# 1236 jon big enough or not



## ritchie904 (Jan 25, 2015)

1236 jon with 6hp 4 stroke is this boat safe for 1 man on lake or will other boats swamp me. I want small boat just to fish out of. If anyone has info please let me know and thanks to all


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## Jim (Jan 25, 2015)

How big are the lakes?

Do you plan to be sitting the whole time?


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## richg99 (Jan 25, 2015)

And, how big are you?


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## ritchie904 (Jan 25, 2015)

I am 170 and the lake is lake Cumberland ky I do plan on sitting is the 1236 jon OK thank you


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## S&amp;MFISH (Jan 26, 2015)

Years ago we used a 14ft semi-v at Tablerock and Mark Twain without any problems. Except for the fact that there were 3 of us and it was pretty cramped.


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## Attwanl (Jan 26, 2015)

Is it a flat bottom?
I've got a 12/36 flat bottom, I'm 160 with a 9.8 hp 4-stoke. It works just fine.....do I wish it was bigger? Yes, but it very easy to manage alone. I even stand up and cast sometimes to stretch my legs, from the bottom not the seat. I mostly fish sitting though, just a lot more stable.


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## FishingForSupper (Jan 26, 2015)

I've used my 1448 on larger reservoirs and while large wakes will rock you, they shouldn't swamp you. If you anchor in such a way to keep their wakes hitting the bow you'll be in great shape. If it's a flat bottom be aware of the waves in high wind, mixed with a low transom can be an interesting time, been there. Good luck!


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## Johnny (Jan 26, 2015)

a few weeks ago I went fishing with a friend in his 20' Bay Boat.
The lake is maybe one half mile wide and 3/4 to one mile long. Pretty good size.
out of nowhere, a big wind came up and a very heavy chop developed on the lake.
even in a TWENTY FOOT boat, I was very uncomfortable.
There is NO WAY I would have survived it in my 1648 semi-V. It was that rough - and scarey.

Looking at Lake Cumberland on Google Earth, that is a massive body of water. 
(63,000 acres and over 1,200 miles of shoreline)
Please put a lot of thought into your selection because that is what you will be putting your LIFE in .....
Then, ensure all your safety and life saving gear is all in order prior to going out on the water.

In a 1236, and small motor, I would not venture past my known swimming distance. (100 yards).
until I was very familiar with its handling characteristics.
Happy SAFE boating !!


Jus my dos centavos


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## turbotodd (Jan 27, 2015)

1432 Ouachita boat, guy weighed about 200 lbs, by himself, with a 2.5 Yamaha outboard and a paddle, a fishing rod, cell phone, and tackle box with a string full of crappie (babys). Guy was fishing a smaller lake but it is FULL of submerged tree tops. You can ruin a boat in no time out there. Sunday was pretty windy. Gusts around 30 mph, steady winds 15-20mph. Not a wide open lake. Lot of places get out of the wind if you need to. But it still gets a little choppy.

They found the boat capsized Sunday evening. Found the body on Monday. He left behind a wife and kids and grand babies.

I know people have done it a million times-myself included. But all it takes is ONCE. Part of the moral of this is that as a captain of your vessel, you need to know your forecast and current conditions. And you need to know YOUR limits, and your vessel's limits. And the body of water. Even then people still make mistakes, but if you can prevent them with a vessel that would handle that type of weather better, it could save your life. And keep a PFD handy. Inflatable PFD's work and you can't even tell they're on.

My experience has been an out-of-nowhere storm show up on a 40,000 acre lake that is open for the most part where I was at. My 1548 was no match for the 2 to 3 foot swells. I have navigated in water like that but I knew the boat well enough, and knew my abilities, and the amount of boat traffic (bigger boats). Their wake combined with wind swells would make it challenging to get back to the ramp, about 3 miles, with my tiny rig. So I pulled up on an island and waited it out. Took about 2 hours for the water to calm but I made it back in one piece and without getting any wetter than what the rain accomplished. IMO, it was smarter to stay on the island than to try to make the trip back in those conditions. And there's been times when I've navigated through waters like that; and it was NOT smart. I knew the storms were coming and decided to stay longer since the fish were biting great. Should have left early but thank goodness for the boat's build quality and robustness. If I had been in my old boat, also a 1432 Ouachita, I'd have been in the drink for certain.

As mentioned, if you can manage a bigger boat, please do. You'll be happier. And if you don't like it, they carry a higher resale value-at least around here they do. 1542, 1548, 1552, 1556 especially since that's what the duck hunters like.


