# Talk me out of a flat bottom



## moloch16 (Jul 13, 2018)

Looking at new boats, was totally ignoring flat bottoms in favor of mod-v but now I'm thinking a flat bottom will provide a lot more room and the ride difference is not substantial compared to a mod-v. I fish small lakes, and I stay home when the weather is bad. I do go in steady wind, mainly in winter, but we're talking a steady chop not white caps. So I think the flat bottom will work, may ride a little rougher but that's worth the extra space. Thoughts?

Look at the deck difference in these pics.


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## LDUBS (Jul 13, 2018)

Well, all the boats I've ever owned were mod or semi V's. Therefore, they must be better than flat bottom boats. Haha

Seriously, I don't think I can really appreciate the benefits of a flat bottom boat because I've not had much experience with them. To me, space, stability, and comfort could be good primary objectives. Sounds like your main concern is getting pounded going through chop. If stability is basically the same between the two boats you are looking at, then it comes down to sacrificing a little comfort for a little more space or vice/versa. Personally, based on my style of usage, I would probably go with the comfort. If water was always calm I would go with the other option, but usually there is always a breeze and some chop at the places I go. 

Not much help I'm afraid.


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## thedude (Jul 13, 2018)

Think about a trolling motor. The mod v is easy and a great angle to mount one. It will cut into the space of a true flat bottom. 

Also will you go tiller or remote steer? You can easily extend the front deck of the modV back if you prefer depending on your floor space needs. Can you afford to purchase a 1 ft longer boat in the mod v? Modv will probably have higher resale value too.


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## RiverLife (Jul 14, 2018)

All I've owned is mod v. They do noticeably ride better and you don't get that water slapping noise in the front like on a flat bottom. They do cut waves nice as well when headed into someone elses wake. Trade off is that extra room and funky floor angles if you want to put a floor in it.

I fish river and small electric only lakes. I would buy whatever is available for a good price in your area. Don't let it be a deal breaker. Stay open minded and have fun shopping. You will know it when you see it.


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## vfourmax (Jul 14, 2018)

I am in agreement the Mod V positives outweigh the negatives. Just like the pictures you posted the Mod V is placing the trolling motor to be deployed much more on the boats centerline than the flat front which to me is much more desirable.

I also agree that extending the front deck back on the mod v is another easy mod if you need a little more deck room.

As I have over the years owned both styles I will say that over the last 20 years that I have not once considered the purchase of a flat front over a mod v design. I also fish smaller waters and med/small rivers pretty much the majority of the time.

Each person has their own opinions and has to buy what they feel suites their needs the best.


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## moloch16 (Jul 14, 2018)

All great comments, thanks for sharing your opinions. They all line up with my line of thinking, will visit the boat dealer again to look in-person at both styles to help with the decision process. Maybe they can let me borrow a seat and pedestal to actually sit up front and see how that feels.

One new idea I'm having: Getting a trolling motor with remote control like the Motorguide Xi3 and then I can fish anywhere in the boat and am not stuck on the casting deck. Will be up there a good amount, like when cast and retrieve is used, but I also troll and spider rig, and I can use the whole boat for those techniques


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## JL8Jeff (Jul 14, 2018)

We have mostly mod v boats around here on the river and they will go through other boat wakes pretty well. There are a couple of flat front jons and you can see them coming a mile away, they plow through the water a lot more and are slower for the most part. I've never owned a trolling motor so I can't comment on that aspect. And I've never sat on a pedestal seat and fished either. I usually stand while fishing or sit in a beach chair on my front deck. My Lowe 1652 has enough room for a beach chair up front which is usually where I end up while relaxing in the boat. I think a flat front would be great in a pond or a marsh but for a river or lake that can have some chop or boat traffic, the mod v will be more comfortable.

That mod v you have pictured above looks like a pretty short deck compared to my Lowe.

Here's my Lowe right after I moved the console forward. I removed the pedestal seat mount before I put some flooring down.


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## overboard (Jul 14, 2018)

I have both, the flat bottom is great for fishing calm water, the MV is better when hitting wakes and running up through riffles in a river, you don't get near as much water splash over the bow in the MV. If I had to choose between one or the other I would most likely choose the MV.


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## Joeboater (Jul 14, 2018)

I have a flat bottom with a 20hp and it is a smooth ride. I’ve also had mod v’s. I’d say if your going to want to go fast get a mod V but if 20 or 25mph is good then the ride of flat bottom is not bad. A plus for me was the front deck was bigger on the flat vs the V.










