Pontoon boat fishing?

Boonie Buster · May 3, 2010

Anyone have one of those blow-up pontoon boats they use for fishing? I found a pair for cheap and was wondering if anyone has an opinion on them. :corn: I found a kind that packs in a backpack (heavy) but would be nice for taking in the car for a short trip to a lake maybe. I'm hoping they'd be a good option for tossing on small ponds and calm rivers...

Example:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...parentType=index&indexId=cat360011&hasJS=true

NateH · May 3, 2010

i have a odc 915 pontoon. i like it. i wish i would have bought a better one. i float lakes with mine. they work really good. i fly fish from mine. i am going to float some rivers with mine this year.

LarryS · May 3, 2010

I have one and love it. I have floated some relatively big rivers on it.

I have a feeling you saw that one on CL. If so, it says there are no oars so it may not be the best deal.

Boonie Buster · May 3, 2010

LarryS said:
I have one and love it. I have floated some relatively big rivers on it.

I have a feeling you saw that one on CL. If so, it says there are no oars so it may not be the best deal.

Actually i saw one that was a backpack style:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/boa/1718618567.html

I'm sure i saw the other one also. I just don't know what to look for really, i want something for tiny lakes and such to fish out of, i have a wood boat but it's heavy. :booo:

64FJ40 · May 3, 2010

The one you linked from cabela's is the same one for sale on here with no oars. It's $170 from several online places, including Amazon (free shipping FTW). I offered him $50, but haven't heard back

.

I haven't really looked into the pack-style pontoons. The one on CL would be fine for lakes, but most people that know better would tell you it is not suitable for rivers.

Most of the regular metal-framed ones have the option to add a bike wheel to the frame so you can wheel it in like a wheelbarrow, but obviously you don't want to do that for any substantial distance.

Float tubes are lighter and don't require oars, but also don't keep you up out of the water. I hated the 3 or 4 float tubes I have used and owned. Very uncomfortable and sitting so low in the water made a full day of casting a flies extremely tiresome. But they've all been cheaper models, and I've been told more expensive ones are better. I don't know, I'm looking for a pontoon.

I'm seriously considering the one at Costco right now.

Boonie Buster · May 3, 2010

64FJ40 said:
The one you linked from cabela's is the same one for sale on here with no oars. It's $170 from several online places, including Amazon (free shipping FTW). I offered him $50, but haven't heard back .

I haven't really looked into the pack-style pontoons. The one on CL would be fine for lakes, but most people that know better would tell you it is not suitable for rivers.

Most of the regular metal-framed ones have the option to add a bike wheel to the frame so you can wheel it in like a wheelbarrow, but obviously you don't want to do that for any substantial distance.

Float tubes are lighter and don't require oars, but also don't keep you up out of the water. I hated the 3 or 4 float tubes I have used and owned. Very uncomfortable and sitting so low in the water made a full day of casting a flies extremely tiresome. But they've all been cheaper models, and I've been told more expensive ones are better. I don't know, I'm looking for a pontoon.

I'm seriously considering the one at Costco right now.

How much is the costco one? Ya, float tubes are not even on my list, they just look like a chore, maybe if i were hiking in further, but these are for camping at a lake, and packing them back and forth from the camp spot kinda thing, i used to leave my wood boat in the lake and no one bothered it, i'm paranoid now and prolly wouldnt do that anymore.

LarryS · May 3, 2010

64FJ40 said:
most people that know better would tell you it is not suitable for rivers.

I'm not talking about the Mississippi, but I would say more of these are used on moving water than still water overall.

CHOP SHOP · May 3, 2010

And mother nature huffed and puffed and blew that damn pontoon thing right where you didnt want to go.

I got tired of just the motion of casting changing directions of that damn thing too.

Borrow one before buying one, thats all I can say. I hated it. (but I dont like anything):beer:

Boonie Buster · May 3, 2010

CHOP SHOP said:
And mother nature huffed and puffed and blew that damn pontoon thing right where you didnt want to go.

I got tired of just the motion of casting changing directions of that damn thing too.

Borrow one before buying one, thats all I can say. I hated it. (but I dont like anything):beer:

Ya, i was thinking of setting up a 5lb anchor system on it, to kinda hold me in place.... but maybe a 25lb anchor is where it's at! :awesomework:

64FJ40 · May 3, 2010

LarryS said:
I'm not talking about the Mississippi, but I would say more of these are used on moving water than still water overall.

There are pontoon boats specifically built for rafting. The ones we're talking about are not. The pontoon I use to float the Skykomish is a 16-footer and I wouldn't do it in anything shorter. There are more like $3K to start.

Most budget pontoons are "rated" for rivers. Like "suitable for class 2 whitewater" or something. That's all fine and dandy, but if you take an 8-foot pontoon down a decent drop, make sure you've got your helmet on and your cell phone is in a baggie.

LarryS · May 4, 2010

64FJ40 said:
There are pontoon boats specifically built for rafting. The ones we're talking about are not. The pontoon I use to float the Skykomish is a 16-footer and I wouldn't do it in anything shorter. There are more like $3K to start.

Most budget pontoons are "rated" for rivers. Like "suitable for class 2 whitewater" or something. That's all fine and dandy, but if you take an 8-foot pontoon down a decent drop, make sure you've got your helmet on and your cell phone is in a baggie.

Would the Sky from sultan to monroe be suitable for an 8-footer? It is hard to tell by just driving hwy2.

Also how about the Snoqualmie from the falls to Fall City.

Boonie Buster · May 4, 2010

LarryS said:
Would the Sky from sultan to monroe be suitable for an 8-footer? It is hard to tell by just driving hwy2.

Also how about the Snoqualmie from the falls to Fall City.

I think sultan to monroe is do-able, with some know how... :awesomework:

64FJ40 · May 4, 2010

LarryS said:
Would the Sky from sultan to monroe be suitable for an 8-footer? It is hard to tell by just driving hwy2.

Also how about the Snoqualmie from the falls to Fall City.

I think from Sultan to Monroe is usually fine if the water is in decent fishing condition (i.e. running pretty low). I would recommend some sort of rudder though. There are several places that require some rowing if you don't want to be there all day and a rudder makes going in a straight line much less frustrating.

Even at low flow, I wouldn't take a short boat from High Bridge (Gold Bar) down. I've seen too many people get dumped out of their boats in just the first drop.

I've never spent much time on the Snoqualmie in a boat - just on foot - so I couldn't say for sure.

I would join here and ask around: http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/board/

budafucoe · Aug 9, 2010

There are several of us that have 8 footers and float Sultan to Monroe every summer and we usually have a cooler full of beer and another 2-4 person raft tied to us. If you know how to float and row a boat it's pretty simple. It's far from class 5 rapids so FYI if most people that do this float throughout the summer see someone in an 8 foot pontoon wearing a helmet you will be seriously laughed at but hey.... safety first!!:haha: