# Jon boat mod tips?



## paslaw0311 (Apr 19, 2011)

Picked up a nice (used) 17ft lowe flat bottom, for getting to and from my wading spots. I like having a project to work on, so I plan on fixing 'er up to suit my needs. Whats some stuff that gets overlooked when people trick out a jon boat?


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## JFolm (Apr 22, 2012)

paslaw0311 said:


> Picked up a nice (used) 17ft lowe flat bottom, for getting to and from my wading spots. I like having a project to work on, so I plan on fixing 'er up to suit my needs. Whats some stuff that gets overlooked when people trick out a jon boat?


Deck? 
Wood/carpet on the bottom
Mount a bilge pump in the rear
paint it with camo stencils
float boxes or trim tabs
dry box

Just a few. . .


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## bubbas kenner (Sep 4, 2010)

I always kept my jon boats simple .Have a good working motor and traler all the safety eguipment needed, ice chest, tackle, n rodnreels and your good, you say you will go wadefishing,just my.02$.I had a 2inch nut tied to a string for a depth finder.


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## C.Hern5972 (Jul 17, 2009)

Keep it simple... Your wading, go fish


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## GuyFromHuntsville (Aug 4, 2011)

A bilge pump and a backup bilge pump. You can swamp or sink a jon boat pretty quick if you get caught in the wrong weather.


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## iridered2003 (Dec 12, 2005)

GuyFromHuntsville said:


> A bilge pump and a backup bilge pump. You can swamp or sink a jon boat pretty quick if you get caught in the wrong weather.


yep, and the smaller the boat the bigger the pump. read up on it. put a biga ss pump in there. rod holders. baitwell.


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

if you take a piece of 3/16 angle and bolt across the inside of the transom you can lay a piece of plywood on top of it out to the front edge of the back seat, put in a hatch , makes a rear deck, for the front get some alum sq. tubing and weld a flat plate across ea end and bolt inside the bow across the boat pt to stbd. you can lay plywood on it and extend the front deck
both are very handy for drift fishing, only carpet the decks, not the floor

also take a transom mount troll motor, pull the head bolt out and turn the tiller around, then fab up an alum bow mount and just clamp it on


X3 on the bilge pump , get a rule 1500 and wire w a float switch and manual overide

led red console lights are handy

dual batteries on a perko

vhf. stereo, center console, coolers, drink holders, rod holders


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## ReelWork (May 21, 2004)

C.Hern5972 said:


> Keep it simple... Your wading, go fish


Exactly...

You don't need a whole lot for wading. Agree with others, 2 bilge pumps and might even want to add some flotation under the seats. I'd also add a small dry box with all your necessities (handheld VHF, safety equipment, etc).


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## goodwood (Mar 30, 2009)

pics


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## Bocephus (May 30, 2008)

This is a 16 foot Boatright (no tunnel). It has a 14 gallon gas tank under the console. The front 54 qt ice chest for drinks, 94 qt behind console in a cooler rack serves as a leaning post, and dry storage. 54 qt in back is for fish. 50 hp Yammy 2 stroke.

Floor decked with treated plywood, front deck, floor, and back deck covered with Safe Floor. 54lb thrust Motorguide trolling motor.

Yellow lab...probably the best accessory of all


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## paslaw0311 (Apr 19, 2011)

Heres what I'm thinking. Boat Descrip from front to back:

Front deck area, laying plywood. Raised enough to mount my recepticle for plug in nav lights. Fab'ing a mount for the transom mount trolling motor. 

Dropping off 3 or 4 inches, so that I can lay then next section of deck, flush with the forward bench seat. Using marine plywood, and aluminum square tubing. In the deck space, mount one seat base (just in case I go fresh water for a change) and two 11 X 25 tempress waterproof flip hatches. Plastic totes in the cavity underneath the deck to keep gear dry, with starting battery and deep cycle battery in the middle of the cavity. 

Got a livewell built into the forward bench seat already, so some stainless hinges, to allow access. Drop the plywood off the back of the forward bench. Mount 2 Kicker marine 6in speakers there. 

That will attach to floor plywood, which will run back to the rear bench. Up rear bench with plywood, which will hold 2 more kicker 6's. Leaving 2 drain holes in this compartment near the rear seat, to allow water to drain to recesses on bottom of boat and to rear. Then run a deck from the rear bench to back of boat, with a flip up cover for back cavity, to allow easy access to fill 6gal tank and such. 

All wiring and electronics will be from 6 switch control box mounted on front side of rear bench. WIred through pvc waterproofed along the right side of boat. 

As suggested, good bilge pump, mounted to discharge out the right rear side. 

Mount two smaller sized igloo marine coolers, with snap on seat pads, on the left and right side of lower decked area, to allow a walk through area in between. 

Bobs Mini Jacker to set the motor back 4 inches, and lift roughly 3. 

marine 12v power outlets near front trolling motor mount, and one next to 6 switch on rear deck. 

Trolling motor, any livewell electronics, and nav lights will be ran off deep cycle. Motor and radio and bilge will be ran off cranking battery. 

Then the entire inside of boat will get a heavy dose of tan Cabelas Tuff Coat nonslip coating. 

Any flaws with my plan? 

I'll post pics in a couple weeks.


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## spook jr (Jun 25, 2008)

Whatever you do don't put carpet on your front deck! Every time you hit a wave you will get a face full of sand and salt from the previous trip. I don't care how good you wash it.


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## iridered2003 (Dec 12, 2005)

non skid or bedliner on that front deck


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## That Robbie Guy (Aug 11, 2009)

paslaw0311 said:


> Heres what I'm thinking. Boat Descrip from front to back:
> 
> Front deck area, laying plywood. Raised enough to mount my recepticle for plug in nav lights. Fab'ing a mount for the transom mount trolling motor.
> 
> ...


Shoot ... sounds like you got it all planned out.
Ain't nothing to it, but to do it now!


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## capthunterdude (Nov 15, 2006)

As someone who has tinkered with aluminum boats for quite a while now, these are my must haves:

1. An aluminum floor- I refuse to have wood in my aluminum boats. Aluminum will last forever and look better. 
2. Floatation pods on the back.
3. Float pods combined with a jack plate- Bob's minis are great but are HP limited. This combo is deadly shallow even without a tunnel.
4. Tilt and trim if possible.
5. As much storage as possible for gas tank, batteries, and life saving gear. 
6. A really, really awesome bilge pump.
7. An extra prop!

I like my jons to be as simple as possible. They are usually small enough to clutter easily which I hate. I also despise wood in my jons. Just me.


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## 27contender (Dec 22, 2008)

No wood floors! Go with AL deck. Wood to heavy and will rot.
No carpet, bead liner or have texture plated to the AL save maintenance and time on clean up.
Sponsons only down side is they lower WOT a few mph.
Jack plate, Bobs is the best.
Tunnel if you want to go shallow, only down side is it slows you down an additional few mph.
Tilt and trim is nice, it allows you to get more speed. I do not have it and I have survived.
I have an all manual boat (no battery) so everything is fixed in terms of the jack plate ect. I carry a cut open bleach bottle as a bilge pump or I pull the plug while under way.
Oh I almost for got, get double deep and wide when ever you can.

Enjoy.

R


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## Poormans Boatright (Nov 30, 2010)

tinboats.net has tons of jon boat conversions check it out.

Heres my rig


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## ak (May 6, 2012)

capthunterdude said:


> As someone who has tinkered with aluminum boats for quite a while now, these are my must haves:
> 
> 1. An aluminum floor- I refuse to have wood in my aluminum boats. Aluminum will last forever and look better.
> 2. Floatation pods on the back.
> ...


Ya wood is heavy and if its treated its heavier my boat came with an aluminum floor and its much better than the one I had before that had wood. Pods on the back with a jack plate were the best thing I ever did to my boat. I dont use a bildge I just pull the plug while on a plane it bildges it right out for you.


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