Belly boat or pontoon boat
1 - 20 of 49 Posts
well to be honest it all depends on what you would prefer. A pontoon has you above water however you would have to paddle for trolling where as in a tube you can just kick and drink a beer while trolling. As far as casting is concerned either work the same. I have a float tube right now (for sale) and i loved it but im upgrading to a pontoon so that i can fish rivers with it also :thumbup:
Joined
·
3,796 Posts
Got to disagree here HOOK. You can troll with a pontoon boat, either by sticking your rod in a rod holder and rowing (just like in a pram or jon boat) or you can wear your fins and kick the boat around. I do it all the time and it's easier to cover water than in a float tube. As far as casting is concerned, because you are sitting two feet higher, casting is much easier and you get much more distance than you can waist deep in the water. Not only that, but you have a much better angle to sight fish from. Honestly, the only reasons I see to have a float tube over a pontoon are cost and portability. If cost isn't your major concern, and you aren't likely to want to hike into spots carrying your water transportation with you, then it really is a no-brainer. The only choice you have to make then is which pontoon to get.HOOK said:
Joined
·
1,078 Posts
i have to agree with Prof, i have both and find the comfort level to be 100% better in the toon. much easeir to get around on the lake especially when the weather turns on you. casting ability is way better, and you can put a few gagets like electric motors and rod holders on most of the models out there. i guesse it all depends on your budget and fishing needs.
I totally agree with Prof, for all the same reasons.
I fished from a bellyboat for years, my frustrations were covering water on larger lakes was limited, getting in and out was a pain, if the wind picked up you were kicking like mad to get back to camp, If you enjoy a beverage or 2 while fishing as I do, relieving yourself was a hassle, usually I just held it till I was going to burst(lol) which was uncomfortable. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed my years in the bellyboat, but after I bought my Pontoon 2 years ago there was no comparison!
The biggest benefit I found was having a choice to Row with oars or Kick with fins
Not having to wear fins to get in / out was very easy
In windy conditions I found rowing easier and faster to get around, I would leave my buddies in bellyboats behind in my wake (lol)
I always carried my fins for trolling
Have a great anchor / pulley system for chironomid fishing or casting to drop offs
More storage - great little deck behind seat holds a small cooler for lunch & beverages - fins when not using them
Higher out of water made for easier casting
Relieving your self can be done from the chair of the pontoon
Good luck with your decision,
Nickers
I fished from a bellyboat for years, my frustrations were covering water on larger lakes was limited, getting in and out was a pain, if the wind picked up you were kicking like mad to get back to camp, If you enjoy a beverage or 2 while fishing as I do, relieving yourself was a hassle, usually I just held it till I was going to burst(lol) which was uncomfortable. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed my years in the bellyboat, but after I bought my Pontoon 2 years ago there was no comparison!
The biggest benefit I found was having a choice to Row with oars or Kick with fins
Not having to wear fins to get in / out was very easy
In windy conditions I found rowing easier and faster to get around, I would leave my buddies in bellyboats behind in my wake (lol)
I always carried my fins for trolling
Have a great anchor / pulley system for chironomid fishing or casting to drop offs
More storage - great little deck behind seat holds a small cooler for lunch & beverages - fins when not using them
Higher out of water made for easier casting
Relieving your self can be done from the chair of the pontoon
Good luck with your decision,
Nickers
Joined
·
3,796 Posts
I have a friend who has both. He finds the v boat easy to pack into lakes, but says it's only a bit better than a belly boat. We were out on Murray Lake together. It started to get pretty windy and choppy late in the day. I ended up towing him back to shore azs he wasn't able to make any headway against the wind, whereas I had the oar option. He is also pretty dissapointed in the stability of the v boat. They are an option to be considered however.2fly said:
p.s. On a nice summer day, the idea of putting waders on doesn't even occur to me. My @$$ is 8 - 10" out of the water all the time.
Joined
·
64 Posts
Just another quick point...I use my Pontoon off the beach in the salt for many days during the Pink and Coho run. Works just great and I get to cast back into the fish as opposed to all the walkers.
Just be sure to wash EVERYTHING very, very well. Even then you will eventually get deterioration. Will likely go to extruded aluminum for my next pontoon. Can't see myself on the salt in my belly boat.
Enjoy
Just be sure to wash EVERYTHING very, very well. Even then you will eventually get deterioration. Will likely go to extruded aluminum for my next pontoon. Can't see myself on the salt in my belly boat.
Enjoy
Joined
·
3,796 Posts
Not long at all. That is a perfect boat for both lakes and running decent size rivers as well. Welcome to the club.ausseron said:
Thats what I thought Professori. I have taken it out a couple of times and really enjoyed it. I think I will add a sunken platform at the front so that I can stand up to stretch my legs and so that I don't have to wear my waders. Your thoughts on that!
Joined
·
334 Posts
One time I was fishing Square Lake near Falkland in a belly boat. As I was happily casting away, I saw two robins chasing each other around above the lake. One of them took a sharp turn and ended up losing control and falling into the water. It fought to get airborne again but it was clear that it wasn't going to be able to, so I started kicking to go and save him from drowning. By the time I got there (10 minutes later) it was sadly to late. I was exhausted and the little guy was dead. I tried to give him birdy CPR, but no luck. So, in summation, belly boats kill birds. Oh, and I didn't catch any fish.
Joined
·
3,796 Posts
There are some boats that come with casting platforms. They are all above water. I am designing one for my pontoon, and if I get it done I will show you the pictures, I wouldn't put anything other than an anchor below the water line. Just creates drag.ausseron said:
The platform that I am thinking about will be 4" deep and will be still be above the water. I was at Sea Run the other day and I saw a keel and tiller setup. I figure I will be able to engineer and make one myself. However there is one thing that puzzles me, Is there a better way to change the speed and shut the motor on/off than by reaching behind you?. A bit awkward with a fish on.
Joined
·
1,484 Posts
If you have a Minn Kota, you could try this:
http://www.boatersworld.com/product/369632302.htm
I don't know if something similar exists for other brands, but I would guess they do.
http://www.boatersworld.com/product/369632302.htm
I don't know if something similar exists for other brands, but I would guess they do.
Thanks for the info Warrior,unfortunately it won't work on a stern drive. I am now the owner of a Fishcat 9 c/w 30lb thrust Minn Kota . I guess I have my work cut out for me reengineering and building the gear that I have been talking about. It's going to be fun, I will post a photo when I am done.
1 - 20 of 49 Posts
