fishing off a pontoon boat???
 

My father in law would like to purchase a pontoon boat and try to hook
up a trolling motor to it for fishing. The boat would still have a 50
hp motor too. Has anyone tried to hook up a trolling motor to a
pontoon boat for fishing? I am concerned that it won't be easy to
control with the trolling motor.

fishing off a pontoon boat???
 

"Muskoka Fisherman" wrote in message
...
My father in law would like to purchase a pontoon boat and try to hook
up a trolling motor to it for fishing. The boat would still have a 50
hp motor too. Has anyone tried to hook up a trolling motor to a
pontoon boat for fishing? I am concerned that it won't be easy to
control with the trolling motor.

I have seen deck and pontoon boats with a front fishing chair or two and a
bow mount foot control trolling motor. Seemed to work ok. Still its not a
bass boat. But don't worry. Deck boat owners act just as superior as bass
boat owners.

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com

fishing off a pontoon boat???
 

fishing off a pontoon boat???

My father in law would like to purchase a pontoon boat and try to hook
up a trolling motor to it for fishing. The boat would still have a 50 hp
motor too. * Has anyone tried to hook up a trolling motor to a pontoon
boat for fishing? I am concerned that it won't be easy to control with
the trolling motor.

=======

Everything's relative....depends on how big the pontoon boat is. It
certainly won't be like controlling a bass boat, but I have a friend
that has a small pontoon boat, and he uses a trolling motor on it. It
surprised me how much control he did manage with it. I actually enjoyed
bass fishing off of it...it had a retractable top and with that down,
there was a lot of room to "roam"! :)

Kinda hard to "lip" a bass off of it though...make sure you have a net!
:)

John

fishing off a pontoon boat???
 

I recently took ride in a 2 year old 20' Bass Buggy, in view of maybe
buying it if the owner ends up unemployed.No word back yet. It has a
70 hp Mercury outboard and 55# thrust Motor Guide trolling motor on
the bow, with regular foot control pedal, serving either one of two
pedestal seats. The motor is one with an extra long shaft for long
reaches like a pontoon boat. Steel shaft is a must, aluminum bending
too easily. Top speed according to the GPS was 33 mph with the wind,
29 against about a 6 mph wind. I was surprised at how easily an
outboard can push two pontoons. That seemed like enough to safely get
back to a ramp in case of a sudden storm. I really like the freedom to
move around, and come high noon the canopy sure is nice. You can
easily pitch with it up, hard to cast though. A side ladder was added
for the owner's bird dog, making it easy to get to the water and lip a
bass. We floated over maybe a foot of water, went wherever I could go
in my bass boat. I too am thinking about how I'll have two grand-
daughters along on a fishing trip, which most likely will mostly be
swimming journeys :) and later it will likely be skiing.....

Some downsides. A fish on your line swimming under a pontoon will snap
off very easily, rubbing against metal, more so than swimming under a
bass boat, even an aluminum bass boat. Just a little corrosion or scum
deposit is tough on any line (the boat stays in a slip), plus there's
a spine on the bottom. There is no escaping wind drift problems you
probably wouldn't worry about in a bass boat, any wind at all moving
the boat, so someone must be on the trolling motor all the time while
fishing, or just let it drift. The boat will easily drift 100' off a
spot while you are reeling in a fish over to the side dog ramp, unless
someone is holding position for you. While all this can be a real
bother, it is what makes control with a trolling motor quite
efficient. I imagine a wind of 15 mph or higher would require two
people to enjoy fishing out of it, or go to a protected cove (and
probably not catch anything). I would move the dog ramp to the bow and
put a gate in the side rail. We had to run WOT, anything slower
causing a lot of water spray when hitting boat wakes. It would be
great to find as much storage as on my bass boat, but it's limited,
does have a livewell.

Jim

fishing off a pontoon boat???
 

I recently took ride in a 2 year old 20' Bass Buggy, in view of maybe
buying it if the owner ends up unemployed.No word back yet. It has a
70 hp Mercury outboard and 55# thrust Motor Guide trolling motor on
the bow, with regular foot control pedal, serving either one of two
pedestal seats. The motor is one with an extra long shaft for long
reaches like a pontoon boat. Steel shaft is a must, aluminum bending
too easily. Top speed according to the GPS was 33 mph with the wind,
29 against about a 6 mph wind. I was surprised at how easily an
outboard can push two pontoons. That seemed like enough to safely get
back to a ramp in case of a sudden storm. I really like the freedom to
move around, and come high noon the canopy sure is nice. You can
easily pitch with it up, hard to cast though. A side ladder was added
for the owner's bird dog, making it easy to get to the water and lip a
bass. We floated over maybe a foot of water, went wherever I could go
in my bass boat. I too am thinking about how I'll have two grand-
daughters along on a fishing trip, which most likely will mostly be
swimming journeys :) and later it will likely be skiing.....

Some downsides. A fish on your line swimming under a pontoon will snap
off very easily, rubbing against metal, more so than swimming under a
bass boat, even an aluminum bass boat. Just a little corrosion or scum
deposit is tough on any line (the boat stays in a slip), plus there's
a spine on the bottom. There is no escaping wind drift problems you
probably wouldn't worry about in a bass boat, any wind at all moving
the boat, so someone must be on the trolling motor all the time while
fishing, or just let it drift. The boat will easily drift 100' off a
spot while you are reeling in a fish over to the side dog ramp, unless
someone is holding position for you. While all this can be a real
bother, it is what makes control with a trolling motor quite
efficient. I imagine a wind of 15 mph or higher would require two
people to enjoy fishing out of it, or go to a protected cove (and
probably not catch anything). I would move the dog ramp to the bow and
put a gate in the side rail. We had to run WOT, anything slower
causing a lot of water spray when hitting boat wakes. It would be
great to find as much storage as on my bass boat, but it's limited,
does have a livewell.

Jim

fishing off a pontoon boat???
 

"Ouachita" wrote in message
...
I recently took ride in a 2 year old 20' Bass Buggy, in view of maybe
buying it if the owner ends up unemployed.No word back yet.
The boat will easily drift 100' off a
We had to run WOT, anything slower
causing a lot of water spray when hitting boat wakes.
Jim

sounds like you need to move the weight further back in the boat.
for a pontoon it is more of moving things around than the power.
You will get used to holding it on a spot with practice.
good luck with the boat the grandkids will love it::::::

I afresh took ride in a 2 year old 20' Bass Buggy, in appearance of maybe buying it if the buyer ends up unemployed.No chat aback yet. It has a 70 hp Mercury outboard and 55# advance Motor Guide trolling motor on the bow, with approved bottom ascendancy pedal, confined either one of two pedestal seats. The motor is one with an added continued shaft for long reaches like a arch boat. Steel shaft is a must, aluminium bending too easily.

I accept apparent accouter and arch boats with a foreground fishing armchair or two and a bow arise bottom ascendancy trolling motor. Seemed to plan ok. Still its not a bass boat. But don't worry. Accouter baiter owners act just as above as bass boat owners.