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## cliff58 (Feb 1, 2015)

I think "big enough" all depends on where and in what conditions you want to go out in. The smaller and lower the boat, the easier it is to swamp, and the faster stuff happens, and the more you need to pay attention to your surroundings and wear that PFD. My 1240 semi-v (seen in my sig) has been fine in my 2 closest waterways, Shingle Creek and 10.6 acre Lake Cecile. The biggest waves I've seen are from jet ski rentals at the lake and those are no bother. I have never been out with a storm blowing in yet. However, next week after I register my boat I'll be heading over to the 22,700 acre Lake Tohopekaliga (or "Toho to the locals) to give my first gas outboard its first good run. I'm wondering if I'll feel more like a boater or a bobber out there! I am pretty sure most boaters are courteous enough around our little boats but when that "one in every crowd" zooms by at 50 ft. and 50 mph I'll want to turn the bow into the wake quickly just to be safe. I don't want to take a big wave on a 15" transom either. You will need to be alert and aware enough to do the same. And when a storm is coming you'd better head in sooner than later. If you want to concentrate on everything except what's around you then get something with higher sides and a 20" transom. But you'd be surprised at what a little boat can do in capable hands. :shock: 

[youtube]MYV256rpp2I[/youtube]


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## ktsharpening (Feb 1, 2015)

I had a 10x36 and found it not to safe, small wind would bring water over the bow when running. Would only use it on small farm ponds but then needed something bigger so traded up to a 18' Jon Boat which I use mostly on rivers. Be safe it looks different on it in the middle of the lake.


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## derekdiruz (Feb 10, 2015)

I fish a pretty good sized lake in my 1248 semi v, but I tend to fish the shores and coves. I never fish much else or have to cross the lake. Works perfect for me


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## lugoismad (Feb 11, 2015)

Barefoot_Johnny said:


> a few weeks ago I went fishing with a friend in his 20' Bay Boat.
> The lake is maybe one half mile wide and 3/4 to one mile long. Pretty good size.
> out of nowhere, a big wind came up and a very heavy chop developed on the lake.
> even in a TWENTY FOOT boat, I was very uncomfortable.
> ...



I suggest you take a look at Cumberland and Dale Hollow's (both similar lakes very close to each other) marina websites. Every marina down there rents 14 foot vhull boats with 10-15hp outboards.

Watch the weather, don't go out in high winds, and you'll be fine.


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## turbotodd (Feb 17, 2015)

yeah I was going to mention a small, but well know river close to me. It is the tail water for a large lake, has a hydroelectric plant in the dam. On "usual" water conditions, the river depth changes from 1" deep in some places to 20' in others. Usually in conditions like that, there isn't a lot of current-if any. I've been out there where the wind was blowing me up river while the tiny bit of current wasn't enough to drag me down river. But the hydro plant. The water level will fluctuate about 8 feet vertically in a matter of minutes. Kind of a dangerous situation, since the current gets really swift-in the vicinity of 7 to 8 mph, and it's ice cold. But the local docks rent those little 12 and 14' boats to anyone with the nads big enough to use them; but they do tell you to keep an eye on conditions. Not so much weather, but watch the phone app that tells when the generators come online. Iv'e been out there before in low water conditions...get out & pull the boat across some shoals....then 10 minutes later, that same area is 10 feet deep and can run wide open across it easily. If you're sitting still and the water's rising, it gets your attention for sure.


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## Boatfloater1989 (Jul 2, 2015)

I live in Maryland and i have a 1236 crestliner with a 9.9 you will be fine in almost any situation I took mine across the Chesapeake bay in 4 foot swells .. Was it scary??? Yes did I have some water in the boat ?? Yes but if you know what your doing and know how to distribute the weight in the boat for different circumstances you will be fine mind you I'm 285 and the boat was loaded with a cooler full of.... Special soda. As well as all my gear my over kill anchor and a full tank of gas and I made it across the bay at your weight if your boat is anything like mine you will be fine I think the only thing that wouldn't be good would be that motor its not big enough to power over the wake but as I said it all depends on experience


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## derekdiruz (Jul 3, 2015)

1236 is plenty. I've got a 1230 and it's solid enough two 200lb guys fish and hunt from it. It sees use almost every day. That being said,I wouldn't go in a ski zone with it, but I usually fish coves and 50ft from shore no problem


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