# Recommendation on Jon Boat set up



## Breeze (Mar 23, 2012)

I am looking for recommendations on setting up a jon boat. I figure flat bottom would be more stable but v-hull would be more economical. Figure no more than a 25 horsepower outboard for the economy. Plan on using it for rivers and bays, and also the occasional trip out to the wrecks in the gulf. That is where the economy part comes into play. I am figuring a 14 footer should be plenty big enough. Thinking with the right set up I can also go out to the rigs every now and then. I know, will have to carry extra gas but 15 or 20 gallons extra in 5 gallon cans should be enough with the right motor set up. I havent checked the charts to see how far out the rigs are but they are not anymore then 50 miles out or so, are they? At 50 miles out, with a 25 horse motor 25 to 30 gallons of gas should be plenty, right? Not like I will be pushing a big boat, just a small aluminum 14 footer.. I am thinking a v-hull would be my best bet economy wise, but when fishing for the red snappers and other fish on the reefs a flat bottom would be more stable, right? I see alot of 10 and 12 foot boats for sale but think they are just a bit small for what I want to do so figure a 14 footer should be a good size. What do you guys think? Or should I go bigger with the motor? Maybe smaller? I had a 9.9 on my 26 foot sailboat up in the chesapeake and it only burned 1 gallon an hour. Maybe I should go with that size. A 9.9 should push a 14 foot jon boat faster then 10 mph, right? At 1 gallon an hour I would only burn 5 gallons at the most getting to the rigs which would leave me plenty of gas for trolling and getting back. Think that would work? 

What are your thoughts on this?


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## dabutcher (Apr 19, 2008)

Breeze said:


> I am looking for recommendations on setting up a jon boat. I figure flat bottom would be more stable but v-hull would be more economical. Figure no more than a 25 horsepower outboard for the economy. Plan on using it for rivers and bays, and also the occasional trip out to the wrecks in the gulf. That is where the economy part comes into play. I am figuring a 14 footer should be plenty big enough. Thinking with the right set up I can also go out to the rigs every now and then. I know, will have to carry extra gas but 15 or 20 gallons extra in 5 gallon cans should be enough with the right motor set up. I havent checked the charts to see how far out the rigs are but they are not anymore then 50 miles out or so, are they? At 50 miles out, with a 25 horse motor 25 to 30 gallons of gas should be plenty, right? Not like I will be pushing a big boat, just a small aluminum 14 footer.. I am thinking a v-hull would be my best bet economy wise, but when fishing for the red snappers and other fish on the reefs a flat bottom would be more stable, right? I see alot of 10 and 12 foot boats for sale but think they are just a bit small for what I want to do so figure a 14 footer should be a good size. What do you guys think? Or should I go bigger with the motor? Maybe smaller? I had a 9.9 on my 26 foot sailboat up in the chesapeake and it only burned 1 gallon an hour. Maybe I should go with that size. A 9.9 should push a 14 foot jon boat faster then 10 mph, right? At 1 gallon an hour I would only burn 5 gallons at the most getting to the rigs which would leave me plenty of gas for trolling and getting back. Think that would work?
> 
> What are your thoughts on this?



Prior to the day that you plan on taking your 14 ft john boat 50 miles out, I recommend that you put together your will and last testament.


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## Breeze (Mar 23, 2012)

dabutcher said:


> Prior to the day that you plan on taking your 14 ft john boat 50 miles out, I recommend that you put together your will and last testament.



Thats been done a long time ago. Havent had to update it so its all good.


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## Downtime2 (Sep 27, 2007)

Wow.....


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## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

Business must be slow and you must have plenty of time to kill. The rigs in a jon boat???? LMAO.


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## Mike aka FishWerks (Oct 22, 2007)

Downtime2 said:


> Wow.....



ditto. 

Breeze, if you're serious, then you are heading in the wrong direction. If you plan on using your boat in the bays AND gulf... then a jon boat is way wrong, and a 14' is way wrong again. Regarding power really can't be addressed until you decide on an appropriate platform. Rivers, bays, gulf (nearshore) perhaps a 17-19 footer. V hull or modified V is pretty much the norm and appropriate. Then powered appropriately... Spend the day at a few ramps, see the rigs in use and learn from the folks that are out there all the time. 

