Jon boat or canoe? 2024
T-Bone reply :
I am planning on buying either a 12ft jon boat or a 12ft canoe with a square stern. But I cant decide which one would better suit my needs. I know the jon would probably be cheaper, but I think that the canoe would be easier for me to transport and easier me to get in and out of the back of my truck when I am by myself. I don't have a very big backyard so I am thinking that the canoe would be easier to store. Also, I am worried that canoe whould not be as stable as the jon, especially since the weather down here in southern Louisiana is fairly unpredictable.
I would acctually love to get a kayak but my fiancee said that she would want to go with me sometimes so that pushed the kayak out of the question which i am fine with.
What do you guys think?
Thanks,
T-Bone
NitroMan reply :
I would buy the jon boat. It is more stable and it will not tip as easily as a canoe if you have someone along with you. Ask Rondef about his expeirience with a canoe and he will tell you that sometimes they are unpredictable.
Good Luck and be sure to post a pic of your new purchase
-Nitroman 
TopDog reply :
Jon boat for sure. Buddy had a square canoe (radisson) and it still was tough all day on the back.
Marty reply :
QuoteBut I cant decide which one would better suit my needs.
What are your needs?
Quotebut I think that the canoe would be easier for me to transport and easier me to get in and out of the back of my truck when I am by myself.
Why? Is there a significant difference in weight? The square stern canoes that I've seen aren't very light. For what it's worth, my partner can get his john boat in and out of his truck by himself.
QuoteI don't have a very big backyard so I am thinking that the canoe would be easier to store.
I don't understand this one.
Since you're talking a canoe with square stern, that would mean that you're talking about using a motor. For strict motor use, I'd choose the john boat. On the other hand, if you often fish in heavy weeds where a motor can't get through, and you'd have to raise the motor and paddle, then the canoe would be better for that.
Unless you have particular needs where a canoe would be more suitable, I'd go with the john boat.
I bought a canoe last year but I had needs that only a canoe would meet.
Grey Wolf reply :
Jon.
surfer reply :
A 12 ft canoe is not stable. Your fianc ée would ride with you only once. If y'all didn't tip then I am sure you would have some unstable scary moments unless you both have great balance.
Get a jon with a trailer if you can.
bassinboston reply :
Def. a Jon. I had a canoe and recently sold it and went with a 10 ft Jon and I like it much more. The flat back canoes I have seen may be around the same weight as the Jon but much more awkward to move. Also, I put the jon in the back of my SUV without to much trouble. Much easier than getting a canoe on the roof.
shorefisher reply :
I would suggest a jon boat as well. Canoes can be a little unstable. I recently went over.
Fishing Rhino reply :
Had a 12 foot jon boat years ago. Have a 15 foot canoe today.
I had the experience of capsizing the canoe earlier this year when I reached over the side of the boat with the paddle to poke at something. Good thing the water was warm and shallow.
It happens faster than you think.
Keep in mind. A fishing boat is never large enough. You can always use more room.
Go with the jon boat. It's more stable. It has more room for gear.
The canoe is working for me......for now. But I'd prefer a jon boat, so I'm going to build one.
Regards, Tom
Travlin_Man reply :
You don't say if the motor you plan to use will be electric or gas. If you are going with an electric the long narrow hull of a canoe type boat will give you more speed and battery life. Have you considered a 13 ft. Gheenoe? They are very stable and give the advantages of a long narrow hull without the tip over factor.
loomis spookwalker reply :
Go 4 the jon boat w/ a good troll and 2 batt
snapshotmd reply :
QuoteYou don't say if the motor you plan to use will be electric or gas. If you are going with an electric the long narrow hull of a canoe type boat will give you more speed and battery life. Have you considered a 13 ft. Gheenoe? They are very stable and give the advantages of a long narrow hull without the tip over factor.
TM - The Gheenoe is an interesting idea. I'm using a canoe now and I'm concerned about the stability issue, but I don't have the yard space for a trailered boat, so whatever I have must be carried and cartopped. The only thing is I probably can't handle it myself since it says it weighs over 100#. I'm gonna have to get a strong fishing buddy to help.
Travlin_Man reply :
A 13 ft. Gheenoe should not be a problem to handle. I have a 15' 6" Gheenoe that I bought new in 1980. I stored it upside down on a rack and just walked under it , put it on my shoulders and carried it to my truck and slid on top of the topper. I am certainly not built like Hercules although I must admit a few years ago I finally bought a trailer for the boat as I am now entering my sixth decade. They are very stable boats and stand up fishing is not at all a cause for concern. I use only electric power so the long narrow shape is a lot easier to push than the square flat end of a jon.
surfer reply :
Travelin Man is on to something. Gheenoes are supposed to be very stable by all accounts i have read.
macmaster761 reply :
i go fishin with my dad all the time in one of the 12ft canoes the summer camp he works at has. Just trying to balance in the canoe kills the fun of fishing. Funny story actually, I went to the beach yesterday, and there was a father mother and kid, and they're boat was way high up on the boat ramp so I offered to launch them and they said sure. So I launched them into the tidal river started to walk away and then looked back real quick and all of them were in the water were screaming ;D.
