There are several types of small boats on the market right now, and if you yearn for a new vessel, you may be deciding between a Bass boat and a Jon boat. These are both very popular vessels for their versatility, but both boats have their own set of strengths and weaknesses to consider. Should you get a Bass boat or a Jon boat? Let’s find out!
The Bass boat is a vessel designed for inland fishing. It has a V-shaped hull, is well equipped for fishing, and is motorized. The Jon boat is a highly versatile and customizable craft with a flat bottom, shallow water capabilities, and is very stable. Jon boats are ideal for all inland water uses.
Bass Boats and Jon Boats are widely available and largely popular. Both vessels are useful for many purposes, but they both have their own intended purposes that have led to specific designs, advantages, and drawbacks. Let’s compare the Jon boat and the Bass boat to find out which is a better vessel for you!
My Recommendation
At the end of it, the better vessel for you is the boat that best suits your needs on the water. If all you will use a vessel for is fishing, then a Bass boat is well suited for your requirements, but if you need something with more multi-functional capabilities, then a Jon boat is the better option for you.
Take the time to consider what you need from your watercraft, and you will quickly identify which boat is better for you and your requirements. Both boats are capable and reliable, and they are both adaptable to different situations, but they both have their strengths and weaknesses that must be considered as well.
How Do Bass Boat and Jon Boat Compare?
Comparing the Jon boat to the Bass boat is somewhat simple, as these two vessels are largely different, despite their similarities.
The Bass boat is a vessel designed for fishing. Everything about this boat makes it ideal for inland water fishing, and it is made specifically to excel in this area. Bass boats are well equipped for fishing, regardless of the waters that you use them on.
Jon boats are good all-rounder vessels that can be customized for any purpose. The flat bottom of these boats allows them access to very shallow water, which is ideal for hunting and fishing, but these vessels can be used for almost any type of water utility you can think of, so long as the water does not get too rough.
When comparing these boats, it is obvious that the Jon boat is designed to be a versatile watercraft that can handle almost any situation and is made to be rugged and simple, while the Bass boat is designed specifically for the purpose of fishing, and everything on it and every part of its design is tailored for this use.
The Bass Boat
The Bass boat has been around for decades and has become a widely popular vessel for anglers and hunters alike. The Bass boat is so named because it is designed for fishing panfish such as bass and is ideally suited for this purpose.
The Bass boat is a small vessel designed for inland fishing, but it features a V-shaped hull which makes it stable on rough waters, which means it can feasibly be used in ocean waters as well.
This type of boat is designed for inland fishing, which means it is made to be maneuverable, small, and lightweight. This makes the vessel easy to control in the water, light enough to be transported to and from the water without specialized or heavy vehicles, and small enough to use in tight waterways for the best fishing opportunities.
The Bass boat is typically powered by a trawling motor and a more powerful outboard motor. The outboard is used to propel the boat along the waterways, and the less powerful trawling motor is used to slowly move around in a fishing spot without causing a disturbance.
These vessels are usually very well equipped for fishing, as this is their main purpose. Bass boats have a closed deck that contains multiple dry-storage compartments and often include a live-capture compartment that has a flow of freshwater through it.
These boats have a dropped cockpit that holds its main seats but usually have a few swivel seats installed to allow anglers an ideal perch for casting from.
These boats are lightweight and quick on the water, and they are easily customizable for any fishing purposes. Bass boats are best made from fiberglass, as these versions are tougher and able to have more powerful motors, but they can also be made from aluminum.
The V-shaped hull of a Bass boat makes them very stable on rough water but limits the depth of water that these vessels can be used in and compromises the stability of the vessel.
A hull of this design cuts through waves which makes it stable on rough waters, but on smooth waters or if a passenger stands up, the boat becomes very unstable. This hull prevents the Bass boat from operating in very shallow waters, as it cannot be used in waters that are shallower than its hull.
Bass Boat Pros And Cons
The Bass boat is a very useful vessel, and it is ideal for some situations, but it has some disadvantages to consider as well. Let’s examine the important pros and cons of Bass boats.
The pros of Bass boats include:
- Ideal for fishing
- Ideal for inland water use.
- Can use very powerful motors.
- Have plenty of storage room.
- Are well-equipped.
- Well-made and durable.
- Lightweight and compact.
- Very easy to use.
- Stable in rough water and waves.
The cons of Bass boats include:
- Tend to be expensive.
- Only good for fishing and have limited other applications.
- Are not stable when a passenger stands up.
- Are not comfortable at high speeds.
- Have a limited capacity.
The Jon Boat
The Jon boat is among the most popular of all inland water vessels for every purpose. These are small, lightweight, utilitarian boats that can be easily adapted for almost any aquatic purpose.
The Jon boat is a versatile flat-bottomed vessel that is typically a very simple boat. A Jon boat is merely a hull with ribs, but it has a flat bottom, a square stern, and a vertical transom where an outboard motor can be easily mounted.
These boats also have a very shallow draft, and this feature, combined with an almost perfectly flat bottom, means that the Jon boat can be used in water that is only a few inches deep. This boat can be used on waters that are too shallow for any other inland water vessel.
The Jon boat has a very simple design, but it is shockingly stable on calm waters, even at very high speeds. This vessel can be used for transportation, fishing, hunting, or utilitarian work alike. These boats usually only have two or three bench seats, and everything else is optional and upgradable.
These boats are light enough to be moved by simple oars, and this is the primary source of motion for most Jon boats, but they can also be fitted with trawling motors and outboard motors.
These boats are very inexpensive to buy, and the fact that they are so versatile means that they are wildly popular with hunters, anglers, bowmen, and all others who need to use a small boat on inland waterways.
Jon boats require minimal maintenance as they are typically made from aluminum which makes them light enough to be transported with regular vehicles and very small trailers. These vessels can also be made to varying sizes, rather than just one standard size, as is the case with most small inland water vessels.
In short, Jon boats are among the most versatile and useable small vessels of all and are ideal for almost any purpose. These boats are not very stable in rough water, but so long as you stick to calm areas, this boat is capable of anything.
Jon Boat Pros And Cons
Jon boats are among the most versatile vessels on the water, but these boats have some drawbacks as well. Let’s identify some of the most crucial pros and cons regarding Jon boats and their usage.
The pros of Jon boats include:
- Very affordable.
- Exceedingly versatile.
- Easily customizable.
- Can be used in very shallow water.
- Are very stable on calm water, even at high speeds.
- Can be paddled or used with motors.
- Very lightweight.
- Available in multiple sizes.
- Ideal for fishing, hunting, bow hunting, and all water utilities.
- Have a flat bottom.
- Require very little maintenance.
- Easy to store.
- Easy to transport.
The cons of Jon boats include:
- Not stable on rough water or waves.
- Can be very basic.
- Are not very well-equipped and must usually be upgraded.
- Are not always comfortable.
- Have a very limited weight capacity, especially smaller vessels.