Has anyone had any experience being towed behind a power boat?

My dad has a small pontoon boat that only runs 10-14MPH wide open and he seldom runs it wide open. Saturday we are going crappie fishing up one of the creeks at Alan Henry. All of the creeks are further from the ramp than I can comfortably paddle. I am thinking about tying a slick poly rope to his pontoon boat, running it through the front handle of my 14 ft Native Manta Ray (with a rudder), and then holding the rope in my hand as he pulls me at a speed probably only twice as fast as I can go on my own (maybe 5-10 mph).

By holding the rope I can just let go if there is any kind of problem and the slick poly rope should just slide easily through the front handle.

This way he can haul me back into the creeks where I can try some crappie fishing which I have yet to try in the kayak.

Would love to hear either success or horror stories of your experiences in being towed.

How about put your yak on the pontoon boat? Surely it's big enough to carry a yak on deck.

Bad idea! If you are going to tow the kayak, tow it empty and then get in.

Yeah, bad idea to be riding in the kayak. Just tie off to the front handle of the kayak and motor on over.

Yeah why would you sit in it? lol Just asking to get wet.

No problem!

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=yout...&FORM=VIRE5

Could your constant body weight plus pounding waves at higher
than normal speed possiby damage a kayak hull, or maby
cause a stress fracture at a scupper post?

ive done it. Neumie you were there. My back locked up and I couldnt move. Called back to shore, think I used your phone Josh, and they brought the power boat out to get me. It was not fun, I had waves around me and I got a bit wet. It was not fun and I will never do it again. dont do it. put the yak on the boat or tow just the boat. you dont want to be in the yak.

A couple of years ago, I was an hour late meeting Zombie & Crew at Cooper Lake, and when I arrived, they'd launched. As I was getting ready to start paddling, I realized I wasn't sure in which direction to paddle because it was my first time on the lake and I couldn't actually see them (Cooper's a big lake). Then this older gentleman walked up and asked me if I could back his pontoon boat into the water because he couldn't quite seem to do it. He and his wife had their small grandchildren all loaded on the boat at the top of the ramp, so of course I agreed. I got the boat in the water and then thought of something.

I asked them if they would tow me out to the middle of Cooper Lake to find Zombie. They agreed and towed me in my Scrambler XT with a rope clipped to the front of my yak, and the grandmother sat in an aft seat watching me with the other end of the rope in her hand. I instructed her to throw the rope if I got into trouble. But the Scrambler took the waves well, and I used my paddle to keep me straight. Also, being directly behind the big slow pontoon boat, there was actually a flat wake and I had a pretty smooth ride until we found Zombie's crew.

That said, I wouldn't want to get towed in a creek. There are too many laydowns, overhangs and other hazards. But your question reminded me of my my Cooper Lake tow story, the moral of which is: if you're fishing with Zombie, don't be late...or you may end up doing this:

I was towed behind a boat, wouldn't want to go fast than 5mph on my kayak though, I have wilderness ride and it was a calm day on the lake, but if I had the option of putting my kayak on the boat and riding along I would rather have done that, also you won't need the essentials on your kayak, like the cooler can stay on the boat not the kayak, so you can pack pretty light, just be safe whatever you decide, don't win the Darwin award yet we still have 9 months left this year

The way you describe doing it, is the way I've thought would be best. If he's got room set that sucker up on it and rock'n roll.

Only thing, I just thought if you're in deep water, getting in the kayak from the boat and and then back out on to that pontoon will be tricky.

14ft manta ray, he should be fine

Oh yeah, I forgot about that.

I would think it would be hard on the handle if someone was riding in the kayak.

Not to mention, if for some reason your yak flips your gear will be spread all over. Too many variables. Be safe.