Pontoon boats for fishing

[drfeelgood]

I live on Lake Lanier in Georgia and am looking at buying a 17 to 19 foot pontoon boat set up for fishing. Probably a 60 to 90 HP motor. We have local dealers that carry Lowe, Suncatcher(G3),Suntracker, Avalon, Landau and a few others. I haven't owned a pontoon before, so am looking for any advice on boat, motors, options/features to consider, etc.
Thanks!

 

[Donald]

Why not a center console boat like most people fishing get. Pontoon boats seem to be for taking the family on a leisurely ride around the lake on a Sunday afternoon.

I would think a center console boat could get you to your fishing spot faster and you would be closer to the water in a a center console boat.

Now if the boat needs to do double duty as a fishing boat and a family leisurely ride boat then I am not sure.

In the movie "The Great Outdoors" with John Candy when asked about a pontoon boat the response was "what are we taking Omaha Beach".

 

[JohnnyG]

Aside from the fact that most bass fishermen would like to get on the "right spot" before the fish wake up, a pontoon boat is an excellent choice!
I wouldn't overpower it. I've fished from several and they work out really well.
Ask my neighbor (and his dislocated shoulder) about center consoles when hitting a wake wide open! And my sore back on choppy water for more info...center console/flat bottom will pound you. But if you're young and flexible, no problem.
You can actually fish 3 or 4 in comfort, something that would probably be hard in a centerC, regardless of size.
Some of favorite fishing was drifting across Pymatuning Lake in a pontoon picking up walleye!
Check out the local state parks/rental places to get a good deal on a used one.

 

[drfeelgood]

Thanks for above advice! To clarify, wife says pontoon so she can take it out with kids/grandkids for tubing, etc. when not fishing. If it were just me, dedicated fish boat.

 

[Strokenmerc]

Some pontoons are set up from the factory for dual purpose/fishing (i.e. trolling motor, front deck without railings). Depending on the type of fishing you like to do, the layout of the seats and railing may interfere. Do you know anyone with a pontoon that can take you out on the water to see what would work best?

 

[Donald]

If you get a pontoon boat I have seen at least two with a slide from the second story to the water. If I was a kid that is what I would want.

 

[Barkleymut]

For a pontoon, find a used one. This time of year you can probably find several great deals in a town near a lake. We bought a 12 year old Pontoon for $5k about 5 years ago, the boat was in absolutely perfect condition. I have not done anything except put 2 cycle oil and gas in it and replaced the battery. 50hp Mercury starts right up and runs great.

 

[spasm3]

If you get a pontoon boat I have seen at least two with a slide from the second story to the water. If I was a kid that is what I would want.

Tahoe makes one like that , 70k new. I have not found good used double deckers with a slide yet.

 

[55hambone]

My wife has been wanting a fishing pontoon for several years, but we have no where to put it at the moment. I check prices on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace and I am amazed at the price jump due to the pandemic. What sold for $10K a year ago is going for $18-19K today. I haven't priced new, but with boat sales booming I'm sure that the out the door prices are more than last year as well. In 3-4 years a lot of boats will be on the market as people lose their interest. Hopefully I'll be ready to make a move then.

 

[JohnnyG]

Was on one at Disney a few years back. It had a live well, and bait well, under the seats as well as coolers and a swim deck. Nice setup!

 

[Donald]

My wife has been wanting a fishing pontoon for several years, but we have no where to put it at the moment. I check prices on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace and I am amazed at the price jump due to the pandemic. What sold for $10K a year ago is going for $18-19K today. I haven't priced new, but with boat sales booming I'm sure that the out the door prices are more than last year as well. In 3-4 years a lot of boats will be on the market as people lose their interest. Hopefully I'll be ready to make a move then.

These people are now looking to buy boat trailers which is causing backup at the companies that manufacture trailers. The dealers have an ad on Craiglist showing a tractor trailer load of boat trailers and when you contact them they say nothing in stock, 8 to 12 weeks. It will freeze in some places before you can get a trailer.

 

[JimPghPA]

I do not have a lot of experience with pontoon boats, I have rented them a coupe of times, but I have been on a row boat with a 5.5 HP for fishing and general getting around during week long camping trips and other outings many times, and have canoed from Tionesta to Pittsburgh in a week long trip of about 117 miles along the Allegheny River in 18 Ft canoes twice, and have owned an 18 Ft. canoe, and have sailed very small sailboats, and had a 18 foot sail boat that I owned and sailed many many time during 30 years of owning it. One thing that stands out to me is that anything shorter than 18 Ft. gets kicked about by the waves if the wind picks up. It is no fun being out on a lake with white-caps and a boat that is too small. While a pontoon does keep you a little above the water, when the water gets rough the bigger the better.

If it were me I would not want anything smaller than 18 Ft. and would pass on a 17 Ft. even if the price was very low. There is something about being shorter than 18 Ft. that causes a boat to be kicked about in an unsettling way when the water gets rough.

