14'v bottom or 15/42 jon?

[Action]

Hey....I am wanting to get a tin boat......I have a 20 hp so looking for a Gregor or valco 14' v bottom or a 15/42 bass pro shops jon boat. I want a small deck on the front and will mostly fish for bass. Just wonder how stable this will be for a big guy ? 6'1" 275lb.
Thanks
Jack

 

[MrGiggles]

What kind of waters do you fish?

If you're on lakes of decent size, definitely the V bottom.

If you're on rivers or small lakes, the jon may be the better choice.

 

[Action]

Thanks....mostly bigger lakes......Reservoirs.....
Jack

 

[LDUBS]

I had a 15' Klamath Advantage before. I'm 6-4 & 250#. Took it to Berryessa, Camanche, & Pardee as well as the Delta out of Antioch. Pretty stable. But the big difference is I wasn't bass fishing. Mostly trolling for trout (or couple of times casting or trolling for salmon in the delta). So the action would have been out of the rear of the boat, which is going to be a lot more stable than standing up by the bow.

I probably would opt for the V-hull just because of the wind/chop routinely encountered on the reservoirs. Standing up on a front deck? I don't know. Be nice if you could try them out. I would say just get the biggest boat you can afford, even if you sacrifice a little speed.

 

[RiverLife]

I fish rivers mostly and bayou areas. I also do big lakes when on vacation and bring my boat along. I wouldn't even consider a v bottom. Went with a mod v jon. Best of both worlds. I had a 1448 Lowe and you could easily stand up front. I upgraded to a 16 50something aluminum bass jon. Its incredibly comfy compared to the utility style I owned before.

All comes down to your style, species, and waters that you will be on mostly. Go as big as you can and max the horse power.

 

[1960 yellowboat]

I like a v for the the ability to cut through the waves but if you must have a deck to stand on, why not put one in the center of the boat? or the stern?

 

[turbotodd]

Is a 1548 or 1552 or 1556 out of the question? Why?

If you can swing it and if fits the usage (and possibly storage?) grab one of those listed, with a "low deck" (which is what I call a "half deck"). It's not quite full height, but not zero either, kinda halfway between. They work great; if ya ain't never used one, see if you can try one out. Real good setup for a "do-it-all" jon. They are popular here. I'd seriously look at a modified vee as well; not a totally flat bottom but not a typical "semi-vee" either, lot of them are 7° or less. With that you get the best of both worlds, a nice stable ride under way, a nice stable boat at rest, and a decent ride-better than a flat bottom but not quite as good as a true semi-vee. I love mine, and it's SO good for what I use it for, that I got rid of the fiberglass bass boat.

I'd also suggest looking at something other than BPS boats; those are all mass produced thrown together as fast as possible, "cheap" boats. They sell by volume. Mass marketing. Same for Alumacraft, Waco, and a BUNCH of others. You get what you pay for, and it's understandable and totally respectable if higher end stuff is outside the budget--I've been there.

yes I've run a 1542 with a full height deck, 40hp yamaha, console. Not sure I'd want to do that ever again, considering that this 1548 low deck beats it every which way from sunday, hands down, no comparison....the difference is daylight and dark! The speeds are basically the same as well, go figure.