Fishing from a Pontoon Boat??

[blackdog1101]

Do any of you fish regularly from a pontoon boat? My wife and I are considering a "recreational" purchase next spring, either a boat or a camping trailer. I think we would get more use out of a boat since we live close to 'Tonka. I realize a pontoon is not a "normal" fishing boat, but my wife and I have a handicapped child, and a pontoon would make it easier for us to get him on and off the boat. I'm thinking I could build some sort of console to store fishing gear. Is the railing around the boat a hassle for fishing? Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks!

[dan z]

great boat for bobber fishing, I see people use them all the time for that. I have also seen pontoon boats with a space out side of the rail up front with seats for fishing. good luck

[jwmiller33]

i have logged many hours fishing from a pontoon. its definitely doable, especially with your circumstances.. there are times i actually prefer fishing out of a pontoon rather than my 16ft lund... it opens things up more.. gives you more space.. and its easier to bring your dog out on the water with you which is a big plus for me.

[fishorgolf]

A pontoon can be a great fishing boat. If fact that's all my father-in-law ever used.

I was looking at some pontoons the other day that are set up for fishing with seats at all four corners. I believe the name was "traditions" they are made in Blomington MN.

[Phred52]

blackdog1101, My Mother has been wheelchair bound with her right side parallyzed for the past 12 years. I bought a 20' pontoon with a 35hp O/B, just so she'd be able to continue fishing, BONUS, we've all found it was a GREAT purchase. Unless you NEED to move from one spot to another at 85 mph, you won't regret the buy. We regularly troll and drift fish and the railing is not a hassle. You just set-up your chair or grab the corner seat and fish as you would in a "normal" boat. I don't drop the pontoon into the lake in spring and take it out in the fall, I trailer it all over, I found it tows easily and DEFINITELY launches in the shallow accesses of southern MN a whole lot easier!! BTW, I do also own a "normal" boat and still use that one on occasion, usually when I need to get away alone. The only thing that kinda surprized me was the tags for the pontoon are like $56/3 years. Still well worth it! If your son is in a chair, I definitely would recommend a method of anchoring the chair for any higher speed movements. Phred52

[nofishfisherman]

Pontoons are great to fish out of because of the comfort level. I've spent many 10-12 hour days on the water in pontoons and its easy and comfortable.

You can do pretty much everything you can imagine in a pontoon (troll, drift, bobber, jig, etc...) it just takes a little practice since they aren't as maneuverable and they tend to drift pretty quickly. A drift sock or two will solve that issue though.

I wouldn't hesitate to get a pontoon, you can even get them with large enough motors to do some tubing or even skiing if thats your thing. However you may need a separate kicker for trolling then.

[SpecialK]

I know you can rent pontoons on the St Croix river. Might be worth it to take one out for a spin for a half a day and see if it will work, I would imagine it will be a good fit as others have said.

Another option might be a deck boat which are similar to a pontoon but have a full hull (I believe) under them instead of the 2 or 3 pontoon tubes.

[CJH]

I fished out of a pontoon for a few years and its great for all of the things mentioned above. Plus they aren't super expensive.

They definitely are not good in windy/rough conditions. Also if you are going to trailer it, definitely invest in a good one that's really stable. There are alot of "tippy" ones out there.

I believe you can rent pontoons out of somewhere on Minnetonka if you want to give it a try.

[blackdog1101]

Thansk guys your input is reassuring. We're still in the "thinking about it" stage, but I think it would be a good investment in quality family time.

[NCLaker]

Another vote for pontoon given your situation - recommend a cruise/fish model. VERY comfortable to spend the whold day on for fishing, relaxing, etc. I personally like the open front deck for fishing since it works well for running a trolling motor & netting fish, much more open if you want to do any casting. People inside the enclosed with setup can still easily fish from there, especially if bobber, jigging or rigging (and can do it under the comfort of a shaded canopy if they get to hot).

Biggest drawback is on Windy days, since it is big and sits high in the water, it gets blown around a lot.

You can find some great deals on used rigs, strongly recommned a good mooring cover that will cover the entire boat, It will help keep things clena and free of water & sun that will quickly weather your deck & furniture.

[Wayne Ek]

Blackdog we use a 24-foot pontoon with a 75 Merc. as one of our guide boats and it works just great for groups of anglers. I have a 24-volt trolling motor on the front. And a couple of good drift socks and anchors. My only strong suggestion is to get a bed trailer for your rig and not a scissors trailer, loading is much easier with a bed trailer.

[wishing for walleyes]

I fish and troll with a 28 foot pontoon and it is awesome.Most of the time i can load and unload faster then most boats.The wind can be a big problem for short and light weight people trying to hold it at the dock.Can`t beat having 13-15 people out there trolling and grilling at the same time.

[muc33]

I love my 21' Fishin toon. I have a Palm Beach Fish Master with swivel chairs in front and back, plus two live wells, and it trolls nicely and is great for the whole family. We usually have 5 on her with the grill and the family lab, great times and when you need some shade the top goes up, when you want sun, the top goes down! I have a 60 horse on mine and it trolls just fine! My daughters have caught many walleye and panfish off the good ole tooner! Wayne also brought up a great point, get a bed trailer, it makes all the difference in the world!!!!

[tunrevir]

Pontoons are great fishing and boating rigs. Once you have fished from a pontoon for awhile you will learn how to manage a drift with it and can lindy with it quite nicely. A trolling motor is nice to have to help assist in straightening yourself out but not always necessary. Often you can quarter into the wind with the rear of the boat and let the wind push you using the outboard as a rudder to steer your drift. This can be very effective in lighter wind situations. Another option for you would be a hybrid between a pontoon and a runabout ie: the deck boat: a fiberglass hull with a deck ontop. Very similar rig deckwise but you have the fiberglass hull which will allow for greater speeds and pulling capacity for skiers and tubers. My parents have a tri-toon which does quite well with regards to skiers and tubers. The bunk trailers are a bit nicer then the scissors type IMHO. They make toons with all the accesories that fisherfolks would want. Make sure if you are going to get one that the w/c will fit through the door for boarding purposes. If you are buying new talk to the rep about w/c accessable options and the fishing package you want, chances are they will build the boat to suit your needs. Make sure you have enough anchor(s) to hold you in windy situations. Good luck with your choice!

Tunrevir~

[Shawn Kellett]

I keep a toon on Tonka and spend time fishing in it every year. One of the big down sides of pontoons on Tonka is that you'll "wash the deck" every so often from the ^&#&^*'s in the cruisers. Other then that it fishes pretty well. Minnkota also makes a toon specific TM.

One word of advise; if you're going to trailer it get the bunk trailer. I have a scissors lift type trailer and it's a pain. It also can't be trailered very far or fast safely.

[tgruenke]

My parents live on a lake in Wisconsin and we use a pontoon boat. It is nice because you can pack it for a day with a cooler and everyone can be comfortable. If you get tired of fishing(like that could happen) you can always sit on one of the bench seats. We have caught bass, walleye, northerns and musky from a pontoon. As mentioned above they may not be the best if you are trying to fish rivers or narrow bays, but over all they are a great boat.

[SteveD]

I've got a 25' Premier Cast-A-Way which is set up for fishing. What is nice about a pontoon is that they are great for fishing and for family outings. The grandkids love it. We keep it in a slip on the St Croix so it is ready to go 24/7. We've had it on the water for three years now and just love it. I've also got a 17' Alumacraft fishing boat but I hardly use it anymore because I prefer the pontoon.

I fish 4 to 5 days a week off of it and it is one of the most stable boats I've ever fished off. The rear deck has a vinyl floor which can you just hose off when it gets dirty or slimed up. If I was starting over with a new boat I would get the vinyl floor from bow to stern. They have a snap in carpeting option if the bride wants carpeting and I would go that route. It has 2 live wells but we only use the aft one for bait. We have a 24 volt Terrova 80# thrust electric motor on the bow which is perfect for trolling or drifting - handles that big boat even in a stiff wind. I have the co-pilot remote control on the electric so I can run it from anywhere on the boat.

One other option we got for the boat that has worked out great is the canvas Day Enclosure. It is great for the early spring and the late fall fishing. Kind of like having a boat built like a fish house. Sure is nice to get out of a cold brisk wind or that long run from spot to spot. If you do any sturgeon fishing it is a great way to fish.

We also have a large bimini top which is nice during the hot summer days to be able to have some shade. The bimini top is also nice to use for storing rods. Hang a few bungee cords across the bimini tiop and you can store a lot of rods up and out to the way.

[ChuckN]

blackdog,

My wife always wanted a pontoon, and I was dead set against it for a long time. Now, with kids, I learned that for us to pack into my fishing boat (over 18' long glass) doesn't cut it. My daughter was not comfortable and got pretty crabby after a short while on the water.

I found a smaller 16' pontoon with a bunk trailer and we used it almost every day we could. Kids love pontoons and we enjoyed several days on the water together. They nap well on them too during an afternoon cruise. Fishing was very enjoyable too. We could anchor down and fish off the side of the boat. An electric anchor is highly recommended.

[pulleye16]

I think thats its great that you want to get your child out so who cares even if the fishing isn't good...Get your child out on the lake and have some great memories. Pontoon fishing is some of the best. Bobber fishing, trolling and I've even done some lindy riggin' while on a pontoon. Yes your a little higher, just buy a longer net to reach down and out in the water and you have hours of fun. Put a four stroke on the back and enjoy the silence and even have fun trolling with those motors (with a four stroke you shouldn't need to buy a trollinf motor).

[katoguy]

My family used to stay at a resort for a few days every summer back in the early to mid-70's. We rented a pontoon every year, and brought up our 7 hp Seahorse. 7 of us on the old pontoon. Great memories fishing for panfsh.

Thanks for bringing back those memories for me!