Well I am finally starting to think about picking up a pontoon. There was a certain amount of pride involved being one of the few tubers in the club still, but the prospect of dragging my cold butt around the lakes this coming year in my tube is making me want to just break down and buy a pontoon.
Basically I'm looking at the 300 to 400 dollar type pontoons. As much as I would like to buy the versa vessel, I just don't tube enough any more to justify the cost.
So the question is, what's the pontoon to buy in this price range?
Looking at cabelas.com, the outcast fish pontoon looked pretty decent as did the waterskeer pontoon boat outfit. So lets hear pro's con's and other options.

-Rob

Rob,
Have you looked at the creek company or buck's bags boats? I believe Paul has a creek company ODC 816 and Darce has a buck's bags. I like that creek company boat, it's a bit over $300, if I were to buy a kickboat, that's the one I'd get.
-Brian

I've been using the Creek Company ODC 816 for over a year and have put in 50+ days on it.

So far I've chipped off a ton of paint, broken one oar and burst two small tears in the seams. The oar and seams were my fault. I got a new replacement pair of oars for $10 (I've used the Creek Co customer support 3-4 times and always have been pleased), and sewed up the seams.

It's easy to assemble, and very fast to deflate (unlike the Bucks bags which take forever). It's too big to fit in the back of my mazda pickup, but if I take a few pieces apart I can fit everything in fully inflated.

I've found it very easy to mount a rod rack, rod holders (for trout trolling), and a fish finder. A livewell will be tricky though because you can't move the frame forward to compensate for the heavy weight in the back. I will probably have to use a partially submerged livewell or a mesh bag when I try some of the bnt tournaments soon.

Compared to the Bucks Bags Alpine it's bigger with longer oars, holds more gear and weight, is easier to deflate, is a little harder to transport, is a little less durable, is made with better oarlocks, and is $75 cheaper (and comes with a nice handpump).

That outcast one in BPS for $400 also looks very nice.

Nicolo

thanks for the info nicolo. I definitely want to get one that will support an out of water livewell on the back. I have a small truck so transport-ability is an important consideration. I also want something that is durable and that can be crashed around in the trees etc.

Do any of you guys know any shops in the bay area that carry pontoons? I have not seen them anywhere I have been so far.

Rob,
The ODC 816 is a nice boat for the price. I picked mine up last year at the San Mateo show for $300 out the door. I may overload the boat a little bit but it still work great. I am able to carry 6 rods, 10 gallon livewell (80lbs), depth finder, motorcycle battery to run them, enough tackle to choke a whale, and myself (220lbs). As for getting it around I strap it to the top of my truck or car and off I go.
If you can wait until the San Mateo show you can see all the manufactures the and look at the boats first hand.


PS My car is a 69 Mustang so the ODC 816 is also speed rated to 90MPH.(GRIN)

Hey FIT, where did you put the livewell? Can that deck really support 80 pounds?

And Rob, Mel Cotton's in San Jose sells Bucks Bags, and I've seen the ODC at Fisherman's Warehouse in San Jose. But FIT's right on about the Expo, they're all there to try out.

As for your worries about it's durability, I am absolutley brutal to mine. It will stand up ok as long as you don't overinflate it and drive it around the high sierras (oops). And I don't think any kickboat's going to fit in the back of your truck in one piece.

Nicolo

I had a bit of of an accident with my ODC 816. I didn't tie it down well enough when I left Clear Lake one day and it blew out. Well, duh, I didn't notice for a while as it got beat to hell then fell completely out.

I went back and got it. It's battered and scraped but it still works great! I think it'll take a few branches.
Like any other tube, just be careful of transporting it with too much air & exposed to the sun. You know the rest.

The frame can be moved forward a bit. Reverse the pontoons and slide 'em backwards. The frame will hold more than 80 lbs. The 10 gallon well on FIT's boat looks kinda small to me but works for him. I think it'll take 20 gallons but I have to admit I haven't tried it. It may be too heavy to balance.

Chris

Chris is correct about rotating the pontoons so you can move the frame forward. And for putting a 20-gallon livewell, 160 lbs., I think you might just become a submarine.

FIT

Mine's battle-scarred & beaten, but it's still pretty rugged, with a few good years left in it, I believe. That outer skin/inner bladder construction gives me good confidence -- the pontoons are designed by 'Aire,' who make commercial river-rafting boats, which have to be pretty rugged. When I *did* blow out the pontoons, they were repaired & returned to me free-of-charge & no questions asked, in approx. 2 weeks' time! Can't ask for much better in the way of customer service! Mine has a 10-yr warranty, I believe -- if not lifetime.

The guys are right -- wait for the San Mateo Sportsmen's Expo the first week of February (or go to the Sacto show this month, if you can't wait!). :-) All the different mfr's will be there, & you might be able to swing a special show price among your favorite candidates.

Personally, I like the Outcast 9-footer (PAC-9000), with the double-pontoon configuration, but I think that one's over $1,500. Maybe someday...

Check out their website:

http://www.outcastboats.com/

http://www.calfishing.com/dcforum/User_files/3a5bba6532e8168b.jpg

- jeff

-----------------------
Every day Congress convenes, we lose a little more of our LIBERTY!!!

(-- Mark Levin, radio-show host/KSFO 3-6pm)

man are you gonna leave me the one an only tuber out there, i'll feel lonely an very very little, an it will hurt my self asteem an when i grow up i'm gonna drive through about 3 states with somebody else's face on my head an store body parts in my freezer too...haha j/k well you can also look at the various pontoons from outcast, like jeff has, i have never heard of anything goin wrong with bladders or anything like that, but like everybody else said it would be best to wait for the expo. have fun shoppin for one. ~Angler Andy

LAST EDITED ON Jan-09-01 AT 08:01 PM (PST)

dude
I feel your pain, but take pride in being a tuber. Last year I had my best year ever with a 1st and two 2nds. I fished that much harder in every tournament because I knew I couldn't cover as much water as the other guys in the kickboats. I even caught a few fish that I think that I wouldn't have caught out of a kickboat because I was bashing around through bushes and whatnot where I bigger boat could not easily have gotten into.

Anyway, more questions from the kickboat newbie over here :-)
The Outcast Fish Cat Pontoon on Cabelas (aka the PAC 8)
http://www.cabelas.com/texis/scripts/store/+/CatalogDisplay/displayPOD/CabFALL1998/CabFALL1998ACAm/IB439C
It doesn't seem to have a place in the back to set up your livewell that I can see in the pictures. Can that be rigged up? Have any of you guys done this?

Also, any advantages of 7 foot oars over 6 foot?

I am going to wait until the San Mateo show. You guys should check out the Coyote Bait and Tackle booth if you are there. Mike Shaw is making 100 MS Slammers for their booth. HOokup!

-Rob

hey rob, i believe the fishcat in the cabelas catolog is that same boat as the blue heron i have. blueheron= bps fishcat=cabelas
there is just a mesh cargo deck i believe, my modified cargo deck takes the place of the mesh, hmmm.....here i hope these pics work
the livewell pic is too big email me if u wanna see it
http://www.calfishing.com/dcforum/User_files/3a5c14011f168de0.jpg

David
Thanks for the info. That looks like a cool little setup. I'll email you in a bit, gotta go to work...