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?

Rent one for a day. I rented one once and was very disappointed in the
performance but I'm sure there much nicer today.

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.

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?

I have a 24' pontoon, usually docked in front of my place on the river. And
it usually stays at the dock as a fishing platform as I find it extremely
difficult to manuever by myself. Needs two men or a young agile man to
bring back to the dock and be able to get it to the dock and then jump off
to tie up in the current. I can't imagine anyone using a trolling motor
with one to fish. My neighbor has a tri-toon. He's much younger and has no
trouble docking but I never see him fish with it anywhere but tied to his
dock.
As for trailering...I have the between the pontoons type trailer and as far
as I'm concerned that is only safe for taking it from my house to the
landing in the Spring and Fall. And then it takes at least two people to
manuever the pontoon off and on in the current. The neighbor on the other
hand has the type trailer that moves the wheels out under the pontoons. He
pulls his pontoon boat all over the country behind his big motor home and
seems to have no problems. And I notice he's usually alone when he puts it
in or takes it out. The smaller boats like you're considering might be a
whole other story, however.

Tom G.

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

On May 8, 11:54*am, 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

I do like that boat! One thing, on my local lake, there are some big
ass boats and most of the people that have them don't have any sense,
they'll run by you with a huge wake, don't know what the right of way
is, etc. I get scared sometimes in my bass boat!

On May 8, 11:51*am, wrote:
On Thu, 8 May 2008 07:39:40 -0700 (PDT), 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?

If you are serious about trailering, be sure to get a trailer that
sits under the pontoons with a wide wheel base, not one of those
narrow sissor trailers that sits between them. Those things are only
suitable for moving a pontoon around the yard.
My trailer was built from a regular Magic Tilt like you would use to
haul a 20 sumpin foot boat. The pontoons sit in cradles on 2x2 members
bolted to the frame over the wheels. It trails well at highway speeds.
You want the boat loaded so the bow is lower than the stern to get
some of that NASCAR "down force" at speed.

You can move a pontoon around OK with a big trolling motor but the
wind can screw with you. There is a lot of "sail area" in that cage.

That's what I was guessing. It sounds like you don't mind hauling
yours on it's trailer, and that's my biggest concern.

On May 8, 11:49*am, "Tom G" wrote:
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?

I have a 24' pontoon, usually docked in front of my place on the river. *And
it usually stays at the dock as a fishing platform as I find it extremely
difficult to manuever by myself. *Needs two men or a young agile man to
bring back to the dock and be able to get it to the dock and then jump off
to tie up in the current. *I can't imagine anyone using a trolling motor
with one to fish. *My neighbor has a tri-toon. *He's much younger and has no
trouble docking but I never see him fish with it anywhere but tied to his
dock.
As for trailering...I have the between the pontoons type trailer and as far
as I'm concerned that is only safe for taking it from my house to the
landing in the *Spring and Fall. *And then it takes at least two people to
manuever the pontoon off and on in the current. *The neighbor on the other
hand has the type trailer that moves the wheels out under the pontoons. *He
pulls his pontoon boat all over the country behind his big motor home and
seems to have no problems. *And I notice he's usually alone when he puts it
in or takes it out. *The smaller boats like you're considering might be *a
whole other story, however.

Tom G.

Interesting. Thanks, you've given me two perspectives......
I have a decent bass boat, but I would really like to have something
that can also be used as a party boat, too. Besides, sure would be
comfortable when striper fishing!!

On May 8, 12:30*pm, wrote:
On May 8, 11:54*am, 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

I do like that boat! One thing, on my local lake, there are some big
ass boats and most of the people that have them don't have any sense,
they'll run by you with a huge wake, don't know what the right of way
is, etc. I get scared sometimes in my bass boat!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

These boats were originally made for commercial fishermen in the CT
River and Long Island Sound.. Mine is a copy of a smaller Brockway,
typical for the sound was 22-24 feet. The sides are real high, it will
not swamp easy. The big flat bottom and square chine keeps the sides
up above the wakes, the old men worked lobster and nets over the
sides. Anyway, if you are interested, I could talk you through a quick
build and you could have a shiny new one of these in your drive in a
couple of weeks for about 600 bucks sans engine... I'm just
sayin'

We just bought a grill for ours.. We can even throw the minibikes in
there and make a day of it... Mine does close to 20 mph loaded with a
25 horse and will go all day on 10 gallons of gas... I'm just
sayin'...

I will stop now ...

On May 8, 12:39*pm, wrote:
On May 8, 12:30*pm, wrote:





On May 8, 11:54*am, 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

I do like that boat! One thing, on my local lake, there are some big
ass boats and most of the people that have them don't have any sense,
they'll run by you with a huge wake, don't know what the right of way
is, etc. I get scared sometimes in my bass boat!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

These boats were originally made for commercial fishermen in the CT
River and Long Island Sound.. Mine is a copy of a smaller Brockway,
typical for the sound was 22-24 feet. The sides are real high, it will
not swamp easy. The big flat bottom and square chine keeps the sides
up above the wakes, the old men worked lobster and nets over the
sides. Anyway, if you are interested, I could talk you through a quick
build and you could have a shiny new one of these in your drive in a
couple of weeks for about 600 bucks sans engine... I'm just
sayin' *

We just bought a grill for ours.. We can even throw the minibikes in
there and make a day of it... Mine does close to 20 mph loaded with a
25 horse and will go all day on 10 gallons of gas... * *I'm just
sayin'...

I will stop now *...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I've always thought building a boat would be a fun project. Let's talk!