Pontoon Fishing. Why not?

Please help me win this argument. My fiance thinks that eventually it be a good idea to just buy a pontoon for all of our aquatic needs. I keep telling her, "No, you can't fish out of a pontoon!" She maintains that it can be done so she doesn't understand what the big deal is. I really can't come up with any solid reasoning as to why a fishing boat is better than a pontoon for fishing. The best I can come up with is, "It's simply not done. You wouldn't understand."

So I turn to you. How can I explain to a lay-person that a pontoon is no good for serious fishing?

(At this point this more of just a running gag, but I still want to win. )

FishyItch said:

Please help me win this argument. My fiance thinks that eventually it be a good idea to just buy a pontoon for all of our aquatic needs. I keep telling her, "No, you can't fish out of a pontoon!" She maintains that it can be done so she doesn't understand what the big deal is. I really can't come up with any solid reasoning as to why a fishing boat is better than a pontoon for fishing. The best I can come up with is, "It's simply not done. You wouldn't understand."

So I turn to you. How can I explain to a lay-person that a pontoon is no good for serious fishing?

(At this point this more of just a running gag, but I still want to win. )

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Because it's too hard to trailer - at least that's what I've heard (and seen at the ramp) They are heavier than my boat and bigger so it's harder to store. Besides, don't you want to 'go fast' without putting a 150hp on the boat? That's the ammo I'd use.

But it might be nice to fish from one, imagine the wife can sun behind you while you reel in one bucketmouth after another. Best of both worlds.

My parents have 24' pontoon and it's great to fish out of! They don't trailer it, it just stays on the lake where their cottage is. It has a big livewell, rod carriers mounted on the helm, rod holders along the rail, two swivel fishing seats on the front deck, and two more just inside the rail, a bench where you can catch a nap during all night crappie trips, a trolling motor on the front deck, as well as docking/bowfishing lights, a bimini top, and plenty of room to stretch your legs! We bass fish out of it, but it's mainly used for chasing gills and crappie. I love it!!!

They are slower, you can't get them into shallow water, you can't manuver them in a tight area.

But it might be nice to fish from one, imagine the wife can sun behind you while you reel in one bucketmouth after another. Best of both worlds.

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My parents have 24' pontoon and it's great to fish out of! They don't trailer it, it just stays on the lake where their cottage is. It has a big livewell, rod carriers mounted on the helm, rod holders along the rail, two swivel fishing seats on the front deck, and two more just inside the rail, a bench where you can catch a nap during all night crappie trips, a trolling motor on the front deck, as well as docking/bowfishing lights, a bimini top, and plenty of room to stretch your legs! We bass fish out of it, but it's mainly used for chasing gills and crappie. I love it!!!

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Congratulations FishyItch, you're getting a pontoon!

:LOL2: :LOL2: :LOL2:

I useta have a pontoon, and it was a GREAT platform for certain types of fishing. Couple ponds I used to leave it at for a week or 2 at a time, go out morning and evening and troll for brookies, salmon, used it some out in the river mackerel and striper fishing. Stable, lots of moving around room, great for all day, laid back, group trips. Not much good for water skiing or tournament bass fishing

Never had one, but always wanted one. Like everything else, you'd have to consider the trade-offs. Roominess for manueverability. Fuel consumption. More flexibility regarding the number of friends or family you can take along.

Tell her that you need both for maximum flexibility. :wink:

I would love one....

https://www.directboats.com/pontoonboats.html
Sorry! :LOL2:

i just sold my pontoon. it was great to catfish out of ,or anyother fishing when you anchor. but to work a shoreline to bass, or panfish was terrible if the wind blew even a little.

best crappie fishing rig ever!!! Have caught stripers, bass, hybrids, cats, and crappie. Never got tired and always had a coffee maker!

You ARE both right. But for different reasons. Fishing boats are great for 2-3 people,they get into tighter spots than pontoons,But heve you ever tried to get more than 3 in a fishing boat without smacking each other with your rods.Pontoons are great if you like to fish with your friends or family,lots of space for everyone. You can argue both ways.That's why when you are at a lake with lots of docks(Homes),what you usually see parked in them is a fishing boat AND a pontoon or lakecruiser.

