Looking for boat advice

[BigIrv]

Okay, I have a 12' fibreglass tri-hull boat. It is too heavy for me to move
around by myself. I want to get something lighter (and maybe shorter) to use for small lakes.

Do I go with a 12' aluminum v-hull?
or
Do I go with a 10 or 12' jon boat?

I have never used a jon boat before, but they look much easier to
slide in and out of the box of a pickup and some of the 10' are less than 100 lbs.

Going to propel the boat either by trolling motor or by oars.

Thoughts, opinions, experiences?

Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks guys!

[jusfloatin]

10' Jon-boats are a 1 man boat and match that up with a 36lbs Minnkota and you have yourself probably the best pond boat around.

12' Jon-boats are more of a two man but even then they are tippy.

Deep-V boats generaly have wider bottoms which make them less tippy but much heavyier than the Jon-boats

Depends what you needs are.

If it just you get yourself a 1036 Jon they weigh less than 80lbs. As a side note the older the Jon-boat the better the quality.

Here is a picture of one I just sold.

[floppychicken]

...that I'd buy EITHER of those boats. I'd invest in a INFLATABLE from 'Boatstogo', RubberDuck or one of those vendors....

Those boats are good in everything from calm still waters to 5 foot rollers and they DO NOT TIP. Also, you put a 40 - 50 lb MinnKOTA or similar on their and you'll leave little WAKES behind you! Very little resistance with those things. You want to put an engine on? Things things will take a 25hp OB no PROBLEM.

$1300.00 Bucks will ship a 12' footer RIGHT to your door, complete with 'FLOOR' Re-Inforced Transom, 18" Tubes, Full Strake, 1100 Denier, 2 Oars, Eyes, 3+1 Chamber, Stainless D-Rings, Pump, etc, etc...

Best of all, these boats are SWEEET on the RIVERS such as the NSR, RED DEER or BOW.... The 50lb MINNKOTA will get you into the pools and allow you to get into the back eddy's for some GREAT fishing!!

I'd go inflatable.

Cheers,

/J...

[HunterDave]

When I was fishing the back lakes of Algonquin Park I used a canoe and it worked just great. The canoe really scooted with a good trolling motor if I took it. For the lakes that I could drive within 300 yards of I had a 12' aluminum boat that I'd drag in. Sometimes I'd have to make 2 trips to go back for the 9.9 motor and gas can but it was all worth it if you had a whole lake to yourself.

[Kim473]

Check wholesale sports got a plastic john boat there $700 I think

[BigIrv]

Thanks for the input. It says jon boats are supposed to be more stable on calm water. Is this true?

Anyone have any experience with inflatables like Zodiacs?

[jusfloatin]

Thanks for the input. It says jon boats are supposed to be more stable on calm water. Is this true?

Anyone have any experience with inflatables like Zodiacs?



Jon-boats can be very stable when they have a wide bottom if not they have a tendency to be very tippy.
Most 10' and 12' Jon-boats are 36"wide at the bottom.

[tonyflyfish]

i have a 12 jon boat by lowe. i love it. it is not tippy at all. i also use a pontoon and a 14' clipper canoe-the jon is my favorite.

[KyleM]

Ive been down pretty much every route now, the latest being a jon.
None have been what I wanted out of them. Was extremely dissapointed with my inflateable. It wasnt junk, just a PIA. I wanted something I can drop in the water and go so Ive decided on two boats. One is more expensive but very neat.

This is a light and extremely stable canoe hybrid. It has its own prop system which you pedal. I thought it would be junky and gimicky but its very sweet and well made. You can pull the prop system out if you want to use it as a regular canoe.
http://www.nativewatercraft.com/ult_14_propel.cfm

The other is a new Sportspal. They are stable, light, and will last forever if you take care of them. They are much cheaper than a regular squareback canoe. I come from Ontario and these things used to be the king of the back lakes scene. They died off and I wasnt even aware that they still made them until I looked them up.

http://www.bwmarineproducts.com/transom_canoes.htm

The Native will set you back 2400 but you dont need to stick a motor on it.
You can purchase one with a centre set electric but I really like the propel system.

