Any one use a pontoon boat for whites/stripers? Pros and cons please, capt david

PROS: Much more comfortable! CONS: Takes a little longer to get to different spots. Actually that is a PRO as you have time for a cool one!

I think they are great when they have a TM!
would probably be pretty comfortable to fish out of.

They do seem pretty slow.

We have 2 folks on Cedar Creek that successfully fish with a barge, the rest of them just screw things up for the rest of us.

I don't think Tawakoni has any good ones.

We fish for whites out of our pontoon on Lake Lewisville. It's diffcult to chase after them without a trolling motor (I don't have one). But if you're a patient fisherman, then they usually will circle an area for a while and there's no need to chase. I try to keep an eye on the direction they are moving and try to move ahead of where they are going, so that I can fish a school for a longer time. Catch them coming in, while they are around the boat, and going out. This theory goes out the window if you get caught in the boat show. With all the room on the boat, it's easy to fish in all direction with multiple people on the boat. Hope this helps.

Well Fast said what I wanted to say.

I have been fishing out of a 20 ft Beachcomber pontoon with a 90 hs Mercury 2 stroke for about 6 years now. There are like you ask Pros/Cons on it.When your in a pontoon fishing everyone around you thinks your an idiot and you dont know what your doing,cause your in pontoon. If I could tell you the looks that I have had on the water... Reason is most in pontoons have no cooth with how they fish around others. If your gonna get a pontoon for this type of fishing, how are you gonna fish, lures, live bait. If live bait, plenty of room for rod holders all around, you just have to watch how your seating is gonna work out to position folks to fish. Lures, are you gonna troll, if so rod holders, get an outboard that is gonna allow you to slow troll the way you want effectively. I have trolled a couple times out of my boat, and I have fished with live bait a couple times. Usually I fish with slabs,topwaters, plastics. The setup of your boat really dictates how you can fish with folks with lures, plus depending on the quality of their skills plays a roll. I say this just cause it depends on the numbers of folks your trying to fish. I have a 20 ft and I have fished with up to 5 slabbing, but 4 works well. If your doing lures, get a trolling motor. I think mine is around 74 thrust with the foot pedal that I can control from the back of the boat while other fish from the front. It works well for me with the folks I fish with. I see many pontoons with smaller out boards that are priced good, I would dodge them. You want at least 90hs, redoing it now I would get a 4 stroke. When you fish several folks and cover some water fuel is pretty costly with the 2 stroke. If you lure fish and if the wind is up and you are throwing plastics the boat can drift a little funky, it catches so much wind. It will push you in way that you think I shouldnt drift that way. So working banks can be a challenge at times. Drifting flats slabbing when the fish are on and you have 4 folks fishing and all is going well. But when the water is cooler and the fish slow down when you lure fish out of a pontoon, if the wind is pushing you fast because of the way it sits high in the water, you almost certainly will need a drift sock, get a big one. I will be honest, I dont think there is a better boat in walking around, you can walk around it easily, my balance is a little off, I love center consoles but just manuevering around I have to watch myself. Rough water, I fish lakes locally up to almost 30 mph but there are some wind breaks that allow this to work. Texoma if it gets over 20 watch where your at. You cant fly over those rollers there, you will have a wall of water if you hit one head on. I have had some great memories on my pontoon with my family, it allowed us to play out there,but if your wanting to be hardcore fishing, you might look elsewhere or you will regret having chosen one. Its the perfect boat to have as a backup fishing boat for the times when the conditions are ideal. Another Con, pulling them lots of drag when you go on trips, that pontoon is like a parachute. I really like to use my grandfathers 3/4ton diesel when pulling it on a trip that is a few hours away. Call or email me if you want better answers to specifics, bryonnolan@yahoo.com 580-318-1391. I have fished many lakes and many different conditions, I will say though that I never really felt unsafe in it, Last Con, loading one in a 20mph cross wind can be hairy till you have done it a few times. Good luck with your choice. Sorry I jumped around a lot I type like I talk, all over the place.

A man in a canoe could scare fish if he doesn't know what he is doing. But just such, any man can fish friendly from anything if he is respectful to others.
Bottomline, our world lacks respect for others these days. On every aspect.
We just need to all smile, give way, and catch fish.
Soooooo tired of everyday lee matches.
Good luck guys and good fishing.

I meant pee matches....darn phone.

You spoke it true. I personally just think there's a lot of people that we fish with just don't have a clue. I don't think they mean any harm, but it comes across as idiocy!

I've fished my whole life but I do have to say, once I got a boat there is a super fast learning curve that has to be achieved. Alot of it was learned right here on TFF!

Pontoon or not, we all just need to help and give helpful info.

I read your post in Boats and Motors, for the type of fishing you are talking about a pontoon would be ok, and you will probably get along fine with it. I see too many inexperienced folks fishing from a barge, they frequently manage to screw it up for others. Since you have been fishing from a center console I would suspect that you are courteous like the rest of us.

