Plastic pond type boats vs. small jon boats for small water fishing

[Mud-Dabber]

Advise on your preferences for 1-5 acre bodies of water to fish. How about stability of both? Any ideas on prices for new or used?? Any named type craft to recommend. Often fight the wind on these small bodies, it is West Texas.

Thanks for your knowledge,
Ron, Mud-Dabber

[ceb]

Although I have no personal experience with them, you may want to look at these. Easy to move around, stabile, little wind resistance. http://www.hobiecat.com/fishing/mode...fisherman.html

[guest01]

I would go with a small jon boat. you could get a 10 footer, not hard to drag around if you have to and more room and more stable than the bass hunter type boats. you will sit lower to the water in the jon boat instead of sitting high up on the bass hunter type boats

[superdave1984]

I don't care for the little plastic boats. I don't like sitting so high up in such a small boat. I really like my little jon boat. Trolling motor moves it really well and there is room for me and my son both to fish comfortably.

[fryguy]

i am a big fan of the little plastic boats, for several reason. you can beat the daylights out of them (mine is about 17 years old). they are super light. very easy to store. plenty of room for two big guys, tackle and a cooler. probably the biggest reason is sound. every single movement in a jon boat is transported straight into the water. the "crawdad" boats as i call them have pontoons and are plastic. the plastic makes less noise to begin with, but because of the pontoons, scuffling or dropping you do in the boat that creates noise has two travel through two layers of plastic with about 3 feet between them. it makes a big difference, i promise. if you fish super muddy water it doesn't really matter, but many of the little ponds i hit get gin clear in the winter so the fish spook very easy.
that's my two sense, good luck.

[J White]

I fished out of a bunch of little cartopper jons when I was growing up,
and then later got to use a bass hunter - just my .02, but liked the
plastic lots better. Still got one, but like somebody said, you sure do
sit up high. Still don't think you could turn it over though, even if you tried.
Especially sitting down. Come to think of it, don't advise standing up in
one anyway - will "squirt" out from under you - done it :D

[buzzbait]

I am on my second Plastic boat and I love it compared to any john boat. I sold the 1st one to help with a down payment on my Bass boat. I missed it so much I had to buy another. The 1st one I had was a 10' Bass Hunter. I now have a 10' Pelican that I purchased from Dicks Sporting Goods. If I had to do it again I would go with the Bass Hunter. (just built a little better). The seats are comfortable and these things are real stable. Both of these boats came pre wired for a trolling motor and will hold a 5hp motor. The only down FALL I have found with either is that the seats do not lock on the boat. I missed a hook set on a fish one time and fell out of the boat. (LOL) I took some small PVC pipe and cut a grove in it so the seat would lock into it and then mounted the pvc pipe where the seat rails normally would go. I just slide my seats in the Pipe and have not had any other problems. I have fished 3 people out of mine with no problem and if you need to stand up to take a leak you can do that to. You can get one of these things for around $400-$600..

Hope this helps. BUZZZZZ

[Jerry Blake]

Come to think of it, don't advise standing up in
one anyway - will "squirt" out from under you - done it :D

Yea, but how much did you have to drink when this happened?

[Cane Pole]

Over the years I have had some Jon boats. I developed A bad case of Jonboatitis from using them. Yep. Every time I got in a Jon boat, I felt like I was gonna fall out, or that the boat was gonna tip over. I kept grabbing things.
This is a phobia known Jonboatitis. Most everybody I know has this phobia, but just want admit it....haha

If I were in the market for a puddle boat, I would get this:

http://www.kennedypontoons.com/electric-mini-toon.htm

Might get one for the heck of it anyway.

[guest01]

Over the years I have had some Jon boats. I developed A bad case of Jonboatitis from using them. Yep. Every time I got in a Jon boat, I felt like I was gonna fall out, or that the boat was gonna tip over. I kept grabbing things.
This is a phobia known Jonboatitis. Most everybody I know has this phobia, but just want admit it....haha

I'm an addict too,( Jonboatitis) can ya help me? :D