How Well Would You Do? In A Jon Boat 2025

WilliamMcCabe reply :

so how well do you think you could do in a Jon boat, let's say 12ft with a 10hp, 40lb minn Kota and Lowrance elite-3x and whatever else you would bring, obviously would have to fit in the boat

Choporoz reply :

On 7/28/2015 at 1:49 AM, WilliamMcCabe said:
so how well do you think you could do in a Jon boat, let's say 12ft with a 10hp, 40lb minn Kota and Lowrance elite-3x and whatever else you would bring, obviously would have to fit in the boat

My guess is about 13 MPH

WilliamMcCabe reply :

*insert face palm emoticon here*

dolomieu reply :

I assume you're asking in regards to competing against guys in bass boats? There are too many variables in that scenario to even consider an answer.

FLW pro, John Cox did pretty well this year in his aluminium boat with no depth finder.

Alonerankin2 reply :

Are you asking a boat performance question or a tournament question? In the late 70's we would oar a 12' v hull around and catch 50 to 100 LMB a day ( during peak ) 3 of us in the boat fishing plastic worms. Caught 9 llb bass in Fl out of a 10' Jon boat..( Osceola forest water )

WilliamMcCabe reply :

Tournament, as its in "tournament talk"

J Francho reply :

Better than you in the same boat.

Angry John reply :

Local knowledge of the water would be the bigest factor. If you know the water and get to the spots you know you need to win then just fine. If you honey holes are far appart and well known then you would get smoked.

scaleface reply :

I would compete just fine in a jon boat. I might have to head straight to the bank but I could pull it off .

I use to hear the snickering at my 15 foot Skeeter tri hull but those guys doing the snickering were making the mistake " that it is not the boat that catches the fish ."

Catt reply :

I've won tournaments on Toledo Bend out of a 14' Alweld with a 25 hp Suzuki.

The only problem you will have is livewell

Bluebasser86 reply :

I fished all last year out of a 15' Lowe with a 43lb motorguide, and 15hp tiller drive Johnson. Won a couple of weeknight tournaments out of it. Not really a reasonable boat to be able to take out on the bigger lakes to fish any tournaments bigger than that though.

gardnerjigman reply :

On 7/28/2015 at 1:36 PM, Bluebasser86 said:
I fished all last year out of a 15' Lowe with a 43lb motorguide, and 15hp tiller drive Johnson. Won a couple of weeknight tournaments out of it. Not really a reasonable boat to be able to take out on the bigger lakes to fish any tournaments bigger than that though.

And then poor ol' blue got banished to be nearly turned into scrap....

VAHunter reply :

I fish all the time out of a 15' Alumacraft with a 9.9 against all the glass boats. I do just fine. I obviously can't take any rough water and my range is very limited compared to them. But the areas I fish are small-boat friendly. As was stated earlier, the boat doesn't catch the fish.

ww2farmer reply :

I do just fine with my little aluminum boat against guys with $70k rigs.

Harry IV reply :

I have a deck and a foot controlled pedal on the front of my 14 foot johnboat, along with a depth finder I just have a problem keeping the fish alive especially in Florida. Gear isn't a big problem for me if im by myself I can have 8 or 10 rods, so long as its a smaller lake I know I could whip up on the big dawg boats lol

tomustang reply :

Wont be as glittery

EmersonFish reply :

Depends on the body of water, where we were launching from, weather, and lots of other variable obviously. I think I'd do fine, because I'm accustomed to a pretty modest setup, but I also know that if I could afford a fully rigged, state-of-the-art, 21', glass boat with a 250 on it, I'd have one; and that's for a reason.

Ratherbfishing reply :

Just about as well as I would with a fiberglass boat-lousy.

5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :

First of all don't forget Mike Iaconelli smoked the competition back in the day with his John Boat.

Second, I have won tournaments in my 1989 Cajun 16ft. with a Johnson 70 on it. The guys I beat? They would be the guys running their mouths with side comments about my "oldie but goodie" at the launch. Loved driving off with some extra cash as they loaded up their $75k Ranger in their trailers empty handed.

