Would you feel safe on a 900 acre lake in a 12 ft lake Jon? Wind and waves permitting of course.
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Would you feel safe on a 900 acre lake in a 12 ft lake Jon? Wind and waves permitting of course.
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Would depend on how wide bottom is and how deep sides are. A 12 by 42 with 20 in sides would be ok. Less no thanks at my age and dexterity.
I'd feel safe in a 900 acre lake in my little float tube. ;)
Lake or narrow dammed river?
Float tubes are safer, than 12x32 jons.
The boat has a 40 inch bottom with 18-inch sides. The lake is a damned up small River.
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It may be okay for a young person in good shape. Sounds more like a pond jon though. The problem with little jons is that they have virtually no secondary stability, and you can be in the water in an instant. Trying to get back in, they are easily swamped.
Definitely not a pond jon. Been using this boat for almost 20 years, 3 or 4 days a week. You can walk in it and it never takes water. It is marketed for lake fishing. I have 2 larger boats but this particular lake is 10hp max. Thanks for your opinion.Quote:
Originally Posted by EWS
Yes as long as the water is warm and I had my life jacket on.
There are a lot of boats that would be safer obviously but the thing about boat accidents is that most of them don't kill or seriously injure you. I would feel safer on any small lake in a jon boat than driving my car on some highways. It all depends on what you mean by safe. If it means feeling safe that you won't end up in the water then that is completely different from feeling safe you won't be seriously injured or killed.
If you are fishing in cold water you can wear gear that would probably protect you if you go in the water but you would probably still want to stay close to shore. That would be just one of the many conditions that depend on the operation of the boat not the boat itself.
My answer would be I may take off my life jacket while fishing in a 22 ft bass boat on a small lake with speed limits but anything smaller or while underway I would leave it on. That said I don't actually ever take off my life jacket in any boat.
I would use a small jon boat if it was convenient just like I would drive a small car in traffic if I needed to. In both cases my level of attention to detail would be higher. Life jackets seatbelts and airbags don't always meet the needs of a situation but they certainly make dying less likely.
Reasonably safe if your a reasonable person would be another way of putting it.
With you having been fishing in the boat for all those years you should be safe because you know its limits. hardest part about river lake fishing is boats running past you making wakes. A big wake close to you will be hard to handle. Take all precautions and stay safe. I took a dunk two years ago in January in a boat I had used a lot but things can happen fast. I no longer have that boat :)Quote:
Originally Posted by silverside
I would have no problem in it . Sounds like you are familiar with the boat.
We had a Kayak Bass Fishing tournament on Mozingo last year with 25-30 mph gusts. Just pick the side of the lake that doesn't get beat to death.
Just found out that the rental boats there are 12 ft with 5 hp. If that will make it so will mine.
Go for it,my goodness,I see boats that size with all ages of folks fishing lakes and rivers nearly the size you mention all the time.
Well it can depend on the person how agile, how much they weigh. A 150 lb guy is alot safer than a 300 lb guy in a boat this size. If you are familiar with the boat and know its limits, just be alert and you should be ok.
To me it's how safe you feel. If you feel safe then you are more relaxed and less likely to cause the accident, ending up in the water. It's a relative term. You are the one who has to make the call. Is a 400 foot ship safe in a hurricane? Same thing applies.
Key words, how safe do you feel. This is all personal preference. No right or wrong answer.
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In the "debate", I am on the plenty safe if weather permits side. Friend on the not big enough side. I would fish from a coke can if I could fit. :biggrinQuote:
Originally Posted by Hanr3
depends on health and age ,, in m condition no way ,, please wear your life jacket I you try it
To my way of thinking, a 15 or 16 with a minimum of a 42" floor, I like the medium sides to reduce the wind signature. I've been in a 1448 that I was comfortable in. Something else that comes to mind is the shift on the outboard needs to be on the front, and electric start. I'm 61 and 230lbs and arthritis bothers the shoulders so getting back in probably isn't a reasonable thought. I had a 9' displacement style jon, much more stable than straight sided jons that I just couldn't talk myself into. I also had a 15' Grumman Canoe with a flat floor that I used a few times, and just never got comfortable in. A few good trips had me smiling but the agility isn't what it used to be so I thought it smart to let it go. My full sized bass boat is as easy to load and launch as it could ever be but I still have the want to go back to my roots of small aluminum boats and trolling motor power or tiny outbaords. I say all this to let you know that I too feel the urge and just ask you to be careful and remember your limitations. I hope you find what you need to enjoy these other waters.