As somebody who is in the market for buying their first small boat, this channel is absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much for posting content like this!
When I was a kid (12 years old) my friends and I built flat bottom boats made out marine play wood. About 8 ft long and a 5 hp engine. We raced them in the lake behind our homes. If you think they would leak, we seal them with paint, water sealer and brass screws. They were fun.
Damn, at 12 you must have been crafty, I built a 8 foot flat button v boat made out of regular plywood at 16 yrs old. I later extended it to 10 foot. You are correct they don't leak if made correct with sealer and good waterproof paint. One thing I remember I must have put a lot of brass screws in because my right wrist hurt for a month or so. LoL
My daughter is 13 and made an 8' boat out of plywood this past summer. They were known as seafleas or hydroplanes. She used a design out of popular mechanics from the '50s. However, the front half was not flat, and for the bending, she definitely needed my help (and both our ingenuity).
My parents purchased a Lake home on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs AR in 1970. Our first boat was a 14ft flat bottom with a 1968 18hp Evinrude. I'm 65yrs old now and have owned everything from Cobalts to BAJA's and never have had as much fun as we had in the flat bottom.
In Australia we refer to the Jon boat as a punt and generally call the V-hull a dinghy. If they're made from aluminium, we call both styles a tinny. I've owned both punts and dinghies and I have found the v-nose punt to be the best fit for my needs, especially the ones where the V section extends about 1/3 of the hull length.
Virtually all 'v-bottom' boats constructed since the 1940s have been hybrids - v hull in front, flat in back. A hybrid hull remains stable in wind or wake, efficiently cuts and planes, and is reasonably stable from standstill to high speeds (until it chines). I have lived offshore on Georgian Bay all my life (Lake Huron), and so all my boats are v-hulls, river canoes excepted.
Yeah, I don’t know as much about boats as I do fishing in general, but I bought an old 12’ Smoker Craft a few years ago and pretty quickly notice the same thing, wide and flat in the middle and stern, deep V in the bow. I love that I can drive off the floor I fabricated to fit the front half, and still climb back in over the rear gunnel. Put a mud motor on it a couple of years ago, and that opened up so many shallow water fishing opportunities. It’s early May and right now the panfish are heavy in the marshy shallows on few of my favorite lakes here in Michigan. Ya’ ain’t gonna get anywhere near these fish with a traditional outboard.
@@rogerharvey1698 I have that exact same boat. 12 ft Smokercraft, mines pre 1972 old lol. What mud motor kit/engine are you using? Does it get up to a decent speed?
seems to be a overstatement to say virtually all v hulls are hybrids. the V in the video was a semi v. you an tell by looking at the transom no v. I've had a few of the semi v style and several full v hulled boats. most runabouts are in full V configuration. i have a 18foot in full V hull, deep v in fact as well as my old lund which was a 16 foot 7 foot beam deep V. i have a couple friends that own jon style boats that are semi v. they will cut through the chop a little better than a flat bottom, (a tab bit better imo) nothing like a full v though.
@@drewp9112 That 'semi-v' you mention is one form of hybrid. I would include boats with a slight v at the transom as hybrids too. I can't recall seeing any mass produced full-v hulls since the 1940s.
@@1stcarpgroupcommissioner659 i regard a v hull as a hull that carries the v to the transom. my Tracker Targa V18 is imo a v hull boat. as was my old Lund v16 deep v. i dont know what would define those as hybrid they are not flat at the transom.
I had a 1448 Jon. Loved it. 9.9 hp and it flew in a smooth lake. Waves, it would beat you up bad. But all I do is fish small local lakes and it sneaks in to the shallows real well. Also, I've stood on a.seat, toes against the hull, and a like sized buddy doing the same. Both of us at about 250. And still had at least 12 inches of freeboard.
I have a 14 foot Jon Boat with the traditional square bow. I have a 9.9 Mercury outboard and a small trolling motor. I primarily use it for fishing. I absolutely love this boat. It has plenty of room, very stable, and is really fast with this motor! I don’t go out on rough days or huge lakes.
1954 14’ Alumacraft model F here, been in family since new. It’s what I call a semi-V, has V hull up front and flat going back. Put a nice floor in it and a 15hp Johnson, lots of fun opened up on a big lake! We love it, my family uses it weekly still. Great video!
How does that hull shape perform in shallow water? From what you describe, I have a very similar boat. 12ft smokercraft V in the front, flat in the back.
@@74nova36 use foam sheets cut into strips to build the middle up, you can glue them together but not to the floor, and then marine plywood over leveled foam. Easy to remove on off to check for leaks /repairs.
Thank you for (hopefully) educating many small boaters with your correct definition of 'what is a Jon boat', (not spelled 'John' either). So many people, like you said, believe any small boat is a Jon boat which makes it very difficult to search for a true Jon boat on public classifieds. "Ignorance is bliss" so it's pointless to try to educate those who improperly label a v-hull as a Jon as they become very defensive of their lack of knowledge.
I have an old 12' v-bottom aluminum boat made in the '60s by sears. I use it mostly for fishing in a small lake. It's actually quite stable to stand in so long as I'm in the middle to back. I have heard that the flat bottom boats are more stable, but I just got what I could find and afford, and it still gets me out on the water! Thanks for all your videos Wayne! Love the channel!
I had a 12' flat bottom jon boat for about 10 happy years. wife and I used it for pond fishing and picnics - hibachi on the front seat. That was 30+ years ago. I just bought a 12' Lowe Sea Nymph V Hull with a Mercury 6 hp 4 stroke. I usually go boating alone so the stability is not a problem. Looking forward to many hours on the pond / lake / river.
One of the big advantages of a Jon boat is how well they row, and how effective they can be with smaller motors. I have a 14ft Jon boat with a sliding rowing seat, and it really skims across the water. That flat bottom also means they can get up on a plane with a very small outboard. Having grown up using small v-bottom skiffs, I think they are the absolute best for any kind of rough water, but for bays and smaller lakes the flat bottom has a lot of advantages. Also your comment about how Jon boats handle is spot on. Even with a 5 horse, my Jon boat needs careful handling at speed. The back end has no resistance to turning and it's really easy for the boat to slew over badly if you try to turn too quickly.
But is a 12 foot a better choice than a 14 foot? This video talks about the advantages of each size! ua-cam.com/video/QBFMBts5UTE/v-deo.html And if you're in the market for a brand new boat/engine/trailer for under $5,000 - here's a few options that I have put together: ua-cam.com/video/SfJhaEXVKSQ/v-deo.html
I have a 12' Jon boat. the lakes I fish on are small (50-75 acres) and one has a restriction to electric motors. So for me a Jon boat with a 36lb trolling motor suits my needs just fine. Love your videos.
I've owned both as well. Ended up selling the Jon's and keeping the utility V's.... Jon's are typically cheaper and lighter weight but they have very shalloow freeboards and prefer very calm to no wind. Utility Vs are more money and weigh heavier but deeper and can handle windier seas. My opinion.
Flat bottoms provide more initial stability. Rounded hulls have more secondary stability. The rougher the conditions, the more you'll want secondary stability.
A soft chine boat with a weighted keel and raised stern is ideal for blue water. A 'steadying sail is used on some trawler hulls to good effect. Full and semi-displacement boats will usually be rounded/soft chine boats that don't 'slap' the water.
@@youdonthavetoreadthispost.5850 I imagine most people won't be out in blue water conditions in a Jon boat, and I'm not aware of a Jon boat with a weighted keel. That being said, I'd hate to be on a flat bottomed trawler if any existed.
@@wisenber And you'd be right. Small dories do quite well however. The soft chine, deep draft hulls wouldn't work in Jon boat country either. That said, the only thing more stable is a twin hull cat.
@@youdonthavetoreadthispost.5850 Or a trimaran. Mine will float in four inches of water and sail in about 8 inches. My 19 ft trimaran isn't blue water by any stretch, but she manages 6 ft waves without complaining.
@@youdonthavetoreadthispost.5850 One thing about small dories is that they are quite twitchy when lighly loaded. Dories with a hard chine need a lot of weight to achieve that legendary stability they are known for.
I've owned several Jon Boats from 10 ft up to 14 ft. I usually do most of my boating on large lakes, so they pretty much beat me to death under power. My last three boats were V-hull boats. A 12 ft, a 14 ft and a 23 ft, powered with outboards from 3hp up to 115hp! All were more to my liking and a lot more comfortable under power. They worked great in waves and rough water like I find on big lakes. Four years ago I built a 12 foot, flat bottom, pointed boat. I call it a Fishing Skiff that I designed myself from pictures of various fishing boats I found on the internet. It has a good rocker, not much tumblehome and was rather unstable (similar to a canoe, which I've also owned two of) in the wind or on open water because of it's narrow width. So, I added two pontoons and now I can take it on big lakes. However, it only has an electric motor, so I don't travel very far or fast. Click my name if you want to see video of how I built it or see my first "Sea Trial."
I bought a Tracker Topper 12w 2 years ago in March. I use to have a bass boat many years ago when I tournament fished. It was a 1960's model so that should tell you how many years ago it was. We moved from Kansas to Alabama (summer of 2021) and I have considered purchasing a bass boat within a couple years. A personal friend of mine, Richard Gene the Fishing Machine, told me the boat I have is all I need. I'm only a couple miles from the Tennessee River and many other smaller lakes than the size of the river. I love my Tracker Topper and plan on upgrading a lot of things including my outboard and installing a floor and storage. I will be adding those videos to my channel when I do so. Thanx for this video brother. I'll be checking out more from you in the future. Thanx for adding to use your PFD when you weren't using one. We all make mistakes when filming. I know I do each and every time.
