Show Off Your Jon Boat! 2024

Brayberry reply :

I can't afford a Bass boat, so I buy jon boats and make them bass boats. I add flooring, seats, compartments, sonar, etc. I'm getting ready to buy a new jon boat to fix up and looking for idea on what to do and such. I'd like to see a picture of everyone jon boat modifications so hopefully I get more ideas and can make mine better, Show show your ride

zachb34 reply :

I get my 2014 tracker topper 15 and 2014 continental trailer on the 26th, and I plan on putting decks and stuff on it. Can't wait to see others boats on here

Hi Salenity reply :

Are you wanting to do something like this?

http://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=28777

Gaerith reply :

Wow I wonder how much that all cost him. looks nice!

Hi Salenity reply :

On 12/20/2013 at 10:27 AM, Gaerith said:
Wow I wonder how much that all cost him. looks nice!

Thanks, it's mine.

I honestly didn't total up what I spent on it it would probably scare me to death.

The real question is what's it worth? I'm about to put it on CL

00 mod reply :

I have done a couple...

And my current:

Jeff

Dwight Hottle reply :

On 12/20/2013 at 11:26 AM, 00 mod said:

I have done a couple...

And my current:

Jeff

Dwight Hottle reply :

I like. Why don't you bring that boat up to erie & we can beat up on some smallie?

00 mod reply :

I don't think my dinghy will make it on Erie....

Jeff

Hi Salenity reply :

Jeff do you have an I pilot?

Gaerith reply :

How long does it take to mod one of these? I can't really afford a bass boat but I've been toying with the idea of doing this for a while. I have a feeling I'd never finish it though.

Brayberry reply :

In the one's I've done. I dedicated a full day to it and finished it up the same day, but it does take the entire day. I've always put down a flat floor and carpeted it, added a flipping deck, added storage and cup holders, a livewell, depthfinder, etc. As long as you have the tools and supplies, it's quick if you have a plan of attack

00 mod reply :

On 12/20/2013 at 11:35 AM, Hi Salenity said:
Jeff do you have an I pilot?

Yes, I have the terrvoa 80lb w/ ipilot

On 12/20/2013 at 12:51 PM, Gaerith said:
How long does it take to mod one of these? I can't really afford a bass boat but I've been toying with the idea of doing this for a while. I have a feeling I'd never finish it though.

I did my first build in a long weekend, but my second one took much longer. There is no wood in my current boat, so cutting the metal and welding it took much longer!

Jeff

Hi Salenity reply :

That's the same thing I have. I used it for the first time earlier this week. I can see a possible upgrade to the link but I'm getting tired of throwing 1k at the boat.

zachb34 reply :

On 12/20/2013 at 11:26 AM, 00 mod said:

I have done a couple...

And my current:

Jeff

Now that's a sweet ride right there.

EvanT123 reply :

Here's mine haven't even gotten it wet yet. I'm going to spend some time on the water and see how it works before trying any modifications. I have to get a fish finder and trolling motor at a minimum.

Chris at Tech reply :

Here's mine build back in 2011 on a G3 1654. One 80 lb bow mount motor, two 80 lb transom mount motors, HB 898 and a few other toys. Recently I replaced the cloth hatch pulls with the flush plastic pulls. I friggin' love this thing.

And some more details on the build (which I did NOT do myself ), including more pics.

http://shareaproject.com/pages/projectTut,p,739,00.html

Dwight Hottle reply :

On 12/22/2013 at 4:42 AM, Chris at Tech said:

Here's mine build back in 2011 on a G3 1654. One 80 lb bow mount motor, two 80 lb transom mount motors, HB 898 and a few other toys. Recently I replaced the cloth hatch pulls with the flush plastic pulls. I friggin' love this thing.

And some more details on the build (which I did NOT do myself ), including more pics.

http://shareaproject.com/pages/projectTut,p,739,00.html

That's got to be the cadillac of all jon boats.

Chris at Tech reply :

On 12/20/2013 at 11:03 AM, Hi Salenity said:
The real question is what's it worth? I'm about to put it on CL

It's depressing putting jonboats up for resale in my neck of the woods

Chris at Tech reply :

On 12/22/2013 at 4:59 AM, Dwight Hottle said:
That's got to be the cadillac of all jon boats.

Down here, it's seems there's an arms race for jonboats. I don't fish the tourneys, but I see guys with TWO electric outboards (which require 12 batteries) 10 inch screen depthfinders, etc. Quite a few of them have enough $$$ in them to have a full bass boat. Mine was probably closer to that threshold that I'd like to think about, but the smaller, electric-only lakes are much easier for me to access around here than the big water.

If you want to see some great work, look up "bassboy1" and "Fish On Fabrications" on tinboats. That's the guy that did my boat, and he's done quite a few more intricate builds than mine.

00 mod reply :

Bassboy1 had some ideas that I incorporated in my boat. That guy has a real knack for what he does!

Jeff

camovan reply :

On 12/20/2013 at 11:26 AM, 00 mod said:

Jeff

Man, I really dig the simplicity of this. Can you tell me more about it? Any more pics with it loaded for a day on the water?

iabass8 reply :

hopefully 00mod has the link to his before/during/after pics of his current set up. I can't remember if I saw it here or on tinboats but it was impressive. It's by far my favorite tinboat mod I've seen.