I would say either a jon boat or two kayaks for you and whoever goes with u
Travlin_Man reply :
The man that invented the Gheenoe did so because he was tired of trying to fish out of a tipy canoe.
lineman711 reply :
I actually prefer a canoe to a jon boat. I fish rivers and it's much easier for me to get around in a canoe, especially when I'm by myself. I have a cheap plastic 14' canoe right now and love it. It's a handful by yourself but you can do it.
ArcticCat500 reply :
Im not to sure about the 12ftr you speak of, but I owned a Great Canadian 16ft Sportsman Series, this was incredibly stable and as wide as my 10ft JB. My older brother and his wife own it now and they use it in the salt ponds and inlets here in RI.
When I fished alone, I had no trouble moving about the canoe. I liked my canoe but thats a tuff choice for me. I think if I had a bigger JB it wouldnt be an issue. Think I'll go 14ft next.
Big-O reply :
If you plan on fishing often and alot of places....JB is the only way to go
Big O
AStallings reply :
We used to fish from a canoe on our pond back in the day, it was such a pita. Every time either person so much as shifted their weight or moved wrong it'd feel like the whole d**n thing was going to flip over. Had to concentrate on everything except fishing in that thing.
We've got an Alumacraft now with a little trolling motor, 100x better for fishing. Lots more room, d**n near impossible to flip and much more enjoyable to fish on.
snapper G reply :
I would have to say the john boat, it's much more sturdy! You can also have more wight in the boat, it's also gonna be easier to at m motor on, even with the kind of canoe you what. John boats are also better more bass, since you can stand in them with less of a worry of the boat tipping.
I added a poll so if people don't what to post anything, they can just use the poll.
ArcticCat500 reply :
Im jumping back in here, Im not sure if you made your choice and I really dont know what your needs are....if your fishing alone and thinking of buying new, take a very good look at the Adirondack Sportsman Series from Great Canadian, the width on these are wider then some JB's and the capacity is greater then some JB's up to almost 14ft. Now Im not down playing the role of a JB but I've owned both and like I mentioned before, If I go JB again it would have to be 14ft. But if Im pulling solo fishing trips more, I'd go canoe. No Doubt.
http://www.greatcanadian.com/canoes_sport.html
The Rooster reply :
I grew up riding and fishing in a 17 foot aluminum Grumman canoe. Personally I don't care all that much for canoe fishing cause it is hard on my back, no place to lean back to rest a moment and trying to balance while moving around isn't pleasant either. That's what strains my back the most.
But if you do go with a canoe, try to get one that has as deep a keel as possible. You'd be absolutely amazed at what a difference in stability there is between an aluminum canoe with a straight piece of metal for a keel that's about 2 inches wide vs. a plastic canoe that just has a swelled ridge running from tip to tip along the bottom. They're just rounded off keels, allow for severe rolling from side to side with very little movement to cause it, and are not at all stable like the aluminum one I grew up with.
But even so, the aluminum canoe will be no where near as stable as the flat bottom of a jon boat. Yeah, a short narrow jon boat will tip some but it won't flip like a canoe will if you lean over to wash your hands off in the water. And one time of flipping a canoe in water that's over your head will ruin you for wanting to fish out of it after you lose an expensive combo or two and all your tackle, and the trolling battery will be ruined as well, if not lost completely. Also, the canoe we had was absolutely impossible to stand up in, but a jon boat might allow you to do that depending on how large of one you get.
On a side note, I want to add that I never have flipped a canoe, but came pretty close a time or two. Dad bought it new before I was born (pre 1974) and he had flipped it a few times in learning to use it but by time I was able to go along he knew how to handle it and taught me. Now my brother has it and still uses it to this day. It's held up great to be over 35 years old.
Also, I don't know how deep a jon boat will draft water, but the canoe we fished out of was capable of crossing over water that was only 6 inches deep. Sometimes we would drag bottom in sandy bottomed creeks but we kept going right on with minimal effort and we never used a motor at all, just paddles only. I do have to say that we were able to get into some good places thanks to that canoe and caught some fish and had memorable times that we would otherwise have not had. Come to think of it, this post was about 1/2 advise on what to do and 1/2 reliving old memories.
Even though I had some good times in that canoe, I would still opt for the jon boat if I was to get a smaller boat again.
kikstand454 reply :
well....
based solely on the "12 ft." parameter, id say get a jb.
a canoe that size cann be dicey and esp if your wife wants to go with you that may end badly.
