How to Turn a Jon Boat Into a Bass Boat
Before tournament bass fishing became popular, people fished bass from a variety of small boats. Then competitive anglers began to customize their boats to make bass fishing easier. Boat makers started offering many of the customized features as standard gear on their boats and the a new class of boats, called bass boats, was born. You can add the main features of a factory-built bass boat to a jon boat and turn it into a better platform for you to fish for bass.
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Things You'll Need
- ½ sheet 3/4-inch pressure treated plywood
- Pencil
- Saber saw
- Drill
- Pedestal seat
- 1 1/2-inch stainless steel sheet metal screws
- Bow-mounted electric trolling motor
- 48-quart cooler
- Oxygenation pump
- Sonar/GPS combination
- Deep-cycle batteries
Instructions
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Front Deck
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1
Lie a ½ sheet of 3/4-inch plywood on the bow of the boat so one edge is flush with the front of the boat and the side edges of the plywood overhang the gunwales on each side of the boat.
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2
Mark the underside of the plywood along the outside edge of each gunwale so when the plywood is cut on these marks, the plywood will be flush with the outer edge of the gunwales.
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3
Use a saber saw to cut the plywood on the marks you scribed in Step 2.
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4
Position the cut plywood so the cut edges are flush with the gunwales and the front edge is flush with the bow.
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5
Drill pilot holes every 6 inches around the edges of the plywood and into the gunwale and bow in which to screw 1 ½-inch stainless sheet metal screws to firmly attach the plywood deck.
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6
Mount a bow-mounted electric trolling motor on the plywood deck.
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7
Mount a pedestal seat on the plywood deck distanced from the trolling motor's foot controls for comfortable operation when you are sitting in the seat.
Other Modifications
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8
Mount a sonar/GPS unit where you can easily see it when operating the outboard motor on the boat.
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9
Install a sturdy, 48-quart ice chest as a live-well in a location you can easily access from the bow deck.
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10
Install an electric oxygenation pump in the ice chest to pump air into the water in your cooler/livewell to ensure the fish inside don't die from asphyxiation.
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11
Mount an array of deep-cycle batteries in the boat sufficient to operate the electric motor and other electronics. The number and size will be determined mostly by the size of the trolling motor you use. The larger the current draw, the more batteries with larger amp/hour ratings you will need.
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1
Tips & Warnings
The bow deck "fishing area," sonar/GPS, and live-well are the basic necessities to make your jon boat into a bass boat. Other options are limitless. You may want to carpet the deck and exposed floor in the boat with marine carpet. You can add other electronics such as water temperature gauges, lights, remote sonar unit or radios. You can build in storage compartments for rods and tackle.
Note the load limit posted in your jon boat by the manufacturer. All the modifications, gear and batteries add weight to the boat. Don't add so much customization the boat becomes overloaded when you and your fishing buddies step on board.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jochen Sand/Digital Vision/Getty Images