I have a 1971 12' mirrocraft v hul! You made it easy to choose between the two styles of small boats! I have a great time out on the water and enjoy my boat! Thanks!
This was very helpful. Took my new Suzuki 6 hp out on my 12 foot flat bottom boat yesterday and it was scary. I'm looking for a V hull for it now. Your video helped. Thank You
I had the Tracker Grizzly Jon boat the 1860 it’s discontinued. It was from 2016. Im six feet four big boy and i could stand on the absolute edge of the boat and that thing was so stable the other side never came out of the water my brother was on land to see for sure. He owns the boat now in Florida and fishes it in salt and fresh! A great boat!!! All welded heavy gauge aluminum!!
I have a 14.5 v-hull with a 30hp Merc. Good for the water I fish and for handling waves. I did deck it out with 2 flat floors , a front pitching deck and a rear casting deck. The flat floors make a big difference and reduce that side leaning when walking around. It feels safer with floors.
I’m currently restoring an old 60s model v hull. I’ve never really messed with boat repair, so it’s a learn as I go process, but I was definitely thinking about adding a deck and possibly some flooring. How did you do the flooring on yours?
I've got a 14 ft alum vhull to with a 25 hp Johnson I've had foat bottom as well I like the vhull better it takes rough water alot better and I agree flat floors make it so much better
Got a Lowe 1240. I haven’t touched my 12ft vhull since. Paired the lowe with a 9.9 Yamaha. Gets 28mph down river. Love that boat. Super controllable and super stable for fishing. I even added a plywood deck and a front mounted tiller trolling motor
I prefer 14' Jonboat for Gillnetting Chinook Salmon on River near the Mouth of Ocean. Right now have 14' G3 welded jonboat with 20 horse 4 stroke Nissan Prop. G3 sort of Heavy & sits deep in water. Few years ago had a 14' Lowe Flat bottom (Jonboat) Riveted with 15 horse 2 stroke mercury. Now this combo sleighed the Salmon. Sat low to water, turned on a dime with no problem getting on plane with half load fish/ice. each of these boats expected to hold plenty of Ice & a few Lg. coolers. when Salmon were running both boats maxed out around 40-50 (15-20 lb) Salmon before unloading & another load to follow. I am always cautious about waves/wake. The stability to operate with 1 person is exc. Main factor is stability to hold loads ice/salmon while safely walking front to back constantly. I enjoyed the Video & agree that ea. boat carries their own purpose.
V-hull for me just because I like to fish lakes and enjoy the rough water stability… Not hating on Jon boats, I just don’t have any experience with them, but I can see their shallow/river/pond water purpose! Face it, ALL Boats are great!! Fun video! Thanks!
The Jon boat tracking issue can be solved by adding a keel (of sorts). I ran a 13 foot Jon boat with a 35 HP Mercury on it. At first it was REALLY snaky in the water. I added an aluminum strip to the bottom (exactly the kind that was also found on the side of my boat to stiffen it), and that helped A BUNCH.
I know I've commented a lot, but this is a great topic lol. Width! You nailed it when you mentioned stability. That's what everyone really wants. Comfort. Efficiency. Don't buy a 32" Jon! Get at least a 48" (width)
you nailed it I had a wide bottom 12 foot carolina skiff that was Very stable think it had a 60 inch beam last year i bough a small jon thinking i would just transport it in my pick up bed after finding out how unstable it was i gave it away worst boat i ever had
My first boat was a 14 foot tracker Topper, I had a 1983 2 stroke 9.9hp Evinrude motor on the back. It was cool until the motor gave me problems, and it did terrible in rougher waters. We took on a lot of water one day on the river and that was the turning point for me. I prefer a bigger v-hulled boat. So I sold it and bought an 18 foot center console boat, repowered it with a new 2022 Suzuki 115hp 4 stroke outboard motor and I love it!
I have an-hull 16’ with 40 hp merc. I have encountered 3’ waves on my way home on the lake. The v-hull was the best boat in those circumstances. I have not seen a Jon boat style on our lake.
I have owned both along with many other ski, sail, pontoon, ... boats. For me I think in most situations the V hull is preferable. The draft difference is rarely going to be an issue and as you stated if you want a flat surface to walk on it is an easy/inexpensive modification. After that the benefits of better stability in rough waters and at speed are common issues. That said, flat bottoms are perfectly serviceable for many of the same situations. One place I preferred flat bottom, flat front boats was for pick up/safety boats during ski shows. They seemed a little more convenient for picking up dropped skis and downed skiers.
I'm Canadian. V-Hull for me due to their stability on big lakes when the conditions get ugly. I have a 14" Lund SSV, 20" transom, tiller steer with a 25 HP merc and a 5HP merc long shaft kicker. It's a great little rig and when it gets ugly I can still safely make it back to the launch.
My grandfather had a 14' or 16' V-hull Richline boat. He always said you can't beat a Richline. We buzzed around in the lake of the Ozarks quite often. I miss him and his boat.
The Whaler style with two hulls and v in the middle is a great compromise, it handles well in a little chop, not "slapping" as hard as a pure flat boat, and it lets you move around easier than a v-hull that loves to rock and shift every time you move from one end to the other. I have an 11 foot whaler and two full size adults can move around and stand up and I can blaze through 2 to 3 foot wind waves without slapping the bottom to hard. The fact that the whaler style is also foam filled and "unsinkable" makes me much more confident when things do get rough. For reference I use mine in the pacific ocean (a bay). So I don't want a boat that will go straight to the bottom if swamped by a rogue wave, which are out there waiting for us when we least expect them.
Growing up in the late 70's we had an 11' Boston Whaler. Loved it. I remember that I could pull up my 9 yr old sister to water ski - we had a 15 hp tiller style engine on it. I was 11. We did everything with that little boat, ski, fish, get to the beach across the bay, which could get pretty choppy sometimes. Now that we will be moving back to Florida after decades up north, I will be hunting for another one. Best all-around fun, easy and simple boat to have.
I'm from Florida and have only ever been on John boats. The flat bottoms and shallow water make it great for the rivers, creeks, and lakes. I moved to MN and saw the V hulls and fell in love a little. I lucked into one recently! 14 foot alumacraft - I'm glad to hear they have some benefits!
I have a 14 foot Lund V-hull with a 25hp Evinrude E-Tech engine. I use it primarily for fly fishing and I removed the plywood seats and built a flat deck (bow to stern) at the same elevation of those seats. I also made hatches for storage, and so we can sit exactly the way the manufacturer intended while under way, with our feet on the hull. When alone I can get it to plane off but with 2 men it won’t quite do it due to the extra weight of the deck BUT the deck is well worth the inconvenience as it makes an excellent (and very stable) platform for fishing.
@@elonmust7470 I don’t know much about boats and motors but for a 2 stroke, my engine doesn’t seem to tach out too high. Dealer says it’s normal so 🤷♂️
I was raised on deep V hull wooden boats. Graduated into semi deep V (3/4) aluminum hulls. The waters are the Puget Sound of Washington State. Though in the past few years I have purchased a sit on top fishing kayak. I use the aluminum (WW II era), for the rough salt waters, and the kayak for the ponds, lakes, etc. Though I have taken the kayak out on small craft warnings in the Sound. That all said.. this old skiff is 12 ft and drafts about 5 inches loaded down.
My dad built a flat bottomed Jon boat in our garage in 1971. He ordered a custom made 14 ft (?) single sheet of plywood for the bottom. Otherwise a relatively easy build (my dad having already built a v-bottom boat) Great in protected shallow waters, not so good in rough open water. That didn’t stop my brother from crossing the Mississippi Sound to Horn Island. But I sure as hell wouldn’t have!
Started with a 14 ft v hull as my first boat with a 25 hp and upgraded to a flat bottom smokercraft 1866 with a 90/65 jet. I mainly use mine for lakes and rivers but wouldn’t mind taking it in the salt in calmer waters
18 ft lowe tunnel bottom pump runs above the bottom, it is the ultimate shallow water log jumping design. Turning is a bit unpredictable but is the shallow water king. 18ft Lund Alaskan model, a very good rough water design and a staple for natives around the coast of Alaska. One lost in the Bering sea floated 400 miles south and found floating half full of water.
I solved the issue by owning both. The jonboat for small lakes and duck hunting, the v hull for big lake fishing and bay crabbing. Both are extra wide and that really helps. Beware the skinny 30 inch floor jonboat - very unstable. My 12 foot jonboat has a 40 inch bottom and with 2.5 hp motor and trailer for $3000.
Only boat I've ever owned is my Alumacraft 1232, purchased that over the 14' because it was small enough to fit in my shed. Fun little boat, but man wake is my enemy. I've only used it a few times with the little 6hp Mercury, but it scoots at 17 to 18mph with just me in it. I added launch wheels on the back transom that fold up when in the water, and fold down when ready to launch or retrieve. I haven't had to back my trailer down since I've done that, saves so much time being able to just literally pull up to the ramp and walk it out to my trailer!
