[ks_waterfowler]

My brother and I bought a flat bottom 10ft. jonboat for a dollar cause it didn't float. We made it float for $5 and put an awesome paint job on it for $30. We just need a way to make it so you can shoot out of it. It is so light, that we can carry it anywhere making it ideal for the marsh complex, and small river near home. We are just afraid to shoot for fear of tipping it over. If anybody has any ideas on how we can stabilize it, email me at [email protected] or post it back here.

Thanks
Matt

 

[dkhntr]

I have a 10 ft jon and wouldnt give it up for the world. I tried gunning out of it with two people before and it is hard. So I use it when I go by myself now. I can carry it alone. I dont know what your regs are where you live but in MN we must be in emergent vegitation. So what favors me, is sitting on top of cattails provides me with enough stability.

Being you are asking this question you hunt where nothing like that is around and shore is to far away to hunt off of. SO, what I suggest is go to an outfitter or harware store of the like and find some type of tube you can clamp on to the side of your boat. Buy or take it off your house a stair hand rail. Tap the tube so a bolt can screw through to the pole. Clamp the tube (pipe) to your boat. sove the rail through the pipe into the muck lock it in place. Get the jist? I know I explained it bad but I am typing as I am thinking.

Either that or you can build outriggers for it.

Or, buy a bigger boat.

 

[phillipstd]

you can shoot out of it, just be carefull, I went out one time in a two man kyak with a freind and a dog, and we shot out of it, I almost fell in when the dog left the boat though.

 

[Fatboy1]

Matt,
I used to have a 10 foot John that we fished out of around Marais Des Cygnes in the pits that was REALLY unstable. We welded on some out riggers with 10" PVC pipe with both ends capped kind of like pontoons. Worked pretty well and don't weigh much either. Hope that helps.
Joe Herndon

 

[Dogman]

I hunt from my canoe and it has the same good and bad qualities as a small jon boat does.One way to stabilize a stationary boat is to drive stakes into the bottom on each side of the boat,make sure they are secured into the bottom and are tight againts the hull.The ends of the stakes need to rise above the the sides of the boat so you can attach a cross piece connecting the one side with the other.The cross piece needs to be tight against the top of the boats sides.This will hold the boat down using its bouyancy to stabilize it,the boat wants to float up the stakes and cross pieces hold it down.Using two sets of stakes,one near the bow and another near the stern will make your boat a better shooting platform.You can leave the stakes in place and return to them again on your next trip.