We are getting a place on Rayburn and I am excited to get my girls into crappie fishing. I have been chasing bass for 20+ years but am a newbie when it comes to crappie. I would love some opinions on boat/setups you guys have enjoyed for brush pile fishing with 6-7 people. I�m thinking pontoon but a bigger center console may work well also. What has worked well for y�all?

I love my NarticStar 244 but if I had that many kids, I would go with a big pontoon boat

From my experience you are thinking correct as to boat types.

Pontoon will catch more wind and be harder to keep over piles.

I have a center console and love it. Proper electronics and trolling motor will be a must for either
Rig. To fish 6 or 7 lines: plan on sinking your own large strung out piles. It is difficult to keep that many on fish at one time.

I use to chase bass too but now only crappie.
Good luck.

I would also suggest you consider fishing for cat fish with that large a group. You can pitch range cubes out all around the boat and everyone will be catching fish .
It is easy fishing, I just don't like to clean them.

My pontoon fishes just as well as a center console and is very comfortable for a large group. I have 5 fishing seats plus a bench seat. I recommend a 36v trolling motor with spotlock. My boat will sit on a pile for hours without me doing a thing. The remote control works great. Motor Guide Xi5 is great. If you want total automatic get a Minn Kota Ulterra. Deploys and stows automatically and is rock solid when spot locked in. I started out with the Xi5, only changed to the Ulterra to get the auto deploy/stow feature. (getting to old to keep pulling the heavy motor up and down every time we move)

I kept the Xi5 for a few months to be sure I liked the Ulterra. Will now be selling the Xi5.

Feel free to call me if you have questions.

we have a 1860 Grizzly tracker, works great, rear tiller motor, 60HP. lots of room, for lawn chairs coolers, etc... easy to get around in, under bridges. floats in shallow water. not as roomy as a pontoon though. u can make a mess in it and just wash it out.

Thanks for all of the feedback. This is what forums are for. I appreciate the help.