I have own both flat and V-hull. I love my 2000 Smoker Craft 16ft Super Fisher V-hull with a Mercury 20hp long shaft outboard motor. I can get up to 24 mph on calm water alone in the boat. With 3 adults on board I average 21 mph. When alone my comfort speed is 21 - 19mph for the smoothest ride. I pull my 11yr and 12yr old kids on a 50ft rope and float at 19mph. The #1 factor I prefer V-hull over flat bottom is being able to cut through white capping rough open water on a windy day, 7 to 15mph gusting winds. I simply keep my speed at 9 - 11 mph and cross open rough waters to get to a side cove of calm water. The con of a V-hull, it's a bit of a side to side unstable. You have to keep center of gravity on your standing. Putting in a sub flooring will be a great improvement on standing stability by 70%. Major improvement. But over all V-hulls are a smooth ride at high speed. Great video, I enjoyed it.
Hi Wayne, the negatives of flat bottom boat or the Jon boat are very easy to overcome. Trim tabs can very easily erase all the negatives plus the bow rise will also lessen.
Just wanted to say thank you I’m not sure if I want a flat bottom or V haul but this video really helped me make my decision so again thank you for taking the time to make this video.
Had them both for a half century. When I was a kid I loved the flat for showing off and hopping. When I got older I like the smooth ride better with the V cutting through the waves.
Hi Wayne, I am fortunate enough to have one of each: a 1236 Jon boated rated for 10 hp and a 12 Princecraft seasprite also rated for 10 hp. I find that the vhull is better suited for larger lakes, while the Jon boat is great for small pothole lakes. I do find that you are seated higher in the v-hull and it is therefore more comfortable for longer days on the water. The seats on the Jon boats are lower. When I bring my portable seat, I find that the center of higher in the Jon boat and not as stable. I have an 8hp Johnson 2 stroke, a Yamaha 4 stroke 4 hp and a minnkota 55lb electric motor. I prefer the 8 hp on the v-hull, and the 4 hp on the Jon boat. I had a 1032 Jon before , but I found it too unstable, even with the 4 hp. Better off with the 12 ft Jon boat.
This was helpful, we have gone full time RV, we want to be able to bring a small boat with us for fishing wherever we are camping, so it has to be light enough for the two of us to lift up and place on racks on top of our truck, and my husband isn’t a strong swimmer so stability is a must have!
I have a 16ft (15' 11" if you wanna be a jerk about it) 1977 LoweLine Jonboat. With the 25hp yamaha on it, it will do about 40mph on smooth water with one person in it. It does not have any stability issues. Like mentioned though, it does not like large waves or a wake; the ride will get rough really quickly in rough waters in a flat bottom boat.
I have 1448 flat bottom with a floor I put in and can take out . Using on fresh water electric motors only. For tide water I have a semi v 16 ft, Great video for new person on the water.
I grew up with a wooden flat bottum boat and I still miss the sound of the waves slapping the wooden bottum. But today I have an aluminum flat bottum boat and I think I prefer the flat bottum over the Vhaul because of the stability it provides. I've owned many boats over the years, flat bottums, V hauls, Speed boat, two man bass boat, but the boat I had the most fun with was a 11' Snark sailboat. I live along the Ohio River which you would not think it would be ideal for a sailboat, but I had a blast with it. I know I am differant, But I like rowing a jon boat. It needed i will use a trolling motor, but I prefer rowing. It is just so relaxing it is hard to beat the pleasure ut provides.
I built a 10' flat bottom skiff with a rocker bottom . It is a copy of my uncle's 1930s old town skiff. It is extremely stable for only being 10'. It's rocker bottom front to back and keelson in the aft 1/4 makes it very stable and handles wonderful at speed. I have plans for both a 12' and 14' version of the same style boat. U do plan to build one of those sizes. That style is good for both rowing and power. The 10' version works well with 5hp i figure that i will use up to 10 hp on the 14' version. This is a planked hull skiff. Weigh-in at about150- 175 for the 10 ' version. The 14' version will be b 200 to 300 lbs, depending on the wood i choose to build it.
I have a 14’ 1970s V-hull with a modern 10hp engine. The boat is plenty wide and incredibly stable. I can stand right on the top of the bow. I definitely prefer the v-hull
The problems I’ve had with Jon boats has been the low weight weight rating. Seems to be about half of that of a V bottom for some reason. The 12 and 10 ft boats I’ve had had a rating of around 300 pounds. The other problem with Jon boats is they don’t like to go straight. They seem to require more attention when you’re trying to steer or row in a straight line. They get off coarse quickly.
I have a 16' fisher v bottom, with a Johnson J25 motor. When I got the boat there wasn't anything weight wise in the boat, it was fairly unstable, when moving around, or trading places with the person up front. Since then I've added around 120 pounds of weight (extra battery for added trolling motor, larger fuel tank, a couple of anchors etc) the extra weight has helped a lot with the stability.
I love my v hull have a deck that I put on top of the front seats I need to strip it soon though and redo the whole thing this winter. My wiring isn’t working to my electronics, only thing working is my trolling motor the little lake I like to visit is pretty busy on the weekend. But I can troll it in about 4-6 hours depending on if I’m catching fish anyways. Loved this video by the way
I have a 14'6" fiberglass V-hull boat that was made in Jacksonville FL called a Critchfield. The boat I have always wanted is a 13' Boston Whaler. It is kind of a tri-hull with a flat floor but foam was poured inbetween the two layers. It is truly unsinkable as you can sit in it and pull the drain plug and no water comes in. This 13' boat has a coast guard rating on the stamp plate of SIX people. I know of no other boat that small with a rating of 6 people
I have a Bass Hound 10.2 semi V front and flat in back plastic Jon boat, and a Bass Raider 10.2 that's kind of a flat bottom with a small foot wide and 4" depth channel in the middle making it like a faux pontoon type boat. I really like both of them, I run them on a bunch of different power sources including a couple different minn kota bow and rear mounts from 36-49 lbs of thrust, several marine deep cycles, and a JNC660 jump pack for a backup. I also have a solar canopy which is mounted to a large umbrella, It is for days when I use the trolling motor or my higher power 2hp electric boat motor, I'm also working on a hybrid motor that can use gas or electric Lynch (AGNI) high power DC motor which is rated for up to 12kw but I'm only running between 0-4kw as I only have a 100ah 12v lead acid and 33 ah of 48v lithium batteries. I will be able to run it on both, although 12v is only 1 kw output. The good part of being a hybrid is I can use the gas engine for propulsion and recharging the 48v battery simultaneously. The Yanmar hybrid engine for large boats uses the same exact motor. I also have a 5hp ducted fan power unit made with a 2 stroke snowblower engine that has a 22" tri blade pusher propeller, it's quite loud and unimpressive. Sometimes I use a 2 and 4 horse antique Johnson motors, or I have a couple 5hp Goodyear Sea Bees I use. In conclusion I love both jon boats equally and I always take both on every trip as there's 3 of us in my family, and we sometimes connect the boats-my 10 year old claims the Bass Raider
Have a 63 richline challenger mod v 14ft I got with a trailer for 500 bucks. Put a deck on the front and floor in the back with carpet. Put a 78 25hp johnson on it and absolutely love it. Been doing larger lakes, small lakes, and larger ponds with no issues. Going to try a few slow moving rivers this summer. Wife and I built it together and probably will never get rid of it
v-haul because they are rounded especially at the front tend to roll and if you not carful roll you out of the boat. flat bottom are more stable but if you are going at speed and it's copy or with some waves you will feel it more and if it's bad enough you might get bounced off the boat or you wish you were. your point is very much on point it depends on what type of waters and the type of boating your going to do.
I’ve been a kayaker for years and I’m really excited because I just bought my first V haul 14 foot boat with a trailer at only $300! I’m thinking about running two 30lb trolling motors…. Unless my mechanic can fire up the 1968 5.5 HP motor the lady threw in!
I have a 16' v bottom riveted John boat that old as sin but she has been the best most reliable boat I could ask for wether I'm running limb lines and catching beavers. That boat has taken me places my buddy's cant go with their flat bottom on a river or lake never had a problem with stability either
I've had a 1032 john, have a 1648 now and love it. Where I'm from a flat bottom less than 48 wide is a john, 48 plus is a river John, and a v front is called a mod-v. V hulls aren't as common where I live in ky. Most are larger for catfishing and carp harvesting. Lastly, we call v hulls, deep v's
The 1648 seems to be quite popular for obvious reasons. That terminology seems to align with a lot of the branding of the new boat models which can be confusing with so many slightly different styles but they all have their place! It seems there's much less variety when shopping older used boats.
I just finished restoring the outside of a 1965 Lone Star v hull and now I got to finish out the inside and finish my tune-up on the 65 6-hp Evinrude that sits on the back of it and I'm going to build out the inside it's a cool little boat
It depends on what you plan to do with it. I prefer flat bottom Jon Boats because they're more stable when standing. V-hulls are better in rough water and they give you a better ride without all of the slamming you get out of a flat bottom. You dont see very many V-hulls down here in Texas it's pretty much all flat bottoms.
I got a used plastic Coleman Crawdad 32 years ago it's an '86' came with a 30lb Minkota for $300, I also had a $300 Mazda pickup with a cap (wish I could find another truck like that), the boat just slipped right in perfectly. I also had a friend with a 1976 6HP Evinrude...he was doing nothing with it and paid $25 for it. I still have it, the boat not the motor, it is perfect for the lake I live on, very stable, standing in it is no problem, flies maybe 15 MPH possibly more skimming across the water. I have since replaced a couple trollimg motors and replaced the Evinrude with a 6 HP Merc 10 years ago, the 22 year old motor starts on the first pull every time. I have replaced the seats a couple of times. I have no desire to upgrade, got a bilge pump for when it rains as my boat is always in the water and installed lights.
3rd option - mini pontoon with pedal power!!! LOL no daily operating cost (just gas in the tow vehicle to launch it). Top grade ones are really pricey but for me SOOO worth it. Shallow cove here which is Kayak country and my back can't handle sitting down or getting into kayaks. Super stable mini pontoon works for me. Very shallow draft and incredibly stable. (Aquacycle) Again not cheap so if sticker shock will kill you, stay away! LOL
Just scored a '73 Gamefisher. A V hull fiberglass 12 footer. Sears called their jon, the "Jonfisher" by the way. Mine is rated for 14 hp. It came with a 15 hp Gamefisher (Merc), a 6hp Nissan and a 2hp Honda. Stoked!!!!
I bought a 14' tracker v hull just because I thought it was good deal! 🤣. It's an aluminum v hull. It's a 2010 model with a 2010 9.9 Honda outboard pull start. Paid just over 3k. I tried to be smart, and patient and do my research, but I felt it was a good deal lol. It's a riveted boat that's a little worn, but should have many years ahead. I wanted a vhull, but that being said, I would've bought the right flat bottom for my price range too 🤷♂️ 😂. I didn't wanna finance anything. I didn't have a ton saved up either. I really appreciate your channel. My guess is the only way I could really know is to experience both, but thankfully, I have found a kind gentleman (you) who has done just that, and is sharing the journey! Regardless, I feel we're all better off just getting on the water (safely) by whatever means necessary. Just happy to finally even own a boat lol. Thanks for clarifying the whole what is and isn't a Jon boat debate too.
Forgot to mention I'm converting it to a bass boat too. I don't just fish for bass, but I want the flat floors for stability! 👍 It's not been too difficult of a project either. There's actually several ways to add flooring that's safe and stable with little weight added. You can use wood, aluminum or coosa. just need the right materials and sealers for wood. Looking forward to seeing your future upgrades as well! One thing that's been great about this project for me is that it's not super expensive, since you can do it piece by piece. You don't have to buy all your materials at once, and by learning how to use rivets and possibly some other new tools and techniques is that if old boat ever does get a leaky rivet, you'll know just how to fix it and have what you need. I like how all the rivets are accessible too in the event that happens. Random thoughts... Thanks again!
Love my 12 foot flat bottom with 15hp Suzuki. Light and fast in smooth conditions and can be launched and access most water. If it's choppy, I stay home. Great for river use and can slide over logs etc.
I started with a 12ft jon and I now have a 10 as well, I also have a 14 v and a 12 Raddison square stern canoe. A 14 inflatable and 5 Kayaks..The addiction started around 5 years ago I am saving up So I am ready when I find my Lake home.
Thank u for the content. My wife and i are looking into purchasing a boat in the next few years so we are taking our time and doing our research and actually asking ourselves what we want out of the boat itself. Ty again
For bass fishing alone, I like a kayak on small lakes & stumpy bays. For walleye fishing on bigger lakes a wide Deep-V is great for trolling, or racing out to island or bays. Buy " used " to save money & learn how to maintain an outboard motor. Fish on !
My nephew had big 18foot flat bottom boat with a 100hp motor on it. While going wide open he hit wave just right and that boat went side ways skipping across the water and threw his dad out of the boat. Happened so fast he didnt really have time to react. If done correctly you can get those flat bottom boats slide sideways and can be abit of fun.
I have a 13’ Cadillac v hull boat it’s a 1956 love that thing it’s crazy stout it has 3 transom supports I run a evinrude 25 tiller on it it does 43 mph it’s an insane little thing to cruise in
So I actually have a few boats, ranging from my home, a Catalina 30, a 16' skiff, 12' skiff and a soft bottom inflatable. Both skiffs are pretty much of the same design and are of some what hybrid construction something between ply-on-frame and stitch and glue, with moderately flared sides, a flat rocker bottom with a moderate skeg starting roughly amidship and tappering up to 4" right before the transom, and an almost spoon bow. They both have 3 thwarts one in the bow one amidship and one aft. They aren't particularly fast when compared to another boat their size with the same power. But with a Tohatsu 25, on the ass and just me aboard they will both get up to about 20knots. What they won't do is get up and plane, unless I trim the outboard up to a silly degree bit then they are slower, with the outboard trimmed flat they ride almost like a classic lobster boat. Now a freind of mine is a Naval Architect, and be says its the rocker bottom sucking the hull down against the lift because of all types of math and stuff I don't understand. All I know is I only go a little slower than a similar sized aluminum job, but at similar speeds my ride is flatter, with less pounding, and I can corner MUCH better at speed. But I need marginally more water, and a little more HP to get the same speeds. I also seem to be a little less sensitive to weight.
The secondary stability of a V-hull is hard to beat. The trend now is for elevation above water surface, lot of bass boats and conversions are 80% deck that is close to or level with the gunwales. With that in mind, with weight higher up in the boat and you standing on top of that, any kind of rough water requires good stability from the user. If you have calmer and shallow waters though, a jon bass boat is incredibly efficient and comfy. Secondly, when doing additions and adding decking to a boat, a v-hull will naturally lend to good storage areas and larger areas to pour foam, but do require more accuracy and attention to detail. A jon boat is way easier and quicker to convert, most cases you can just add the deck right on top of the seats for bracing and be relatively good to go. It all just comes down to what you are trying to get out of the boat, there is no catch all smoking gun.
Wayne, I have both a 12' flat bottom jon boat and a 12 foot v hull, and use the flat bottom boat for super shallow tidal waters with hidden stumps etc.. The flat boat is very temperamental with a second person and needs a strong trolling motor or tiny outboard, weight sensitive and sort of dangerous in waves or wakes. I feel safer in the v hull overall, but the flat bottomed one is good for still shallow water fishing.
for fishing on ponds/smaller lakes without other boats i prefer a jon like the 1236 i have.. u could also go on larger water with a jon.. but then i would atleast go get a bigger boat.. at that point u cant carry the boat anymore and might aswell step up to a pe or polyester boat.. like a carolina skiff costs a bit more (or a whaler if u have big pockets).. but is also a lot safer on bigger lakes..
I have an 1872 jon boat with a 50hp motor. Yes, I can go very shallow & it is very stable when stopped. But it can get tossed around in the waves. I tried towing a tube & being a flat bottom was very evident. With 2 kids on the tube, it would sometimes pull the back of the boat around as I tried to turn.
As somebody who is in the market for buying their first small boat, this channel is absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much for posting content like this!
Same here
There are hybrid hulls as well. Look up how much the swells get on your local bodies of water before you pull the trigger😊
When I was a kid (12 years old) my friends and I built flat bottom boats made out marine play wood. About 8 ft long and a 5 hp engine. We raced them in the lake behind our homes. If you think they would leak, we seal them with paint, water sealer and brass screws. They were fun.
Damn, at 12 you must have been crafty, I built a 8 foot flat button v boat made out of regular plywood at 16 yrs old. I later extended it to 10 foot. You are correct they don't leak if made correct with sealer and good waterproof paint. One thing I remember I must have put a lot of brass screws in because my right wrist hurt for a month or so. LoL
@@doug3819 less serious in fact because it was in play wood !
I'm 12 and I also want to build a boat
My daughter is 13 and made an 8' boat out of plywood this past summer. They were known as seafleas or hydroplanes. She used a design out of popular mechanics from the '50s. However, the front half was not flat, and for the bending, she definitely needed my help (and both our ingenuity).
Should mention, sealed with waterproof glue, then seams were fibreglassed (which also required adult supervision).
My parents purchased a Lake home on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs AR in 1970. Our first boat was a 14ft flat bottom with a 1968 18hp Evinrude. I'm 65yrs old now and have owned everything from Cobalts to BAJA's and never have had as much fun as we had in the flat bottom.
im on the catfish capital of TX with a 14ft deep wide v with 1959 18 hp evinrude and purr's like a kitten...gotta love those OG MOTOR'S
14 foot cabin cruserr exist
In Australia we refer to the Jon boat as a punt and generally call the V-hull a dinghy. If they're made from aluminium, we call both styles a tinny. I've owned both punts and dinghies and I have found the v-nose punt to be the best fit for my needs, especially the ones where the V section extends about 1/3 of the hull length.
a tinny, I love it haha. You guys have the best names for stuff.
We call small vhull boats dinghys as well.
You should check out tinny racing. 😁@@collinmc90
Around here we call everyone who dont have a flatbottom a Dinghy!
Virtually all 'v-bottom' boats constructed since the 1940s have been hybrids - v hull in front, flat in back. A hybrid hull remains stable in wind or wake, efficiently cuts and planes, and is reasonably stable from standstill to high speeds (until it chines). I have lived offshore on Georgian Bay all my life (Lake Huron), and so all my boats are v-hulls, river canoes excepted.
Yeah, I don’t know as much about boats as I do fishing in general, but I bought an old 12’ Smoker Craft a few years ago and pretty quickly notice the same thing, wide and flat in the middle and stern, deep V in the bow. I love that I can drive off the floor I fabricated to fit the front half, and still climb back in over the rear gunnel. Put a mud motor on it a couple of years ago, and that opened up so many shallow water fishing opportunities. It’s early May and right now the panfish are heavy in the marshy shallows on few of my favorite lakes here in Michigan. Ya’ ain’t gonna get anywhere near these fish with a traditional outboard.