The canoe will set you back around 1400 with shipping.


If you decide to get rid of that 12 footer fiberglass, I have been looking for a project that I can put a front deck on!

[lambski]

Buy yourself a pram, they are the bomb. Fly fishing dream machine. 8 feet, stable as ****, and only 60 pounds. Brian Chan has one so im getting one.:love:

[floppychicken]

Ive been down pretty much every route now, the latest being a jon.
None have been what I wanted out of them. Was extremely dissapointed with my inflateable. It wasnt junk, just a PIA. I wanted something I can drop in the water and go so Ive decided on two boats. One is more expensive but very neat.

This is a light and extremely stable canoe hybrid. It has its own prop system which you pedal. I thought it would be junky and gimicky but its very sweet and well made. You can pull the prop system out if you want to use it as a regular canoe.
http://www.nativewatercraft.com/ult_14_propel.cfm

The other is a new Sportspal. They are stable, light, and will last forever if you take care of them. They are much cheaper than a regular squareback canoe. I come from Ontario and these things used to be the king of the back lakes scene. They died off and I wasnt even aware that they still made them until I looked them up.

http://www.bwmarineproducts.com/transom_canoes.htm

The Native will set you back 2400 but you dont need to stick a motor on it.
You can purchase one with a centre set electric but I really like the propel system.

The canoe will set you back around 1400 with shipping.


If you decide to get rid of that 12 footer fiberglass, I have been looking for a project that I can put a front deck on!


WHAT? :huh:
Man, IMO those are REALLY BAD choices for a BOAT in almost ANY Alberta Water!!

I'm from the EAST as well and the water there is NOTHING like it is out here. There's a VERY good reason you don't see many Canoes or 'Canoe-Type' boats in this province. Quite simply, it is WAAAAAY TOO WINDY. Compound this with the fact that most lakes are 'Shallow' (GULL, PIGEON, McGregor, Lesser Slave, etc, etc..) and that makes for MASSIVE waves in a VERY BIG HURRY. Even the ones that ARE DEEP, are more often than Not, VERY COLD GLACIER fed lakes. Stick your toe into Upper K, Minnewanka or Spray in the middle of Summer and it's FREEZING COLD. I can't imagine swamping in any lake, much less one during the SPRING or FALL..... YIKES!
Come to thing of it,... Fishing in the BOW or RED DEER RIVERS would be trecherous! You would be FAR, FAR better off in a small pontoon than you would in one of those things.

Although it may be easy to 'carry around', CANOE'S or any 'CANOE-TYPE' boat is the watercraft that is going to SEVERELY hamper your ABILITY to FISH in ALBERTA WATERS.....

Just my .02

Cheers, :)

/J...

[KyleM]

You may want to read the original post.
He's looking for a "small" craft, not something to venture out in the chop with on Slave.

[floppychicken]

You may want to read the original post.
He's looking for a "small" craft, not something to venture out in the chop with on Slave.


Ok well you picked the Biggest lake of the Bunch, but that's OK... 1' or 2' chop and 3' and 4' foot rollers are still the same size on ANY lake. Although Lesser Slave is a absolutely insane on windy days, so too are the Reservoirs and Lakes closer to home....

So our OP is looking to put a 'SMALL BOAT' into small lakes. By ANY standard, our Lakes are ALL SMALL LAKES.. Most POT-HOLE lakes are even Wider than PCR ! :)
MANY Pothole Lakes I've been to are about as wide or as long as the distance from Pigeon Provincial Park to the 'Drop-Off' (a staggering 30' deep..LOL) where everybody seems to gather. I've seen it go from rippling water to 3 foot ROLLERS in under 5 minutes! I've seen guys in 12' and 14' tinners beating it back to shore for SHELTER 3 or 4 times in the space of 4 or 5 HOURS! Ever Fished GULL ? In MANY places of that lake you can jump out of your boat in 3 feet of water 300 or more yards off Shore. When a wind hits GULL or PIGEON, you had BETTER hope that you AREN'T in a Canoe! Ask anyone here if 'they' or someone 'they know' has been caught out on GULL, Pigeon, McGregor, Crawling Valley and even NARROWER Lakes. I bet there are a LOT of them.

