Welded Jon Boat!

[StuBone278]

WOHOO!!! I got a welded 1432 Jon for my birthday complete with a trailer!! My dad went ahead and wanted me to get the welded one because he figured it would still be worth quite some when it comes time to sell, and we both knew it'll last for a very long time.

I've taken it out a few times, the only thing is that I won't be able to go to my regular catfishing spots as often, as they are far from a boat ramp (unless I just dock at my cousin's house :wink: ) Yet the possibilities are awesome now as I will be able to bring it to Henderson, Lake Martin, my friends camps at Old River and False River!

I'm working on customizing it with a nice storage locker and some rod holders. It's still got a 5hp Briggs and Stratton so its no speed demon, but is a lot safer/more stable than the old collapso (:crazy: ). I've also recently added a hydrofoil fin to the cavitation plate on the o/b to help it plane easier, but I'm yet to test it.

I took it north of Lafayette via the Vermilion a few days ago with a friend of mine and we ended up in Sharlo Lake. We saw some gator-gar at the surface and that really got me goin.....hopefully i'll also get some nice cats in that boat but I'm probably gonna start focusing on gator gar till I get a nice one!!!:cool2: :smile2:

Well..here it is!:big_smile:

[ersel]

Congrats on the new boat.

[AwShucks]

You also have my congratulations on the ride. One thing to remember is that you are fortunate to have a boat as that... your friends probably will not be so fortunate for quite a while. It is the nature of the beast that when you have and they have not, they will take advantage of you... they want the ride but won't want to chip in on gas, bait, foot and such. Don't let them take advantage... learn about responsibility now instead of tomorrow. It is similar to drugs... just say no. And not only read about water safety and boating regulations... practice those rules every time you go out.

[jdstraka]

Congrats Stu,Nice Looking Boat!! Your Father Must Be One Swell Fella To Get You A Boat LikeThat,AndYou Must Be A Fine Son Also. Now Make Shure You Wear That Life Vest When Your On the Water.Now Go Catch Some Cats. J.D.

[StuBone278]

AwShucks, You're right, I consider myself very lucky to be able to have a boat to myself. I think my friends know not to try to take advantage of the situation, and the rule I pretty much go by is that both me and whoever I'm fishing with are gonna have to do about the same amount of work for everything to work out right. Quite honestly some don't even want to go sometimes because it really is quite a bit of work getting the whole rig situated!:lol: My friends are pretty good about making it equal, and a lot of the time we'll split gas money. I rarely go through much gas though with the little 5HP, maybe 3-4 gallons in a few trips, so the costs are a minimum.

Also I've been practing boating safety for a while, as I would go out on the same river but in an old boat I borrowed for a while. I've got everything in accordance with the CG and am waiting for my boaters license to come in the mail (although I don't need one now as the o/b is under 10horsepower) But its good to have in the future.

Now JD, I'll be sure to go for some cats, but I just really hope to tie into some gator gar soon.....maybe even this weekend....:roll_eyes: hehe

[nightrider]

Hey,
I've just moved up from a 14ft w/ 2.5 hp to a 16 ft w/ 115hp. I have yet to catch a fish in the new boat, but I'm able to bring my kids now. They love it. Having to learn how to fish different water. Trying to get a guy at work to buy my other boat, but I'm starting to doubt selling it. Hey man congrats on the boat again and happy B-day.:big_smile:

[catsmith1]

Congradulations on the new gar slayer!

[Alsey]

That's a sweet looking boat. I got my first boat last year but it looks more like something off of Sanford and Son than what you've got. It's a 32 year old 1430. Good luck rigging up the rod holders and stuff.

[ar_confederate]

Nice looking boat. I'm in the final stages of adding stuff to my old flatbottom. Since I want to night fish, I added switches, running and anchor lights and added a bilge pump. Not a lot of new weight but it makes the boat safer and more "user friendly". If you plan to night fish, the removable lights are easy to install. Again, congratulations.

[jbarnes17]

Congrats on your new boat. Take care of it and it will last you a long time.

[David Knotts]

Congrats om the new boat, hope you fill it with fish a lot.

[jrh_67]

Spent most of my life fishin out of a jon boat. Just sold mine last year and could kick myself now. Nothing better for running lines out of if you're into that kinda thing. I've spent many nights in one myself.

[micus]

Congrats! I had a 14' for over 20 yrs. & used it everywhere for just about everything. Had an unbelievable amount of fun with it. :big_smile:

[odtimr]

Stu
Nice boat congratulations. Now you’ve got to personalize it. Just watch the permanent stuff and don’t over do it, until it’s a lot lower in the water, and gets slower, easy to do. Luck

[StuBone278]

Thanks, I'm doing the least amount of permenant customization as possible. As of now I've created a storage locker with 4 vertical pole holders on the sides. Once its in the water all rigged up I'll take a good picture.

Also with a hydrofoil added to the outboard the top speed has increased by at least a few mph and the boat really does plane in about half the time while riding a lot smoother. The acceleration has also increased quite a bit. I'm very impressed with the improved performance. :smile2: