Pontoon Boat Bass Fishing

[Captain Phil]

Since the early sixties, I have fished for bass out of everything from an 8 foot plywood boat I built myself to an 80 mph Gambler.  After all this time, father time caught up with me.  I find it difficult to sit in a bass boat all day.  Hauling and launching a big boat is difficult and expensive for someone my age.  I quit fishing for a time, but I missed it.   Living on the Harris Chain didn't help.  From my living room window I could watch boats cross the lake while I sat on my couch watching Fox News. 

 

Recently, I bought a ten year old Pontoon Boat.  In the past, I considered pontoon boats only as family or party boats.  They were difficult to launch and maneuver.  The wind blows them around and I thought they were too big, slow and cumbersome for any serious bass fishing.  I have only had my pontoon boat for a month so far.  I thought it might be helpful to post some of my observations.

 

My pontoon boat is 18' in length with a 40 hp Mercury four stroke motor.   It's slow, but stable. My son has a flats boat with a Minn Kota Terrova trolling motor.  He kept telling me how great it is, so I bought one for my pontoon boat.  This trolling motor changes everything.   It makes fishing out of a pontoon boat a pleasure.   I actually like it better than a bass boat.  I don't use a foot control.  I use the hand held controller.   With 80 pounds of thrust, I can put it anywhere I want.  It's quiet and cuts through hydrilla like butter.  It's like fishing off a stationary dock that moves.   The anchor lock feature is fantastic.  You slide down a weed line with ease.  Any time you wish to hold in position, you hit the anchor button and the boat stays there no matter what the wind is doing.  

 

My boat is docked on Little Lake Harris, one of Florida's best bass lakes.  It's in a covered marina with a lift.  I drive ten minutes to the marina to go fishing.  Some of the best bass water in my area is 200 yards from this marina.  Instead of running all over the lake, I stay in one area and fish.  My wife has had problems with skin cancer, so she can't sit in an open boat.  She loves the pontoon boat with it's canvas cover.   She reads her books while I catch bass.  I can't say enough good things about my pontoon boat.  

 

If you are bass fishing out of a pontoon, Tell us how it works for you.

 

[Teal]

That's awesome Capt. Phil.  This made made me smile. I'm glad you found your way back on the water in a way that works for you!  Be sure to post plenty of pics of those Harris Monsters from the comfort of your pontoon.  I'd be the guy that mounted a grill up there and would be cooking hamburgers while pitching a jig.  

 

I dont fish from one, but there are plenty of older guys and retired fellows up here on Lake Gaston NC /Va area that striper and bass fish from their pontoons.  Many of them have summer homes here and store their boats in winter time and keep them at their personal docks during the summer.  Now I havent seen them in the shallows or in the backs of creeks too often, but oftentimes fishing long points, flats and sometimes in deeper structure up towards 85.    During striper season on the river here, you will see shorter pontoons.. some of them are guides.  But they keep that thing right in the channel.  Most them are very experienced on the river.  

[J Francho]

Back in the 90s when a majority of my fishing was vertical for deep smallmouth, I considered a pontoon. I ended up getting a deep-V tiller, but the argument for a 'toon was pretty compelling.  We have an 18' 'toon now, and I've taken the queens parents out for panfish on it.  For many of the same reasons you cite, it's ideal.  The shade is nice too.  Interesting you bring up your son's flats boat.  I have sold both my bass boats, both speedsters - 18' Xpress, and 22' Bullet - but the next boat will probably be a pretty large bay boat. Bass boats are great for fishing, but do little else that's fun.  They aren't the end all solution for fishing.

[NHBull]

I used one for 2 years and it worked fine for windless days.

 

I don't miss setting the anchors

 

[Bankc]

I've fished in a lot of different types of boats in my life.  I've never had an issue catching fish off any of them.  Pontoon boats are great!  I know a lot of older people who go the pontoon boat route once they start losing some mobility.  The stability is the big selling point for them.  But there's a lot more to like than just that.  One thing I've found is that older pontoon boat owners tend to like them more and more, the longer they've owned them.  And I can see why.  They're the "jack of all trades" boat.  You can fish from one.  You can ski from one.  You can lounge around in the sun.  They have plenty of shade if there's too much sun.  You can invite a bunch of family and friends to join you, and you're still not crowded.  And everybody can get a chance to do what they love on the water, together.  It's a great boat for people who are looking to maximize their enjoyment on the water, versus people looking to maximize their time on the water.  If a bass boat is an office chair, then a pontoon boat is a recliner.  

 

I get the appeal of bass boats for pros.  But I never understood the appeal with the general population.  They're such a highly specialized boat.  There's so much else you can do on the water, why spend that much money on limitations?  But I guess if all you do is fish for freshwater game fish, then the question is, why waste money on features you'll never use?  To each, their own, right?  I mean, I never thought I'd be a kayak guy, but that's the style of boat that best fits my current lifestyle, and I'm loving it!  

