Wednesday, June 12, 2024

What Size Trolling Motor For 12ft Jon Boat

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Get Your Electric Trolling Motor For A Jon Boat

Find the ideal Jon boat motor today. With Newport Vessels camouflaged trolling motor, you will be ready to get the best possible experience from your watercraft. It is great for hunting, fishing and any other recreation. It can also be helpful for tight maneuvering for other utility Jon boat uses. It is the ultimate motor for every common Jon boat use and need.

Explore the full Newport Vessels trolling motor catalog today. From the best selling NV Series to the tried and true L Series, no matter what your needs are, you can be sure you will find the right model. Check out Newport Vessels today and find the right trolling motor for your Jon boat or other type of vessel today.

Complete Breakdown: Jon Boat Sizing Guide

If you are considering a jon boat, size is one of the most important things to consider. Youll want to select a jon boat that matches your particular needs.

What sized jon boat is right for your needs? 8-12 foot boats work great for small area-exploration. 14-16 foot jon boats work great for water sports and utility work. 18+ foot boats are for utility and commercial use.

For so many boating hobbyists, jon boats are the perfect solution to duck hunting expeditions, fishing trips, river explorations, and light transportation. They are very versatile and quite affordable, which appeals to a lot of people.

When considering size, the answer depends on how fast you need to go and how much you are looking to carry. More weight capacity requires more boat length. Understanding the activities you plan to engage in using your jon boat is a major deciding factor with the weight capacity you will need.

While you can find boats in a range of shapes and sizes, the most common lengths are 8, 10, 14, 16, 18, 20-feet. We are going to cover each of these lengths and go through maximum horsepower, weight capacity, and speed expectations. Lets get right into it.

For a complete breakdown of the best uses for jon boats, please check out this helpful article.

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What Size Of Motor Is Best For A Jon Boat

The size of motor you choose for a Jon boat will be dependent on the size of the boat. A trolling motor is often the first choice for a Jon boat owner to mount on his/her because it is small and light and will provide more than enough power for upstream use.

However, some Jon boat owners will mount much larger outboards if their boat can handle the extra weight at the back. More powerful outboard motors are often needed as trolling motors can make it difficult to get a Jon boat on plane and it may even cause it to start porpoising.

Although a Jon boat can be pushed at speed with a simple trolling motor, as the boat gets bigger a trolling motor will tend to lack in the necessary thrust to get the most out of your boat.

A 3 hp trolling motor will provide enough power and thrust to get a Jon boat moving upstream but it will not provide speed.

Below is a list of the best size hp motors based on Jon boat length:

  • 8 foot 3 8 hp motor.
  • 10 foot 3 10 hp motor.
  • 12 foot 10 15 hp motor.
  • 14 foot -15 hp motor.
  • 16 foot 15 20 hp motor.
  • 18 foot 18 20 hp motor.
  • 20+ foot 20 25 hp motor.

The above list is a quick and simple guide as not all boats are the same. For example, you can easily find that one particular 14 foot Jon boat can take a 20 hp outboard motor while a different 14 model can only handle a 15 hp, even though they are both made by the same manufacturer!

Trolling vs outboard

Electric vs gas

Thrust vs boat weight

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What Size Trolling Motor For Jon Boat

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* Be responsible to the resource, not just obedient to the laws * RED X ANGLER** MEMBER OF THE JON BOAT BASS CLUB OF NC * ARDENT REELS PROSTAFF REEL IT IN BAITS PRO STAFF 1st Tournament win 2/20/16 at Hyco lake 13lb 14.8oz 5 fish.

Best Trolling Motor For Jon Boat

Jon boats are light, so they dont need much power to start and run.

And they are most commonly used for fishing.

In fact, they are quite popular in the Southern United States.

Usually, they are controlled using water paddles.

But if you want your Jon boat to move fast, you are not going to do that with water paddles. What you need is a trolling motor, which is capable of speeds that you cannot achieve with paddles.

Trolling motors come in varying styles and sizes. The most common styles are transom and bow motors. Knowing which one to get depends on the size of your boat.

Transom motors are built for small boats and bow motors are built for large boats. You can install either on a Jon boat but it depends on who big and heavy the boat is.

To know the best trolling motor to buy for your Jon boat, check out the rest of the review.

Top Pick

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How Do You Use Your Trolling Motor

First, lets narrow down your options by figuring out how youuse your boat. They call it a trolling motor, but do you use your motor totroll, or are you mostly stationary?