Hope this helps a little. Good luck.


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## dabutcher (Apr 19, 2008)

Breeze said:


> Thats been done a long time ago. Havent had to update it so its all good.


Sounds like you're good to go. I think you should spoil yourself and go with the bigger motor.


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## Breeze (Mar 23, 2012)

Yeap, its a slow day today.. Before I go getting flamed too much and told how stupid I am, this post was meant as a joke, just to get the forum livened up a bit... LOL

On a side note though, we used to go crabbing and fishing on the Chesapeake Bay all the time in a 14 foot jon boat. It can get pretty rough on the bay. Had a bleach bottle we used to bail water out when it got rough. The bottle was tied to the boat with a rope so we wouldnt loose it overboard. Spent many a day in rough water bailing out the boat.. LOL Always came home with a bunch of crabs or fish though. Nothing like running a trot line in rough water.. LOL My grandfather would go fishing or crabbing when he felt like it, regardless of the weather. We might be running the trot line in calm seas and sunny weather or rough seas and rain. That was back in the old days when people wernt "skeered" LOL

Oh, and just an FYI, my grandfather only had one hand. His left arm was amputated just below the elbow. But he could still work a dip net and run the trot line.. He did have some difficulties when the water was rough though, which is why one of us always went with him. Calm seas though, he needed no help. Get the line up over the roller, motor idling along in gear, net the crabs as the line came up out of the water.. He even hunted deer, geese, squirrels and rabbits. Trapped muskrat as well. Sold the skins and ate the meat. Used to have muskrat stew every sunday when we went over to his house. I miss that tough old man!


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## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

Breeze said:


> Yeap, its a slow day today.. Before I go getting flamed too much and told how stupid I am, this post was meant as a joke, just to get the forum livened up a bit... LOL
> 
> On a side note though, we used to go crabbing and fishing on the Chesapeake Bay all the time in a 14 foot jon boat. It can get pretty rough on the bay. Had a bleach bottle we used to bail water out when it got rough. The bottle was tied to the boat with a rope so we wouldnt loose it overboard. Spent many a day in rough water bailing out the boat.. LOL Always came home with a bunch of crabs or fish though. Nothing like running a trot line in rough water.. LOL My grandfather would go fishing or crabbing when he felt like it, regardless of the weather. We might be running the trot line in calm seas and sunny weather or rough seas and rain. That was back in the old days when people wernt "skeered" LOL
> 
> Oh, and just an FYI, my grandfather only had one hand. His left arm was amputated just below the elbow. But he could still work a dip net and run the trot line.. He did have some difficulties when the water was rough though, which is why one of us always went with him. Calm seas though, he needed no help. Get the line up over the roller, motor idling along in gear, net the crabs as the line came up out of the water.. He even hunted deer, geese, squirrels and rabbits. Trapped muskrat as well. Sold the skins and ate the meat. Used to have muskrat stew every sunday when we went over to his house. I miss that tough old man!


Never for I moment did I doubt your sanity...thus my post. Had I any doubts about your mental competency, I would have tried to notify the executor of your estate.


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## Breeze (Mar 23, 2012)

Orion45 said:


> Never for I moment did I doubt your sanity...thus my post. Had I any doubts about your mental competency, I would have tried to notify the executor of your estate.



Yea, I figured by your post that you were on to me.... LOL


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## dabutcher (Apr 19, 2008)

Breeze said:


