Well, I've asked a lot of questions about pontoons on here, and probably you guys are all starting to think, "geez, just buy something already" but when you're a poor grad student, you have to be sure you're getting the right thing the first time.

I was planning on using my Christmas money to buy either a new tube or a toon (and a couple Berkley AMP rods). I was leaning toward a toon, but I have some concerns which hopefully you guys can answer.

1. I've been tubing since I was 10, and have always used paddle pusher fins. I know its unpopular and uncool, but its what I grew up with and I'm comfortable with. I'm concerned that with the raised seating of the toon, they will no longer work for me. Will enough of my legs be in the water to make use of paddle pushers with a toon? What about with the newer float tubes like the fat cat?

2. Wind. I've heard toons are pretty tough to handle in the wind. since I live in KS, the wind basically blows all the time. Its rare to fish in a wind less than 10mph. Will the toon blow around a lot more than say, a Scadden h3 or a Fat Cat?

3. $$. I can afford to spend about $500 for a new tube/toon, and a graph for it. Is it better to buy a cheap Creek Company toon (classic or xl) or a nice tube?

I mostly fish waters from 25-450 acres, but some waters nearby are much larger (15000) and I'd like to be able to fish them somewhat too. I know that toons have more range due to the oars/tm mounts, but tubes are more portable and can just be portaged from spot to spot for fishing on larger waters too. I just don't know what to do. Obviously, I'd like to have both, but on my budget, that's just not going to happen. So basically, it comes down to portability vs. capacity/range, and the wind factor. HELP!!

>Well, I've asked a lot of questions about pontoons on here,
>and probably you guys are all starting to think, "geez, just
>buy something already" but when you're a poor grad student,
>you have to be sure you're getting the right thing the first
>time.

- It's ok, we'll forgive you! I think most of us know how it feels to be in a tight finacial spot

>
>I was planning on using my Christmas money to buy either a new
>tube or a toon (and a couple Berkley AMP rods). I was leaning
>toward a toon, but I have some concerns which hopefully you
>guys can answer.
>
> 1. I've been tubing since I was 10, and have always used
>paddle pusher fins. I know its unpopular and uncool, but its
>what I grew up with and I'm comfortable with. I'm concerned
>that with the raised seating of the toon, they will no longer
>work for me. Will enough of my legs be in the water to make
>use of paddle pushers with a toon? What about with the newer
>float tubes like the fat cat?

- You should be fine in a fat cat but it might be an issue with a toon. You really should try some dive fins. They are at least twice as fast (depending on the ones you get) and take less effort. I've fished gone about 3 miles in fins alone in a tube back when I was in better shape. Now I'm just fat, round and slow... :(

>
> 2. Wind. I've heard toons are pretty tough to handle in
>the wind. since I live in KS, the wind basically blows all
>the time. Its rare to fish in a wind less than 10mph. Will
>the toon blow around a lot more than say, a Scadden h3 or a
>Fat Cat?

- You would probably be a *little* better in the tube and a Scadden should make it a little better but.... I've recently been fishing primarily the CA Delta and most here can attest that is it almost always somewhat windy. I would much rather stay in my pontoon than ever go back to a tube.

>
> 3. $$. I can afford to spend about $500 for a new
>tube/toon, and a graph for it. Is it better to buy a cheap
>Creek Company toon (classic or xl) or a nice tube?

- will depend...if you can go better to begin with you won't have to upgrade later. I have plenty of friends that have had to upgrade later along with more problems with quality. I would still go with a pontoon over a tube...

>
>I mostly fish waters from 25-450 acres, but some waters nearby
>are much larger (15000) and I'd like to be able to fish them
>somewhat too. I know that toons have more range due to the
>oars/tm mounts, but tubes are more portable and can just be
>portaged from spot to spot for fishing on larger waters too.
>I just don't know what to do. Obviously, I'd like to have
>both, but on my budget, that's just not going to happen. So
>basically, it comes down to portability vs. capacity/range,
>and the wind factor. HELP!!

Again, I think once you actually get into a pontoon you'll realize how nice it really is along with being much warmer. You'll also have a much better ability to spot fish, flip, pitch and play the fish (along with carrying a ton of gear :) ). Do what you have to do but I would heavily lean towards the pontoon.

Portability is great but...

This probably just makes it harder for you but thought I would give you my 2 cents!

Todd
http://www.bassanglerprofiles.com/toddiwamoto.htm

Yeah, everybody says that I should try swim fins, but I tried them once and could only go backward in my tube, which I HATED. If I don't want to switch to swim fins, would you say I am left with only tubes then? I'm really hoping to be able to use the KB, but I just can't figure out how to go forward with fins!

I go forward in my k.b all the time.Just point the tips of your fins straight down and a little to the back of the tube/toon and move your feet from side to side with a crossing motion.You won't go fast but you can go forward with regular fins.
Sampy

> 1. I've been tubing since I was 10, and have always used
>paddle pusher fins. I know its unpopular and uncool, but its
>what I grew up with and I'm comfortable with. I'm concerned
>that with the raised seating of the toon, they will no longer
>work for me. Will enough of my legs be in the water to make
>use of paddle pushers with a toon? What about with the newer
>float tubes like the fat cat?

I used to fish out of a tube but now I fish out of an 8' toon (Fish Cat 8). I still use my legs as the primary means of propulsion unless I'm trolling or trying to cover some distance. When I'm sitting in my seat my legs are submerged just to about the middle of my calves and I have no trouble getting going (top speed with fins is around 2.5 mph).

>
> 2. Wind. I've heard toons are pretty tough to handle in
>the wind. since I live in KS, the wind basically blows all
>the time. Its rare to fish in a wind less than 10mph. Will
>the toon blow around a lot more than say, a Scadden h3 or a
>Fat Cat?

I live in CO and it's pretty windy here too. I find that with practice the Fish Cat is actually easier to use in the wind than my old U-boat II. Even though I am higher up, I don't have that large back catching the wind, and, with the greater speed potential of the Fish Cat, I can actually hold position in higher winds than I could in the tube. Another bonus is that you stay drier when the waves start crashing into you.

> 3. $$. I can afford to spend about $500 for a new
>tube/toon, and a graph for it. Is it better to buy a cheap
>Creek Company toon (classic or xl) or a nice tube?

I'd go for the Creek Company toon. I still have my Uboat II although I've gone through 2 bladders for it (striper spines put too many holes in them) and even though the fabric is faded, everything is still in great shape after 9 years of heavy use and another 3 years of intermittent use. They make solid products and stand behind them...they might not be quite as refined as some of the Outcast or Outdoor Engineering toons, but they definitely do the job.

>I mostly fish waters from 25-450 acres, but some waters nearby
>are much larger (15000) and I'd like to be able to fish them
>somewhat too. I know that toons have more range due to the
>oars/tm mounts, but tubes are more portable and can just be
>portaged from spot to spot for fishing on larger waters too.
>I just don't know what to do. Obviously, I'd like to have
>both, but on my budget, that's just not going to happen. So
>basically, it comes down to portability vs. capacity/range,
>and the wind factor. HELP!!

I normally fish bodies of water around the same size. The portability thing use to be an issue until I rigged my Fish Cat with one of the Skeeter pontoon boat wheels. I now will wheel it in as far as a mile from the nearest road access as long as the trail is wide enough for the pontoon. I find that I can fish all the small waters I used to hit in my tube, and am also comfortable on some of the bigger lakes (we don't have anything the size of the KS lakes) as well.

My vote is to go with the pontoon...it'll give you more options and you'll end up being more comfortable (and able to carry more gear) than the tube.

- Prescribing a steady diet of steel to the local fishes -