Tim Cox Posted July 27, 2018 Posted July 27, 2018 Hey folks, My wife and I recently discussed getting a boat, both for fishing and leisure. We're both thinking of a pontoon boat, because it won't be just for fishing. I know a few companies make fishing centered layouts for pontoons. Anybody have any experience with them and how would you say it went? Thanks folks! Quote
Super User J Francho Posted July 27, 2018 Super User Posted July 27, 2018 My GF's father has an 18' Bass Buggy. It isn't bad, if you're just anchored up, and fishing for panfish. You won't be probing docks with ease, but it's do-able. Kent ( @roadwarrior ) has one, IIRC. They are really nice for offshore fishing, ledges, or drifting for smallmouth, with a group. Look for one that has chairs on the corners, and lower rails at those points. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted July 27, 2018 Super User Posted July 27, 2018 Well, I give mine a 9... I have a 90 hp Yamaha that pushes to 25 mph which some would consider a disadvantage. For me the rig is perfect. Its greatest attribute is being able to get up and walk around. #2 is stability in choppy water. My days as a bull rider are over! 1 1 Quote
tstraub Posted July 27, 2018 Posted July 27, 2018 I fished off a 24 foot pontoon for a few years and loved it. Mine was not marketed as fishing platform just an old used pontoon that was the right price for us. I bolted on a 55 pound thrust foot controlled trolling motor and ran a diy live well that was made out of a cooler, a bilge pump and some PVC pipe. Lots of room and very stable for the kids. My only complaint would be boat control in the wind. A more powerful trolling motor probably would have helped with that. But, it never bothered me bad enough to spend the money on an upgrade. 1 Quote
B-Dozer Posted July 27, 2018 Posted July 27, 2018 5 minutes ago, tstraub said: I fished off a 24 foot pontoon for a few years and loved it. Mine was not marketed as fishing platform just an old used pontoon that was the right price for us. I bolted on a 55 pound thrust foot controlled trolling motor and ran a diy live well that was made out of a cooler, a bilge pump and some PVC pipe. Lots of room and very stable for the kids. My only complaint would be boat control in the wind. A more powerful trolling motor probably would have helped with that. But, it never bothered me bad enough to spend the money on an upgrade. I have something similar, I use a 70lb. Minnkota. Perfect for my 3 dogs and myself Quote
Super User NHBull Posted July 27, 2018 Super User Posted July 27, 2018 I had a 24, triple log with a 150 and it was fine with the exception of wind. I have seen them with a TM and Talon. The biggest problem is handling it solo if anchoring is required Quote
B-Dozer Posted July 28, 2018 Posted July 28, 2018 and then there's this sadly, that's not me in the video, and this is not my pontoon ? 2 Quote
B-Dozer Posted July 28, 2018 Posted July 28, 2018 17 minutes ago, Jim Mac said: That may be the worst song I ever heard ! your opinion matters......to you ? Quote
RSmall Posted July 31, 2018 Posted July 31, 2018 We live on a no-gas engines reservoir so most everyone fishes out of a pontoon or a jon boat. We went with a Bennington 20ss pontoon with the Torqeedo Cruise 4.0. It only has fishing seats at the rear as we wanted to be able to use it for non-fishing family outings as well. They have several models with fishing seats at both front and rear. My next weekend project will be mounting a trolling motor at the bow. It's my understanding that with the elliptical tube option, you can mount up to a 150 hp gas engine. We absolutely love the boat. Quote
Brew City Bass Posted July 31, 2018 Posted July 31, 2018 On 7/28/2018 at 12:56 PM, Jim Mac said: That may be the worst song I ever heard ! Most country now days is bullcrap. I call it Hick-Hop. 2 Quote
Krux5506 Posted July 31, 2018 Posted July 31, 2018 I see a fair amount of people in my area fishing off pontoon boats, some with trolling motors too. I always thought it looked pretty goofy seeing them putter along with a trolling motor. I can think of a more functional fishing/leisure boat, which would be a deep-v fish/ski boat. Then again it depends how many people you plan to bring on it regularly. Quote
LionHeart Posted August 1, 2018 Posted August 1, 2018 I forget what it's called, but there is a type of boat that is laid out like a pontoon boat on top with a traditional boat hull on the bottom. Some guy was selling a 16 footer on my local Craigslist for a great price. Even my wife wanted it. To me, it looked like it could merge the two worlds of family/fishing boat perfectly. But alas, we are poor. Quote
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