Boats don't catch the fish.....

Scorchx1245 reply :

I do alright in my 18 foot glass boat I picked up for 3500. 150 evinrude 55lbs motor guide and basic electronics, no DI or gps.

Scorchx1245 reply :

On 8/1/2015 at 3:49 AM, 5 Dollar Fishing Game said:

First of all don't forget Mike Iaconelli smoked the competition back in the day with his John Boat.

Second, I have won tournaments in my 1989 Cajun 16ft. with a Johnson 70 on it. The guys I beat? They would be the guys running their mouths with side comments about my "oldie but goodie" at the launch. Loved driving off with some extra cash as they loaded up their $75k Ranger in their trailers empty handed.

Boats don't catch the fish.....

I thought about this, and if it's a small lake with a lot of boats, I want to get to my spots fast. Since everyone knows the good ones such as conesus or keuka.

IndyGlockMan reply :

I caught more fish out of my Kayak yesterday than I have caught in tournaments co-angling on nice glass boats all year.

... it was a good day

S. Sass reply :

Since the question is, How Well Would You Do? In A Jon Boat? I would say I'm not gonna be a favorite. This would be me before during and after the tournament. -->>

Its pretty much a given the Jon boat guy is at a disadvantage. How much is based on other factors some mentioned already size and how well known the hot spots are etc.

J Francho reply :

What are the disadvantages?

S. Sass reply :

On 8/7/2015 at 10:33 PM, J Francho said:
What are the disadvantages?

Speed to get to holes first and high wind or rough water days. I am assuming there may be more like live well solutions may be a bit more cumbersome.

J Francho reply :

That would all depend on the lake, not the boat. The biggest advantage in a tournament is time in that lake and being dialed into the fish. The next biggest is knowing how to adjust. None of this involved the craft your fishing from or the gear you use.

An old tournament fishing proverb: beware the man that shows up to open tourney with beat up old tiller.

S. Sass reply :

Well unless we are hand selecting what lake the weather and any other part of the tourney settings I disagree. As a general tournament question I don't think this was a one lake question. That being said a faster boat gets you fishing quicker all other variables equal. The same can be said about the weather. I own and fish from a Jon boat but if the winds are up a larger more stable boat would be if nothing else safer. Sure you can adjust but while your adjusting the other guy is fishing. I'm not saying you cant fish and do good from a Jon boat like you said the boat isn't the brains behind the operation. However as a over all question, "How well would you do in a Jon boat?" Over numerous lakes and conditions I say look around. I don't see anglers selling their bigger boats to get a Jon boat actually the opposite seems to be the trend. I love my Jon boat I can get in pools and smaller bodies of water that a bigger boat isn't really suited for. And I am all for the small guy kicking big and rich guys tail in the tournaments I am just being realistic. Ask the Pros how many would go against a the field in a Jon boat.

J Francho reply :

Pros travel great distances, most weekend guys travel less than 5 miles. Don't get me wrong, I value speed - that is a Bullet with Merc racing motor in my avatar - but that isn't the great advantage you make it out to be. To be sure, I did much better in my Xpress than the Bullet. skill trumps speed almost every day of the week.

ww2farmer reply :

I'll leave these here.....my $$ results the last 5 years fishing out of a glorified "jon boat" (bass tracker) w/ a 25 HP motor, against guys with faster glass rigs, often festooned with the "latest and greatest" electronics, power poles etc...

Wins: 6

2nds: 15

3rds: 9

4ths: 5

Other money spots when there have been enough boats to pay more than four places: 5

Lunker: 3

Those are just open results out of my boat, add a couple more in each place for other assorted tournaments out of my boat, and a bunch more out of various buddies older glass boats, none of whom have the "latest and greatest"...........

Moral of the story, learn the water your fishing, learn to fish, and you'd do fine in a row boat. Would I like to have a bigger, faster boat..........sure, I'd be lying if I said no. But I make the best out of what I got, and know my limitations, I DO NOT go out on Erie, or Oneida and try to compete, I stay to the local smaller lakes. I actually take a little pride in doing well out of what some people feel as an inferior boat.

