I will be trying out a pontoon boat for the first time to do some lake fishing and maybe some slow flowing rivers.
Any pointers or tips I should be aware of, thnx.
I bought a new PFD and hopefully I won't have to test it out!


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Make sure you put a 2nd line out, usually something deep. You'll be surprised how many hits the dead line gets. It does get tricky with 2 float lines out with a nice fish on. Don't use force fins, make sure the fins you use float or are tethered to your legs. tls, pk.


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After you try a slow river you'll want to go on a big river or a fast one ... don't cheap out on a boat if you buy one... 8 - 10 ' pontoons will get you through just about anything you would want to... me and my buddy have got 8.5' pontoons and are pretty happy with the size... big considerations in buying one would be the thickness and quality of the skid plates is very important aswell as the location of the seams(my leighs pontoon boat(green river model) has the seams in the exact wrong spot... right at the water line where you scrape up against the odd rock and the odd one of them is very sharp. the threads are under tension and tear...). I was a little dissapointed with my boat for this reason, i also thought the frame could be more beef'ier. On the other hand it made 2 runs from the hatchery to the forestry campground on the Chilliwack river flawlessly yesterday...my buddy was rowing it while i took down my homade jobby (soon to be in a sports store near you...lol)it's also got 8.5' pontoons but better material and a sronger frame.... it also made it down flawlessly, what a rush......(Keep in mind the river is absolutely and totally
H U G E !!!! right now)(waves the size of landrovers all over the place.... wooo weeeeeeeeeeeee)At this point in pontooning it's like kayaking, you get just as wet, but don't have to dip your head into the river....

**** remember your safty gear for this type of run, PFD, throw roap, helmet and a wet suit might be a nice addition....

Love my pontoon boat. I have a smaller one that works just fine on lakes and rivers like the Stave. Those bigger boats are heavier and more difficult to carry. A couple of hints: use both flippers and oars. There are times when you will want to hold your rod so you can strip retieve and you can't do that with oars in your hand. Also to float a river take along your bike. Try this, stop at your downstream take out chain your bike to a tree. Put in up stream, float down, chain up the boat and bike back to your vehicle.