00 mod reply :

Here are some more of my pics. Let me know if there is something specific you would like to see or know:

Rod holder system with golf tubes running under front deck:

Complete minus rear motor and original trolling motor no graph:

New trolling motor/ old graph:

Rear deck and motor cutout

Front deck/rod holders/go pro mount/ padded bottom deck:

I have since changed front graph. It also has on board 3 bank battery charger with 2 batteries up front under deck and cranking battery in rear. Also installed my own bilge pump with side exit.

Anything else just ask!

Jeff

Chris186 reply :

I have built a couple, in the process of building a buddies Landau 1442 for him. Here is my current boat:

http://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=22621

Loop_Dad reply :

Dumb question for you guys if I may...

You customize jon boat instead of buying bass boat to save $$$, correct? Roughly how much of saving you are looking at?

What is the difference of the bottom shape between jon boat and bass boat of the same size? The ones from tracker looks very similar on the pics...

00 mod reply :

On 12/25/2013 at 1:13 PM, Loop_Dad said:

Dumb question for you guys if I may...

You customize jon boat instead of buying bass boat to save $$$, correct? Roughly how much of saving you are looking at?

What is the difference of the bottom shape between jon boat and bass boat of the same size? The ones from tracker looks very similar on the pics...

I built my current boat to get exactly what I wanted. Money wasn't even a consideration. I had a vision of what I wanted, and there wasn't one out there. So I built it.

There are several different shapes of hulls a jon: flat bottom, mod-v, v, round bottom, deep v and multi-hull designs. Probably more I am forgetting. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages.

Mine is a modified v. V in the front a flat bottom in the back. It seems to be the best of most worlds in the grand scheme of things aluminum!

Jeff

slonezp reply :

00 mod, What brand hull is that?

00 mod reply :

On 12/26/2013 at 12:03 AM, slonezp said:
00 mod, What brand hull is that?

Weldbuilt

Jeff

Chris186 reply :

On 12/25/2013 at 1:13 PM, Loop_Dad said:

Dumb question for you guys if I may...

You customize jon boat instead of buying bass boat to save $$$, correct? Roughly how much of saving you are looking at?

What is the difference of the bottom shape between jon boat and bass boat of the same size? The ones from tracker looks very similar on the pics...

There are a few reasons why I fish from Jon boats. Where im from, our biggest lake is 1500 acres. Most of the lakes I fish are in the 200-600 acre range, so I dont really need a big boat. Also, most of the lakes here in RI have a 10hp limit. No reason to have anything bigger if I cant use it where I fish. Yes, you could save all the money you spend on a jon and buy a tracker or something. But, with a jon, you arent dishing all the money out at once. Build it over time, set it up exacty how you want and fish from it along the way.

Chris at Tech reply :

On 12/25/2013 at 1:13 PM, Loop_Dad said:

Dumb question for you guys if I may...

You customize jon boat instead of buying bass boat to save $$$, correct? Roughly how much of saving you are looking at?

Yes and no.

I'm not gonna lie -- my jonboat build cost me a pretty penny, but like Jeff I built what I want. One of the driving reasons I build a jonboat was because of accessibility. Atlanta has about a dozen electric motor only reservoirs ranging from ~200 to 900 acres. For me, those lakes are much easier for me to get to than the big waters. Big lakes Allatoona and Lanier are certainly short enough drives but they get so much pressure and traffic that I simply prefer the small waters.

No jet skies, no ski boats, no house boats and no gas expenses all make the electric-only lakes more desirable to me.

zachb34 reply :

Just bought it today it's a 2014 tracker topper 15 on a 2014 continental trailer.

Chris at Tech reply :

On 12/27/2013 at 5:58 AM, zachb34 said:
Just bought it today it's a 2014 tracker topper 15 on a 2014 continental trailer.

Nice! Just be sure to do good research on the mods you want to do. Decking can be a bit tricky in car toppers since they're not as deep, so they're pretty easy to make top heavy.

zachb34 reply :

On 12/27/2013 at 9:42 AM, Chris at Tech said:
Nice! Just be sure to do good research on the mods you want to do. Decking can be a bit tricky in car toppers since they're not as deep, so they're pretty easy to make top heavy.

Yeah I'm only keeping the decks at bench height no higher I don't want the boat to feel like a rocking chair

Chris186 reply :

On 12/27/2013 at 12:26 PM, zachb34 said:
Yeah I'm only keeping the decks at bench height no higher I don't want the boat to feel like a rocking chair

I have the same boat, link to my build is in this thread. My decks arent to the tippy top, but they are pretty high. No rocking chair syndrome.

Chris at Tech reply :

Hey Jeff -- any reason you didn't carpet the walls? Seems like that would go a long way to keep the high dollar equipment from getting scuffed.

00 mod reply :

Since then, I have added the same padding from the floor to protect the areas around the reels and baits. Just didn't have a pic already uploaded from that. You know how these boats are, always a work in progress!

