Need your opinion.

What do you guys say is the major differences in v bottom and flat bottom jons? I can find all kind of great deals on 14ft semi-v boats but all the flatbottoms seem overpriced. I have a little pelican bass raider 10 with a 30lb trollin motor on it but would like something a little bigger and more sturdy. I am afraid I will tear a hole in it. Tell me what you think . thanks

What do you guys say is the major differences in v bottom and flat bottom jons?

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A big difference is ride. A flat bottom jon, or even an mod-v jon, will ride rougher and tend to pound in a chop. The semi-v or v hull will cut the waves much better, ride much better and are in general, when comparing similar size hulls, more sea-worthy.
As far as seaworthy-ness & ride, from best to worst (IMO):
v-hull
semi-v hull
mod-v jon
flat jon

Another difference is draft, once again, when comparing similar size hulls, normally a flat bottom jon has the least draft, with a mod-v jon close behind, then semi-v, last is v-hull.


So you need to ask yourself some questions:
Do I need a boat that can handle rougher water or will I be in protected waters?
Is draft more important than ride?

If you will always be in shallow calm, protected waters, then a nice wide flat bottom jon will be fine.
If you may get into some choppy situations but not normally, and need shallow draft, a mod-v jon will be better.
If you will be in open water that tends to be rough and draft is not real important, then a semi-v or v-hull will be better.

I currently hunt out of a mod-v 1440. Next year, I will be switching to a semi-v 16 with a 64"-70" beam of one make or another. Leaning towards Smokercraft, Mirrocraft or Lund.
Tired of getting beat up when it turns snotty while duck hunting & really need a bigger boat.

Whatever you buy, buy the widest & longest you can afford and put on at least 90% rated HP if you can.
My 2 cents!

V hulls don't pound in a chop and are more comfy.A mod v can be decked if it's 48 inch floor or wider.A semi v is more tippy and usually decking them is a bad idea unless they're wide.

I forgot to mention stability:
in calm waters & boats of similar length & width, the flat bottom jon is most stable, followed by the mod-v jon.
semi-v's are less stable, the narrower ones can be tippy. My mod-v jon is a 1440 and pretty darn stable. When I buy a semi-v next year, it will have a 68 or 70" beam. For most hulls of the same length, You need more beam in a semi-v to get the same stability as a jon boat.

Once again, the key is buying the widest longest boat you can afford and use it within its limitations.