that don’t have anything substantial to drill into. I hope this helps!
I don’t have a video specifically about the cleat install but I didn’t really do it the best way. I only used 3 in screws and drilled them into the hull and used silicone to seal it up. I haven’t had any issues with it coming loose or anything but for maximum security I would use use marine well nuts which provide great security and strength and the rubber seals up the area nicely as well. If your not sure what well nuts are just do a quick UA-cam search and watch how to install them. They are really good for using on kayaks and other plastic boat that don’t have anything substantial to drill into. I hope this helps!
This thing will do ok on a lake depending on how many large boats are around. If you had an outboard motor on it this thing would do fine. I have had this out on a large lake with just a trolling motor and I had no issues. You just have to be aware of the large wakes produced by bigger boats.
I would say both depending on the conditions. I go out with my wife, an 8 year old and a toddler and there is plenty of room. I usually sit on the front seat with my 8 yr old and the wife and toddler sit on the back seat, but I run my motor in the front. If you run the motor in the back You will have more room because a kid could sit on the small seat in the very front. I hope this helps!
@@bluecollaroutdoors5556 Yes that helps for sure The sun dolphin is the only option out there right now for smaller boats And was just curious about how many people it would hold as far as kids and adults trying to get off the banks
What"s good bro I watch all your video's on this boat you have some good content, do you think you can do an Pelican bass Raider 10e vs Sun Dolphin American 12
Thanks for watching the series man, I can absolutely put a comparison video together and share some of my thoughts on these two boats. Just so happens one of my friends has one of those pelicans so shouldn’t be hard to do a video on it. I should be able to get some footage from it in the next month or so.
Two years later this motor is going strong ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxBZWgzfpS2Jj7JqIHyaSZjyVHNUgCKCBf Just uploaded a video of it after 2 years. We use it probably a dozen days each year on our small raft.-original review- We got this motor the other day and tested it out. I don't have anything to compare it to, but it seems good to me. It has all the features advertised - the motor housing is metal. We will see how it performs longer term and I will revise this review if needed. Some initial observations:- Good thrust, moves our boat around really well- It comes with a circuit breaker but no switch - so there's no way to kill the motor other than yanking the connection off the battery. I installed an inline switch.- The mount bracket is plastic and I worry it might break- There are a number of plastic parts that I worry about, but the most important ones are metal or some kind of composite
20 H.P. motor on that thats a lot of power on such a tiny boat just yesterday saw a guy here on youtube with 25 Hp mercury on his boat it got away from em and it tossed em out of the boat
Thanks for becoming a member of the channel, to answer your questions yes it will work with a 30lb trolling motor I would say on calmer water, with my 55lb thrust I find myself needing more power in rougher current on my river. On a calm day out on a pond or a small lake you should be fine. A 18 hp gas motor would be awesome to have and I would love to have one myself as it would make this little boat rip. The stability is really good for what this boat is. It’s way better than a kayak or a conoe, but ultimately it’s a small Jon boat. Check out my stability test on this boat on my channel. Thanks again!
Freaking awesome video bro. Was trying to decide between this and the pelican. This vid made me buy the dolphin from academy. Do you load in your truck bed?
It’s pretty stable for a small Jon boat. It is better than fishing from a canoe or kayak buts it’s not going to be as good as a 14ft or bigger Jon boat. Please see my stability test video in this link:ua-cam.com/video/l4Otl-DRstw/v-deo.html I have tons of videos about the boat on my channel please check those out as well. Hope this helps man!
Yes, depending on the body of water you take it on. A large large with boat wakes might not be the best situation but for river or pond fishing it is perfect. I actually have a 1 and 8 year old that I take fishing quite offer on mine and even the 1 year old walks around a little in the middle compartment just fine.
I have this boat in the Bass Pro Prowler version. I take it out mainly saltwater for mangroves, dock fishing and in the flats. We deal a lot with big wakes from passing boats and choppy waves from windy conditions. Holds up a lot better than a flat hull aluminum JB, which I used before this.
Hey is it worth it was looking at it and wasn't sure . Plan to take it to ponds
Wife surprised me with an American 12 yesterday for my birthday. I will be binge watching all of your videos, thanks for the knowledge and content
I just bought one from Tractor supply and it has wires ran inside from the rear to the front. 👍 Got it for $599
Kayak fisherman here and so far you're selling me on this boat. 😄! Love how you covered those ridges. Awesome ideas.
Thanks, I’m glad it has been helpful, sharing info about this boat was one reason I started a channel. Keep it Blue Collar!
+1 I agree 100% A stellar review and DYI experience. The best I've seen! He sold me on the damn boat and am buying one tomorrow!
Hey,thank you for your honest strait forward & realist review of this sun dolphin 12' jon boat. Some of us are disabled & lower income & are not ever going to afford a $8000.00 jon boat or worse. It was bad enough being a woodsman,farmer ,trapper,hunter & fisherman & becoming disabled & getting left out & excluded or severely limited from participating in a very high activity world I had come to know as my life. Pretty sucky,but I'm not crying. Where there is will,there is way, I'm a determined S.O.B. In western n.y. I've seen many expensive sport boats destroyed from 80mph winds ripping off covers, filling with 4 foot of snow or rain in one pop,crushing trailers into the ground to the frame & buried tires in mud. Then -35°f windchills freezing & splitting the forward to aft. $750 is enough to loose this way or have stolen in my situation & opinion. You do a great job on your videos so dont let the abrasive commenters annoy you. I ignore most of their cry baby, "I cant the water out comments", everything takes alittle work. You know use your head. A coffee can & sponge. Bail it out,110lbs, flip it over ,siphon it out & for goodness sake ,turn it up side down when you threw for the day? I mean,really ,come on?
Mark, thanks for watching and your engagement on the comments. Yea the getting the water comments are funny. I have never had issues just flipping this thing on its side and getting the water out, it’s super easy. I have had this thing is several rain storms and I have had no problems. When you are on a budget you have to get crafty, lol. Thanks again for watching.
Man, I think I've watched at least 50 reviews and different DYI set-ups on this boat since I started looking this year and this is by far the very best one I've seen. Such a good and in depth review and explanation of different things that you've done to yours! Dolphin should sponsor your channel and I'm serious when I say that. I've only been able to locate one of these within driving distance from my house in Texas and I think I'm going to pick it up tomorrow while they still have it. You were right when you said they aren't easy to find! And up until I watched this video I was still tossing around a small aluminum Jon Boat and this boat in my head and couldn't quite decide which I really wanted. My primary fishing spot is the river, like you so this should serve me well. I'm going to try one of those cheap air cooled gasoline motors as well as a trolling motor so I'm not running down my battery traveling upstream against the current. The river can move a lot of water real fast and that current can be swift. I'm hoping the gasoline motor will deal with that easier than the trolling motor. It will be work for either one. I only wish this had a storage compartment for life jackets and an anchor. I'll just have to remember to load those up in my pickup when I load the boat. Thanks for this review man and I also subbed to your channel. Here's hoping you hit 1000 before winter.
Thanks Russell, I’m glad you enjoyed the builds. Passing on the build info was exactly why I got into UA-cam in the first place. Thanks for subbing as well man, and yea I should reach out to Sun Dolphin, it’s worth a try lol.
@@bluecollaroutdoors5556 I just brought mine home! I can't wait to register it and get it out on the water.
Thanks for your video on the Sun Dolphin build. I just purchased a 2021 model just like yours and like you, I did not like the floor ribs. So I will be looking at your other videos to do the deck builds. I liked all the little tricks you did with the anchor cleat and the battery tie down hardware, etc. I’ve subscribed to your channel. Thanks again, Ken Land
I run 28 thrust and it moves with ease. Have a few mods. The flooring is a must for anyone
ive been looking for something to start with since im new to fishing. i didnt want to break the bank right of that bat. i was looking at this boat at academy but was skeptical about it since its cheap and plastic. but you really sold me on it! thanks for the review and ideas!!!
Glad I could help, I was also skeptical because of the plastic. I had only had aluminum ones in past and to be honest I don’t have to worry about denting this thing up on rocks like I did with the aluminum ones. DIYs are a bit harder on these but for the price and durability I don’t think you can go wrong.
I have a Sun Dolphin Pro 120, all electric, two , two trolling motors, front is foot controlled, rear is a remote controlled and kind of acts like my rudder, very stable boat, I add a Hummingbird Helix H5 depthfinder powered by a 12 volt trail camera battery with a solar panel on top, very simple, easy to launch and boat, rides a single jet-ski trailer, never thought I'd own a plastic boat, but I wouldn't trade this one for anthing.
