Why the 1552 Jon Boat will be the Perfect Mid-Size Rig
In case you've been searching for a versatile watercraft, the 1552 jon boat usually countries right at the top of the listing for good cause. It's that Goldilocks size—not so big that you might want a substantial truck to tow it, but certainly not so small that you feel like you're heading to tip more than every time a person endure cast. Most people who spend time on the water know that getting the right balance between stability and portability is the particular hardest part associated with buying a boat. With a 1552, you're getting the platform that grips shallow marshes simply as well as it handles a choppy lake on a windy Sat.
Understanding the Dimensions
Before we dive in to the fun things, let's discuss exactly what those numbers in fact mean. In the world of light weight aluminum boats, a 1552 jon boat indicates a duration of 15 feet and a base width of fifty-two inches. Now, that will 52-inch measurement will be the kicker. The lot of people look at 14-foot boats that are usually only 36 or 48 inches wide and think they're spending less, but that will extra width upon the floor the world of distinction.
When a person have a 52-inch bottom, the ray (the widest part of the boat in the top) is definitely usually around seventy to 75 ins. This makes a massive amount of inner volume. You aren't just gaining space on the floor; you're gaining buoyancy and displacement. That will translates to the boat that sits higher in the water even if it's loaded down with a cooler, a few batteries, an energy tank, and two or three grown adults.
Stability You Can Actually Feel
Stability is debatably the biggest feature of the 1552 jon boat . In the event that you've ever attempted to fish out there of a small 1236 or 1436 boat, you understand the "jon boat dance. " A person proceed to the still left, the boat suggestions left. Your pal reaches for the particular net, and abruptly everyone is clutching the gunwales with regard to dear life. It's stressful, and honestly, it can end up being a bit dangerous in cold drinking water.
With a 52-inch bottom, that tippiness mostly goes away. You are able to walk through the stern to the bow without feeling like you're on a tightrope. This makes it a premier option for duck hunters who need in order to toss decoys or even manage a doggie jumping in plus out of the particular boat. It's also a dream for bass fishermen who else want to install a casting deck. When you're position four feet over the waterline on a pedestal chair, you need in order to know the boat isn't going to shift violently when you set the particular hook.
Running Your Rig
One thing I really like about the 1552 jon boat is it doesn't require a massive engine to get upon plane, but it is designed for some decent horsepower if a person want to go fast. Most hulls in this particular size class are rated with regard to anywhere from 25 in order to 40 horsepower.
If a person put a 25HP outboard on a 1552, you're likely to have got a very dependable, fuel-efficient setup. It'll get you where you're going, even along with a decent insert. But if you're someone who carries the lot of gear—maybe you've added a heavy timber-decking setup or a large livewell—bumping up to 40HP motor makes this boat scream. It'll pop up on plane instantly and handle those much longer encounters the lake without breaking a sweat.
Most people stick with the tiller steer upon these boats mainly because it keeps the particular floor open and uncluttered. However, since the 1552 is wide enough, it's also a popular candidate for the side console transformation. If you prefer a steering steering wheel and a throttle in your hip, this hull has got the thickness to accommodate a console without producing the cockpit feel cramped.
Customization and DIY Potential
If you're the kind associated with person who loves to tinker in the particular garage, the 1552 jon boat is actually a blank canvas. Because the floor is so wide, you have lots of room in order to build out storage space lockers, rod tubes, or even the recessed foot your pedal for a trolling motor.
I've seen guys turn these directly into "tiny bass boats" that look more professional than several fiberglass rigs. They'll run PVC channel under the ribs for wiring, set up Led strip lights lighting with regard to night fishing, plus add hydro-turf or marine carpet in order to keep the ground great and quiet. The particular beauty of the particular 52-inch bottom is that you don't lose all your own legroom once a person start adding side storage boxes. A person still have the wide aisle in order to move around within.
For the hunters out there, this size is ideal for a pop-up blind. It's wide enough to maintain the blind's profile through looking too "tippy, " also it can carry a few of guys, the dog, and 4 dozen decoys without having sitting dangerously low in the transom.
Welded vs. Riveted: What's the Move?
You'll generally find the 1552 jon boat in two main flavors: riveted and all-welded. There's a lot of argument on which is definitely better, and truthfully, it depends on the way you plan to make use of it.
Riveted boats are generally lighter and a bit cheaper. If you're mostly fishing calm ponds or electric-only lakes, a riveted 1552 is a lot of boat. Nevertheless, if you're heading to be running a 40HP engine through stump-filled rivers or dragging the hull over small bars, you probably want to look with an all-welded model.
Welded hulls are beefier. They can take a beating and won't develop those frustrating slow leaks that will rivets sometimes do after a 10 years of vibration and hard use. They're heavier, sure, yet on a boat this size, that extra weight actually helps the ride quality in a lighting chop. It retains the bow from bouncing around just like a cork.
Portability and Ease associated with Use
Regardless of being a "wide-body" jon boat, the particular 1552 jon boat is nevertheless incredibly easy in order to handle on your own. You don't need a dual-axle trailer or perhaps a heavy-duty SUV to advance it. A small electricity trailer and the mid-size crossover or even even a durable sedan can tow line this rig easily.
Starting it is the breeze, too. Mainly because it draws so little water, you don't have to back again your truck midway to the lake in order to get the boat off the trailer. I've launched my own in certain pretty "unconventional" spots—dirt banks, shallow creeks, and overgrown ramps—where a bigger fiberglass boat wouldn't have stood a chance. This accessibility opens up a lot of angling spots that remain quiet because the particular bigger boats can't get in there.
Maintenance is the Breeze
One particular of the greatest things about buying an aluminum 1552 jon boat is how little you have to worry about it. It's not like a fiberglass boat where you're constantly stressing over gelcoat scratches or oxidation process. In case you bump a dock or clean a rock, this just adds a little "character" to the hull.
Rinsing it out takes five minutes with a backyard hose. There aren't many complicated systems to fail, especially if you maintain the layout simple. If you retain it covered or garaged, these boats can easily last thirty or even forty years. In fact, you see a lot of 1980s-era jon boats still on the water today because aluminum is simply that resilient.
Why Choose the particular 1552 Over a 1648?
This particular is a typical question. A 1648 is a foot more but four inches narrower at the bottom. Personally, I'll take the additional width of the 1552 jon boat every single time. That extra four inches of width provides more "usable" stability than an extra feet of length does.
Within a 1552, you really feel like you have got a "room" on the water. In a 1648, you feel like you have a "hallway. " The particular 1552 can also be slightly easier to maneuver in tight timber because of that shorter length, plus it fits into standard garages even more easily. If your garage is twenty feet deep, once you factor in the trailer tongue plus the motor tilted down, every inches counts.
Final Thoughts
At the particular end of the particular day, the 1552 jon boat is just a workhorse. It doesn't play the role of something it's not. It's a rugged, stable, plus highly customizable platform that gets a person onto the water without an enormous financial burden or perhaps a logistical headache. Whether or not you're chasing crappie in the spring, setting out a pass on of mallard decoys in the winter, or just taking the kids out to discover a nearby creek, this particular hull size will be hard to beat.
It's big enough to feel secure, small enough to be nimble, and tough enough to manage whatever you throw from it. If a person find a great deal on one, leap on it. They will hold their worth incredibly well for any reason—everyone wants one particular, and once they get one, they hardly ever wish to let it go.