BigBendFishing.Net

Im curious how many fish Jon boats for inshore. I fish salt and fresh and like the deck layout and affordability of jon boats. My current boat is a 15'6" Gheenoe Classic with standard deck layout which is cramped most of the time. Been looking at the G3 1756 CC which seems like a capable fishing platform. I imagine though that chop is not that fun in a Jon boat.

I fish a Carolina Skiff J14. Basically a fiberglass jon boat(the J designation is jon). You are right about the chop being bothersome.

Fished and scalloped for years out of a 14foot rivited aluminum with a 15hp
My first real boat was a J16 carolina skiff with a 30hp.

There are days I miss those rigs- you could go skinny and were not scared of messing anything up.

I have a Tracker 1860 jon boat that I am pleased with. I run a jet - foot outboard, so if the chop gets real bad, I can run the shoreline after the waves have broken. If there is no way to avoid the chop, it just becomes a slow, wet, pounding ride until I can get shallow again.

As some of you know, I've had way more trouble with rocks than I have with waves....

"Inshore" is a broad definition.

A 14' Jon is works if you want to run the shoreline and fish creeks with one of two people. It does not work very well if you want to run out to the stakeline in St. Marks and fish deeper water. It will beat you bad and make you pray to Jesus if a thunder storm catches you out there.

In my opinion the 15 to 20' aluminum boats you see everywhere are not "jon boats". They are much more capable flats fishing machines that will still pound you like a tent post when it gets rough.

In our area you need 3 boats to fish "Inshore". 14' Jon for the lake and river. Gheenoe LT25 for creek fishing. 19 to 22' Bay Boat for everything else.

Go ahead and tell your wife that you read it on the internet and it's a must have.

Then you have to consider Duck Boats...
An entirely different category

I'm sure I'll take a beating for this, but, my first boat was a 15'x5' river hawk( very similar to a gheenoe). It was a great little boat if there was 0 chop. With any chop, the bow would cut into the waves and soak everyone in the boat. It was such a wet boat with any chop. My buddy has a 14x48" Jon and it is a much drier boat than my riverhawk. Not even close. It does rattle your fillings but you don't get as wet.

I fish out of a 15 ft. G3 with a 30 Haas Mercury. Don't stick your tongue out if its choppy.

THOMAS CITY CURVE wrote:I fish out of a 15 ft. G3 with a 30 Haas Mercury. Don't stick your tongue out if its choppy.

Same with the 2072 G3.

Salty Gator wrote:I'm sure I'll take a beating for this, but, my first boat was a 15'x5' river hawk( very similar to a gheenoe). It was a great little boat if there was 0 chop. With any chop, the bow would cut into the waves and soak everyone in the boat. It was such a wet boat with any chop. My buddy has a 14x48" Jon and it is a much drier boat than my riverhawk. Not even close. It does rattle your fillings but you don't get as wet.

I have never fished out of a Riverhawk boat of any size, so I'll take your word on the wet factor. I have run beside your buddies 14x48 right into the stiff chop that a good 15 knot SW summer sea breeze produces when you are headed back to the lighthouse. I don't remember getting a drop of spray on me that day and I'm sure you did not either.

I still can't figure out why you had your rain coats on......it was bright and sunny.


And I did forget that you need also need a Duck boat with an air cooled mud motor in your garage too. So 4 (four) boats are needed to be properly prepared. No wife should object to that.

rockyg wrote:

Salty Gator wrote:I'm sure I'll take a beating for this, but, my first boat was a 15'x5' river hawk( very similar to a gheenoe). It was a great little boat if there was 0 chop. With any chop, the bow would cut into the waves and soak everyone in the boat. It was such a wet boat with any chop. My buddy has a 14x48" Jon and it is a much drier boat than my riverhawk. Not even close. It does rattle your fillings but you don't get as wet.

I have never fished out of a Riverhawk boat of any size, so I'll take your word on the wet factor. I have run beside your buddies 14x48 right into the stiff chop that a good 15 knot SW summer sea breeze produces when you are headed back to the lighthouse. I don't remember getting a drop of spray on me that day and I'm sure you did not either.

I still can't figure out why you had your rain coats on......it was bright and sunny.


And I did forget that you need also need a Duck boat with an air cooled mud motor in your garage too. So 4 (four) boats are needed to be properly prepared. No wife should object to that.

It was cool that morning, I get cold when the temp drops below 75. Also, don't forget the kayak to use on no motor lakes and your 23' + offshore boat. So 6 vessels are all you need to get it done around here.

Salty Gator wrote: It was cool that morning, I get cold when the temp drops below 75. Also, don't forget the kayak to use on no motor lakes and your 23' + offshore boat. So 6 vessels are all you need to get it done around here.

Well it was about 4:00 pm but .......you are right my friend.....at least 6 boats to have it covered.

I have always been a firm believer that he who dies with the most boats wins.

count is up to five-- airboat

I have had several tin boats from a 15' alumacraft duck boat with a go devil to a scandy white tunnel to a 1756 cc G3.
I now have a 18' FG flats boat, love the deck. Its 8' wide and rides the chop without banging you to pieces. Not as skinny as the others, but there is a kayak with a trolling motor in the future for winter creek fishing. All the other fishing I do can be done out of the flats boat and its faster too.

I am half owner of a 14' Crappie Jon with a 9.9 on it. Nice little creek boat. I have used my 16' semi V duck boat to fish out of too. Nice platform, but I hate taking my mud motor to the salt. I like my Ranger Cayman 184 the best, but there are places it is not an option. I also have a home made boat, along the lines of a Barnegat Bay sneakbox. Homemade pirogue that will tip you over if you roll your eyes! And a Carsten's Puddler style one man layout/kayak (except it weighs a little more than half their model-held my big butt/the dog and a sack of decoys and gun). And if I got Bill Gates rich I would own at least 5 more boats!