Boat Buying Help

[TroutRinger]

Alright, so it looks like I am going to purchase my first boat. I am looking into a 12-16ft jon. My question is what is the minimum horse power I can safely get away with on Taney on a 12'? 14'? 16'? I am trying VERY hard to keep it under $2000, but I want a reliable motor made some time in the last decade and a half so horse power is probably where I am going to have to sacrifice. I'm not looking to zip around the lake. Just something to get me upstream.

Thanks

[rps]

The river boats on the lower White are 20 ft but narrower than your typical aluminum jon boat. The majority are fitted with 15 horse, but the rentals have 9 and 8 horse. I suggest you look at the 9.9 for the 14 jon as a minimum. If I remember right Trav had a semi v for sale at a price where you could still have a chunk left for a reliable motor.

[Phil Lilley]

Depends on people weight. If it's just you, then a 15 hp would be fine. A 25 hp would be better, esp if you're taking more people. A 25 hp will pushing most any size jon - up to a 20 footer.

I'll have some used 25's this fall if you can wait. Probably about $1000 each.

[TroutRinger]

It will mostly be either me or just one other person but I am a scrony 150 lbs. And if I find something I love with an older motor at a good price I may definitely be interested in those 25s.

[taxidermist]

Phil are those two or four stroke you will have for sale? I bought one of your four stroke 3 years ago and it was a great motor just to heavy for my boat with my fat butt in the back.

[kre11]

I used to run a 15 foot aluminum with a 25 hp merc 2 stroke on tanney all the time. It worked just fine for one or two people. I fished three out of it a couple of times, but it was very crowded, the motor was still plenty even with 4 units of generation. My boat was 42 inches on the inside (60 in beam) and it was plenty stable. Good luck in your search.

[TroutRinger]

Still looking for the right boat. What do you guys think about hull type. I like the stability, safety, and ride of v bottoms but flats need less hp, run shallower, and are easier to find. I will be using it on Taney mostly but will visit Table Rock, LOZ, Bull Shoals, etc. occassionally. I have settled on a 16 footer.

[grizwilson]

Unfortunately there is not one boat that is perfect for the various applications you would like. I currently have 5 boats and 3 canoes of various sizes for different applications. If I were limited to only one boat it would be my 20ft. river jon. With the 9.9 I can run taney, white, buffalo and crooked creek and I have used it on Table Rock, Bull Shoals and Northfork to fish. That said the one Bomberman has listed for 2750 is pretty close to your price target. Best of luck, tight lines

g

[Gatorjet]

Still looking for the right boat. What do you guys think about hull type. I like the stability, safety, and ride of v bottoms but flats need less hp, run shallower, and are easier to find. I will be using it on Taney mostly but will visit Table Rock, LOZ, Bull Shoals, etc. occassionally. I have settled on a 16 footer.

That would be a problem with anything less than a 20' deep V. Unless you stay in a cove, or are way up the lake. I came real close to having my 20' Gator sunk by a rouge 4' wave rom a huge cruser at the 8 mile marker.