Boats.......... again

[Hawkeye]

While my current boat runs okay, and it works fine with me and one other person fishing in it, it just isn't going to work out very well for me and four or five of my kids and my sweet wife too. I thought I was going to be able to afford a new boat (dreaming again LOL), but it looks like a good used boat is probably more in line with what I might be able to buy... All that said, I wanted opinions from catmen on the merits of fishing from a pontoon boat. I am not sure I like them, as they remind me a lot of a barge... low, slow and ugly... but there are a few qualities, especially the room, that makes them appealing. I've seen decent used pontoon boats sell for as little as 3000$ with motor and trailer. Granted, the ones that sold at that price needed work (don't all boats?) and they were pretty underpowered (aren't most pontoons boats?)... I figure if I can find one with a good running outboard, a trailer and a top on it for shade for the kids, I'll have to think long and hard about becoming a pontoon boat owner...
Some of the things I don't know about pontoons include: Do they handle relatively rough water well? Does it take a lot of horsepower to get one moving, or do they move out pretty well because there isn't that much of the boat in the water? And lots more...

I would really appreciate thoughts and comments on the good and bad of a pontoon boat.

TT<><

[JettyJumper]

I dont own one so I may be wrong... I havce rode on a few and drove them. your right about them being under horse powered... most 18' 'toons have a 40 or 50 on it. I have seen a 90 on one but its sat low in the back end. I have heard many storys of the boat doin a Titanic like nose dive when too many poeple gater at one end or the other. they are pretty light. personally I woundlt get one. they are not a fishin boat in my eyes, more of a family party boat or somethin......JJ

[Channelcat]

More and more catfish guides are using them. That ought to tell you a lot about them for fishing. If I ever replace my current boat I will buy a pontoon. They offer a lot of convience for lazy man fishing.

[Nikonos]

The vast majority of the catfish guides on Satee-Cooper use pontoons for their operations. I went down last April for a day of fishing and out of the 20 or so guys I checked out only two weren't running pontoons. Marion and Moultrie are enormous lakes so the number of guides using pontoons on them should be a testament to how well they perform as cat rigs on big reserviors. The day we were out on the water there was a breeze and 1-2 foot swells at times but it didn't seem to pose any real problem. I've even seen dive operations in the Keys using pontoons to ferry people from the island to the reefs and they did fine.

The neighbor runs a 20 foot Stratos center console and when he goes to the lake with his wife and three kids there just isn't enough room even in that big boat. But I hope you find a boat that suits your needs Hawkeye. I feel bad because it seems like you are always going through something with that boat of your's.

[Hawkeye]

Don't feel bad, Bro... it's a man trying to live like a king on a peasant's money... after taxes, groceries, mortgage and everything else, comes boat, fishing tackle and other fun stuff... I've been trying to make repairs on the old girl without spending any money, something you're not supposed to be able to do with a boat aka a hole in the water into which you pour money :-)
I'm just looking at options. I really don't even like pontoon boats, but I've never fished off one either... I also have my eyes on a bass boat... 17' Ranger (used of course) with a big black outboard on the back. It can seat four... there isn't much room for anything other than fishin... but what else is there....
Your and Channelcat's words regarding the guides using these boats reflect well on the utility of these boats. I have been trying to find one boat that I can do many different things with. Fishing the river, fishing the Bay, and fishing in lakes and smaller rivers are all things I'd like to be able to do with one boat. I just haven't found the one boat (thought I did with the Carolina Skiff 24' that I can't seem to afford) that will do it all... Maybe the '**** is a good place to start until I can get the boat of my dreams.

[Trophycats]

I have owned one, and used it for guiding. Pros...Lots of room...Shade...Comfort...Can carry a ton of stuff on it..Children can get up and move around with no worries...CONS..They are not super fast..NO MATTER what size motor you put on it, however..use this to your advantage...it slows you down and makes you learn the area more..you dont have the run/gun attitude. You have mentioned taking your family...is it not better to go a little slower so you can hear what your wife/children have to say, and take the time to point out the scenes/wildlife around you to them? Wind can be a factor IF you fish like i do..I anchor and if there is little current and the wind is blowing the wrong way then I had trouble holding on a hole..however 2 anchors and a drift sock usually fixed this problem.
I dont think you can go wrong with a pontoon boat, I know a lot of people that catfish out of them, and do quite well. One last word of advice..if you get a pontoon boat...get a long handled net..it is a long way down to the water and you dont want to try and horse a HAWG up the side..words of experience..Hope this helps..warren

[Hawkeye]

Warren,
your words make a lot of sense. I would rather take my time with the family on board. I'm a little concerned about the stability of a pontoon on "big" water, like The James, where the wind can put some serious chop on the water quickly... but I don't think it's something to get all hung up on. I'll have to give pontoons a serious look. I found another boat just like mine.. different "issues" than my boat... engine and outdrive is complete, hull is in good shape... and I can get it for about half of what the outdrive is worth, so I'm going to go have a look at it. I figure I can make two boats into one good one, even if I don't do anymore than sell it in the end to finance the next boat... One of the local catmen fishes off a pontoon and I'm going to call him tomorrow to see if he'll give me a ride. His is 24' with a 40 horse motor on it. It seems to move along just fine, although he isn't going to set any world record times to the next fishin' hole. I agree that speed is often a bad thing, and it really isn't a factor for me on the river. Most of the places I want to fish are less than 5 miles from the ramp. At 20 mph, that's only a 15 minute run to the fishin hole. I worry a little about what you said about anchoring. I have enough trouble already, but I suppose practice will make perfect when it comes to anchoring the boat too...
Thanks everyone... I'll let you know if I make a purchase.

Tom<><

[mudd_catt]

If you are worried about the stability on "rough" waters, you might try a tri-****. But I know people that have ran 'toons on the Mississippi river, and all they said was that you have to watch, basically the same as any other boat, except you can't go jumping waves with it. LOL As far as the waves go, only one other body of water I know of can chop as bad as Pickwick, and that is Texoma. And there are unknown number of people on both lakes running pontoons.

With a little practice you will be able to anchor just as good as a smaller boat. And I can say that the effort and trouble are worth it if you like taking the family, or just having a little extra room.

[Hawkeye]

I have no concept as to how big those lakes are. The James is 5 miles wide at the bay end, and about a mile wide in some of the places I fish. Maybe that's why I'm having so much trouble figuring out where to fish LOL... I think the thing for me to do is get out there on the water with the guy I know who owns one, and then judge for myself... He certainly catches a lot of big fish with his... and he takes his kids fishing on it too. I blew it a few weeks back. He was heading out as I was loading my boat. I could have caught a ride with him then, but I was tired and all I could think about was getting home at the time. I suppose that if a pontoon is good enough to use on Ole' man river, it should be good enough for me.

[mudd_catt]

It's not that they are as wide, only about a mile at the widest, but Pickwick can run as long as 9 or 10 miles at the length of a straight stretch, letting the wind blow real hard.

The MS river is basically the same, but with WICKED currents.