wrote in message ...
I am thinking of making my next boat a pontoon boat in the 20 foot
range. I'd like to hear from people who own pontoons and especially
those who trailer them. Things that I'm thinking about is how hard to
load/unload, ease of towing, etc. Also, do you all fish with yours
using an electric trolling motor? One thing I'm wondering is how they
handle while using the trolling motor in the wind? Much difference
than a bass boat?

Do not buy a trailer for a pontoon manufactured by MFI. I have one
and the design s*cks. The paint peels off and the tires rub the underside
of the fenders when I go over any sort of bump in the road. The spindles
have bent slightly upward as well. Poor design in my opinion.

Loading & unloading is a breeze.

db

wrote:
On May 8, 10:39 am, wrote:
I am thinking of making my next boat a pontoon boat in the 20 foot
range. I'd like to hear from people who own pontoons and especially
those who trailer them. Things that I'm thinking about is how hard to
load/unload, ease of towing, etc. Also, do you all fish with yours
using an electric trolling motor? One thing I'm wondering is how they
handle while using the trolling motor in the wind? Much difference
than a bass boat?

Hey Loog, here is my answer to the trailerable party boat... mine is
pretty dirty here, but you can see the potential.. It weighs less than
1000 lbs, gassed and loaded. I recently put a console steering and a
25 horse on it, I will try to dig up the performance vids. Could be
the perfect configuration for a big lake and a bunch of kids...

Oh yeah, here is the URL

http://yaimkool.com/

Scotty

That transom is higher than those on 20' boats I've seen here!


Very nice.

On May 8, 9:06*pm, JG2U wrote:
On Thu, 8 May 2008 08:30:39 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
On May 8, 11:11*am, anon wrote:
Rent one for a day. I rented one once and was very disappointed in the
performance but I'm sure there much nicer today.

Performance and pontoon don't go together. *Even today.

But the newer "deck" boats sitting on top of a planing hull can give
you something that is more the best of both worlds.

Bzzzt... wrong.

I have a 2000 Bennington 25' tri-toon with a 150hp Johnson. *It's a
35mph boat that I slalom ski behind. *Newer tri-toons do 50mph or
more, and pontoons have the undisputed best ride on the lake.

Planing hulls can beat you to death. *I've been out in white-cap
conditions that kept everyone else in... I was one of a couple boats
out. *Cant do that in a deck boat. *Or a twin-tube pontoon.

Pontoons are a pain to dock or load on a trailer. *Any cross wind
blows you around. *There's no hull to help hold you still in the
water. *But with some practice, it's OK.

I keep mine in a slip year-around, and only pull it out for cleanup
and maintenance, and for special trips on the trailer. *A 25'
Bennington is one hell of a trailer load.

Oh yeah, my boat will pound you to death for sure. Folks put bigger
engines on them, but the real beauty of them was 50 years ago when
engines were not so powerful and plentiful. That 8 horse will take you
anywhere you need to go at hull speed, all day, no gas... The three
horse kicker will get you home even at about 4-5 knots. It does blow
around though, is kind of wet, etc.. just a big ugly mobile hangin'
around in the sun rig..

wrote:
I am thinking of making my next boat a pontoon boat in the 20 foot
range. I'd like to hear from people who own pontoons and especially
those who trailer them. Things that I'm thinking about is how hard to
load/unload, ease of towing, etc. Also, do you all fish with yours
using an electric trolling motor? One thing I'm wondering is how they
handle while using the trolling motor in the wind? Much difference
than a bass boat?

As you know, they are popular on inland lakes as a party barge, but they
would be hard to handle in a cove with a electric trolling motor,
ESPECIALLY, with any kind of wind. You have much more wind surface to
act as a sall on a pontoon boat than you do on a bass boat.

If you want a boat to act as a floating dock, to bring lots of people to
spend the day on the water and to be able to have a grill and picnic on
the water, and maybe do some fishing, go with a pontoon boat.

If you want to be able to do serious fishing, working the shoreline and
coves with a trolling motor, go with a bass boat.

"Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is Here wrote in message
...
wrote:
I am thinking of making my next boat a pontoon boat in the 20 foot
range. I'd like to hear from people who own pontoons and especially
those who trailer them. Things that I'm thinking about is how hard to
load/unload, ease of towing, etc. Also, do you all fish with yours
using an electric trolling motor? One thing I'm wondering is how they
handle while using the trolling motor in the wind? Much difference
than a bass boat?

As you know, they are popular on inland lakes as a party barge, but they
would be hard to handle in a cove with a electric trolling motor,
ESPECIALLY, with any kind of wind. You have much more wind surface to act
as a sall on a pontoon boat than you do on a bass boat.

If you want a boat to act as a floating dock, to bring lots of people to
spend the day on the water and to be able to have a grill and picnic on
the water, and maybe do some fishing, go with a pontoon boat.

If you want to be able to do serious fishing, working the shoreline and
coves with a trolling motor, go with a bass boat.

Why are they called bass boats? What advantages do they offer serious
fisherman?

Jim wrote:

"Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is Here wrote in
message ...
wrote:
I am thinking of making my next boat a pontoon boat in the 20 foot
range. I'd like to hear from people who own pontoons and especially
those who trailer them. Things that I'm thinking about is how hard to
load/unload, ease of towing, etc. Also, do you all fish with yours
using an electric trolling motor? One thing I'm wondering is how they
handle while using the trolling motor in the wind? Much difference
than a bass boat?