@@rogerharvey1698 I have that exact same boat. 12 ft Smokercraft, mines pre 1972 old lol. What mud motor kit/engine are you using? Does it get up to a decent speed?
seems to be a overstatement to say virtually all v hulls are hybrids. the V in the video was a semi v. you an tell by looking at the transom no v. I've had a few of the semi v style and several full v hulled boats. most runabouts are in full V configuration. i have a 18foot in full V hull, deep v in fact as well as my old lund which was a 16 foot 7 foot beam deep V. i have a couple friends that own jon style boats that are semi v. they will cut through the chop a little better than a flat bottom, (a tab bit better imo) nothing like a full v though.
@@drewp9112 That 'semi-v' you mention is one form of hybrid. I would include boats with a slight v at the transom as hybrids too. I can't recall seeing any mass produced full-v hulls since the 1940s.
@@1stcarpgroupcommissioner659 i regard a v hull as a hull that carries the v to the transom. my Tracker Targa V18 is imo a v hull boat. as was my old Lund v16 deep v. i dont know what would define those as hybrid they are not flat at the transom.
I had a 1448 Jon. Loved it. 9.9 hp and it flew in a smooth lake. Waves, it would beat you up bad. But all I do is fish small local lakes and it sneaks in to the shallows real well. Also, I've stood on a.seat, toes against the hull, and a like sized buddy doing the same. Both of us at about 250. And still had at least 12 inches of freeboard.
I have a 14 foot Jon Boat with the traditional square bow. I have a 9.9 Mercury outboard and a small trolling motor. I primarily use it for fishing. I absolutely love this boat. It has plenty of room, very stable, and is really fast with this motor! I don’t go out on rough days or huge lakes.
1954 14’ Alumacraft model F here, been in family since new. It’s what I call a semi-V, has V hull up front and flat going back. Put a nice floor in it and a 15hp Johnson, lots of fun opened up on a big lake! We love it, my family uses it weekly still. Great video!
How does that hull shape perform in shallow water? From what you describe, I have a very similar boat. 12ft smokercraft V in the front, flat in the back.
Any advice on how to get a floor down? Wouldn’t mind doing at least the mid section between the benches*
I Bought a 60' 14ft Alumacraft Model FD and i love it i have a 25hp johnson on it and it takes off handles wakes at speed really good.
@@74nova36 use foam sheets cut into strips to build the middle up, you can glue them together but not to the floor, and then marine plywood over leveled foam. Easy to remove on off to check for leaks /repairs.
Mini tug boat 21 moh 15 hp 16.6 mog 49 Mike rabge
Thank you for (hopefully) educating many small boaters with your correct definition of 'what is a Jon boat', (not spelled 'John' either). So many people, like you said, believe any small boat is a Jon boat which makes it very difficult to search for a true Jon boat on public classifieds. "Ignorance is bliss" so it's pointless to try to educate those who improperly label a v-hull as a Jon as they become very defensive of their lack of knowledge.
Everyone in Louisiana calls a flat bottom, Jon boat, a Bateau.
I have an old 12' v-bottom aluminum boat made in the '60s by sears. I use it mostly for fishing in a small lake. It's actually quite stable to stand in so long as I'm in the middle to back. I have heard that the flat bottom boats are more stable, but I just got what I could find and afford, and it still gets me out on the water! Thanks for all your videos Wayne! Love the channel!
Thank YOU for watching!!
What motor you run?
@@Evening120 30lb thrust minn kota electric
Flat bottoms are good if you like to do things near the bank and occasionally want to get out on the bank without getting your feet wet.
@@matthewcacace6804 You'd be surprised how well your rig would handle a Johnson 15!
I had a 12' flat bottom jon boat for about 10 happy years. wife and I used it for pond fishing and picnics - hibachi on the front seat. That was 30+ years ago. I just bought a 12' Lowe Sea Nymph V Hull with a Mercury 6 hp 4 stroke. I usually go boating alone so the stability is not a problem. Looking forward to many hours on the pond / lake / river.
One of the big advantages of a Jon boat is how well they row, and how effective they can be with smaller motors. I have a 14ft Jon boat with a sliding rowing seat, and it really skims across the water. That flat bottom also means they can get up on a plane with a very small outboard.
Having grown up using small v-bottom skiffs, I think they are the absolute best for any kind of rough water, but for bays and smaller lakes the flat bottom has a lot of advantages.
Also your comment about how Jon boats handle is spot on. Even with a 5 horse, my Jon boat needs careful handling at speed. The back end has no resistance to turning and it's really easy for the boat to slew over badly if you try to turn too quickly.
I was able to row a family owned 14' flat bottom Jon boat and it was unreal how fast that thing could go.
But is a 12 foot a better choice than a 14 foot? This video talks about the advantages of each size! ua-cam.com/video/QBFMBts5UTE/v-deo.html
And if you're in the market for a brand new boat/engine/trailer for under $5,000 - here's a few options that I have put together: ua-cam.com/video/SfJhaEXVKSQ/v-deo.html
Thank you sir for reading my comment love your channel!!!!
@@kennethwalsh5056 thank YOU!
I have a 12' Jon boat. the lakes I fish on are small (50-75 acres) and one has a restriction to electric motors. So for me a Jon boat with a 36lb trolling motor suits my needs just fine. Love your videos.
ektrc bayliñer best
I've owned both as well.
Ended up selling the Jon's and keeping the utility V's....
Jon's are typically cheaper and lighter weight but they have very shalloow freeboards and prefer very calm to no wind.
Utility Vs are more money and weigh heavier but deeper and can handle windier seas.
My opinion.
Flat bottoms provide more initial stability. Rounded hulls have more secondary stability. The rougher the conditions, the more you'll want secondary stability.
A soft chine boat with a weighted keel and raised stern is ideal for blue water. A 'steadying sail is used on some trawler hulls to good effect. Full and semi-displacement boats will usually be rounded/soft chine boats that don't 'slap' the water.
@@youdonthavetoreadthispost.5850 I imagine most people won't be out in blue water conditions in a Jon boat, and I'm not aware of a Jon boat with a weighted keel.
That being said, I'd hate to be on a flat bottomed trawler if any existed.
@@wisenber And you'd be right. Small dories do quite well however. The soft chine, deep draft hulls wouldn't work in Jon boat country either. That said, the only thing more stable is a twin hull cat.
@@youdonthavetoreadthispost.5850 Or a trimaran. Mine will float in four inches of water and sail in about 8 inches. My 19 ft trimaran isn't blue water by any stretch, but she manages 6 ft waves without complaining.
@@youdonthavetoreadthispost.5850 One thing about small dories is that they are quite twitchy when lighly loaded. Dories with a hard chine need a lot of weight to achieve that legendary stability they are known for.
I've owned several Jon Boats from 10 ft up to 14 ft. I usually do most of my boating on large lakes, so they pretty much beat me to death under power. My last three boats were V-hull boats. A 12 ft, a 14 ft and a 23 ft, powered with outboards from 3hp up to 115hp! All were more to my liking and a lot more comfortable under power. They worked great in waves and rough water like I find on big lakes. Four years ago I built a 12 foot, flat bottom, pointed boat. I call it a Fishing Skiff that I designed myself from pictures of various fishing boats I found on the internet. It has a good rocker, not much tumblehome and was rather unstable (similar to a canoe, which I've also owned two of) in the wind or on open water because of it's narrow width. So, I added two pontoons and now I can take it on big lakes. However, it only has an electric motor, so I don't travel very far or fast. Click my name if you want to see video of how I built it or see my first "Sea Trial."
Parker 2320 whales 235 cinqwset searay 230 sundacer
I bought a Tracker Topper 12w 2 years ago in March. I use to have a bass boat many years ago when I tournament fished. It was a 1960's model so that should tell you how many years ago it was. We moved from Kansas to Alabama (summer of 2021) and I have considered purchasing a bass boat within a couple years. A personal friend of mine, Richard Gene the Fishing Machine, told me the boat I have is all I need. I'm only a couple miles from the Tennessee River and many other smaller lakes than the size of the river.
I love my Tracker Topper and plan on upgrading a lot of things including my outboard and installing a floor and storage. I will be adding those videos to my channel when I do so.
Thanx for this video brother. I'll be checking out more from you in the future. Thanx for adding to use your PFD when you weren't using one. We all make mistakes when filming. I know I do each and every time.
Yeah be sure to record all your upgrade and improvement projects!
I have a 1971 12' mirrocraft v hul! You made it easy to choose between the two styles of small boats! I have a great time out on the water and enjoy my boat! Thanks!
This was very helpful. Took my new Suzuki 6 hp out on my 12 foot flat bottom boat yesterday and it was scary. I'm looking for a V hull for it now. Your video helped. Thank You
I had the Tracker Grizzly Jon boat the 1860 it’s discontinued. It was from 2016. Im six feet four big boy and i could stand on the absolute edge of the boat and that thing was so stable the other side never came out of the water my brother was on land to see for sure. He owns the boat now in Florida and fishes it in salt and fresh! A great boat!!! All welded heavy gauge aluminum!!
18 fot tuser exist
I have a 14.5 v-hull with a 30hp Merc. Good for the water I fish and for handling waves. I did deck it out with 2 flat floors , a front pitching deck and a rear casting deck. The flat floors make a big difference and reduce that side leaning when walking around. It feels safer with floors.
