Jon Boats: Ugly, Loud, and Perfect
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Rowing a 14-foot jon boat back to shore on a quiet Adirondack lake after a stellar day of smallmouth fishing this summer I couldn’t help but reflect on how much I both admire and curse these boats. They’re awkward to row, rough around the edges, and downright unattractive yet they always manage to do the job.
Let’s be real: jon boats are dogs to row and far from efficient. But bolt on a trolling motor, small outboard, or even a jet, and they’ll tear across lakes and slide up shallow, log-jammed rivers with ease.
That flat-bottom hull? Miserable in chop, but unbeatable for sneaking into skinny water. As for looks, you’d have to squint hard to call one sleek—but the rugged aluminum build makes them nearly indestructible and weatherproof. Leave it outside for years and it’ll still be ready to go.
They’re also noisy. Drop a wrench or hit a rock, and the echo will scare off half the fish in the cove. Still, few boats let you ram stumps, rocks, or concrete ramps without a second thought.
Sure, the hull bakes in summer and freezes in fall, but a cushion solves that in seconds. You can trailer one, drag it, stack it, or even throw a ten-footer in the back of a pickup.
And then there’s the price: compared to almost any other boat, jon boats are cheap. A quick search will turn up plenty in decent shape for just a few hundred bucks.
Ugly, loud, and stubborn though they may be, I’d bet these humble boats have hauled more anglers, caught more fish, and explored more water than just about any other craft out there.