I've really enjoyed mine so far. Hard to get in the water right now, but hey, part of it with most boats right now.
I have a 22', 125 mercury that pushes about 31-34 gps. it's gets around just fine and the 125 isn't bad on fuel either. Fishing with the family has never been easier. Wife, 2 yr old son, grandparents all aboard.
Comfortable seating, plenty of dry storage, live well, bait well, pedastal fishing seats front/rear, bimimi top (lots of shade), rod storage/holders back/side/front, sonar/gps...only thing I'm missing at this point is the TM and I'm working to get it, just need the right one.

The respect you have for others fishing on the water goes along way.

FAST--I'm not in the Xpress CC any longer, but I can't get on Cedar Creek either, haha.

I had one for three years and it fished well. The problem is, you need a buddy to go with you to help pull in the fish and get the boat in and out. You need a extended handle on your net to get to the water. Make sure you plan ahead on which area of the lake you will fish because it takes forever to get there. Towing is not fun. Get the largest TM you can afford and then borrow money to get a larger one. Get two drift socks and spend the time to learn how to use them effectively. Pontoons are great for catfishing in the winter! The cold ones taste better in a pontoon and the spillage is minimal. Do not, I repeat, buy one because your wife likes them....spoken from experience.

I had one for about a year. I got rid of it as soon as i could. It was great for the family but the one or two times a year they all went it didnt pay off for me. I could not stay up with schooling fish with the 90lb tm i had and by the time it took to get to a school i was usly late. Hard to control in big waves. As you can tell i didnt like it for fishing for sandbass but drifting for cats it would have been ok on a calm day. I still can take the family out in my center console.

I agree with everyone that posted here. You can't beat the comfort zone but you can't do much fishing by yourself. It normally takes two to handle it in 15+mph winds and loading back on a trailer can often get you wet when you have to get out in the water and line it up. Had a 32'Kayot for ten years but you can't count a houseboat (never trailered it...slip parking)but wind ALWAYS MOVED that sucker but I loved keeping coolers in the refrig. 22" Bass Tracker was still a two man trip. Traded mine in for a 22' Aluminum Flatbottom Lowes 2220(holds 8 and fishes 5 easy), but I prefer fishing alone with my dog. She never helps trailer it but I never have problems doing that now; I just wish she could back the trailer up to the ramp.

Great for family outings but a poor choice for serious striper fishing. Too slow, poor maneuverability, and way too noisy for shy stripers.

Had one for about 6 months in between center consoles...never felt so relived as to sell that pontoon.

Theres a 22ft lowes on craigslist Dallas Thurs a steal at $4000

Trust me, I hate idiots! You think its bad on the lakes, imagine what's it like to have someone drive over a school of redfish in two feet of water. Why do they all wave and give you a ___eating grin? capt david

I am a hardcore fisherman lived in 6 different states fished for everything from muskie to trout.Fish hubbard alot 15 minutes away.Iloved my ranger but comfort can not be beat i fish anywhere a bass boat can just not as fast.Fished today15mph winds no problem launch load no problem rode like a caddy

I HAVE 2 PONTOON BOTH FROM BPS I PREFER TO ALONE NO PROBLEM AT ALL

I would definitely try to fish out of one before I bought it and that goes for any type of boat. I fished out of a bass boat my entire life and when I started fishing open water for Hybrids and Sandbass and primarily quit bass fishing I realized a different boat made it easier, mostly because of the Texas weather. I loved my bass boat and still wish she was in the driveway because different conditions she was a lot of fun to fish out of.
In open water the wind predicts where you can fish and that limits you or at least makes it a lot harder to fish out of a bass boat.
I agree with David do not buy a boat because you think your family are going to go with you a lot...... not gonna happen. If you are going to be chasing sandbass you need a boat that has some power and a good trolling motor because you will be moving a lot. I would think about that with any boat purchase.

Good luck with what ever you purchase, no matter what anyone on here says, FISHING IS ALWAYS FUN.

Lots of room but windage can be a problem when fishing. Get a strong trolling motor. Can be a bit hard to tow long distances, if that is a concern for you.

Not all pontoons are slow.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtbX_RZ3IXI

I have a Bennington 22' Tri-toon with a 150 Yamaha 4 stroke. The boat also has lifting strakes and it really moves, for a pontoon. I have clocked it on my GPS at 38 MPH which is plenty fast for me and gets me where ever I need to be. I need to be able to move around a bit and this is a comfortable platform to allow walking about. Only problem I have now is it is sitting in my boathouse with no water underneath it. Pray for rain!

Stu

One thing I have seen over at Proctor a couple of times is Pontoon boats trolling backward. Keeps the fish away from the motor etc. Looks like it works pretty good.