Has anyone fished out of one of the 10' plastic "jon" boats? If so, how stable are they? I'm getting older and my balance is not what it used to be.
I am considering re-doing my 10' aluminum Jon or just getting one of the plastic jons that are available from a few different sources.
I welcome any insight anyone has.
Thanks
Clint
Far West Kentucky
Old enough to know better and way too old to care!
The plastic Jon boats (open middle, flat bottom) aren’t very stable.
A much better choice (a lot more stable) would be the dual pontoon style plastic boats. I’ve owned the 8’ Bass Pro Shops Pond Prowler and it was a good one, but I prefer my current 10’ Pelican Bass Raider. My buddy and I (both 200 + lbs at the time) fished out of the Bass Pro Pond Prowler. I usually fish out of my Pelican Bass Raider alone, but that’s only due to the setup I put in it. I could easily reconfigure it to fish two with no issues. Much more stable than any Jon boat I’ve been in - aluminum or plastic.
All the best,
Glenn
Last edited by Cajuntec; 02-04-2025 at 09:08 PM.
Clint LIKED above post
Pro 102 Two Person Small Fishing Boat - Sun Dolphin Boats[emoji[emoji6
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I had one of these years ago. Not a[emoji[emoji6
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’er. It was quite stable.
Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com
Drinkin coffee, missin fish.
I fished out of a Pelican Predator 2 man bass boat for years and it was a stable boat. You couldn't stand up and cast from it but I don't I could tip it over even if I tried. I have a 5hp outboard on the back and a 40lb thrust trolling motor on the front. To be honest with the waters I fish I seldom use the outboard. I typically fish coves, creeks and bridges crossing the main lake. I now have a bigger boat but I still use my little Pelican every year.
Thanks to all. I found a very informative YT video that lays out the differences very well. The consensus is that the pontoon type (i.e. Pond Prowler) is much more stable.
Clint
Far West Kentucky
Old enough to know better and way too old to care!Cajuntec LIKED above post
Not sure which one you fished out of, but the widths are all pretty close, and I found the dual pontoon style to be much more stable because of the heavier pontoons on each side. It’s much harder to flip one like that because the pontoon on the other side acts as a counter balance. A flat bottom doesn’t offer that. Lean over too far and there is nothing to keep it from going over. The plastic Jon boat style tend to be longer. Most are 12’.
Pontoon style:
10’ Pelican Bass Raider, 50” wide, 600 lb capacity
10’ Bass Pro Pond Prowler, 49.5” wide, 525 lbs capacity
8’ Bass Pro Pond Prowler, 48” wide, 515 lbs capacity
Plastic Jon boat / dingy style:
12’ Bass Pro Prowler, 52” wide, 532 lbs capacity
12’ Pelican Intruder, 48” wide, 420 lb capacity
12’ Sun Dolphin, 52” wide, 532 lb capacity
12’ Quest Sportsman, 52” wide, 532 lbs capacity
12’ West Marine Dingy, 52” wide, 532 lbs capacity
12’ West Marine Dingy, 55” wide, 439 lbs capacity
All the best,
Glenn
I'm comparing at 10ft Pelican Bass Raider to a 10ft Pelican Predator. The Predator is 61 inches wide and takes a max 7hp while the Bass Raider takes a 3.5hp. I have fished from both the Predator is a more stable boat because it is 11 inches wider. This is the reason it will accept a much larger outboard. The boats you listed are basically plastic flat bottom boats.
Cajuntec LIKED above post
Ahh. That makes sense. Those are some stable looking boats. I’ve never been in one of those, but I can see from the overhead view they are designed very differently from the ones I listed.
Clint had asked about poly / plastic Jon boat style, and the ones I listed are what I was considering similar to a Jon boat. Flat bottom, open cockpit, with cross seats.
Is the Pelican Predator still produced? All the links I’m clicking on either say out of stock, or don’t have a price listed.
All the best,
Glenn