Jeff, that is awesome, your setup sounds great. I thought about in the future adding a foot controlled trolling motor on the front or adding the Troll King foot pedal. I would love to add a depth finder to my as well. Thanks for sharing your build!
How do you shed the water between the seats ? If it starts raining while your fishing or just on the lake the boat has no drainage!!
Cant do anything abt it unless you have a bilge pump
Awesome job. Look for a used jet ski trailer, and you would be set up!
The main problem I have had with this boat is the water that gets trapped between the exterior and interior shells of the boat. Unfortunately, there appears to be many avenues through which the water can enter the area between the shells. Unfortunately too, the port to remove water from between the shells has a tube that runs from the exterior shell to the interior and of a length of approximately 2 inches. The length of the tube combined with the port being above the bottom of the boat prevents being able to thoroughly drain water from between the shells. When installing seat mounts, I found that having left the boat upside down resulted in the trapped water gettling into the top of the seat area below the external shell. The wood was then noticably soft as I drilled into it and I have concerns about rot and the screws eventually losing grip and pulling free. The other main issue is the lack of drain holes between the seats and front and rear of the boat. You have to either bail the water out or turn the boat upside down. Given the option of this boat or an aluminum, I would take aluminum. That said, Bass Pro sells a plastic 12ft boat that appears sturdier and better engineered than the Dolphin presented in this video. Best Regards
There's 2 drain holes.
I’ve just purchased this but have yet to put it out on the water. What are everyone’s thoughts on opening up the boat and filling it with foam so it can’t fill up with water?
I thought I read in the sun dolphin specs that the boat was pre wired front & rear for electric motors. I dont know,but I would have hoped or imagined that an internal wire harness ran the length of the internal boat hull so you could keep your battery & motor where ever you liked or even use 2 batteries at once on either or both eletric motors,front & back?
I wish it was pre wired it would makes things a lot easier. The suns Dolphin pro 120 is pre wired, but not the normal American 12.
@@bluecollaroutdoors5556 Thank you for clarifying about that. I may have been mistaken because I did read the specs on the 120 that is marked discontinued. It might have been for that,but I thought it was so on the new sun dolphins too? Not a big problem. If I get one that is something I will certainly do with plugs & easy disconnect to use it how ever I like, & it maybe better to have it in a conduit out side of the hull where it is easy gotten at for change,up grade or replacement. I plan on starting off poling,rowing & paddling to begin with ,but having that option with lake Ontario a stone throw away would be nice on calm days.
They did do this in the most recent addition. You could mount your trolling motor on either end and the battery at the other end.
I just got mine last week for $485 at Tractor Supply.
Perfect for my inflatable boat. bow mounted. Very easy to convert to do so.
I bought cleats for our jon boat what screws should we use into the plastic
Thanks to you, I am sold on this product. Cheers from Québec
I’ve seen a sun dolphin pro 120. It comes with casting decks, bat compartment and live well. Looked really cool.
Do you think I would be able to put this in beaches in Florida?
Great video's seen most of yours and got one of them boats here in Ireland after there is only about 4 or 5 here id say but i love it and have done mods all so just like yours thanks again
I'm getting mine delivered on Tuesday.
Is there any way you could trace out on paper the flooring pieces you made for it? I’ll send you some money for some templates.
I just bought this boat. It is ausome. Thanks for the informative video to upgrade it.
I need to add eye hooks to be able to use it on a davit, do you have an idea how to do this. thank you.
I tried adding decks to a peligan raider 10' and it was Soo top heavy. I wonder if this one is more stable
Dude, those decks you made are sweet. I just have a kayak, but this is still cool for me.
Loving your channel and this boat set up of yours!
Like your enthusiasm, clear and easy 😉 to follow along 😀well done 👏
What would happen if you foam it.? Expand foam. Would it increase the weight for people and hear and what not or would that just be a nogo. I know the foam will make it more likely to stay float. Also how will it fair in saltwater?
So the boat has foam inside it already, I’m not completely sure how much of it contains foam though but I think the majority does have it. As far as saltwater goes I’m sure it would be just fine since it is made of plastic. I hope this helps man!