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## eshaw (Jul 14, 2018)

All I've ever owned were flat bottoms. That being said I think the boats with the coast guard style fronts are definitely more popular with boaters, they just ride better. I ride the edges of bigger lakes and the flat bottom suits me fine but mine is dedicated to bow fishing for the most part. The ride in my boat is comparable to skipping a flat rock across the surface of water, that's the best way I can explain it. It will do 28 with a 40 horse on the back and that's plenty fast for me. As far as the trolling motor goes I don't think it's that big of a deal between the two types. Mine handles fine from the side. I use a Xi5 on mine with the Lowrance Elite 7 to control it in addition to using the remote. You'll love being able to control it from anywhere in the boat.


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## Joeboater (Jul 14, 2018)

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## turbotodd (Jul 15, 2018)

Everyone's hull is different. Waco's mod vee rides worse than War Eagle's flat bottom for instance. So in a way, it's hard to compare "flat to mod vee" without comparing each individual hull's characteristics.

As a general old-school rule, yes, flat will ride poorer than a mod vee. But as of the last 10 years or so, even that's changed.


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## JNG (Jul 15, 2018)

I prefer a true flat bottom with a square bow for most small water fishing. If you need a big water hull, a true deep vee is the way to go. Like a Lund ProGuide. There are two types of modified version jon boats. The older garvey or coast guard type bow and the newer more angled/pointed bow. For example, Lowe riveted modified vee's are the coast guard type bow. The Xpress modified vee would be the newer type. The coast guard types for all intents and purposes ride just like true flat bottoms. Yes they help with chop on the water but the difference in ride quality is minimal. The newer pointed bow modified vee's do ride better but cannot compete with a true deep vee for wave bucking ability. The newer pointed bow styles do cut down on available room in the boat though. In small boats, room is at a premium, so why penalize yourself further by giving up space in the bow of the boat.


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## ktoelke54 (Jul 15, 2018)

I’ve used both flat and mod v. If space is the primary concern, I’d vote flat bottom. What you gain in chop is very slight with mod V. 


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## surfman (Jul 16, 2018)

A pointy bow does not make a Mod-V, it is a flat bottom boat with a pointy bow. It won't ride any better and neither will most Mod-Vs unless you force the bow down into the oncoming waves. I have a flat bottom, flat fronted jon. It is only 14' so the ride is fair in a light, very light chop. Encountering boat wakes means you just slow down. I can run at full throttle in a light chop, its not bad. The hull slat on the front of the boat is very annoying though, I will admit so I remedy this by anchoring off the stern most of the time, don't do that in rough water though, unless you want to sink. Mod-Vs running on plane usually mean the bow is up slightly and they just belly flop from wave to wave unless you have the front weighted down. No 14' boat is really meant for rough water. I have ridden on many Mod-Vs and have friends that have them, they all swear their boat rides better but, I have ridden in them and I don't see the difference. They will still pound you if you try to run hard in rough water. I don't like the lack of stability in a Mod-v personally, for me getting shallow is why I have a flat bottom, not to mention metal is more resistant to oysters and rocks than a fiberglass flat bottom. A heavier boat will ride better too.


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## moloch16 (Jul 16, 2018)

JNG, Ktoelke54, and surfman you'll are supporting my theories with experience. I currently fish Lowe riveted mod-v (rover jon) and when I started thinking about this I went and looked real hard at the design and realized it's a flat bottom with a pointy bow. The point in the bow probably does help take wake a little better but not enough to compromise space when having to make a choice. Thanks for your input!


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## vfourmax (Jul 16, 2018)

As I have stated I have owned both and one thing is in my experience the "pointy bow" when the wind gets up and it gets choppy and you have to head into the wind to get back to the ramp is you end up with a much drier ride over the same ride where a flat front is slapping the chop and as a result creating spray that blows back on the boats occupants.

Neither design is bad and both have their good points, the more longer runs I may make that could possibly be on choppier water may have me leaning more to the pointy bow than if all my runs were of a short nature on water that usually is smooth as glass.

Another thing that could be a consideration if you are fishing using a trolling motor to hold you on a spot and the bow was pointed into the wind as it would be to maintain position would it not be easier to hold that position with the pointed bow rather than a flat surface pointed into the wind?

I mean next time you are going down the road put your hand out of the window with your palm pointed to the front and then angle your hand so you are not holding a flat surface into the wind which one offers the least wind resistance and takes less effort to maintain your hand in the same place?