That thing must be pretty quick with a 30hp! I'm glad to hear the floors make it feel safer - that's what I hope to accomplish.
sçit ¹45 hybdé veßt boat 8 hoúrs 8 m0h 64 mioe eltrc rabge
I’m currently restoring an old 60s model v hull. I’ve never really messed with boat repair, so it’s a learn as I go process, but I was definitely thinking about adding a deck and possibly some flooring. How did you do the flooring on yours?
I've got a 14 ft alum vhull to with a 25 hp Johnson I've had foat bottom as well I like the vhull better it takes rough water alot better and I agree flat floors make it so much better
Scout 145 hybred best
Got a Lowe 1240. I haven’t touched my 12ft vhull since. Paired the lowe with a 9.9 Yamaha. Gets 28mph down river. Love that boat. Super controllable and super stable for fishing. I even added a plywood deck and a front mounted tiller trolling motor
Nice! From the web site, that one seems pretty wide, but they don't say how wide.
@@WayneTheBoatGuy If it's a 1240, it should be 40" wide across the bottom.
I prefer 14' Jonboat for Gillnetting Chinook Salmon on River near the Mouth of Ocean. Right now have 14' G3 welded jonboat with 20 horse 4 stroke Nissan Prop. G3 sort of Heavy & sits deep in water. Few years ago had a 14' Lowe Flat bottom (Jonboat) Riveted with 15 horse 2 stroke mercury. Now this combo sleighed the Salmon. Sat low to water, turned on a dime with no problem getting on plane with half load fish/ice. each of these boats expected to hold plenty of Ice & a few Lg. coolers. when Salmon were running both boats maxed out around 40-50 (15-20 lb) Salmon before unloading & another load to follow. I am always cautious about waves/wake. The stability to operate with 1 person is exc. Main factor is stability to hold loads ice/salmon while safely walking front to back constantly. I enjoyed the Video & agree that ea. boat carries their own purpose.
V-hull for me just because I like to fish lakes and enjoy the rough water stability… Not hating on Jon boats, I just don’t have any experience with them, but I can see their shallow/river/pond water purpose! Face it, ALL Boats are great!! Fun video! Thanks!
Thank you! You're right - all boats ARE great!
The Jon boat tracking issue can be solved by adding a keel (of sorts). I ran a 13 foot Jon boat with a 35 HP Mercury on it. At first it was REALLY snaky in the water. I added an aluminum strip to the bottom (exactly the kind that was also found on the side of my boat to stiffen it), and that helped A BUNCH.
Yes sir! My Keel is the Key. Lol
13 fiiit cabjnncrus r s exist
I know I've commented a lot, but this is a great topic lol. Width! You nailed it when you mentioned stability. That's what everyone really wants. Comfort. Efficiency. Don't buy a 32" Jon! Get at least a 48" (width)
you nailed it I had a wide bottom 12 foot carolina skiff that was Very stable think it had a 60 inch beam last year i bough a small jon thinking i would just transport it in my pick up bed after finding out how unstable it was i gave it away worst boat i ever had
@@larzhillbot1443 skiffs seem like great boats. Never been on one
My first boat was a 14 foot tracker Topper, I had a 1983 2 stroke 9.9hp Evinrude motor on the back. It was cool until the motor gave me problems, and it did terrible in rougher waters. We took on a lot of water one day on the river and that was the turning point for me. I prefer a bigger v-hulled boat. So I sold it and bought an 18 foot center console boat, repowered it with a new 2022 Suzuki 115hp 4 stroke outboard motor and I love it!
I have an-hull 16’ with 40 hp merc. I have encountered 3’ waves on my way home on the lake. The v-hull was the best boat in those circumstances. I have not seen a Jon boat style on our lake.
whaler 13 best
I reasonably bought a 3.3 meter inflatable (10ft) , so a flat bottom. Super light and super shallow, it makes my fishing days more enjoyable 😁🎣
I have owned both along with many other ski, sail, pontoon, ... boats. For me I think in most situations the V hull is preferable. The draft difference is rarely going to be an issue and as you stated if you want a flat surface to walk on it is an easy/inexpensive modification. After that the benefits of better stability in rough waters and at speed are common issues. That said, flat bottoms are perfectly serviceable for many of the same situations.
One place I preferred flat bottom, flat front boats was for pick up/safety boats during ski shows. They seemed a little more convenient for picking up dropped skis and downed skiers.
You bring up some great points!
I'm Canadian.
V-Hull for me due to their stability on big lakes when the conditions get ugly.
I have a 14" Lund SSV, 20" transom, tiller steer with a 25 HP merc and a 5HP merc long shaft kicker.
It's a great little rig and when it gets ugly I can still safely make it back to the launch.
New 5 hp propane outbard
My grandfather had a 14' or 16' V-hull Richline boat. He always said you can't beat a Richline. We buzzed around in the lake of the Ozarks quite often. I miss him and his boat.
Flat bottomed boats make your rockin world go round. 🎶
I read this in the song cadence.
The Whaler style with two hulls and v in the middle is a great compromise, it handles well in a little chop, not "slapping" as hard as a pure flat boat, and it lets you move around easier than a v-hull that loves to rock and shift every time you move from one end to the other. I have an 11 foot whaler and two full size adults can move around and stand up and I can blaze through 2 to 3 foot wind waves without slapping the bottom to hard. The fact that the whaler style is also foam filled and "unsinkable" makes me much more confident when things do get rough. For reference I use mine in the pacific ocean (a bay). So I don't want a boat that will go straight to the bottom if swamped by a rogue wave, which are out there waiting for us when we least expect them.
Just got a 13 ft 1970 whaler and it’s awesome! Just put a merc 15 hp 4 stroke on it. Would like to get a 40
Growing up in the late 70's we had an 11' Boston Whaler. Loved it. I remember that I could pull up my 9 yr old sister to water ski - we had a 15 hp tiller style engine on it. I was 11. We did everything with that little boat, ski, fish, get to the beach across the bay, which could get pretty choppy sometimes. Now that we will be moving back to Florida after decades up north, I will be hunting for another one. Best all-around fun, easy and simple boat to have.
Mini tug boat Sam e size
I'm from Florida and have only ever been on John boats. The flat bottoms and shallow water make it great for the rivers, creeks, and lakes. I moved to MN and saw the V hulls and fell in love a little. I lucked into one recently! 14 foot alumacraft - I'm glad to hear they have some benefits!
Nice!
v hulkà like yaghts capbin cryser best rliçw içrwan bamhas miamí tpo flïrad jeys
I have a 14 foot Lund V-hull with a 25hp Evinrude E-Tech engine. I use it primarily for fly fishing and I removed the plywood seats and built a flat deck (bow to stern) at the same elevation of those seats. I also made hatches for storage, and so we can sit exactly the way the manufacturer intended while under way, with our feet on the hull. When alone I can get it to plane off but with 2 men it won’t quite do it due to the extra weight of the deck BUT the deck is well worth the inconvenience as it makes an excellent (and very stable) platform for fishing.
That's crazy my 13' Duranautic V / Johnson Sea Horse 15 will get on plane with 800lbs of men & gear. Blows my mind.
@@elonmust7470 I don’t know much about boats and motors but for a 2 stroke, my engine doesn’t seem to tach out too high. Dealer says it’s normal so 🤷♂️
I was raised on deep V hull wooden boats. Graduated into semi deep V (3/4) aluminum hulls. The waters are the Puget Sound of Washington State.
Though in the past few years I have purchased a sit on top fishing kayak.
I use the aluminum (WW II era), for the rough salt waters, and the kayak for the ponds, lakes, etc. Though I have taken the kayak out on small craft warnings in the Sound.
That all said.. this old skiff is 12 ft and drafts about 5 inches loaded down.
My dad built a flat bottomed Jon boat in our garage in 1971. He ordered a custom made 14 ft (?) single sheet of plywood for the bottom. Otherwise a relatively easy build (my dad having already built a v-bottom boat)
Great in protected shallow waters, not so good in rough open water.
That didn’t stop my brother from crossing the Mississippi Sound to Horn Island. But I sure as hell wouldn’t have!
Started with a 14 ft v hull as my first boat with a 25 hp and upgraded to a flat bottom smokercraft 1866 with a 90/65 jet. I mainly use mine for lakes and rivers but wouldn’t mind taking it in the salt in calmer waters
Ive got a tracker jon boat with a 30hp on it and its alot of fun to drive and also fish with.... its pretty quick 35mph.
18 ft lowe tunnel bottom pump runs above the bottom, it is the ultimate shallow water log jumping design. Turning is a bit unpredictable but is the shallow water king. 18ft Lund Alaskan model, a very good rough water design and a staple for natives around the coast of Alaska. One lost in the Bering sea floated 400 miles south and found floating half full of water.
I solved the issue by owning both. The jonboat for small lakes and duck hunting, the v hull for big lake fishing and bay crabbing. Both are extra wide and that really helps. Beware the skinny 30 inch floor jonboat - very unstable. My 12 foot jonboat has a 40 inch bottom and with 2.5 hp motor and trailer for $3000.
Only boat I've ever owned is my Alumacraft 1232, purchased that over the 14' because it was small enough to fit in my shed. Fun little boat, but man wake is my enemy. I've only used it a few times with the little 6hp Mercury, but it scoots at 17 to 18mph with just me in it. I added launch wheels on the back transom that fold up when in the water, and fold down when ready to launch or retrieve. I haven't had to back my trailer down since I've done that, saves so much time being able to just literally pull up to the ramp and walk it out to my trailer!