I’ve been researching. I think I’ve made up my mind on which to purchase. Which trolling motor to buy?
Thanks for the very nice review. A 6hp weighs about 60 lbs. My 8HP Mercury weighs 85 lbs. Do you think the boat could handle a 8HP engine?
Yes it could handle it
@@bluecollaroutdoors5556 Thanks for the reply. My Mercury 8HP 4-stoke is also a 20 inch shaft model. Looks like I will have to rig up some kind of transom riser. Most likely add a hydrofoil to it too. Whatcha think, any advice ?
Wow man ! I have a question… Here at my local lakes in Southern California do you have to pass a one time inspection and one of the points they look at is to see if there is a minimum of 12 inches of free board from the waterline to the top of the side rails exposed above the water with one occupant. Would you guess there’s a foot of expose sidewall when you are just fission solo?
Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
I can’t confirm as I dont have the boat anymore but it would be close to 12 but not entirely sure.
@@bluecollaroutdoors5556 awesome thank you! I have came to the conclusion that I will probably just purchase from my store back has a good return policy, then bring the boat home and just throw it in the pool and see if it works out lol.
How did you screw the plastic into the trolling motor mount? Self tapping screws or all the way through with a nut bolt and washer?
Just a self taking screw, there is wood inside the hull right there for the screw to bite into.
Regarding mounting things to the boat, like the brackets in the back to strap down the battery, can you screw into the top of the ribs in the floor?
Yea you can screw items into the ribs in the floor, I would just make sure to use silicone around the fasteners to prevent water from getting into the hull.
You just made a pro 120! They don't make it any more. I may have to do this!
how is the boat working for you after 3year
I have a question that I have found, when it rains the boat fills up with water. There are no holes in the seats so the water could go out the back. Is that an option, to drill holes?
Excellent! Awesome and clear explanation. Thank you.
how does this thing do with the river currents?
It does pretty good that’s all I use it for is rivers
great video - how long does yer battery last - generally.
I've heard people say it doesn't drain well if it gets water in it. Is that the case?
I never had a problem, when stored outside it was always upside down. If it was raining when fishing I just turned it over before storing.
Best yet
I like the low casting deck because if I fall backwards, I will be able to land my ass on the rear seat.
The sides are also higher, so you're less likely to fall overboard...I just purchased this Jonboat, and to tell you the truth, I have buyers' regret.
The first thing I did was mount the motor at the stern. It was impossible to steer the electric motor because you have its handle right behind your center or lower back.
Drive that for 10 minutes and tell me how it feels; I know it was very uncomfortable for me to steer, and I can guarantee the same will happen to you.
95% of my fishing will be done at the bow with the electric motor on a flat bottom. I am in the process of making the flat center floor for it.
The battery will be at the stern of the boat for weight. Weight distribution is a must.
I don't think I will have a problem balancing myself; a great way to keep in shape and tighten your core.
I want to install a 2.5 Yamaha and a swivel seat, but will it end up being as uncomfortable as steering the electric motor with the handle in your back?
3 h ektr butin batyery
I need a small boat for me and my three chocolate labs. We bought a house on the water in the quickest way to get to my dads is by boat. It’s only about 300 yards.
What an expensive boat do you recommend?
Great video! Very very thorough!!! Your channel will definitely grow.. Keep doing what you are doing brother.
Do you think it would be solid enough to mount a seat on a pedestal on your big casting deck?
Yea it would definitely be strong enough.
hey man just wanted to thank you for your inspiration I just finished my build on my sun dolphin! your videos helped so much!
Just got mine today Academy! Great video!
Great video! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I’m close to buying one. Want to be able to get to more spots than the bank allows and didn’t really like kayak fishing.
Sweet, that is exactly why I bought one, it allows you to be able to fish more effectively than from a kayak. If you watch my sun Dolphin adventures series where I only fish from the Dolphin you’ll see I stand most of the time, that is something you can’t really do with a kayak the entire trip. Good luck man!
Hey I have this same jon boat I seem to have water between the deck and the hull I can't get out with through the drain. Any experience with this?
Honestly I have never experienced that issue before, but I have heard others saying they have. My advice would be to stand it straight up with the drain holes down, and leave it standing for several days to let anything in there drain or possibly evaporate and air out. Good luck!
