help me choose a fishing boat 12ft or 14fr

[bdiddlez]

k i know nothing about boats

my biggest concern is fishing in busy lakes where there is chop from other boats (chestermere lake being one of them)

12ft or 14ft?
this would be transported on top of my truck (Ill have a bed rack or something) as i dont have room for a trailer

biggest question is Jon boat or v bottom

also it would be myself, 2 dogs and one other person at absolute most (dogs are 60lbs each) or just myself and the dogs

I wont have a problem taking it on or off the truck as I am a pretty big guy and will come up with a system

biggest thing between 12 and 14 is the size...12ft's are cheap and plentiful, 14ft's are not

[Talking moose]

If your going to be out on chop, get the v hull. Cuts through chop and waves better where as a Jon hammers them. And boats.......go as big as you can. 14 with atleast 15 horse.

[Ossie]

If you are looking for High Quality, check out Lund. Their 14 ft light aluminum can be handled by a single big guy, easily takes a 15 hp, handles 4 adults and a 60 dog in 3 foot waves . Jon boats in my experience are only good on flat water.

[bdiddlez]

Ossie I take it thats what you have? do you have a model # and idea on price?

thanks for the response guys, exactly what i need to hear!
anyone else please chip in!

[PlayDoh]

Make sure you keep your eye on the weather in a smaller boat. In a wicked wind you won't make any ground and can get pretty hairy.
This time of year you might be able to get a bigger boat with a trailer for the same price as a smaller, newer one.

[timsesink]

I've got a 14ft with a 20h Evenrude and love it. I'd never go to a 12ft, basically a floating bathtub.

[58thecat]

When I downsized I went to a 14 foot chestliner, put a 15 horse short leg Honda on the back, great fishing boat etc.

[Tater 1]

Go 14' we went with a 12' and omg . Windy or busy lakes . Did that twice and the next weekend we got a 14' deep and wide Lund . Great boat .
14' all the way !

[Kim473]

go with a 14 ft. and one of these.

http://www.loadit.com/front-boat-loader.html

[Kim473]

go with a 14 ft. and one of these. Watch the video.

http://www.loadit.com/front-boat-loader.html

[skidderman]

After witnessing two old fellows drowning after capsizing their 12 foot boat I suggest going as big as you can handle. Bad weather can come up fast and in chop or rough water bigger is better.

[H2hammy]

Go 14' if planning on using it on Chestermere. Some wake surfers and boarders do not care one bit of your well being. You will have boats with the bladders full drive within 20 feet of you.

[Home in the outdoors]

14' for sure and if u you have a choice get the 20" transom I have a 15" on my lund and I wish I had a bigger one sometimes

[wbaj]

I have a 14 foot Nadin, great boat, strong and stable in rough water. 20 HP Merc rounds it out. Lov fishing from it

[35 whelen]

14ft all the way

[RavYak]

V bottom and try to find the deepest v bottom you can find. It will be a lot more stable then just buying a larger boat.

For example I had a 14 fter and a 12fter. The 14fter was a sears brand or similar style with the v nose but almost flat bottom at the back. The 12 fter was a mirrocraft with a nice deep v bottom. The mirrocraft even though shorter was 3 times the boat the sears one was. Way more stable and buoyant, I didn't worry about going out in windy/wavy situations half as much as I did with the 14 fter.

So long story what I am trying to say is boat design is most important then length. I really liked my mirrocraft, it was a great little boat.

[AdverseCity]

There's one in the FS section right now.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=263339

http://m.kijiji.ca/powerboat-motorbo...tionId=1700204

[Johnny G1]

Not much safer than my Smoker Craft Alaskan @16', 15 LS Honda, been in some pretty rough water and never got water in it yet. Not a cheap boat though.

[Albertabowhunter]

14 foot wide and deep. top it with a 20HP. you will love it.

[schmedlap]

Originally Posted by Albertabowhunter

14 foot wide and deep. top it with a 20HP. you will love it.

Mine is 25hp, but it would be fine with 15 or 20. If you are not ever going out in big water and high winds. If I could justify having more than one, I would go to a 16-18' for the bigger water situations. A 12' of any kind is really just neither safe nor fun for anything bigger than "ponds". My 14' deep and wide is a great compromise which makes it fairly easy to launch and remove in remote places with no or very sketchy boat launches (we can actually take the "heavy bits" out, carry it to launch or remove, and reassemble if necessary - hard to do with bigger ones), and can handle up to 4 occupants. And (not on really big water) we have been out all day several times in quite bad weather and very rough (which is often the best fishing, if you know how to utilize the situation to your advantage), without any issues other than the helmsman (generally me) knowing how to keep it from swamping or too-terribly drenching the crew.

If you are never planning to go to any of those remote and "sketchy" places, and you can only afford/justify one boat, I would recommend going to the 16-18' range, even if it costs a few more $ up front. Unless you are planning to just car-topper things for quiet "ponds" on calm days, a 12' is not an option.

[EZM]

Originally Posted by Home in the outdoors

14' for sure and if u you have a choice get the 20" transom I have a 15" on my lund and I wish I had a bigger one sometimes

This is the best advice.

A 20" transom is 5" of added insurance in the chop - but you are trading off another 60lbs or so on a 14 fter.

Vee hull - 100%

Jon Boats are for shallow swamps and calm water - they have no business in the waves and, frankly, are dangerous in chop.