Boat selection advice

[Wilkstr]

I am looking to buy a relatively inexpensive boat. I currently have a 12 foot Livingston and love the stability of these boats.
My question is…. How stable is a Jon boat? I am assuming they are relatively stable since guys hunt waterfowl from them. I have seen a ton of these around but have never gotten the chance to quiz anyone about them. Ideally I would like a 16 foot or potentially 18. I will probably settle with a 14 foot. My biggest problem with anything over 14 and even 14 itself is not having a big enough motor. I have a small 7.5 hp Honda.
I guess my biggest questions are
1) How stable are the 52 -67 inch beam Jon boats?
2) How rough are they? Is a little chop going to chuck you over or soak guy real bad?
Most of my fishing is smaller lakes around Spokane & Stevens County for bass & pike. I want something big enough I can run down to Davis slough on Pend Oreille occasionally as well or dump it in at Mud Hole or at Reilly Creek when camping, but also want to be relatively comfortable on the occasions I have my wife and 2 totters.
Any advice on Jons or should I be looking at a V hull or what??????

[jmay]

I had a true jon boat and hated it. It was fine for sloughs and mud puddles duck hunting but when the E Washington afternoon wind kicked up on Williams Lake it not a lot of fun

Right now I have a triton deep V. I looked at several makes, I bought a triton because it has a lot of freeboard and they are wider then the other makes. I have a 10hp engine and have run it on Lake Cd'A, and Rock Lake in the dead of winter with no issues or feeling unsafe. V hull are able to handle the rougher water and keep you dry.

Tritons are fairly cheap as well. I bought mine at the White Elephant for $1200

[Wilkstr]

Jmay, What model Deep V do you have? I am looking on the Triton website....

[jmay]

SUV 1268. They make a 14' as well

[Basshunter046]

I have a 12' G3 with a 5 horse Yamaha on the back with a minnkota electric. I've had both my boys + me and gear in it a couple years back but won't do it now. It's stable and all we're just to big for it and I'd like to get another boat here soon. I use it trolling for Walleyes on Roosevelt and Potholes but when the wind starts to whitecap it time to find calmer waters cause it'll beat the heck out of you. My advise is if your just out puddlejumping for panfish and bass jonboats will work ok. With you your wife and 2 youngsters I'd find at least a 14' v-hull. it'll give you more room and you can also upgrade it if you like. Just a though for ya

[Wilkstr]

I have a 10hp engine and have run it on Lake Cd'A, and Rock Lake in the dead of winter with no issues or feeling unsafe.

I lived on Rock for about 2 ½ years. I have not been down there for probably 3 or 4 years. We used to just kill the browns down there (not literally) I always got a kick out of guys complaining at the boat launch about getting skunked trolling up and down the lake all day. Not that trolling doesn’t work mind you but we had a more productive way… I think it has become so popular the days of catching 15 to 20 browns a day are gone, maybe not. It was always really good in November and when it was sunny, if the clouds passed over the sun it just shut off until the sun came out again….. O.K enough reminiscing, thanks for the boat advice.

[Wilkstr]

With you your wife and 2 youngsters I'd find at least a 14' v-hull. it'll give you more room and you can also upgrade it if you like. Just a though for ya

Yeah I believe you are correct, especially with taking my 2 ½ year old daughter with me. (Who can cast her finding nemo spincast all the way across the living room I might add)

[Palmer]

I have a crestliner. It is wide and stable, but I'm wondering how other boats are in rough water. I fish a lot of big lakes like Priest, Pend Oreille, Washington, and Cle Elum. When it gets windy I need to slow down to 12 mph sometimes. Meanwhile, I see yachts on Washington going 25 mph and getting 100' to the gallon. I tried going that fast in the chop and I thought I was going to break my back.

[jmay]

Wilkstr I went to school at Eastern and became friends with a couple of guys from Endicott/St. John that turned me on to Rock. Its a neat lake, but by god can it get rough! I have been one of those idiots trolling up and down the lake and have pulled a coulpe on nice browns out of there, but my best success has been throwing fly's off of the tallis slopes. I have never fished in the summer, but someone told me there are bass in there?

[Wilkstr]

Yes there are bass in there. I lived and worked for some folks who have 22,000 farmable acres down there (1/2 is in Colfax) The only bass I ever caught were 1 to 1.5 LB from shore and at the head where the creek comes in, you know there’s gotta be bigger ones in there.
You are correct, it is a rough lake, it can get really scary out there even in a bigger boat. A friend of mine who happened to be a member of the family I worked for down there died on that lake his junior year in high school. That lake has a tremendous undertow.
Wanna know the trick for the browns?

[hewesfisher]

Wanna know the trick for the browns?

Sure, if you don't want to make it public then PM us with it!

I need to get over the launch condition (it sucks) and visit the lake. It would take some serious chop to scare me off the water now.