We Had A Bass Boat For A While, And The "Kids" Liked It. We Had Foster Kids Over The Years And Quickly Outgrew The Bass Boat. Traded Up To A 24 Foot Pontoon Boat And Everyone Loves It ! Ever Spent The Night Fishing From And Sleeping On A Bass Boat ? I Have Once. . . Just Once.

Now Let Me Add This. I Also Have A 16 Foot Gheenoe With A Six-Horse 2-Cycle On The Stern And A Foot-Controlled Trolling Motor Up Front That I Bought From Dad Before He Passed. I Recently Traded My Faithful Tin Flat-Bottom Jon Boat For My First Ever Kayak. I Just Found And Will Be Bringing Home My Next Project- My First Tin V Jon Boat With An 18-Horse 2-Cycle. Last Year, I Bought A $200 Fiberglass Quachita "Basket Case" Boat Off Craig's List Just For The Trailer And A Few Parts; But Have Been Eyeing It Lately To Referb Instead, Since I Have A 24 VDC Trolling Motor Laying Around. Yes, It Is Nice To Live Within Six Minutes Of A Boat Ramp On A 5,500 Acre Lake, And Also The Scenic Cumberland River.

My Advise: Let Her Pick The 'Toon, One That She Will Learn To Drive. My Wife June Launches And Trailers OUR 'Toon While I Manage The Trailer At The Ramp. Then, You Go Find Your Next "Project Fishing Boat" And You Both Win.

I Can Promise You This- The Fish Will Not Care Which One You Cast From.

I fish off pontoons. I have two lakes that I go to where I know people that live on the lake, they both have pontoons that are docked and ready to go all summer. If you dont have to launch and recover everytime its ok, I can spend more time out fishing on a pontoon because I can walk around, the girlfriend can lay out in the sun when she gets bored with fishing, and a group of friends can hang out all day. One of the coolest boats Ive ever ridden in was a pontoon, it was one of the ex-es dads powertoon tripletoon, 60mph, the look on speedboaters faces when they get outran by a pontoon is priceless.

The catfish guides around my parts use pontoons exclusively. They are very stable and have lots of room. I can see her point in wanting one.

A fishing boat is much easier to handle launching and maneuvering while trailered. One person can handle the job with ease. It also does not take up as much space in the yard. You can also haul your fishing boat behind a much smaller vehicle. You will need a Mack truck to pull your pontoon, a Chevy Chevette will not do it.

You can still mod a pontoon - It certainly would be easier than modding a Vee style boat where NOTHING is straight. 8)

The main limitation is the maneuverability in close quarters, making it kinda tough for bass fishing. The maneuverability sucks.

However, a handful of local striper fisherman have them, and absolutely love them. For fishing open water, they are great, and they claim that when trolling in a headwind, the boat slices the waves, and doesn't rise and fall over them, making a very smooth troll. They love the space they have in them.

Same deal for the guys fishing for cats. Open water, and plenty of space.

Wow! I didn't expect these results. You guys are actually making some really good points. I might need to have my fiance log on and thank you guys! :LOL2: I can definitely see a pontoon working out for a lazy day of pan-fishing with a few other guys.

I guess my deal is that I really only see myself fishing by myself or with one other person. And while I'll be fishing bigger lakes, I also have a lot of smaller, shallow weedy lakes in mind too.

For some reason I just don't like the thought of pulling the pontoon down to the lake so I can spend the afternoon fishing by myself.

However, now that I've found this site and trolled trough most of it I'll be able to have my custom fishing boat (by my second or third mod) at a fraction of the cost of something new. Maybe we'll put that extra cash towards a pontoon somewhere down the road.

Thanks for weighing in you guys. I guess I had a hard time explaining it too her because there actually isn't a lot of good reasons for the pontoon hate. I suppose my best reason is... I just don't like it. Of course, opinions have been changed before.

I am pretty set on my next boat being a pontoon. Something with a bathroom and big top to keep me out of the sun. Also has to have a BBQ grill and be a home on the water for cat fishing.

fishyitch, besides, pontoon is easier to mount skis on it for your winter fishing up there in the great white north. LOL :LOL2: All joking aside, have had a couple good fishing trips up there in southern wisconsin. Over in delevan had a real good one as well as on lake geneva. But ya'll have some killer mosquitos up there! At least our southern ones have etiquette, they only bite after dark!! :twisted: :LOL2: