Jon boat purchase question?

I currently have a very old (1980 ) 14 ' Lowe brand aluminum jon boat that has served me well for 40 plus years now. Lately the age of the boat is showing and I find I`m constantly fixing leaks. I`m to the point the boat needs to bee replaced.

With Covid mess I`ve learned there is a shortage of Jon boats, or at least here in Virginia.

My local dealer has one Jon in stock and its a G3 12 footer.Mine is a 14 .Do you think I`d notice a huge amount of difference if I downsized from a 14 to 12? The boat is primarily used for local fishing in reservoirs.

All replies appreciated.

That is quite a bit smaller. For one person you may not notice it as much. For two I believe you would. You could always mark your boat with tape 2 foot shorter to get a perspective

I have a 17 ft and a 12ft. Yes...when I use the 12 I am wishing I had more space. Most noticeable is no room for a cooler when keeping the catch. Is it doable... yes. My partner and I fish a local lake with a 10hp limit a lot. If you know that you need to stay seated and don't try to walk around it works ok for us. In order to maintain a safe casting distance from each other the very front seat and very back must be used. Hope this helps.

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If the 12 foot boat is narrower than the 14 you might not like the lack of stability. I used a 12 jon boat as a pond hopper boat in the 1980s, wore out a few 36-48 thrust trolling motors.. Stability was not too good but I was in my 20's so it worked good for me, no way would or could I use it now.. I sometimes used a 9.5 Johnson out board. Maybe check Craigslist for a good used boat??

RobertFL makes a good point. Please check this on the 12. My 12 is also a Lowe. It is classified as a Lake Jon and is wider than the usual car topper jons thus more stable.

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Width is my concern, I’m 64, 6’2” and 240lbs. I have no business in a small skinny Jon anymore. I do fish from a 1648 almost exclusively nowadays and while I could cut it down to 14’ and still be comfortable, I wouldn’t buy one skinnier than 42”. Most 12’s I see are 36” at best but I’m told some are wider. I was spoken to by acquiring this boat, a long story, but the main point was that it was given to me when I was on the fence about another canoe or a kayak. Please err on the side of stability and safety.

A lot depends on the layout of the boat, and if you fish by yourself or with others and a lot of gear. If its just you, and minimal gear you will probably notice the smaller size but get used to it right away. Thats about 20% smaller 'deck' space. As others have said, stability and safety is paramount!

wider is better , its all about the width , like stated .....canoe johns are tough to fish out of

I would rather fish out of a wide 12 footer than a narrow 14 footer. Having said this a wide 14 footer would be the best option. Those extra 2ft really makes a difference.

I’ve owned a 2472,2072,1860, and now a 1754. I wouldn’t consider any smaller.
1754 is just right for me and lakes I fish. I might add, all have been modified-V models.
Been a long time since I’ve fished out of a true Jon boat.
Chuck


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