Most people who fish for trout, salmon or kokanee , predominantlytroll in lines or patterns. For this type of fishing, trolling, you need amotor that can move your boat throughout the day at catching speed and keepyour pattern going with ease.

Other fishermen target fish like bass and walleye by movingthe boat in small steps, from spot to spot very slowly. At each spot, theymight cast a crankbait, or a jig and work it. Then reel it back to the boat ina casting pattern. After they have covered that spot casting, they move theboat to the next spot.

In this type of fishing your motor is more about finesse andsubtle control than high power. Additionally, easy to deploy and stow might bea top feature because you will be stowing your motor

Relationship Between Speed & Length

My mod. Jon boat w/34 lb. thrust trolling motor

The higher the speed you require for your jon boat, the more boat length you will need. Every boat comes with the manufacturers recommendation for maximum horsepower the boat can take. While some people like to test these limits by installing heavier motors, it just doesnt work. Not only is it unwise, but it is also extremely unsafe.

A small boat carrying a heavy motor will be inherently unsafe and unstable. In a worst-case scenario, your boat tips over or sinks with that heavy motor going under first. The only obvious exception to this phenomenon is racing boats. But they are specially engineered to overcome forces. Jon boats are not.

For the ordinary jon boat users such as you and I, there is a definite limit to the size of motor our boats can handle. So if you need more speed, dont get a bigger motor , just invest in a bigger boat. It is a wiser decision.

Now how fast will you need to go? This question begs one general answer. Understanding how often you will be using the boat, for what purpose, and on what type of water body.

Are you routinely going to be navigating several miles of river? Or will you need to travel a couple of miles on lake regularly to various fishing spots? Perhaps you and your grandson will be looking to get to the honey hole of your family pond?

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Relationship Between Carrying Capacity & Length

Carrying capacity requirements and jon boat length requirements are very closely related. In general, the bigger the boat, the more weight it can handle. A bigger boat can displace more water. As long as it is lighter than the weight of the water being displaced, it will float. With jon boats, the longer the boat and the more water displaced, the greater the load the boat can safely carry .

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  • Integrated buckle and strap System for easy fitting and trailering, adjustable straps snap into quick release buckles on the cover.
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The Importance Of Thrust

Electric trolling motors use batter-power to propel themselves through the water. The amount of power needed is called Pounds of Thrust. When choosing an electric motor, the lbs number will be specified so you know exactly what youre getting.

Apart from reaching a desired cruising speed, having enough thrust is important when you meet headwind or high waves. Your boat will be rendered sluggish and you wont be able to maintain your desired position for casting. Therefore, thrust is the most important consideration when selecting a trolling motor.

Shaft Length For A Bow Mount Trolling Motor

Best Trolling Motors for Jon Boats (By Boat Size)
Distance from bow to waterline Recommended shaft length
20″ to 25″ 40 to 42″

The table above shows the recommended shaft length for transom mount trolling motors, depending on the height of the transom above the waterline.

Since most boat transoms are usually quite close to the waterline, you need to choose a shorter shaft length for transom mounted trolling motors than for bow mounted ones. This also means that you cant switch a trolling back and forth between bow or transom.

See also: Where should you mount a trolling motor?

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What Size Trolling Motor Do I Need

So you want to buy a trolling motor? Thats great.

But how do you know what trolling motor is suitable for your boat?

And what size of trolling motor do you need?

Trolling motors differ in size and style. And to determine what size of trolling motor to buy, there are factors you need to take into consideration.

But first, you need to figure out what type of trolling motor is suitable for your boat before you get to the size.

There are two types of trolling motors: bow mount motors and transom mount motors.

And trolling motors come in three configurations: 12volts, 24 volts, and 36 volts. Knowing what type to buy depends on how big or small your boat is.

Bow mount motors are ideal for large and medium-sized boats like bass and bay boats. And transom mount motors are best for small boats like canoes and kayaks.

Trolling Motor Shaft Length

Its important to choose the right shaft length for your trolling motor, to ensure the prop is submerged deep enough in the water to function properly. But the problem with this is that different boats have different deck heights above water, and in addition there are different mounting locations for a trolling motor, the most common of which are bow mount and transom mount.

As a rule of thumb, the prop of your trolling motor should be submerged 15 to 20 inches below the water. So you need to measure the distance between the deck and the water, and then add 15 to 20 inches to that to calculate the ideal shaft length for your trolling motor.