It's not that I WANT to ARGUE with you, but I CANNOT for the life of me, understand why anyone who has actually FISHED the RESERVOIRS and LAKES in SOUTHERN AB recommend a 'Canoe'.... In ALL my years of fishing in this Province, I have NEVER felt that NORMAL Fishing was safe in ANY Canoe-type Craft and feel strongly that they are for 'Weather Permitting' use ONLY. The same goes for JON boats... They just are NOT made for our type of environment. Sure, they might be good for sheltered Pot-Hole lakes up in Rocky Mountain House or Coulee filled ones Further South, but WHY on Earth would you limit yourself to that type of fishing?:(

Anyway, Last SEASON was a good example of how WINDY Alberta can get and especially down here around Cowtown. TO PUT IT BLUNTLY,,, LAST YEAR SUCKED BIG TIME! It was undoubtedly the WINDIEST fishing SEASON that I'VE ever experienced! Man, I remember a LOT of BOATS getting SWAMPED at the LAUNCHES last season Too. Didn't some poor guy Die in one of those accidents, while trying to get his boat out? I remember hearing that he had hit his head or something and thinking it was pretty Damn Awful and Horribly Sad.
Either way, I hope it's better this Year, but I'm not going to hold my breath, as I have a feeling it's going to be even WORSE. :tongue2:

/J....

[floppychicken]

Thanks for the input. It says jon boats are supposed to be more stable on calm water. Is this true?

Anyone have any experience with inflatables like Zodiacs?


BigIrv,

Zodiacs are great boat buy WAAAAY overpriced for what you get. Saturn, RubberDuck, SHARK.. whichever. All come from the same two plants out of South Korea.

You can easily stand up in a 12' Saturn with ONLY the Air Floor! I've Fly-Fished (although I made more of a mess than anything) and Spincast from the same boat with NO problems and as I said, that was ONLY using the Air Floor. They come complete with Sealed, plated Plywood Marine Grade floors or you can go with the lighter Aluminum Floors instead. You can haul em' in the back of the truck, or put em in the back seat of a car. Best of all, you can keep it inflated and haul it around on a simple utility trailer or INEXPENSIVE 12' boat trailer. They're pretty light and you can even hang em' in your garage from the 'D-Hooks'.

Wanna put air in them fast ? Don't use the foot pump! :) Buy an electric 12volt unit and you can fill that entire boat in about 10 minutes using your lighter or direct battery alligator clips.

These things move REALLY well with a half-decent trolling motor and you'll Zoom around on the Pothole lakes like nobody's business. Feeling like some Bigger Water, Bigger Fish ? Don't forget that you can put on a BIG outboard on these things too, although a 15hp is TONS for getting around at over 20+ mph ! Big water is TOO EASY in one of these things... You'll never flip it, nor sink it and you can get a LOT of WEIGHT in it as well.. 2000 lbs to be EXACT ! Simply the SAFEST boat on the water...period.

Last but certainly not least, River Fishing... Great for getting into 'those places' that even the 'Guides' can't get to! Hit that gravel bar, step out and drag your boat up onto the bank, fish the Back Eddies and the pools on the 'Shallow Sides' of Forks in the river where there is LITTLE to NO fishing pressure.... Truly an INCREDIBLY vesatile boat with so MANY available options and for so little money.

Cheers,

/J...

[jusfloatin]

Transom and side height is also something to concider when looking at small boats.
The higher the sides the better.

Bottom line is there is no perfect boat and there is definatly a plus and minus when it comes to boats.

For every plus, there has to be a minus.

If you are going to target places like Dewitts, Winchille or some stocked pond a 10/12' Jon is your best bet. Light and can easily be dragged over anything. I have even used my quad and towed it up into Waiparous.
Inflaitables will work great in these places too but the idea of blowing up a boat and all the other crap that goes along with setting one up before you can fish is a waist of good fish time.

You want to drive up pull the boat out of the truck that already has all you are going to need for the day in it already, drag it 50' and get into it. Fish

Either that or consider a trailer for your FG which would be a waist of money. Look for a good used 14' deep v aluminum with a 20" transom and trailer.
You could still use a electric motor or invest in a nice little gasser.


