Best Fiberglass Jon Boat

[Fishhand]

I had them only put two rod trays on one side of the boat to hold my fly rods. They definitely saved me from breaking rod tips. But I think 4trays(2 on each side of the boat) would be overkill and take up too much space (IMPO).

It's a wireless trolling motor and YES; you're statement "Plus, Plus, Minus, Minus, Left, Left, Left, Right, etc." cracked me up! Plus, the beeping drives me absolutely insane. I'm tempted to remove the speaker.

I've noticed the rod trays don't hold spinning gear very well. I usually take along a tote and place any additional rods aross the tote (lid off) and, if necessary, set the rods down and use the tote as a stripping basket.

The beeping on the trolling motor drives me insane, as well. Almost wished I'ld went with a tiller control, but my front deck isn't big enough to safely utilize as a casting deck (although we do it anyway).

And, I agree with RPS, river jons are terrible on the lake. Not only do they swamp, but, the slighest breeze will push you wherever it wants.

[jwarren]

Doe anyone know where in AR I might find a good deal on a used 20' Supreme?

[Piscator]

Carolina Skiff update

I have an interest in Carolina Skiff's fiberglass jon boats because they are available in a number of lengths under 20'. That will fit them in my garage.

Some on this post seemed interested, too. You can find them on the web at http://www.carolinaskiff.com/. The construction is similar to Supreme and the others, but they have positive floatation (may even self-bail depending on load & trim), higher gunwales, and wider beam. They are intended to be customized - you choose a hull and then add what you want for front deck, rear deck, console style, etc.

The price is right, too. A 16' hull is around $3000. It has a 64" beam, not sure how much narrower the bottom is. 330 lb, 1015 lb capacity, 3-6" draft. A painted trailer is about $1000.

Unfortunately, the nearest dealers are over 300 miles away. This is a popular boat in the southeast. I talked with a dealer in Somerset, KY (Lake Cumberland) and will plan to visit for a demo this fall. If anyone else has an interest in seeing this boat or getting more information, contact me.

[jwarren]

Actually, I'd love an 18" foot model along the lines of what you described. How long do they take to fabricate an order?

[Piscator]

Actually, I'd love an 18" foot model along the lines of what you described. How long do they take to fabricate an order?

I don't know for sure. I think a hull can be found in stock for popular models. Some dealers offer pre-rigged boats - hull, decks, consoles, motor, and trailer. Ed's Marine sells them very cheap this way, but is reputed to charge a lot for any changes. You can find him on the web and find comments on www.carolinaskiffowner.com. Other dealers seem to stock the hulls and will order the components to rig any way you like. I wouldn't be surprised if you couldn't get exactly what you want in a few weeks or a couple of months.

You can get a JVX 17' 9" with a 78" beam with your choice of center, side, dual console or stick steering. Lots of accessory choices at www.carolinaskiff.com. I don't know the bottom width, but from the photos I'll bet it's at least 72". Might be pretty wide for the waters I'm wanting to fish.

These boats started as Boston Whaler knock-offs designed for bays, backwaters, calm in-shore water, not necessarily for rivers.

[cotterboy2007]

If money is no concern, get a supreme 207. IMO that Shawnee pictured looks like it was finished by little kids. They are good boats, and very rugged. You used to be able to get a commisary model that was very wide. I used to have one. J & S are also pretty decent, but the supremes are top of the line. i hav had a 2000 series for seven years of HARD use and not a problem. the bottom is level, drains well, no runners, easy to keep clean, and is solid as a rock with a 25 hp cranked wide open with no weight in the boat. go run that shawnee with a 25 and no weight and watch the waves in the bottom of the floor. Also, crack the bottom around one of those wooden runners and it will evetually start to rot and have to be replaced. You may think that won't happen, but i have seen it happen to guys who know hte river like the back of their hand. downside to my supreme is only 2 of my 4 boxes stay completely dry, but they may have corrected that by now. Also, if you can have your own trailer built, you can sve some money over buying one from TI. I don't think a $2000 trailer is required to haul a 500 pound boat. Another tip is to order it plain from the factory and buy your own rails and seat stands from metal logic in flippin ar. that is where supreme gets them. Then just put them in yourself. My boat is light brown with black powdercoated rails and seat peds. with camo seats. By getting my own trailer, seat peds, and rails, I saved about $1500 off the package deal

[taxidermist]

jwarren keep an eye on the Baxter Bulletin

http://classifieds.baxterbulletinonline.co...ationBoatsBoats

[Piscator]

I attended the conclave this past weekend and had opportunity to view first hand several boats. I'm narrowing the field:

Supreme: a quality boat, deservedly ranked highly by guides. I interviewed a guide who was running a 20 hp jet and said it ran as well as a prop.

Shawnee: it appears this is the choice of budget-minded fishers and resorts. I saw several loaded to the point of having less than 6" of freeboard while fishing the White with 8 generators running...not a good idea. Off my list.

JS: they were closed, but I looked through the fence at a couple of their boats. Curiously, one was like a Shawnee and the other was like a Supreme in terms of hardware and finish. The one like the Supreme was outfitted with a rod tray on each side and no storage boxes - open from casting deck to stern. They're online at www.jsboats.com, but don't give much information. JS promotes a closed cell honeycomb material they use in the hull instead of balsa or other filler. This is widely used in many boats for superior strength with low weight.

Playcraft: I consider this equal to the Supreme and given Playcraft's efforts to penetrate this market, it may (or may not) be better priced. Off-the-cuff, first offer pricing I've received show the Playcraft for much less than a Supreme.

Carolina Skiff: I met an owner who's boated the White for 25 years and is on his second CS. He traded up to a larger model. He reported it equal in fishing performance to any of the Ozark jons and believes it to have superior construction. They're produced with closed cell structural foam between the hull and the floor like a Boston Whaler. They can't be sunk. Fully customizable with your choice of decks, consoles, storage, etc. Check the www.carolinaskiffowners.com forum for my posts and comments from boat owners. The site is not affiliated with the manufacturer. My only concerns are impact resistance with a CS' light hull and abrasion resistance. The abrasion resistance is equal to any other fiberglass boat and the owner I interviewed said he's taken several bad impacts with no damage. My interest is having a package under 20' to store in my garage. Only problem is my nearest dealer is over 300 miles away. My brother in Florida, who really knows his boats, has agreed to look them over for me and get my questions answered.

My list is down to Supreme, Playcraft, and Carolina Skiff

[Fishing Milwright]

I fished the white below the Dam Tuesday through Sat. My Playcraft River Skiff performed flawlessly. I am very happy with it. It handles very good in the water. I can not tell any difference between it and the Supreme boats. I have a rod tray and two dry boxes on the sides and lockable front and rear boxes. There was plenty of room for three fishermen. The rails do not get in the way while fishing. The price is simular to the Supreme. The trailer is better than the Supremes trailers that I looked at.

[Danoinark]

Piscator, you know how much I like the CS's. I think they would be ideal for the tailwaters and great to pull to the salt too.

Probably will make the plunge one of these days for one. Let's see how the economy fares for a bit. If you pick it, I sure want a ride....

Dano