> Yeap, its a slow day today.. Before I go getting flamed too much and told how stupid I am, this post was meant as a joke, just to get the forum livened up a bit... LOL
> 
> On a side note though, we used to go crabbing and fishing on the Chesapeake Bay all the time in a 14 foot jon boat. It can get pretty rough on the bay. Had a bleach bottle we used to bail water out when it got rough. The bottle was tied to the boat with a rope so we wouldnt loose it overboard. Spent many a day in rough water bailing out the boat.. LOL Always came home with a bunch of crabs or fish though. Nothing like running a trot line in rough water.. LOL My grandfather would go fishing or crabbing when he felt like it, regardless of the weather. We might be running the trot line in calm seas and sunny weather or rough seas and rain. That was back in the old days when people wernt "skeered" LOL
> 
> Oh, and just an FYI, my grandfather only had one hand. His left arm was amputated just below the elbow. But he could still work a dip net and run the trot line.. He did have some difficulties when the water was rough though, which is why one of us always went with him. Calm seas though, he needed no help. Get the line up over the roller, motor idling along in gear, net the crabs as the line came up out of the water.. He even hunted deer, geese, squirrels and rabbits. Trapped muskrat as well. Sold the skins and ate the meat. Used to have muskrat stew every sunday when we went over to his house. I miss that tough old man!



I figured you were joking as well. Just thought I would play along.


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## lsucole (May 7, 2009)

I bit for one reason -- more than once I have been out 10 miles into the gulf here in Louisiana and seen a jonboat with a 25 h.p. motor at those rigs. There is ALWAYS more H.P. than I.Q. on the water!


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## Breeze (Mar 23, 2012)

lsucole said:


> I bit for one reason -- more than once I have been out 10 miles into the gulf here in Louisiana and seen a jonboat with a 25 h.p. motor at those rigs. There is ALWAYS more H.P. than I.Q. on the water!


So it can be done! Maybe I wasnt as crazy as I thought.. LOL


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## Jun1or (Oct 17, 2010)

Breeze said:


> I am looking for recommendations on setting up a jon boat. I figure flat bottom would be more stable but v-hull would be more economical. Figure no more than a 25 horsepower outboard for the economy. Plan on using it for rivers and bays, and also the occasional trip out to the wrecks in the gulf. That is where the economy part comes into play. I am figuring a 14 footer should be plenty big enough. Thinking with the right set up I can also go out to the rigs every now and then. I know, will have to carry extra gas but 15 or 20 gallons extra in 5 gallon cans should be enough with the right motor set up. I havent checked the charts to see how far out the rigs are but they are not anymore then 50 miles out or so, are they? At 50 miles out, with a 25 horse motor 25 to 30 gallons of gas should be plenty, right? Not like I will be pushing a big boat, just a small aluminum 14 footer.. I am thinking a v-hull would be my best bet economy wise, but when fishing for the red snappers and other fish on the reefs a flat bottom would be more stable, right? I see alot of 10 and 12 foot boats for sale but think they are just a bit small for what I want to do so figure a 14 footer should be a good size. What do you guys think? Or should I go bigger with the motor? Maybe smaller? I had a 9.9 on my 26 foot sailboat up in the chesapeake and it only burned 1 gallon an hour. Maybe I should go with that size. A 9.9 should push a 14 foot jon boat faster then 10 mph, right? At 1 gallon an hour I would only burn 5 gallons at the most getting to the rigs which would leave me plenty of gas for trolling and getting back. Think that would work?
> 
> What are your thoughts on this?


lol nice..


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## spinfactor (Sep 22, 2013)

I sailed off the coast of Philippines where I saw locals in canoes with 5 hp motors out around 20 miles offshore holding fish in one hand trying to get us to stop and buy. Sadly, while holding up a fish in one hand the other was bailing water with a cup, occasionally that hand would grab steering arm to guide boat.


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## foxtrotuniform (Nov 11, 2013)

spinfactor said:


> I sailed off the coast of Philippines where I saw locals in canoes with 5 hp motors out around 20 miles offshore holding fish in one hand trying to get us to stop and buy. Sadly, while holding up a fish in one hand the other was bailing water with a cup, occasionally that hand would grab steering arm to guide boat.


Haha. Well, back when men were men (and so were the women), those guys ancestors had no problem crossing 100 miles of open ocean in a 10-foot outrigger canoe. 

Although I hear they did wash up in New Zealand occasionally... 

Cool little boats though... I bet you could break five knots under tuna power.


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## spinfactor (Sep 22, 2013)

The ones I saw didn't have the stabilizer. Although the ones I saw in Indonesia had them and a sail, no motor.... LOL


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## BentStraight (Dec 27, 2008)

Next thing you know someone will be talking about going out in the Gulf in a kayak!  :whistling:


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