12-14ft? Jon Boat/VHull?? looking for 1st Boat

[ChrisB]

Any experience would be helpful. Looking to get first boat. Most lakes where I live dont allow gas so trolling motor is a must. Most of the time I'll be by myself. Sometime I might have my 2 kids at same time. I've seen some used 14ft v hulls by me but how hard or simple is it to load and unload if I'm by myself? If I go smaller im not sure how it will handle if I have 3 people in it. Right now I'm torn between what boat to go with.

[hughesjasonk]

I would get the boat that you want and just use the trolling motor when on those lakes

[analfisherman]

I started with Jon boat.
I recommend 14-16 foot wide if you have kids.
V-bottoms small and thin are REAL unstable for people up front.
Especially if they stand....and trust me, they will. 
Most Jons 14' and larger have a flat front surface for standing and fishing plus adds to trolling motor options.
Small Vs you basically can only mount in the rear of boat.
Flats, front or rear.

Now this is ONLY my opinion but I've fished small trolling motor BOWs a lot in both types and I always enjoy fishing from a Flat a lot more.
Bigger Vs....different story but 12' and if it's thin too...nightmare.
DO NOT GET A THIN V! Any size.

Loading and unloading....pretty much the same except Vs you have to match/center the hull with guides when loading. Can sometimes be tuff in the wind at times if new to launching/loading.
Small Jon, if you mess up, simply pull out and go back and lift Jon to center it for the ride home.
Pretty light and weights spread out.

A little hint,
If you get a rope with clips on both ends you can clip one end to the eye you clip the safety chains too. Other end to boat. Decide length by waters you frequent.
Get to ramp, backup, get out and clip on rope to hitch and loop on boat and then you can back in till boat floats and pull out of water and rope stops boat from floating away.
Pull boat to ramp with rope, tie up and go park the car/truck.
Can remove rope then and toss it in trunk/back of truck or leave it and toss it in the boat.
May come in handy if your trolling battery goes dead and you want a tow back to ramp. 
Makes launching a lot simpler.

[Kris]

IMHO, because of the kids I would go with a minimum 14 foot by 48 inch jon boat.  The 48 tells you the floor is 48 inches/4 feet wide.  for the kids that means it is steady on calm water.  You also want at least a 20 inch freeboard, distance from floor to the top of the gunwales, rim of the boat.  I would really suggest a 1648 because as they get older you might want a little more room.  I am old skool, wider is better with kids.
With a 16 footer you will have room to move around.  Make sure there is a wide open area and some seating for the kids.  Later, you can get a console and add a remote steer outboard if you wish.  My input and personal opinion.  Good luck to ya.  Kris
PS I agree with LMG, the jon boat should be a modified V to make it ride better.

[LgMouthGambler]

I have a 13ft V Hull, I think is about 46" wide. Pretty dang stable, even with the casting deck up front and 2 adults standing. It is better to get the V for cutting through water chop and stability. Te flat bottom Jons tend to be narrow.

[Princeton_Man]

IMHO, because of the kids I would go with a minimum 14 foot by 48 inch jon boat.  The 48 tells you the floor is 48 inches/4 feet wide.  for the kids that means it is steady on calm water.  You also want at least a 20 inch freeboard, distance from floor to the top of the gunwales, rim of the boat.  I would really suggest a 1648 because as they get older you might want a little more room.  I am old skool, wider is better with kids.
With a 16 footer you will have room to move around.  Make sure there is a wide open area and some seating for the kids.  Later, you can get a console and add a remote steer outboard if you wish.  My input and personal opinion.  Good luck to ya.  Kris
PS I agree with LMG, the jon boat should be a modified V to make it ride better.

I agree with Kris and from my own experience would probably go a bit larger. Age of the children can be a factor too but I like stable and I like having a little extra room. The fellow I sold my old Bass Tracker 175 to, bought it primarily for fishing a local electric only reservoir. Surprised me to no end when he told me he had pulled the outboard off. He said it was a lot easier to launch without the outboard, Very stable and had enough room for his two kids plus the wife or a kid's friend.
Kids love live wells, they can keep the fish for a while and watch them when they get board.  Most bass boats will have some storage for rods, tackle, cookies, etc. so you keep the deck area clear from tripping hazards.

If you're able to find an older boat like that, you could sell the outboard off from it to recoup some of the cost. -Jim

[Graf]

I have a V175 ProGuide deep V. It is very stable...even when fishing from a front deck and the back. I usually have my son fishing from the back and we move around a lot.....never had a problem with stability. The only problem with the boat, it sits high in the water and when the wind picks up it moves around a lot. Other then this, I am very happy with it.
Here is a link so you can see the boat:
http://www.trackerboats.com/boat/?boat=3666

[ChrisB]

Thanks to everyone for the info. Everything will be helpful when I visit shop this weekend. Many helpful ideas and things to consider. Much appreciated!!!!!!Hopefully I'll be boating within the week. That shore walking is getting old.

[Deadeye]

Good Luck with your search.

I used to fish a couple Electric Only Lakes when I lived in Pa. They can offer some great fishing!

Make sure you get enough battery to last all day, long way to paddle back to the ramp. Even if you only have a 12-volt Trolling Motor you can still use 2 12-volt batteries and hook them in Parallel. That mean run a Jumper Cable from + to + and - to -. You will still have 12-volt but double the battery lasting power.

As to a boat, I had a 12 ft V-Hull Fiberglass boat that I used at first. It was fine for just me but really lacking when the kids or wife wanted to go along. When I got the 18 ft Bass Boat I still fished the lakes just used the Trolling Motor.

You might be able to find a Great Deal on a 16-18 ft boat that has a Blown Motor. You won't need it anyway and they will know they can't sell it very easy and will make you a Great Deal.

Have Fun!

[bigjim5589]

My jon boat is 16' & wide, so IMO is a good size for general fishing & particularly with kids. When mine were younger, myself & two of the boys allowed us to fish comfortably. But, mine had also been decked so standing & fishing was not a issue. With 2 adults, it's a good size, but not for 3.

Any flat bottom is not going to ride well in rougher water so that too should be considered. I like the flat bottom for the rivers & creeks, and have taken it out into the Chesapeake Bay on calm days. Do have to keep a close watch on the wind & weather with it in bigger water. It's not fun having to run back to the ramp in 3' to 4' waves.

As far as loading & unloading, not a big deal on the trailer even alone, but I'm a rather big & tall guy, so I have leverage advantage some guys don't have. Never had a problem, and the ramps I launched at are all real good too, which certainly makes it easier. If I had to really man handle it, it could be an issue as it's too heavy to lift alone.