Do you have a video for hat nylon handle mod? What nylon webbing did you use? I about pull my back each time i load my sun dolphin Jon boat.
Thanks for the comment Mike, I definitely read through you comment way to fast and didn’t answer your question. No I don’t have a video for the mod but I will be glad to do one showing it step by step. The materials are just an old nylon military belt and schedule 40 PVC pipe. Look out for the video soon. Keep it Blue Collar brother!
Hey Mike here is the video brother on how to make that handle, hope this helps.ua-cam.com/video/nrQCQUGDxXk/v-deo.html
Thank you.... Excellent review ....Great job on your up grades.
Tsc in Honeyofalls n.y. sells them will transfer deliver to all other tsc stores.
What’s the biggest motor I can put on it because I have a 5hp and looking for a small boat
A five horse will work fine, I believe the max recommended is five but I’ve seen these with 10 hp and more work just fine.
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Jumper cabled and Anderson connectors on everything.
Hey man I'm looking at getting the same jon boat. Do you know what size drain plugs it takes? I found info online but can't figure out if its 5/8" or 3/4"
Sorry, I’m not sure either. Does the one your trying to purchase not have any. If not you could probably contact sun Dolphin directly and get some replacements.
Can I use this in a relatively calm ocean setting too?
Don’t see why not man, as long as the waves aren’t big you should be fine.
We bought a 62lb thrust. Do you think we should be okay? What is the worst that could happen?
It will be perfectly fine on the rear with no issues. If ran on the front there may be some flexing of the bow mount but it still should be ok.
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Will this boat work in a saltwater lagoon, like the Indian river in Florida
The boat should work fine with saltwater too, since it is plastic it should be fine and the rivets on the side would potentially be the only thing that would rust but it only holds on the rubber trim along the edges it doesn’t seal up the boat. Go for it man!
The price looks great
Recent subscriber. I've had my eyes on one of these for a while and picked up one in perfect shape used. My question is I want to put some cleats to the inboard side of the boat for anchoring points.
Do you have a video of that or a recommendation.
Thanks in advance and keep the great videos coming.
Thanks for the question Truitt, I don’t have a video specifically about the cleat install but I didn’t really do it the best way. I only used 3 in screws and drilled them into the hull and used silicone to seal it up. I haven’t had any issues with it coming loose or anything but for maximum security I would use use marine well nuts which provide great security and strength and the rubber seals up the area nicely as well. If your not sure what well nuts are just do a quick UA-cam search and watch how to install them. They are really good for using on kayaks and other plastic boat that don’t have anything substantial to drill into. I hope this helps!
How do you install anchor cleat on the boat
I don’t have a video specifically about the cleat install but I didn’t really do it the best way. I only used 3 in screws and drilled them into the hull and used silicone to seal it up. I haven’t had any issues with it coming loose or anything but for maximum security I would use use marine well nuts which provide great security and strength and the rubber seals up the area nicely as well. If your not sure what well nuts are just do a quick UA-cam search and watch how to install them. They are really good for using on kayaks and other plastic boat that don’t have anything substantial to drill into. I hope this helps!
Do you think it would do good on a lake?
This thing will do ok on a lake depending on how many large boats are around. If you had an outboard motor on it this thing would do fine. I have had this out on a large lake with just a trolling motor and I had no issues. You just have to be aware of the large wakes produced by bigger boats.
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Would this boat hold 2 adults 2 kids and a toddler? Or at least 1 adult and 2 kids
I would say both depending on the conditions. I go out with my wife, an 8 year old and a toddler and there is plenty of room. I usually sit on the front seat with my 8 yr old and the wife and toddler sit on the back seat, but I run my motor in the front. If you run the motor in the back
You will have more room because a kid could sit on the small seat in the very front. I hope this helps!
@@bluecollaroutdoors5556
Yes that helps for sure
The sun dolphin is the only option out there right now for smaller boats
And was just curious about how many people it would hold as far as kids and adults trying to get off the banks
Awesome build 👏 👌
Please check out my sun Dolphin adventure series playlist where I only fish from the boat!!!🔥🎣ua-cam.com/play/PLPAaJVwYQ5o4HW_lGKhrpDxgQYWIAXYTF.html
What"s good bro I watch all your video's on this boat you have some good content, do you think you can do an Pelican bass Raider 10e vs Sun Dolphin American 12
Thanks for watching the series man, I can absolutely put a comparison video together and share some of my thoughts on these two boats. Just so happens one of my friends has one of those pelicans so shouldn’t be hard to do a video on it. I should be able to get some footage from it in the next month or so.