HOWEVER.....
if you can get a 14 or 15ft. GHEENOE..... well then that is by far the best idea. they are the best of all worlds.
my buddy and i go fishing out of his 15ft. gheenoe and we are both 200lbs. with our gear and a cooler.....u get the picture. weve been out in that thing in choppy inland waters and never had an issue. we can stand up (not at the same time) and stretch or whatever.
the only drawbacks are room.... and seat backs. if you put an aftermarket seat on them, you raise the center of gravity and it gets hairy. canoe seat backs work fine though.
a 14ft. johnboat is the same or less stable than the equivilent gheenoe unless you get a high-side nice one like a g3 in which case u are trailering it.
also.... weve been running a 4 horse on the gheenoe with our big butts in it and it ran just fine on plane. thats not gonna happen in a square jb.
and...... if you have engine problems or shallow water problems..... u can ALWAYS paddle a gheenoe!
i love em.
Low_Budget_Hooker reply :
JON BOAT!!!!
ArcticCat500 reply :
this debate can go on and on with no real conclusion, there are just way to many parameters to factor in for an answer in which equals right or wrong, better or best. If you like the idea of a canoe then get one, or a jb for that matter. To each his own.
bigfruits reply :
if you get a canoe, i strongly advise against a 12 footer. go 16 or 17.
it really depends where you fish as to what you should choose. if you fish shallow rivers or back waters a canoe is better.
if you cover alot of open water where it can be very windy, go for the jon boat.
i got my canoe used for 300 bucks and ive had it for over 5 yrs. you can also buy a used jon boat for very cheap. my suggestion, get both!
dont let the fear of tipping stop you from buying a canoe. get one with a flat bottom. the only time i flipped mine out of countless trips was on class II rapids (waves come over the edge and flood the canoe) and when i stood up to take a leak (about 8 beers into the float)
to make your decision harder, look up native watercraft's ultimate 16 ft "hybrid" kayak/canoe. 2 person or 1 person (removeable seats), super stable. you can stand and fish on it.
LunkerLust reply :
I own both, here's some + & - for each. The canoe is very light, I can put it on top of my car which gets much better gas mileage than my truck. There are lakes locally that don't have ramps or don't allow motors, +canoe. A few lakes are very weedy, I get through them better with the canoe.
If you like to fish for more than 4 hours at a time, it's nice to be able to stand up once in awhile +jonny. If you fish where there is water sking and jet skis jonny is the better choice. A friend and I amost got swamped by water skiers in the canoe. I saw a huge wave coming and turned into it before we lost everything. Some types of fishing are better suited to standing up, flipping etc, unless you get a really wide canoe or attach outriggers, ++ jonny.
Most of my favorite lakes are an hour + drive and don't allow motors, so I use the canoe a lot more often.
Hope this helps!
DADto4 reply :
QuoteI would suggest a jon boat as well. Canoes can be a little unstable. I recently went over.
x2 I also went over,only we lost the battery for T.M. My buddy was,,,, how do you say.......P'D OFF!
CANOES=UNSTABLE AT ANY LENGTH OR WIDTH.
ArcticCat500 reply :
QuoteQuoteI would suggest a jon boat as well. Canoes can be a little unstable. I recently went over.x2 I also went over,only we lost the battery for T.M. My buddy was,,,, how do you say.......P'D OFF!
CANOES=UNSTABLE AT ANY LENGTH OR WIDTH.
Im sorry...this statement is absolutly false....let me see you white water a jb...
DADto4 reply :
I respect your opinion ArcticCat500 after all it is yours and that is what this forum is about,,,opinions!.With that said I stand behind mine. 8-)
bigfruits reply :
what did you guys do that made you go over? like i mentioned earlier, out of over 200 trips ive flipped twice and that was because i was doing something i shouldnt be doing. ive stood on my canoe to fish many times (not recommended).
with flat hull canoe that is at least 15' long you dont just tip for no reason.
if they were so unstable, i dont think people would be using them in the winter, several days away from civilization, in Minnesota's boundary waters canoe area.
DADto4 reply :
Long story,
The short version is too much beer,too young,and way too anxious on the hook set!
Yes it was an act of stupidity on our part , and now that I am 12 years or so older I would probably fair well with a canoe.My way of thinking is if you can buy a canoe brand new for close to the same $ as a new or newer jon boat, with all a jb has to offer why not do it.Chances are you will out grow whatever you buy.
P.S. By the way it was a 14' alum. bought from a nearby church hauled around by means of a chevy luv truck.But boy did we have fun that summer!
avid reply :
If I recall correctly those square stern canoes are pretty heavy. a riveted aluminum jon would be more stable unless you go with a gheenoe.
kayl. reply :
You could always buy a canoe and build some outriggers for stability, I've seen this done and it looked pretty nice and stable. They came off for easy transport too!
kikstand454 reply :
you can easily stand up and fish in a wide bottom'd 15ft canoe in protected waters or rivers.
easy. done it a million times on wakulla river here.
just have to sit down whenn someone goes by in a boat.
...... annd try not to hit anything unnderwater.... ie... logs, stumps...manatees,alligators...
BirdNestBen reply :
check out the Alumnacraft jon boat at Academy....... they are a little pricey but well worth the money and easy to put a seat in.....
I'm clumsy and canoes are way too tippy-------- especially in windy conditions...... plus this boat will hold 3 people.......
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