I live along a very small river, when I was a kid dad and I would float it with a canoe shooting ducks or catching walleye. Since I have taken back up trapping I have always thought about how fun it would be to float the river and set and check traps for the first two weeks of the season.

Now that my son is 13 I think it's time to get a boat. Not interested in a canoe but more so a shorter but wide float boat that would be easy to lean over the edge to set or check traps without having to worry about tipping over as much as I would have to in a canoe but also needs to be light enough to make a small portage around a log jam and shallow enough that it doesn't sit too deep in the water. Would be floating 2 - 5 miles of river.

The river is typically 2' deep or less in the fall and as shallow as 6" in areas that we would have to get out and walk it.

What is the first boat that comes to mind that would fit the need?

small narrow jon boat is what id use. floated alot of creeks trapping turtles with a 1436 alumacraft years back. very light weight and also stable. also used it on larger rivers down south with a 10 horse merc on it. might be worth looking into.

X2 fossil. I do real good with my 1436 Jon. Run a 15HP short shaft and can really push that thing along.

X2. I have one that i hope to get the chance to do that exact thing.

I had a 12 ft flat bottom Jon boat that would also work. Used it to fish. Used trolling motor. 36 lb of thrust if I remember correct. Light handled shallow water and threw it in the back of my truck. Did not cost much and sold it for very little. Should be able to find one used fairly cheap

That is called a crick here. Sounds like you would be portaging more than floating.

The one thing you would need much of a boat. Good luck finding what would work for you.

I had a small Jon boat in my mind too but my father is trying to talk me into a Grumman Sportboat. Those are thousands of dollars and look tippy to me

I will be looking for a 12’ jon boat

A little flatbottom with a mud motor will get you through mud, weeds, over logs, over beaver damns, and shallow water.

A 12' Jon is not a very stable craft. If you go that direction, try to get the widest one you can find. I have done a ton of trapping out of a 12' Alumacraft Jon that was super light to haul around and portage with, but had it full of water a time or too, also. When I was trapping hard, I had a 12' and a 16' Jon for different applications. It was either shallow ponds and swamps, or the Missouri River.

Jon boats are measured across the bottom of the transom, so a 1236 is 12 feet long and 36 inches wide at the bottom of the back of the boat. If you can find a 1248 or 1448 you'll have a much more stable boat than a 1236 or 1436.

Exactly, I had a 1236, great for hauling around, but not great for two people and a bunch of traps/critters!

Nah, Sportsboat aren't that tippy. No tippier than the 12' Jon. I can stand up and pole one easy, and walk around in it.

Sportsboat is a 20' Grumman double ended canoe with 5' cut from the stern end.

Grew up on the water. Been in a bunch of small boats. You couldn't give me a short skinny jon. Those things are dangerous giving you the illusion of being on top of the water. 1448 is as small as I would go and for the depths and portaging you describe you're starting to get into weight issues with a 1448 dragging it over shoals.

For what you describe you need a canoe and learning how to use one. They only tippy as your experience level. If your unwilling to learn a canoe then look to one of the many copies of the gheenoe/riverhawk. But being fiberglass not the best if your portages involve rock.

If it's still flat water you might also try a pirogue but they have an even steeper curve than a canoe and are no good in current.

I found a used Grumman sportboat with a trailer and a 6hp Johnson for closer to what I wanted to spend. I will probably pull the trigger. Keep you posted, thanks for the tips

This was very helpful!

Also if you go for a canoe do your homework and buy one built for your needs. There are many different types for different purposes.

For what you describe look at tripping or prospector styles. Boats designed for hauling gear and going places. Avoid banana boats designed for playing in whitewater or long skinny lake runners.

If you have to portage the motor gets heavy very fast .

. Ive floated (trapped) most of the Southern Mn rivers at one time or another 35-50 years ago, But few are truely floatable with fall flows.

Where I'm from we call those a creek. A river has to be large enough for commercial traffic, by 18/19th century standards.

Now that's a rig. BIL has ran one of these for years. A Sportsboat and a 6hp Evinrude.

You can get in some skinny water with a rig like that.
In small waters you can dump the motor and paddle it or, maybe come up with an older Evinrude 2hp that weighs 25 pounds and put that on the back. Just a kicker.
Seems like those Sportsboats weigh in right around 100 pounds.

Big enough for the lake too if the waves aren't too big. If you're by yourself, put 50 pounds or so of weight right in the nose and that 6hp will plane the boat too.