Get those two boats and you would cover it all.

[KyleM]

I realize what your saying, no one is doubting you.
The fella is asking for a light boat and I gave him 2 very good suggestions.

That Native canoe is more stable than a Jon boat and a lot of 12 footers. You can sit on the sides, jump off for a swim and climb back in.

Another reason I dont like inflateables is because its a pain adding rod holders, fishfinders, etc. The set-up is crazy and to pay those guys close to 4000 bucks for a decent one seems out of this gentlemans price range for what he's looking for. The pontoons on them are always in the flippin way, catching hooks, its a pain landing big fish out of them because your so bent over. They have their applications, I just dont like them.

BTW I have owned and used almost every possible style trying to find something that works well for small lakes. The two I listed are quite simply the nicest I used. Have you used the Native? Are you aware that they are equipped for offshore use?

I grew up on Georgian Bay, I know what rough water is!

[floppychicken]

I realize what your saying, no one is doubting you.
The fella is asking for a light boat and I gave him 2 very good suggestions.

That Native canoe is more stable than a Jon boat and a lot of 12 footers. You can sit on the sides, jump off for a swim and climb back in.

Another reason I dont like inflateables is because its a pain adding rod holders, fishfinders, etc. The set-up is crazy and to pay those guys close to 4000 bucks for a decent one seems out of this gentlemans price range for what he's looking for. The pontoons on them are always in the flippin way, catching hooks, its a pain landing big fish out of them because your so bent over. They have their applications, I just dont like them.

BTW I have owned and used almost every possible style trying to find something that works well for small lakes. The two I listed are quite simply the nicest I used. Have you used the Native? Are you aware that they are equipped for offshore use?

I grew up on Georgian Bay, I know what rough water is!


There is NO WAY that those things are going to be MORE stable than a DEEP V 12 footer. Can you stand in those to spin cast or Fly fish?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you have NEVER owned or FISHED in an Inflateable in the last number of years.... You can put DOWNRIGGERS on Inflatables! Rod Holders, Full Canopy's, Swivel Seats, Dual Batteries, Depth finders, you name it...hell, we even bring the Ipod Dock! You can sit on ANY SIDE, Front, Back or Straddle the 18" and 20" tubes if you so choose. Inflatable Keels, Wood Floors, Alumium Floors. Sit, Stand, lie down... whatever.
Check the .JPG below for a good example of what I'm talking about!
(I think it might even be a Forum Members boat...)

As far as hooks are concerned, GOOD LUCK getting one hooked into the 1100 denier POLY! Two 250lb guys can easily lean over the SAME side and land a BIG Fish.. and those Tubes sit HIGHER out of the water than either of the ONES you suggested.

As far as price is concerned, take a look at the 12' and 14' here: www.boatstogo.com and then you'll realize that you can buy EITHER of those INFLATABLES, FULL EqUIPPED AND SHIPPED. Now go and add 2 batteries, 50lb MINNKOTA, Rod Holders, Fish Finder, and you'll have enough change left over for your IPOD, IPOD DOCK or at the very LEAST, a good CHUNK of 'change' towards a good Used Trailer!! ALL this for the price of ONE of those High End Canoe's....

The difference between 'Swells' and 'Rollers' is like Night and Day. I've fished from Nova Scotia to Southern B.C. and everything in between and Fishing the Prairies is absolutely different. YOU DONT see PEOPLE FISHING in FLAT bottom Boats or CANOE-TYPE CRAFT.... and for GOOD reason. It's just TOO ROUGH and It's just TOO dangerous.

There are Several Factors that make any of those boats a VERY poor choice.
-The Land is VERY FLAT with little or NO protection against the elements.
-It's ALWAYS WINDY
-The WATER IS SHALLOW
-The lakes and reservoirs are shaped like swimming pools and offer FEW BAYS and/or Sheltered Coves.
Those factors alone, make for REALLY ROUGH CHOP and BIG ROLLERS not to mention that Chasing Walleye in the Late Spring and Summer requires you to Hunt quite a WAYS offshore on many of these 'Shallow Lakes'.