[KrzyyImportz]

I'm definitely considering a small pontoon for leisure and fishing. I would think they'd have a low draft for getting real shallow too.

 

36 minutes ago, Bankc said:

I've fished in a lot of different types of boats in my life.  I've never had an issue catching fish off any of them.  Pontoon boats are great!  I know a lot of older people who go the pontoon boat route once they start losing some mobility.  The stability is the big selling point for them.  But there's a lot more to like than just that.  One thing I've found is that older pontoon boat owners tend to like them more and more, the longer they've owned them.  And I can see why.  They're the "jack of all trades" boat.  You can fish from one.  You can ski from one.  You can lounge around in the sun.  They have plenty of shade if there's too much sun.  You can invite a bunch of family and friends to join you, and you're still not crowded.  And everybody can get a chance to do what they love on the water, together.  It's a great boat for people who are looking to maximize their enjoyment on the water, versus people looking to maximize their time on the water.  If a bass boat is an office chair, then a pontoon boat is a recliner.  

 

I get the appeal of bass boats for pros.  But I never understood the appeal with the general population.  They're such a highly specialized boat.  There's so much else you can do on the water, why spend that much money on limitations?  But I guess if all you do is fish for freshwater game fish, then the question is, why waste money on features you'll never use?  To each, their own, right?  I mean, I never thought I'd be a kayak guy, but that's the style of boat that best fits my current lifestyle, and I'm loving it!  

Where in OKC do you kayak fish, if you don't mind? It's so windy here.

[Captain Phil]

I was around when the bass boat craze started.     I've owned a bunch of them.  Before that, you never knew who the "experts" were.  Most people believe a person with a wrapped $60,000 bass boat with two power poles and a wall of electronics must know how to catch fish?  Some do, some don't.  A fishing boat is a tool made for a purpose.  A kayak has a different purpose than a Ranger with all the bells and whistles.  A pontoon boat is the Swiss army knife of boats.   Most of it's limitations have been solved with these new trolling motors.  They're as much of an innovation as the first trolling motors were fifty years ago. 

 

I am just coming to grips with what a pontoon boat is capable of.  I was concerned that flipping and pitching would be out of the question in a pontoon.   Now that I own one, I think it may work better as you are higher and can flip sitting down.  I'll be testing that out soon.

 

So far, my pontoon has done everything I have asked of it.  It could be faster.  These days, I'm in no hurry to get anywhere.  

 

 

 

[Bankc]

2 hours ago, KrzyyImportz said:

I'm definitely considering a small pontoon for leisure and fishing. I would think they'd have a low draft for getting real shallow too.

 

Where in OKC do you kayak fish, if you don't mind? It's so windy here.

Anywhere but Hefner and Overholser.  Most of the other lakes have coves where you can find cover from the wind.  It helps that you don't need a boat ramp to launch, so often you don't have to paddle far from your launch point for your spot.  I also try to park down wind of where I want to fish, so I fight the wind and waves on my way out, and then let them carry me back to the car when I'm done.  And I try to set up in water less than 20 ft. deep so I can anchor the kayak so I'm not fighting the wind while fishing.  

[Gator_Bait]

" So far, my pontoon has done everything I have asked of it.  It could be faster.  These days, I'm in no hurry to get anywhere. "

 

When we lived in Baton Rouge I would fish the rivers and bayou 2+ days a week. There's a bunch of fancy houses on the Blood River with canals to each one. One that I fished regular had a lift with a Bennington Tritoon in it...two 300 HP Yamaha motors on it! That was very rare 8-10 years ago, Don't know how fast it was...plenty...but I wouldn't want to feed that thing!

[Catt]

Pontoon boats are popular with Crappie anglers on Toledo Bend. 

 

I've built pontoons with cabins that have a/c & heating. I built doors in the floor so we could fish most any weather conditions.

 

We also used plain pontoons to anchor on offshore structure for bass fishing. 

 

Pontoons are also used for chasing Specks & Reds.

 

Good job Captain Phil ?

[AC870]

My Dad bought a pontoon when I was in high school. It had 2 fishing chairs up front, trolling motor between them, a giant livewell right behind the seats and a couch and table in the back. We had a ball fishing out of that thing. Guys on Guntersville rig them for crappie and catfish too. 

[Captain Phil]

8 hours ago, AC870 said:

My Dad bought a pontoon when I was in high school. It had 2 fishing chairs up front, trolling motor between them, a giant livewell right behind the seats and a couch and table in the back. We had a ball fishing out of that thing. Guys on Guntersville rig them for crappie and catfish too. 

My pontoon boat is exactly as you described.  After this photo was taken, I mounted the trolling motor between the seats.