What size motor would i need for a 14 to16 ft jon boat for area lakes 600acre plus?

Question

hi iam wanting to buy a 14 to 16ft jon boat for fishing but im not sure what size motor would 9 or 10 hp work or would i need a 25 or 30 hp this would be for different size lakes around illinois one lake is 660 acres iam looking at used boats and motors any advice would be appreciated thanks aaron

Answer 1

go with the 16 foot boat and the 25 or 30- you can do it all with this set up- pack a load, go faster than a 10 in case bad weather comes rolling in, plus the larger boat will take rougher water if necessary. you wont be disappointed with this choice.

Answer 2

I have a 25 on my 14' flat bottom jon boat and it runs that boat perfect. It runs about 30 mph and will plane off with alot of weight in it.

Answer 3

I would go with triple 300 hp Merc's

Answer 4

if it was me i would go with a 20 horse and a trolling motor for when you get out there

Answer 5

The 10 will work, but won't push the boat very fast, especially if loaded. The 25 would be a nice engine for that boat, would do everything you need it to do. Make sure you check the USCG plate to verify you haven't gone over the maximum rated HP for the boat.