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Motorguide Xi3 Bow Mount Trolling Motor

The MotorGuide Xi3 Bow Mount Trolling Motor is a top-of-the-line trolling motor that would serve any 10-14 Jon boat well. It features an easy-to-read LED dashboard so you can always check the motors status no matter how poor the light is.

This bow-mount trolling motor gives you optimum control over your Jon boat. Maneuver deftly no matter where youre trying to go, knowing that you have plenty of thrust to keep your boat on course even if it gets windy or the current gets strong.

This motor can be operated entirely while standing. The remote control means you can turn it on and move your boat from anywhere on board, without having to worry about a foot pedal. The Secure Step system means that you can both stow the motor and deploy it, all while standing.

If you want an amazing trolling motor for your Jon boat and youre willing to make an investment this is a superb option for you. Just choose the shaft length that will work best for your boat and get out on the water soon!

What we like

  • A bow mount means that this trolling motor has better maneuverability than transom-mounted versions.
  • Hands-free operation means easier fishing for you.
  • You can connect your XI3 GPS to this trolling motor quickly and easily.

What we dont like

  • This trolling motor is only designed for freshwater use. If you want one to use in saltwater, youll need to buy a different motor.

The Right Thrust For Your Conditions

1436 Jon Boat with 55 lb Trolling Motor: Top Speed and Stability (repost)

Fishing conditions should also play into your decision. If you usually fish or cruise on smooth lakes with no current, you should be able to stick to the listed minimum thrust without problems. However, if you spend most of your time in very fast moving water, significant current or waves, you’ll definitely want to move up a level in thrust to ensure ample power in all conditions.

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How To Size A Trolling Motor Correctly For Your Boat

by Eric Bartlett

When buying an electric trolling motor, its essential to get the right size for your boat. Trolling motor size has two main components: thrust , and shaft length.

Both of these need to be correctly matched with your boat, and getting it wrong can result in major headaches on the water.

In this article well walk you through how to choose trolling motor size, thrust and shaft length to match your boat size.

How To Choose An Outboard Motor For Your Small Boat

There’s nothing like setting out on the lake for an early morning catch in your fishing or johnboat. It’s the peace and tranquility that fishing and boating enthusiasts like myself look forward to each season. Others may enjoy using a dinghy boat to get from point A to point B or simply for a relaxing ride on the water.

Either way, when choosing an outboard motor for a small boat, you want something simple and quiet that can produce just enough power to move you where you need to be efficiently and comfortably.If you already have an outboard motor, learn how to install it.

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Best For Fishing: Watersnake Venom Electric Trolling Motor

This Watersnake trolling motor shares many of the same great features with the more well-known Minn Kota and Newport Vessels motors above. It also boasts some great new features that further proves Watersnake motors are made by anglers to be used by anglers.

Like the two trolling motors reviewed above, this trolling motor has 5 forward and 3 reverse speeds, tiller hand control, and high quality composite materials. It is made to handle both freshwater and saltwater.

The tiller has a newly-designed ergonomic grip, making it easier and more comfortable to steer. The digital voltage meter allows you to keep an eye on your battery levels, and even the mounting bracket has received upgrades to make it quick and easy to mount.

This is a great trolling motor for anyone whos looking for convenience and ease of use without giving up quality.

Some of this trolling motors features include a weedless propeller, which has 2 blades on the smaller models and 3 blades on the larger ones stainless steel prop shafts for extra durability and a telescopic tiller so you can adjust it for your comfort.

This trolling motor only comes in two size options, a 34-pound/ 30-inch and a 54-pound/ 42-inch, so it may not work for all jon boat sizes.

What We Like:

What We Dont Like:

  • The motor only comes in two size options.

What Size Trolling Motor Do You Need For A Bass Boat

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Boat weight
110 lbs

The table above shows the recommended thrust for different bass boat sizes.

While bass boats are usually lighter than other boat types of comparable length, most bass anglers prefer to use bigger trolling motor sizes, from 80 lbs all the way up to 120 lbs thrust.

The reason for using high-powered trolling motors for bass boats is that it enables you to fish anywhere, including spillways, river currents, or wind swept flats. Also, bigger trolling motor sizes come with 24V or 36V batteries, which have a longer lifetime, and thus work well for bass fishing tournaments.

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