Looking for some info about the pros and cons of jon boats for trapping . I have always used v - hulls for all my trapping but have always liked the design of a jon boat. I would like to know how they handle weight, waves and anything else you can tell me.

Flat bottoms are tough in waves. It can get pretty scary if you're getting swells 2-3 feet. The semi-Vee is nice er in that situation. You can get a combination with a semi-vee front end and the rest flat. What kind of water you trapping on ?

Make sure sides are deep enough to hold it ALL

I am on a lot a small lakes and ponds but one river that is 12 miles long has a lot of current.

Well the problem arises when the wind is blowing against the current. It'll really pile up the water. If the lakes are small it probably won't be an issue.

This is what I use to travel around. It's 24 feet flat bottomed. Its a 300 mile run to my trapline on three different rivers. Two of them are good sized. If the wind is blowing wrong, I stay off the river.

Nice looking rig . A little big for my needs though I was thinking more along the lines of a 16 footer.

Mr. White 17 has said it all about the flat bottoms. That is all I have ever run as I use mine for hoop nets, throw lines, yoyo's and trapping. It is rough as a cob in the heavy waves.

Here is mine when it was new. I had it custom built for my needs. I also built the trailer myself. The trailer has a 5' tounge on it. It makes it easier to back up and launch in shallow water.

I use a 14ft PolarKraft semi V john boat for all my trapping needs it handles the rough well and it is big enough to easily hold 15 dozen traps. I stay off the bay if it is rough but it rides pretty nice in small chop. White 17 that is a long boat, I bet the wind blows it around something terrible.

With the john boat the main thing I found was to be careful when walking around the outside edge, they do tip in the direction of the weight....Tom

a couple things to consider in the flat bottom vs. V-hull debate, I have owned both.

-Flat bottom boats have a shallower draft, this can be important if you are in a creek that can go from deep to shallow and has lots of shoals.

-Flat bottom boats are more stable when the boat is still, V-Hull boats are more stable when moving.

I've run jon boats for close to 40 years. Big ones little ones. Everything mentioned above holds true about jon boats.

I run the big river here with an 18' jon coupled to a 35 hp Go Devil. Nice rig. Plenty of get up and go with the motor.

However, for smaller rivers and marsh situations, I've finally settled on this rig:


It's a 14 ft V-bow Lowe, though Alumacraft makes something very similar. On the back is a 9 hp Honda Go Devil. Very rowable. Very pullable through weeds and shallow water. And the 9 hp has enough guts to plane this rig upstream when loaded down with 'coon in the front end and gear.

Note the spotlight on the bow. I've got it mounted right above the running lights. It's actually a tractor beam from Farm & Fleet. Electrics are run back through 1/2" pvc glued to the inside hull back to the transom where I've got switches for running lights and spotlight separate. The spotlight has a carriage bolt running through it, and this can be inserted into a hole I drilled in the bow plate with a lock washer and wingnut. That way it can be removed when not needed. I've got an outlet bolted underneath the front seat to plug into.

Also makes a dandy duck hunting rig.

Take a look at the back of the transom. I've got two U-brackets bolted/glued on either side that take a pair of 12" wheels. The wheels can be locked down so you can pick up the bow and pull it across a boat landing if the landing is full of fools trying to launch/pull out at the same time. Then they can be swung up and locked in place when you're in the water or on the trailer.

A real advantage of the V-bow over the jon boat front end is the ability to load up the front end with weight and not have to worry about burying it in a wave or shipping water over the front end when shifting weight.

Also, when motoring at night, when I run most my lines, I can careem off a log or snag with the V-bow, where with a flat nose jon boat I used to come to a sudden halt when smacking anything in front.

Here's a pic of a place we camp at. Sweet spot bigtime. Shallow water, but this rig floats right over the sand.


Best bet is to find someone close that will allow you to ride along and get the feel of it that way. Anyone in this area is more than welcome to contact me for a ride this summer.

I'll also plug Ron Paul's Go Devil dealership in Fox Lake for being an upfront guy here in Wisconsin for making sure you're getting what you want and also does well with trade-ins.

By the way, I've been running Go Devils since '87.

For a jon boat don't go smaller than 14' and 36" wide across the bottom. You'll be just as well off with a canoe if you go narrower than that.

I inherrited my grandads river boat, a 14' ouachita 32" across the bottom, and it was very tippy. It was great for small rivers and experienced limb liners, but not great for comfort or general lake fishing. Went to a 16', 36" bottom and it was much more stable for me.

Still have the 16' and a 9.9 Johhnson, the best starting outboard motor ever made, imo.

Not really. It's usually loaded too heavily to be pushed around by the wind. In the picture above I have around 1200 pounds in the boat once wife and I are in and ready to go.

Thanks guys you have been a big help appreciate it.