I have own both flat and V-hull. I love my 2000 Smoker Craft 16ft Super Fisher V-hull with a Mercury 20hp long shaft outboard motor. I can get up to 24 mph on calm water alone in the boat. With 3 adults on board I average 21 mph. When alone my comfort speed is 21 - 19mph for the smoothest ride. I pull my 11yr and 12yr old kids on a 50ft rope and float at 19mph. The #1 factor I prefer V-hull over flat bottom is being able to cut through white capping rough open water on a windy day, 7 to 15mph gusting winds. I simply keep my speed at 9 - 11 mph and cross open rough waters to get to a side cove of calm water. The con of a V-hull, it's a bit of a side to side unstable. You have to keep center of gravity on your standing. Putting in a sub flooring will be a great improvement on standing stability by 70%. Major improvement. But over all V-hulls are a smooth ride at high speed. Great video, I enjoyed it.
Hi Wayne, the negatives of flat bottom boat or the Jon boat are very easy to overcome. Trim tabs can very easily erase all the negatives plus the bow rise will also lessen.
I just Got a V hull. Been modding it, put in a floor and some paint. cant wait to test it out
I boated in on Inland Bays and I boated for years on a 12ft boat with V in the front but flat in the aft half. It gave the pros of both types.
Just wanted to say thank you I’m not sure if I want a flat bottom or V haul but this video really helped me make my decision so again thank you for taking the time to make this video.
Had them both for a half century. When I was a kid I loved the flat for showing off and hopping. When I got older I like the smooth ride better with the V cutting through the waves.
I do miss my flat with a 50 hp. It was an animal…that I couldn’t control very well. I would pass bass boats with 175 hp motors all day long!
Hi Wayne, I am fortunate enough to have one of each: a 1236 Jon boated rated for 10 hp and a 12 Princecraft seasprite also rated for 10 hp. I find that the vhull is better suited for larger lakes, while the Jon boat is great for small pothole lakes. I do find that you are seated higher in the v-hull and it is therefore more comfortable for longer days on the water. The seats on the Jon boats are lower. When I bring my portable seat, I find that the center of higher in the Jon boat and not as stable. I have an 8hp Johnson 2 stroke, a Yamaha 4 stroke 4 hp and a minnkota 55lb electric motor. I prefer the 8 hp on the v-hull, and the 4 hp on the Jon boat. I had a 1032 Jon before , but I found it too unstable, even with the 4 hp. Better off with the 12 ft Jon boat.
This was helpful, we have gone full time RV, we want to be able to bring a small boat with us for fishing wherever we are camping, so it has to be light enough for the two of us to lift up and place on racks on top of our truck, and my husband isn’t a strong swimmer so stability is a must have!
Invest in a life jacket for your husband. They're like $15-$30.
I have a 16ft (15' 11" if you wanna be a jerk about it) 1977 LoweLine Jonboat. With the 25hp yamaha on it, it will do about 40mph on smooth water with one person in it. It does not have any stability issues. Like mentioned though, it does not like large waves or a wake; the ride will get rough really quickly in rough waters in a flat bottom boat.
I have 1448 flat bottom with a floor I put in and can take out . Using on fresh water electric motors only. For tide water I have a semi v 16 ft, Great video for new person on the water.
thanks for the explanation. I m working for my first fishing boat , and its flat hull , because its more easy to build.
I have a 14' fiberglass flatbottom boat, and a 14' V Hull. And love them both
I grew up with a wooden flat bottum boat and I still miss the sound of the waves slapping the wooden bottum. But today I have an aluminum flat bottum boat and I think I prefer the flat bottum over the Vhaul because of the stability it provides. I've owned many boats over the years, flat bottums, V hauls, Speed boat, two man bass boat, but the boat I had the most fun with was a 11' Snark sailboat. I live along the Ohio River which you would not think it would be ideal for a sailboat, but I had a blast with it. I know I am differant, But I like rowing a jon boat. It needed i will use a trolling motor, but I prefer rowing. It is just so relaxing it is hard to beat the pleasure ut provides.
I grew up in little Bay Jamaica and we had were v Hull cotton wooden canoes so you're so right😊
I built a 10' flat bottom skiff with a rocker bottom . It is a copy of my uncle's 1930s old town skiff. It is extremely stable for only being 10'. It's rocker bottom front to back and keelson in the aft 1/4 makes it very stable and handles wonderful at speed. I have plans for both a 12' and 14' version of the same style boat. U do plan to build one of those sizes. That style is good for both rowing and power. The 10' version works well with 5hp i figure that i will use up to 10 hp on the 14' version. This is a planked hull skiff. Weigh-in at about150- 175 for the 10 ' version. The 14' version will be b 200 to 300 lbs, depending on the wood i choose to build it.
I have a 14’ 1970s V-hull with a modern 10hp engine. The boat is plenty wide and incredibly stable. I can stand right on the top of the bow. I definitely prefer the v-hull
That's a nice combination!
My favorite is a small pontoon boat. Very stable and easy to get on and off. Thanks for sharing.
Yes they do have some real advantages
The problems I’ve had with Jon boats has been the low weight weight rating. Seems to be about half of that of a V bottom for some reason. The 12 and 10 ft boats I’ve had had a rating of around 300 pounds. The other problem with Jon boats is they don’t like to go straight. They seem to require more attention when you’re trying to steer or row in a straight line. They get off coarse quickly.
I had a 12 ft porta bote for years . Fish Strawberry reservoir in Utah. Wonderful memories. Highly recommend. Plan to get a 14ft.
I've seen those Porta-Botes! They are pretty cool especially for people who don't have a place to store a boat.
@@WayneTheBoatGuy they are very stable as well
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I have a 16' fisher v bottom, with a Johnson J25 motor. When I got the boat there wasn't anything weight wise in the boat, it was fairly unstable, when moving around, or trading places with the person up front. Since then I've added around 120 pounds of weight (extra battery for added trolling motor, larger fuel tank, a couple of anchors etc) the extra weight has helped a lot with the stability.
That does seem to help!
I love my v hull have a deck that I put on top of the front seats I need to strip it soon though and redo the whole thing this winter. My wiring isn’t working to my electronics, only thing working is my trolling motor the little lake I like to visit is pretty busy on the weekend. But I can troll it in about 4-6 hours depending on if I’m catching fish anyways. Loved this video by the way
1967 12' wards sea king v hull It has a 7.5 Evinrude engine plenty of power for rivers and lakes where I fish I love it.
sweet setup!
I have a 14'6" fiberglass V-hull boat that was made in Jacksonville FL called a Critchfield. The boat I have always wanted is a 13' Boston Whaler. It is kind of a tri-hull with a flat floor but foam was poured inbetween the two layers. It is truly unsinkable as you can sit in it and pull the drain plug and no water comes in. This 13' boat has a coast guard rating on the stamp plate of SIX people. I know of no other boat that small with a rating of 6 people
Small cabinncruse very cheap
I have a Bass Hound 10.2 semi V front and flat in back plastic Jon boat, and a Bass Raider 10.2 that's kind of a flat bottom with a small foot wide and 4" depth channel in the middle making it like a faux pontoon type boat. I really like both of them, I run them on a bunch of different power sources including a couple different minn kota bow and rear mounts from 36-49 lbs of thrust, several marine deep cycles, and a JNC660 jump pack for a backup. I also have a solar canopy which is mounted to a large umbrella, It is for days when I use the trolling motor or my higher power 2hp electric boat motor, I'm also working on a hybrid motor that can use gas or electric Lynch (AGNI) high power DC motor which is rated for up to 12kw but I'm only running between 0-4kw as I only have a 100ah 12v lead acid and 33 ah of 48v lithium batteries. I will be able to run it on both, although 12v is only 1 kw output.
The good part of being a hybrid is I can use the gas engine for propulsion and recharging the 48v battery simultaneously. The Yanmar hybrid engine for large boats uses the same exact motor. I also have a 5hp ducted fan power unit made with a 2 stroke snowblower engine that has a 22" tri blade pusher propeller, it's quite loud and unimpressive. Sometimes I use a 2 and 4 horse antique Johnson motors, or I have a couple 5hp Goodyear Sea Bees I use. In conclusion I love both jon boats equally and I always take both on every trip as there's 3 of us in my family, and we sometimes connect the boats-my 10 year old claims the Bass Raider
Have a 63 richline challenger mod v 14ft I got with a trailer for 500 bucks. Put a deck on the front and floor in the back with carpet. Put a 78 25hp johnson on it and absolutely love it. Been doing larger lakes, small lakes, and larger ponds with no issues. Going to try a few slow moving rivers this summer. Wife and I built it together and probably will never get rid of it
That's awesome and a great price!
v-haul because they are rounded especially at the front tend to roll and if you not carful roll you out of the boat. flat bottom are more stable but if you are going at speed and it's copy or with some waves you will feel it more and if it's bad enough you might get bounced off the boat or you wish you were. your point is very much on point it depends on what type of waters and the type of boating your going to do.
I’ve been a kayaker for years and I’m really excited because I just bought my first V haul 14 foot boat with a trailer at only $300! I’m thinking about running two 30lb trolling motors…. Unless my mechanic can fire up the 1968 5.5 HP motor the lady threw in!
That's a great price!!
14’ v hull. Great boat. Handles great. Hardly any concern with waves/wake
In my area we would call the aluminum v bottom a lake V used in lakes and John boat is flat and for rivers and ponds.
Had both and enjoy all boats.
I have a 16' v bottom riveted John boat that old as sin but she has been the best most reliable boat I could ask for wether I'm running limb lines and catching beavers. That boat has taken me places my buddy's cant go with their flat bottom on a river or lake never had a problem with stability either
I've had a 1032 john, have a 1648 now and love it. Where I'm from a flat bottom less than 48 wide is a john, 48 plus is a river John, and a v front is called a mod-v. V hulls aren't as common where I live in ky. Most are larger for catfishing and carp harvesting. Lastly, we call v hulls, deep v's
The 1648 seems to be quite popular for obvious reasons. That terminology seems to align with a lot of the branding of the new boat models which can be confusing with so many slightly different styles but they all have their place! It seems there's much less variety when shopping older used boats.
I have a 16’ crest liner AMF ‘77 v hull. I love it. It’s seen some very rough conditions and still remained floating.
I went with a flat bottom. Stability and shallow draft are key for fishing and duck hunting in the coves and inlets of lakes here in Texas.
Nice!
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I just finished restoring the outside of a 1965 Lone Star v hull and now I got to finish out the inside and finish my tune-up on the 65 6-hp Evinrude that sits on the back of it and I'm going to build out the inside it's a cool little boat
It depends on what you plan to do with it.
I prefer flat bottom Jon Boats because they're more stable when standing. V-hulls are better in rough water and they give you a better ride without all of the slamming you get out of a flat bottom.
You dont see very many V-hulls down here in Texas it's pretty much all flat bottoms.
I got a used plastic Coleman Crawdad 32 years ago it's an '86' came with a 30lb Minkota for $300, I also had a $300 Mazda pickup with a cap (wish I could find another truck like that), the boat just slipped right in perfectly. I also had a friend with a 1976 6HP Evinrude...he was doing nothing with it and paid $25 for it. I still have it, the boat not the motor, it is perfect for the lake I live on, very stable, standing in it is no problem, flies maybe 15 MPH possibly more skimming across the water. I have since replaced a couple trollimg motors and replaced the Evinrude with a 6 HP Merc 10 years ago, the 22 year old motor starts on the first pull every time. I have replaced the seats a couple of times. I have no desire to upgrade, got a bilge pump for when it rains as my boat is always in the water and installed lights.
That's awesome - thanks for sharing!
3rd option - mini pontoon with pedal power!!! LOL no daily operating cost (just gas in the tow vehicle to launch it). Top grade ones are really pricey but for me SOOO worth it. Shallow cove here which is Kayak country and my back can't handle sitting down or getting into kayaks. Super stable mini pontoon works for me. Very shallow draft and incredibly stable. (Aquacycle) Again not cheap so if sticker shock will kill you, stay away! LOL
Just scored a '73 Gamefisher. A V hull fiberglass 12 footer. Sears called their jon, the "Jonfisher" by the way. Mine is rated for 14 hp. It came with a 15 hp Gamefisher (Merc), a 6hp Nissan and a 2hp Honda. Stoked!!!!
Wow 3 motors with the deal - NICE!
Love the way you present your video with a good dollop of humour: great 👍 stuff. Very entertaining. Thanks
Cracking video Wayne... really enjoyed this.
I bought a 14' tracker v hull just because I thought it was good deal! 🤣. It's an aluminum v hull. It's a 2010 model with a 2010 9.9 Honda outboard pull start. Paid just over 3k. I tried to be smart, and patient and do my research, but I felt it was a good deal lol. It's a riveted boat that's a little worn, but should have many years ahead. I wanted a vhull, but that being said, I would've bought the right flat bottom for my price range too 🤷♂️ 😂. I didn't wanna finance anything. I didn't have a ton saved up either. I really appreciate your channel. My guess is the only way I could really know is to experience both, but thankfully, I have found a kind gentleman (you) who has done just that, and is sharing the journey! Regardless, I feel we're all better off just getting on the water (safely) by whatever means necessary. Just happy to finally even own a boat lol. Thanks for clarifying the whole what is and isn't a Jon boat debate too.
Forgot to mention I'm converting it to a bass boat too. I don't just fish for bass, but I want the flat floors for stability! 👍 It's not been too difficult of a project either. There's actually several ways to add flooring that's safe and stable with little weight added. You can use wood, aluminum or coosa. just need the right materials and sealers for wood. Looking forward to seeing your future upgrades as well! One thing that's been great about this project for me is that it's not super expensive, since you can do it piece by piece. You don't have to buy all your materials at once, and by learning how to use rivets and possibly some other new tools and techniques is that if old boat ever does get a leaky rivet, you'll know just how to fix it and have what you need. I like how all the rivets are accessible too in the event that happens. Random thoughts... Thanks again!
About $3k for a 2010 14 ft with a 9.9 isn't a bad deal these days!
Your videos are funny and wholesome, my daughter and I enjoy watching. Thanks for sharing!
Love my 12 foot flat bottom with 15hp Suzuki. Light and fast in smooth conditions and can be launched and access most water. If it's choppy, I stay home. Great for river use and can slide over logs etc.
"can slide over logs" - great point!
Norm McDonald knows more about boats than I expected.
I got a 2023 1436 flat bottom and a 2013 1648 flat bottom I take out to the artificial reefs out of South Port, N.C. love them both
I have a 12' john V-hull, just recently put a small deck up in the bow of the boat too!
Hey! Just found these videos! Love them! I just bought my first boat...a 1989 Grumman 14' V-Bass Boat...thank you!
I started with a 12ft jon and I now have a 10 as well, I also have a 14 v and a 12 Raddison square stern canoe. A 14 inflatable and 5 Kayaks..The addiction started around 5 years ago I am saving up So I am ready when I find my Lake home.
Thank u for the content. My wife and i are looking into purchasing a boat in the next few years so we are taking our time and doing our research and actually asking ourselves what we want out of the boat itself. Ty again
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For bass fishing alone, I like a kayak on small lakes & stumpy bays.
For walleye fishing on bigger lakes a wide Deep-V is great for trolling, or racing out to island or bays.
Buy " used " to save money & learn how to maintain an outboard motor.
Fish on !
My nephew had big 18foot flat bottom boat with a 100hp motor on it. While going wide open he hit wave just right and that boat went side ways skipping across the water and threw his dad out of the boat. Happened so fast he didnt really have time to react. If done correctly you can get those flat bottom boats slide sideways and can be abit of fun.
I have a 13’ Cadillac v hull boat it’s a 1956 love that thing it’s crazy stout it has 3 transom supports I run a evinrude 25 tiller on it it does 43 mph it’s an insane little thing to cruise in
I couldn't imagine going that fast in a 13 foot boat!
So I actually have a few boats, ranging from my home, a Catalina 30, a 16' skiff, 12' skiff and a soft bottom inflatable.
Both skiffs are pretty much of the same design and are of some what hybrid construction something between ply-on-frame and stitch and glue, with moderately flared sides, a flat rocker bottom with a moderate skeg starting roughly amidship and tappering up to 4" right before the transom, and an almost spoon bow. They both have 3 thwarts one in the bow one amidship and one aft.
They aren't particularly fast when compared to another boat their size with the same power. But with a Tohatsu 25, on the ass and just me aboard they will both get up to about 20knots. What they won't do is get up and plane, unless I trim the outboard up to a silly degree bit then they are slower, with the outboard trimmed flat they ride almost like a classic lobster boat.
Now a freind of mine is a Naval Architect, and be says its the rocker bottom sucking the hull down against the lift because of all types of math and stuff I don't understand. All I know is I only go a little slower than a similar sized aluminum job, but at similar speeds my ride is flatter, with less pounding, and I can corner MUCH better at speed. But I need marginally more water, and a little more HP to get the same speeds. I also seem to be a little less sensitive to weight.
The secondary stability of a V-hull is hard to beat. The trend now is for elevation above water surface, lot of bass boats and conversions are 80% deck that is close to or level with the gunwales. With that in mind, with weight higher up in the boat and you standing on top of that, any kind of rough water requires good stability from the user. If you have calmer and shallow waters though, a jon bass boat is incredibly efficient and comfy.
Secondly, when doing additions and adding decking to a boat, a v-hull will naturally lend to good storage areas and larger areas to pour foam, but do require more accuracy and attention to detail. A jon boat is way easier and quicker to convert, most cases you can just add the deck right on top of the seats for bracing and be relatively good to go. It all just comes down to what you are trying to get out of the boat, there is no catch all smoking gun.
The cost of a Jon is hard to beat a v doesn’t come close
Wayne, I have both a 12' flat bottom jon boat and a 12 foot v hull, and use the flat bottom boat for super shallow tidal waters with hidden stumps etc.. The flat boat is very temperamental with a second person and needs a strong trolling motor or tiny outboard, weight sensitive and sort of dangerous in waves or wakes. I feel safer in the v hull overall, but the flat bottomed one is good for still shallow water fishing.
for fishing on ponds/smaller lakes without other boats i prefer a jon like the 1236 i have.. u could also go on larger water with a jon.. but then i would atleast go get a bigger boat.. at that point u cant carry the boat anymore and might aswell step up to a pe or polyester boat.. like a carolina skiff costs a bit more (or a whaler if u have big pockets).. but is also a lot safer on bigger lakes..
love my flat bottom john boat. got a 25 horse big twin johnson on it, definitely pay attention when ur on the throttle lol
I have an 1872 jon boat with a 50hp motor. Yes, I can go very shallow & it is very stable when stopped. But it can get tossed around in the waves. I tried towing a tube & being a flat bottom was very evident. With 2 kids on the tube, it would sometimes pull the back of the boat around as I tried to turn.
Parker 1801 90 hp