Flat Bottom Boat

constablex

constablex

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Any body have any experience with Fat bottom boats?

I just picked one up locally here from a lil old lady, pumped for the upcoming duck season!

Its a ten foot, I'll be painting it camo soon...
 
I built an 8' jonboat about 4 yrs ago (flat bottom, square upswept bow). I use mine mostly for fishing, but I wouldn't hesitate to use it for waterfowling. Is there anything in particular you wanted to know or just general opinions? Mine is very light and rides rough if running into a chop, zig-zagging so a corner of the bow catches the wave instead of hitting it square on helps.
 
Flat bottoms are good for the marsh and ponds. They get you where you want to go when the water level aint very deep. Lift your motor and use oars, or a punt pole and you'll be pleased how far into the marsh you can get. Out in the open lakes on the big chops they are a bad ride, and you'll wish you had a kidney belt, and wonder if the rivits will stay in place. Don't be taking that little 10' flat bottom into the open lakes out there in Ontario. Especially in the Oct and Nov months. You'll be talking with the fishes on the bottom, and no one will ever see you again. Here's some more advice, don't wear your waiters in the boat when you're operating it, and don't keep your pockets full of shotgun shells, etc. Both will be an anchor on your body if you flip the boat. You stay in the marshes, ditches, and channels and you'll be fine. There's lots of ducks in those spots. Enjoy.
 
One more thing, just to be clear, when I say channels mean the small calm ones, not the big wide choppy ones.
 
Some more dimensions from your boat might help with recommendations regarding its limitations. I built mine with a wider than usual bottom for its length and much taller sides than standard. That "FAT BOTTOM" tosses me around a lot more than the v bottom guys, but I draw about 3" (yes 3 inches) fully loaded with fishing gear.
 
I absolutely love my flat bottom boat. I use it everywhere, but, I do have to be careful about windy conditions and waves... I did think I was going to die one time, had a buddy singing the edmund fitzgerald song by gordon lightfoot when we thought we were done for... Nothing like having a hard core military buddy sitting in the boat with ya!!! Geez... We're gonna die... I guess he figured he'd die singing... or he was trying to lighten the mood...

Anyhow, here is my boat... Yes, it says Wing Nut on the back, my wife christened it that name... ha ha ha... and yes, the camo net goes up to form a "A" frame that drops down when you push on it... the ducks never know what hit them...

Cheers
Jay
P.S. My boat is 10 foot and 16 inches deep...

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The usual result of time in the flat bottom...
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All boats are a compromise. You can get a nice soft ride out of a big deep V hull, but you need lots of power and will need quite a bit of water to float the thing. One of the most sea worth boat designs is the dory. It has a flat bottom with a curved profile, real high and flared sides and needs very little power to plane. But it pounds the piss out of you at speed. All boats are a compromise if you get my drift. Ooo, that's bad :runaway:

I haven't had experience with the Jon boats but I can see their not made for a lot of rough water as the sides are so low. I had a flat bottom 15 ft skiff a while back and I could get in to skinny water with that thing. I'm sure the Jons would do a little better. Looks like an awsome duck boat to me and should be good and stable. Just stay out of the open water where it can get rough like the guys say....:)
 
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