As you know, they are popular on inland lakes as a party barge, but
they would be hard to handle in a cove with a electric trolling motor,
ESPECIALLY, with any kind of wind. You have much more wind surface to
act as a sall on a pontoon boat than you do on a bass boat.

If you want a boat to act as a floating dock, to bring lots of people
to spend the day on the water and to be able to have a grill and
picnic on the water, and maybe do some fishing, go with a pontoon boat.

If you want to be able to do serious fishing, working the shoreline
and coves with a trolling motor, go with a bass boat.

Why are they called bass boats? What advantages do they offer serious
fisherman?

To truly appreciate the advantages they offer an inland lake fisherman,
you really need to look at one. Everything about them are design to
meet the needs of an inland fisherman, from the placement of swivel
chairs designed for fishing, an open flat deck that allows one to easily
walk around the boat, the low freeboard to easily land the fish, low
draft so they will fish in very skinny water, the engine easily pulls of
the water so you don't hit the bottom when trolling in shallow water,
they include a mount for the trolling motor that will allow you to
easily control the rrolling motor with your foot from your fishing
chair, the storage is designed for storing fishing equipment, a built in
live well etc.

While you can pull water toys with a bass boat, it's reason for being it
fishing.

On May 9, 5:42*am, "Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is Here
wrote:
wrote:
I am thinking of making my next boat a pontoon boat in the 20 foot
range. I'd like to hear from people who own pontoons and especially
those who trailer them. Things that I'm thinking about is how hard to
load/unload, ease of towing, etc. Also, do you all fish with yours
using an electric trolling motor? One thing I'm wondering is how they
handle while using the trolling motor in the wind? Much difference
than a bass boat?

As you know, they are popular on inland lakes as a party barge, but they
would be hard to handle in a cove with a electric trolling motor,
ESPECIALLY, with any kind of wind. *You have much more wind surface to
act as a sall on a pontoon boat than you do on a bass boat.

If you want a boat to act as a floating dock, to bring lots of people to
spend the day on the water and to be able to have a grill and picnic on
the water, and maybe do some fishing, go with a pontoon boat.

If you want to be able to do serious fishing, working the shoreline and
coves with a trolling motor, go with a bass boat.

I've already got a bass boat.

On May 8, 5:22*pm, "D-unit" wrote:
wrote in ...
I am thinking of making my next boat a pontoon boat in the 20 foot
range. I'd like to hear from people who own pontoons and especially
those who trailer them. Things that I'm thinking about is how hard to
load/unload, ease of towing, etc. Also, do you all fish with yours
using an electric trolling motor? One thing I'm wondering is how they
handle while using the trolling motor in the wind? Much difference
than a bass boat?

Do not buy a trailer for a pontoon manufactured by MFI. *I have one
and the design s*cks. *The paint peels off and the tires rub the underside
of the fenders when I go over any sort of bump in the road. *The spindles
have bent slightly upward as well. *Poor design in my opinion.

Loading & unloading is a breeze.

db

Thanks, I've cranial filed that information!

"Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is Here wrote in message
. ..
Jim wrote:

"Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is Here wrote in message
...
wrote:
I am thinking of making my next boat a pontoon boat in the 20 foot
range. I'd like to hear from people who own pontoons and especially
those who trailer them. Things that I'm thinking about is how hard to
load/unload, ease of towing, etc. Also, do you all fish with yours
using an electric trolling motor? One thing I'm wondering is how they
handle while using the trolling motor in the wind? Much difference
than a bass boat?

As you know, they are popular on inland lakes as a party barge, but they
would be hard to handle in a cove with a electric trolling motor,
ESPECIALLY, with any kind of wind. You have much more wind surface to
act as a sall on a pontoon boat than you do on a bass boat.

If you want a boat to act as a floating dock, to bring lots of people to
spend the day on the water and to be able to have a grill and picnic on
the water, and maybe do some fishing, go with a pontoon boat.

If you want to be able to do serious fishing, working the shoreline and
coves with a trolling motor, go with a bass boat.

Why are they called bass boats? What advantages do they offer serious
fisherman?

To truly appreciate the advantages they offer an inland lake fisherman,
you really need to look at one. Everything about them are design to meet
the needs of an inland fisherman, from the placement of swivel chairs
designed for fishing, an open flat deck that allows one to easily walk
around the boat, the low freeboard to easily land the fish, low draft so
they will fish in very skinny water, the engine easily pulls of the water
so you don't hit the bottom when trolling in shallow water, they include a
mount for the trolling motor that will allow you to easily control the
rrolling motor with your foot from your fishing chair, the storage is
designed for storing fishing equipment, a built in live well etc.

While you can pull water toys with a bass boat, it's reason for being it
fishing.



I guess you need to be a serious fisherman to see and appreciate the
features. I'm not, so I don't.

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 May 2008 06:18:28 -0400, "Jim" wrote:

Why are they called bass boats? What advantages do they offer serious
fisherman?

They also need to go 60 MPH!

Why? To get to the opposite shore when a shore fisherman there lands a big
one?