Cheers, :D

/J....

[BigIrv]

Again, thanks. Wow some very strong opinions here!
I think both sides definitly make sense and I appreciated the
help. Now I just have to decide which way I want to venture first.

I like the idea of the aluminum jon, strong and relativley easy to load.

I also like the inflatable idea. I can leave it in my garage infalted so it is
ready to go and the carrying capacity is much larger.

Guess I'll have to do more research into some of the hybrid canoes. They look
very interesting, my only concern is the length. I am trying to keep whatever
I get under 12 ft so it is easy to load/unload by myself and will fit in the box
of my truck with relative ease.

I don't know what I am going to do.......too bad there isn't a place you can try out all different kinds of boats to see what you like.

Thanks again guys appreciate all this input!!!
:):):)

[floppychicken]

Again, thanks. Wow some very strong opinions here!
I think both sides definitly make sense and I appreciated the
help. Now I just have to decide which way I want to venture first.

I like the idea of the aluminum jon, strong and relativley easy to load.

I also like the inflatable idea. I can leave it in my garage infalted so it is
ready to go and the carrying capacity is much larger.

Guess I'll have to do more research into some of the hybrid canoes. They look
very interesting, my only concern is the length. I am trying to keep whatever
I get under 12 ft so it is easy to load/unload by myself and will fit in the box
of my truck with relative ease.

I don't know what I am going to do.......too bad there isn't a place you can try out all different kinds of boats to see what you like.

Thanks again guys appreciate all this input!!!
:):):)


Hey there Irv,

You know, this Forum is GREAT because of the PEOPLE who participate...Even KYLE !! (Just Kidding KYLE! ::D

Having said that, I'm sure that there are a number of guys here who wouldn't mind showing you their Boats and how the rigs work etc... Lots of guys here using anything from 'Fishing Pontoons' (another Potential option) to Fully Decked out Fishing Sleds!

Also, when ICE-OFF comes around, I'm pretty certain that you'd have some success in getting a few of them to take you out, especially if you want to try a RIVER FLOAT, as you need a couple of Vehicles...

Either way, If you're interested in doing that, I'd be happy to help you out in that department.

Cheers,

/J.......

[KyleM]

Last spring I purchased a used but basically brand new zebec seabon.
I used it, it worked great. Iam trying to explain to you why I dont like it but your refusing to listen due to the fact that you own one and love it.
I had down-easters mounted up, trolling motor, fish finder, wooden floor....lots of toys. I hated the fact that when all was said and done it took roughly 45 min to pull everything out of the truck, inflate and hook up. When it was inflated, I was not putting it on my back or pulling it down a path.
I dont carry an ipod on my boats...the beep of the fishfinder is enough noise for me.

The website you are suggesting to this fella is fine and dandy if you want to own your boat for 4 years and regular work on it. The two I suggested will last a lifetime and infact have a hefty warranty with them. I did lots of research and spoke to old guide friends on the westcoast before I purchased my Zebec. Their advice was dont cheap out on inflateables.

I dont believe you have used either a Native boat or a Sportspal so please try and keep an open mind. The Sportspal is priced quite well while the native is a little higher, its a very neat option and can be treked through the bush.

Nobody is DENYING inflateables are GREAT.

If I want to go play on the big water, I take the big boat.
If I want to go putz around on little lakes like this gentleman here, I take a canoe.

BTW, plenty of people use canoes and flat bottoms in Alberta. Infact, quite a few people on this site will tell you they are just fine.

[nevercatchmuch]

Hi Irv,

I have a 12 foot inflatable and it has been great but it's heavy.... I need two people to haul it around (it has fiberglass floors, a trolling motor and battery). I've thought of inflating it on the side of the lake but it is too difficult.

It's a great boat thought and CHEAP. I bought it on ebay from a company called Aquamarine.

Some of the concerns about big waves are legit. Without big power to get off the water in short order, I've been in a situation or two where I was lucky. Best to stick close to shore.

Good luck.

[nevercatchmuch]

p.s. portabote was an option I looked into quite a bit. I've seen a few on the water and they're pretty neat.