I think that just amount of deck surface and even ride quality are just some of the issues to consider and not all. I would also say that if using a smaller outboard that if all other variables were the same the smaller motor would again face less resistance and therefore perform better on the pointed bow. Again just a result of physics and resistant differences between the two designs moving in a forward motion.

Also I do not find the mod v to be less stable but again I weigh less than 160 lbs so that may make a difference as well.


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## surfman (Jul 17, 2018)

If I was going to choose between those two boats, I would choose the one with the pointed bow. I have a flat bow on my current boat. I agree to some degree with heading into the wind but, when on plane the bow is up anyway, at least it is on my boat and, the hull is taking most of the impact from the waves. You really can't force a flat bow down into the waves unless you really want to get wet. The pointy bow also would help reduce the bow slap when fishing I am thinking but, I really don't know about that. As far as trolling motor placement , mine is off to the side and does not affect steering the boat at all. I don't think that matters at all. You gain a little room with the flat front but if it is just one person up front then it doesn't look bad to me. I like the open layout of both of those boats.


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## ppine (Jul 17, 2018)

A flat bottom is fine for flat water. If you plan on being out in the winter, then you would be well advised to consider a more seaworthy boat.

I remember coming home in a storm on Lake Powell, AZ in a new ski boat. We had all we could handle with the flat bottom. We were lucky to get back to the house boat and almost spent the night in a side canyon. Another ski boat sank the same day in the channel we had just come through.


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## jethro (Jul 17, 2018)

I could talk you out of it easy- if you lived in my area and fished coldwater lakes and the salt! Deep V boats are all I've ever owned. If I wanted something to fish skinny and remote waters I would probably go with a kayak but that is just me.


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## wmk0002 (Jul 17, 2018)

I personally like the extra front deck space my Alumacraft 1648 flatbottom offers over the 1648MV model. TM is all the way to the left and when deployed sits in the water at the forward left corner but it trolls just like any other mod-v ive been in that had the TM mounted at an angle to deploy at the centerline of the boat. It also has a truly flat bottom just aft of the front deck which will allow for easier installation of a floor. The caveat to my situation is that I only have a 15hp motor on it as I use it on hp restricted lakes. At 20 mph I don't think it really matters if it was a mod-v or a flatbottom. If you are moving 30mph+ often the mod-v would probably make a lot more sense.


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## moloch16 (Jul 17, 2018)

wmk0002 said:


> I personally like the extra front deck space my Alumacraft 1648 flatbottom offers over the 1648MV model. TM is all the way to the left and when deployed sits in the water at the forward left corner but it trolls just like any other mod-v ive been in that had the TM mounted at an angle to deploy at the centerline of the boat. It also has a truly flat bottom just aft of the front deck which will allow for easier installation of a floor. The caveat to my situation is that I only have a 15hp motor on it as I use it on hp restricted lakes. At 20 mph I don't think it really matters if it was a mod-v or a flatbottom. If you are moving 30mph+ often the mod-v would probably make a lot more sense.



Thanks for the post and enjoyed reading through your build posts. Had no idea there is wood under those from decks, I wonder if Lowe is made the same way?


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## moloch16 (Jul 20, 2018)

Update:
Went back to AK Mccallum again today for another look, fully intending to buy a Lowe Aura. Once I got there I looked at all the boats again: Alweld, Alumacraft, Lowe, etc. Ended up going with the 1648 Alweld Marsh Flat, you can land a helicopter on the front deck of that boat, and the rest of the boat is voluminous. Comes pre-wired for trolling motor and running lights and non-slip coating. I added optional locking storage behind the front deck in place of the open storage bay. For the type of fishing I do I don't see where the mod-v would be a huge factor and the size difference was substantial.

Really excited about this boat, it will probably be the last boat I buy


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## Jim (Jul 20, 2018)

Very cool boat! Tell the folks at AK McCallum the folks over at Tinboats say hello!


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## ppine (Jul 20, 2018)

Watch the duck boat video.


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## vfourmax (Jul 21, 2018)

Enjoy your new boat! =D>


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## CedarRiverScooter (Jul 21, 2018)

ppine said:


> Watch the duck boat video.



Better yet check the weather forecast before launching.


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## Zum (Jul 21, 2018)

Nice boat, enjoy

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## surfman (Jul 23, 2018)

Very nice, you will love it.


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