I'm thinking a Minn Kota Riptide 112 lbs thrust or a Mercury 3.5 4stroke on the stern 🏁
Heck yea man that thing would RIP!!! FULL SEND!!!
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Just bought one great tips
Do they still make them
Yes
@@bluecollaroutdoors5556 I can’t find them for sale anywhere
I got this boat at tractor supply for 500$ and a 12 horse outboard from eBay
Two years later this motor is going strong ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxBZWgzfpS2Jj7JqIHyaSZjyVHNUgCKCBf Just uploaded a video of it after 2 years. We use it probably a dozen days each year on our small raft.-original review- We got this motor the other day and tested it out. I don't have anything to compare it to, but it seems good to me. It has all the features advertised - the motor housing is metal. We will see how it performs longer term and I will revise this review if needed. Some initial observations:- Good thrust, moves our boat around really well- It comes with a circuit breaker but no switch - so there's no way to kill the motor other than yanking the connection off the battery. I installed an inline switch.- The mount bracket is plastic and I worry it might break- There are a number of plastic parts that I worry about, but the most important ones are metal or some kind of composite
What’s the weight of it?
yo its 110 lbs with the boat alone
It should have came with the battery strap and plastic for battery tie down
How much is it
Fort Leonard Wood?
Yes it is
20 H.P. motor on that thats a lot of power on such a tiny boat just yesterday saw a guy here on youtube with 25 Hp mercury on his boat it got away from em and it tossed em out of the boat
Do you think it would work with a 30lbs trolling motor or a18 hp gas moter? Is it stable?? I subscribed too!!
Thanks for becoming a member of the channel, to answer your questions yes it will work with a 30lb trolling motor I would say on calmer water, with my 55lb thrust I find myself needing more power in rougher current on my river. On a calm day out on a pond or a small lake you should be fine. A 18 hp gas motor would be awesome to have and I would love to have one myself as it would make this little boat rip. The stability is really good for what this boat is. It’s way better than a kayak or a conoe, but ultimately it’s a small Jon boat. Check out my stability test on this boat on my channel. Thanks again!
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i just buy one i am so excited for the price
Yea man the price is great on these, and they hold up very well to the element to to regular use. Hope you enjoy it!
this is a great boat! i have a bunch of mods on mine. i like the decking idea!!
Yea man I’ve checked yours out too it’s great. The deck works great brother if your into stand up fishing.
I’m looking at these for duck hunting
Heck yea, very inexpensive and would work great.
Freaking awesome video bro. Was trying to decide between this and the pelican. This vid made me buy the dolphin from academy. Do you load in your truck bed?
Yes I just haul it in the back of my truck. Here is a video where I show how I do it. ua-cam.com/video/ySrBVZjG13s/v-deo.html
Yea man for the money you can’t go wrong with this boat it’s a great way to get out on the water without breaking the bank. I hope you like it.
Is this thing stable
It’s pretty stable for a small Jon boat. It is better than fishing from a canoe or kayak buts it’s not going to be as good as a 14ft or bigger Jon boat. Please see my stability test video in this link:ua-cam.com/video/l4Otl-DRstw/v-deo.html
I have tons of videos about the boat on my channel please check those out as well.
Hope this helps man!
Ijust ran across these bouts, are they really less than 100 bucks?
boats
How deep is it
I would say it is around 15 in from the bottom of the floor to the top of the sides.
Buy a 12 V lithium battery they are a whole lot lighter
You think one of these little boats would be safe with a 4 year old fishing in it
Yes, depending on the body of water you take it on. A large large with boat wakes might not be the best situation but for river or pond fishing it is perfect. I actually have a 1 and 8 year old that I take fishing quite offer on mine and even the 1 year old walks around a little in the middle compartment just fine.
@@bluecollaroutdoors5556 I seen one today at academy thought it would be a good boat for us on a small lake close to the house thanks man
Danny McBride?
I think it’s a good boat but it’s not deep enough