 

[JTK]

My family has owned many ~18-21ft fiberglass or aluminum open or closed bow cruisers over the years. Some outboard, some I/O. Pontoon boats have really come a long way IMO. I've never owned one, but have rented and been on many. They can be fast and a nice to operate in a multitude of conditions.

I haven't been up there in years, but my family has been going up to the 1000 islands in the summers since the 1940s Family members have been renting really nice pontoon boats for years now for use on the St. Laurence river. They're great for just about everything. The only situation I could see being an issue is trailering one. They look a bit awkward to get onto a trailer and launch. Look pretty huge behind a tow vehicle too.

 

[wpod]

If the boat doesn't go at least 60 mph,,, better yet 90 mph you won't be able to catch any fish.

 

[dlundblad]

When my parents were pontoon shopping, they found that the quality more or less was the same throughout different brands. It’s the pontoons, decking, and furniture with your choice of engine. Not much to them. They ended up getting a 22’ Harris, but it was really a draw between that and a Bennington from another dealer. The Harris came with a 120hp Mercury whereas the Bennington came with a 90 horse Yamaha and they were the same price. Harris is made locally too.

Used may not be a bad idea, but boats have a hard life. Could’ve been stored outside with no cover.

 

[drfeelgood]

Thanks for all the input. I have been checking used boats locally, but not much available that fits our criteria. Also, used boats seem to be commanding a premium, as there is very little new stock out there due to virus slowdown. If go new, you get warranties, and would likely have to order and wait 8 to 12 weeks

 

[Sierra048]

Thanks for all the input. I have been checking used boats locally, but not much available that fits our criteria. Also, used boats seem to be commanding a premium, as there is very little new stock out there due to virus slowdown. If go new, you get warranties, and would likely have to order and wait 8 to 12 weeks

We live just north of you in Hiawassee and have a pontoon boat on Lake Chatuge. It's a Sylvan Mirage 818 CRS. Has a Yamaha 60 hp high thrust engine. 18' 9" in length. It's perfect for me and my wife. I don't see any reason why I couldn't fish out of it if I wanted to. With the bimini top up it would make it more of a nuisance. If your intent is to primarily fish from one, I would focus on the models specifically designed for fishing as it would make it much easier since most would come with a live well, fishing seats, etc. As for power to pull a tuber, with just one person driving our boat, and one on a tube, our pontoon could probably get 13/14 mph. I wanted a 90 hp when we bought it three years ago but the max hp rating was 60. If you want a 90 hp engine you might have to go up to a 20' pontoon to get the 90 hp rating or get one our size with triple tubes which increases the price of the pontoon but would increase the power rating. And I can tell you that the two new boat dealers in Hiawassee have practically no new inventory and just an occasional used boat on their lots at this time.

 

[drfeelgood]

We live just north of you in Hiawassee and have a pontoon boat on Lake Chatuge. It's a Sylvan Mirage 818 CRS. Has a Yamaha 60 hp high thrust engine. 18' 9" in length. It's perfect for me and my wife. I don't see any reason why I couldn't fish out of it if I wanted to. With the bimini top up it would make it more of a nuisance. If your intent is to primarily fish from one, I would focus on the models specifically designed for fishing as it would make it much easier since most would come with a live well, fishing seats, etc. As for power to pull a tuber, with just one person driving our boat, and one on a tube, our pontoon could probably get 13/14 mph. I wanted a 90 hp when we bought it three years ago but the max hp rating was 60. If you want a 90 hp engine you might have to go up to a 20' pontoon to get the 90 hp rating or get one our size with triple tubes which increases the price of the pontoon but would increase the power rating. And I can tell you that the two new boat dealers in Hiawassee have practically no new inventory and just an occasional used boat on their lots at this time.

Thanks, Sierra. I did online searches and you are right, not much in your area, which is an hour north of me. I agree that outfitting with fishing seats, livewell, trolling motor would be ideal. Seems like most 18s have a 75hp max and a Lowe 19 will take a 90. As one local dealer told me, "you'll never regret getting the most motor you can"

 

[Sierra048]

Thanks, Sierra. I did online searches and you are right, not much in your area, which is an hour north of me. I agree that outfitting with fishing seats, livewell, trolling motor would be ideal. Seems like most 18s have a 75hp max and a Lowe 19 will take a 90. As one local dealer told me, "you'll never regret getting the most motor you can"

Interesting. Mine and others my size that I have seen have been rated for a max of 60 hp but I haven't canvassed every manufacturer either. I certainly would have taken the extra 15 hp given the choice. I'm not sure if the hp ratings are a government thing, i.e. the Coast Guard, or if it's a decision that each manufacturer makes. Couldn't agree more on your quote about getting the most motor you can. Good luck on your search.

 

[JimPghPA]

One thing I learned about pontoon boats from my years at Moraine State Park lake ( AKA Lake Author) is that if they are stored in the water all summer there is a limit to how many years you can get out of the pontoons. Even in a fresh water lake like Lake Author the water does act on the aluminum and corrodes and removes some of it. Not a lot, but there is a limit to how many years a pontoon boat that is stored in the water will last. If you find one that is kept on the trailer when not in use the pontoons will have much more of the original life left in them.