J Francho reply :

^ding ding ding!!!!!

senko_77 reply :

You'll do fine, man. In Georgia, they have tournament series on electric motor only lakes and I had great success. I'd also take my boat out to the big impoundments and just put in at a ramp and fish the area like it was a small lake.

If you approach it right, fishing with limited mobility on where you can go is a big deal and you can do some serious damage. On most lakes, each creek usually has enough fish with to win a tournament. People get so hung up on running and gunning that they usually move to fast. Having to slow down and really work and area thoroughly can have great results.

The boat doesn't make the angler, brotha. It's all about the angler.

S. Sass reply :

Quote

most weekend guys travel less than 5 miles

Quote

know my limitations, I DO NOT go out on Erie, or Oneida and try to compete, I stay to the local smaller lakes

My point exactly. ^^^

I am looking at a general question not limited to a hand selected personal lakes you know like the back of your hand.

Also I never said speed was a replacement of skill by any means just a advantage. Its clearly not a disadvantage to be faster (unless you crash ), so it is an advantage be it a small one or not.

J Francho reply :

I took my Xpress out on Erie and Oneida…

And won. More than once, lol.

What do you run, and what's your record?

S. Sass reply :

On 8/8/2015 at 11:48 AM, J Francho said:

I took my Xpress out on Erie and Oneida…

And won. More than once, lol.

What do you run, and what's your record?

This started as a question about a Jon boat in a tournament situation vs what I took was against a typical bassboat.

I said right off the bat

Quote

I would say I'm not gonna be a favorite. This would be me before during and after the tournament. -->>

And that is awesome you can win. All I said was the Jon boat was at a disadvantage to a bassboat. Just because you can win doesn't make it the advantageous boat.

The fact I don't see professionals dragging Jon boats to a tournament is enough for me that it has little or no advantage as far as a tournament fishing is concerned. Considering the $ they spend for an advantage that supports my theory. I was comparing boat to boat not the angler.

I already said I fish from a Jon boat. I don't have a win / loss record because I fish for relaxation and fun. Its not a competition for me, I get nothing out of showing I caught more fish than someone else.

J Francho reply :

I don't think the comparison to pros compares. The club guy and the weekend angler are a different animal. It's tempting to go there, and I do it too. But it's not the same.

Catt reply :

On 7/28/2015 at 1:49 AM, WilliamMcCabe said:
so how well do you think you could do in a Jon boat, let's say 12ft with a 10hp, 40lb minn Kota and Lowrance elite-3x and whatever else you would bring, obviously would have to fit in the boat

Don't see any mention of professional level tournaments so ya can throw that arguement out.

The tournament wins & top 10s I have on Toledo Bend were against professional level anglers, 4-5 are Pros.

Speed does not in any way, shape, or form mean you can out fish me.

As for weather every tournament I've fished anglers were allowed to trailer to different launch sites.

SwampStudBassin reply :

I fish from a 14ft Jon boat, 15hp motor, n bow mount trolling motor. Just started tourney fishing. 1st tournament I took 4th out of 17 boats, this last one I took 3rd with 12.56#. There was 16 big ol bass boats. I'll admit I was a bit imtimidated, but at the end of the day only 2 of them beat me. Oh I fish by myself, no partner. The boat has very little to do with it.

WIGuide reply :

The tourney I fished this last weekend you would have been put at a major disadvantage. It was on a chain of 8 lakes, which weren't enormous, but decent sized. Unfortunately the wind blew like crazy on Saturday with a good 20 mph sustained blow with gusts in the 30-40 range. Even the smaller, more protected lakes were pretty choppy, but to get to them you would have had to cross almost 2 miles of open water in the wide open bowl. Good luck crossing that in a little jon. Be sure you're strapped up with a life vest or two!

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How Well Would You Do? In A Jon Boat 2025

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