[floppychicken]

Last spring I purchased a used but basically brand new zebec seabon.
I used it, it worked great. Iam trying to explain to you why I dont like it but your refusing to listen due to the fact that you own one and love it.
I had down-easters mounted up, trolling motor, fish finder, wooden floor....lots of toys. I hated the fact that when all was said and done it took roughly 45 min to pull everything out of the truck, inflate and hook up. When it was inflated, I was not putting it on my back or pulling it down a path.
I dont carry an ipod on my boats...the beep of the fishfinder is enough noise for me.

The website you are suggesting to this fella is fine and dandy if you want to own your boat for 4 years and regular work on it. The two I suggested will last a lifetime and infact have a hefty warranty with them. I did lots of research and spoke to old guide friends on the westcoast before I purchased my Zebec. Their advice was dont cheap out on inflateables.

I dont believe you have used either a Native boat or a Sportspal so please try and keep an open mind. The Sportspal is priced quite well while the native is a little higher, its a very neat option and can be treked through the bush.

Nobody is DENYING inflateables are GREAT.

If I want to go play on the big water, I take the big boat.
If I want to go putz around on little lakes like this gentleman here, I take a canoe.

BTW, plenty of people use canoes and flat bottoms in Alberta. Infact, quite a few people on this site will tell you they are just fine.

Meh... I guess we'll just Agree to Disagree....I'm Right you're WRONG :tongue2:
(heh, heh.. just kidding man..:) )

If I had a LOT of money to fork out on an Inflatable Boat, I TOO would certainly buy a ZEBEC. They are IMO the BEST inflatable there is.... Having said that, I love my 17.5 SmokerCraft, but I'm not going to go out and spend 50K+ on a LUND TYEE because it TOO is arguably the best fishing boat in the 18' to 20' class....

Honestly If I'm going to limit myself to the kind of fishing that you're talking about, I'd likely throw a PONTOON in the water and cruise around in it instead. I could also use that for the rivers too! I just can't understand why anyone would want to 'fight their boat' when you clearly should be 'Fighting your Fish"!

On an unrelated note,
I gotta' say that I find it hilarious when I see guys RIGHT AT THE BOAT LAUNCH, struggling to get their 12' and 14' footers of the back of the truck and THEN carrying HEAVY gear down to the waters edge. Some of these Dudes are carrying 100+ lb engines too, along with GAS, Trolling Motor, HEAVY DEEP CYCLE Batteries, etc... Why, WHY ? :huh:

If you have the room to store a small boat like that, you definitely have the room to store the TINY trailer that goes with it!... Put your boat on the Trailer, and put ALL your CRAP in the BOAT and off you go! Can't back the trailer into a pothole lake? No Problem! Back it up as far as you can and pull it off as you normally would. Time to take it out? Make sure you're using a nice long strap and winch it onto the trailer from 20' out! Why Bust a 'NUT' lifting a boat in and out of the water when you don't have to? Man, I just don't understand that...

[Livetofish]

I use a 10 foot inflatable from Zebec with a 6hp 4 stroke or an electric trolling motoer. We jsut leave it inflated in the garage and jam it in the truck when we go. I purchased the wheels to move it around on shore. Give this option a thought it works very good for us.

I have had it on some pretty rough water with a couple of 225 guys in it and we were fine.

[tonyflyfish]

Hey Irv!

You are welcome to borrow my Jon boat, the canoe or the pontoon. We both live in St Albert.

t

[lambski]

:evilgrin:SPRING CREEK PRAMS, its simple.:evilgrin:

[AK47]

Check Porta-bote! That to me is the best choice from all offered here. I fished in it in Travers, Crawling, Little Bow reservoir, PCR, Big Mac, Glenmore even in quite windy days and no problem whatsoever ( except that sometimes my ankor was to light to hold boat in place:(). I have no problem assembling and taking it to the water myself ( takes about 10 min), takes little space in garage hanging on the wall, is very durable ( 10 year warranty), easy to transport on roof rack.
Seriously check it out. You can PM me for more info if you are interested.
www.porta-bote.com

[rollyg]

im looking for a 12' Jon boat made by lowe, would anyone be able to direct me?new or used, i live in calgary