>>1769953>>1773887Unless you're getting a 14-15ft flatbotton anything smaller is less stable than my 10ft composite hull. For both wakes and chop. Pond prowlers, bass raiders, etc. are great as small boats but feel gutless on big lakes. But every 10ft boat will. 550lb weight limit is also much more than most jon boats.
If you're going with a used jon I suggest getting an outboard new, and getting the hull used. The outboard you can break in and service yourself, as most of these small motors catch a lot of misuse and abuse. Riveted jons aren't that bad either, I can refurbish one in a couple hours including paint and sealant. Unless there's actual holes punched in the aluminum there's not much to go wrong. As others have said, obviously welded is even simpler. But if you're paying for welded you can get some welded deep Vs (just look at Lowe's V1258) for the same cost as a welded jon, and it'll handle wind, chop, wakes, etc. much better.
The composite hull 10 footer I have is even lighter than a 10ft jon, has higher weight capacity, is better in light chop and against boat wake, and anchored down you can easily stand and fish. The downside is aluminum will last longer, as these composite hulls will wear with regular use, especially dragging on sand and pebbles in and out of water. If you care for it though it'll likely last 4-5 years with regular use. Here's mine on lake mead, anything under 20mph wind is tolerable. Under 10mph is preferred.