Jeff

zachb34 reply :

On 12/27/2013 at 12:45 PM, CD1542 said:
I have the same boat, link to my build is in this thread. My decks arent to the tippy top, but they are pretty high. No rocking chair syndrome.

I can't seem to find your link? Not sure if I'm just missing the obvious or what

00 mod reply :

On 12/28/2013 at 7:00 AM, zachb34 said:
I can't seem to find your link? Not sure if I'm just missing the obvious or what

http://www.tinboats....hp?f=21&t=22621

Jeff

Catt reply :

Marsh Boat

zachb34 reply :

Anybody have an idea on how to install a foot controlled bow mount trolling motor without installing a deck? This will be temporary before I install a deck in about two weeks.

Insanity reply :

I'm not familiar with your model. But I'd guess it has the front bench seat across the bow. Sitting about three inches below the rail. I stacked up two 2x6's I think it was to get even with mine.(years ago)

Drilled threw and bolted motor mount and all together with big washers under the seat. Hoping your seat is open underneath. If it's closed and your going to deck over it anyway. You could use the spring open metal drywall anchors. But you'll need to drill some big nasty holes for them. Someone else might have a better idea then that.

stew6371 reply :

On 12/25/2013 at 1:13 PM, Loop_Dad said:

Dumb question for you guys if I may...

You customize jon boat instead of buying bass boat to save $$$, correct? Roughly how much of saving you are looking at?

Others have stated most of the benefits of building a jon boat. I would just like to add the cheaper cost to use. Smaller tow vehicle, less gas to tow, & easier to use by yourself, to name a few.

There is some great rigs here. Here is mine. http://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6735. I've been using it for about 4 years now & it's about time to redo some of it. I want to change some of the storage around & build rod boxes down the sides.

kickbasskid reply :

On 12/27/2013 at 5:58 AM, zachb34 said:
Just bought it today it's a 2014 tracker topper 15 on a 2014 continental trailer.

Congrats on the new ride man!

Brayberry reply :

There's definitely some good idea here. Keep them coming

Richie823 reply :

The beginning...

00 mod reply :

On 12/31/2013 at 8:22 PM, Richie823 said:
The beginning...

Yea man, we all started with no boat! HAHA! Just had too!

Jeff

Richie823 reply :

Haha, I'm glad you card me out. Will try again after work...

dsidle61 reply :

Im jealous of these beasts you guys have. I actually just picked up my tracker topper 1036 last night from bass pro. I fish mainly ponds and small lakes so right now this was a good fit for me. I know im pretty limited in what I can do to such a small boat but first on my wish list is gonna be seats. don't have to be anything fancy I would like swivel ones though. If anyone has done some work of their own on a boat my size id greatly appreciate any help. Im skeptical about building 2 platforms for weight reasons.

zachb34 reply :

On 1/4/2014 at 7:24 AM, dsidle61 said:
Im jealous of these beasts you guys have. I actually just picked up my tracker topper 1036 last night from bass pro. I fish mainly ponds and small lakes so right now this was a good fit for me. I know im pretty limited in what I can do to such a small boat but first on my wish list is gonna be seats. don't have to be anything fancy I would like swivel ones though. If anyone has done some work of their own on a boat my size id greatly appreciate any help. Im skeptical about building 2 platforms for weight reasons.

I wouldn't be worried about weight but I would be worried about stability in that small of a boat.

dsidle61 reply :

On 1/4/2014 at 7:28 AM, zachb34 said:
I wouldn't be worried about weight but I would be worried about stability in that small of a boat.

I have read a bunch of people complaining about it being unstable. I took it out today it was 40 degrees and wind whipping pretty good. I had my wife in It with me and I stood up and rocked it to see what kind of stability it had bc I have been on 15'ers before and I was more than happy w the stability of this one. With two seats (not super high up) I think this will work out perfectly for me.

zachb34 reply :

On 1/4/2014 at 7:37 AM, dsidle61 said:
I have read a bunch of people complaining about it being unstable. I took it out today it was 40 degrees and wind whipping pretty good. I had my wife in It with me and I stood up and rocked it to see what kind of stability it had bc I have been on 15'ers before and I was more than happy w the stability of this one. With two seats (not super high up) I think this will work out perfectly for me.

Then go for it these boats are fun little boats

florida strain reply :

14ft Monark, 25 Merc, Vengance prop.

jhoffman reply :

This was my first boat.

I estimated about 60 hours into the decking, which was regular 1/2" ply with lots of support and sealed multiple times. That included the hatches and carpet. I didnt go through the hassle of flushing the lids.

I also had 40 hours into the transom on this boat. I had to drill out every rivet by hand and replace the transom then use stainless bolts, sealed to hold it in. It didnt take on a drop of water, pretty impressive for a 1979!

I bought the boat on the trailer with everything thats in it for $600 on a 2 degree winter day. Never even fished it before I decked it. Sold it for $2000 but I know I had more than that into it, especially with time.

It had a one of those cheap briggs air cooled 5hp motors. It was anything but fast. But man it sure got some excellent comments from other anglers. They loved it, it was only 14' and honestly I never saw another boat that small decked here ever.

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