tcorfey
01-15-2015, 12:15 AM
I am trying to decide what to do about my boat situation. I know it's not a tough problem to have.
But still I would like some opinions as I have been debating it all year.
I currently have:
Two 9' pontoon boats
One 10' Olympic pram
One 15' square-stern canoe
One 17' Boston Whaler with a 75 HP 2-stroke motor
I have a 55 lb thrust electric motor and a 30 lb thrust electric motor.
I used them all over the last couple of years for different reasons and each is a compromise.
Where I have been fishing lately is Lower Sac, Trinity/Lewiston, Lower Stanislaus, Lake Davis, Snag Lake, Pyramid lake, Lake Delvalle, San Luis Reservoir, Fall River, Baum Lake.
This year I want to add McCloud Reservoir, Utica and Union Reservoir and a few more in the sierras. I also might give the Klamath river a go.
I used to fish a lot in the ocean, Morro Bay, San Francisco Bay and occasionally the Delta. But not so much anymore as I have changed my focus to trout for 90% of my outings. Including the fact that my wife is not comfortable with having my son in the ocean in a 17' boat and she will not go out there with me either.
I fish with my 11 year old son, my wife (occasionally) and a buddy who has a pontoon boat.
About half of my outings I don't even take a boat and wade small streams/rivers like the Upper Yuba, Upper Toulumne, Upper American, Upper Stanislaus forks, Hat Creek, Pit river, Upper Sac, Deer Creek, Carson forks, Truckee, Kings Canyon, etc…
Yeah I get around and that is why I need a versatile boat as sometimes I fish by myself and on the same trip my wife and kid may come up for a couple of days. It is tough to have the wrong boat with you when you are hitting lots of areas. I have even had to have my wife bring a second boat to swap in when she came up for with my son.
The boat I am thinking about getting is the Koffler Rocky Mountain Skiff. It seems that it would be quite versatile not perfect but good enough for a lot of situations.
If I buy that boat I could probably get rid of the pram, the canoe and the Whaler.
I would probably keep the pontoons for quick trips or places where I need to carry in a boat to launch it.
What I gain is a lighter boat to trailer with either an electric or a 9.9 hp 4-stroke motor, better stability than the canoe, more capacity than the pram, yet still easy enough to manage myself and use efficiently with my electric motor, better handling for rivers/tailwaters. Although the pontoons work pretty darn good and they are easy to stop and fish from.
I think the Koffler would even work okay to fish for Sharks, Halibut, Stripers and rays off Alameda rock wall in the SF Bay or in the Delta as long as I stayed within a couple of miles of the launch ramp. Same idea with Pyramid staying close to the ramp.
What I lose is the ability to go for Salmon in the Ocean (obviously) or Pyramid to the far side of the lake as it would be quite a run at an estimated 10 mph.
Issues with the existing boats are:
- Pram is great for one person stand-up fly casting but two can be challenging and it only fits two people max so with the wife and kid they take the pram and I take the pontoon.
- Canoe I can take three people but you need to stay seated so fly fishing is more difficult.
- Pontoon I only have two and it takes time and energy to pump up tubes and when traveling I have to deflate to fit in car because of expansion when going up and down in elevation.
- Maintenance and storage of three boats versus one.
- Whaler is great for many things but it is more maintenance than an aluminum boat. Also the two stroke is not allowed in some waters and it is not a good boat for skinny water like the lower Sac or in the Fall river.
I thought of getting a 14' Maralon Jon boat due to the width and capacity but, it would not be good for stand up fly fishing in the lower sac or Trinity either. So I would have to use the pontoons there. It could run a 20hp motor though so it would work well in most lakes and the Delta. Due to space considerations I may still have to get rid of the Whaler if I get the Jon boat.
If I get rid of the Whaler than I would probably hook up with some friends who also have Whalers or jump on a party boat for Salmon/Halibut with my son. With the Whaler gone I would not be able to take my son tubing or wake boarding which we do once per year but river running adventures might be a good substitute.
If any body has some helpful advice I look forward to it. Maybe you have used a Koffler Rocky Mountain Trout or a Jon boat in the past or made the transition from power boat to drift boat and have some experience to share. I would really appreciate it.
Regards, T Corfey
But still I would like some opinions as I have been debating it all year.
I currently have:
Two 9' pontoon boats
One 10' Olympic pram
One 15' square-stern canoe
One 17' Boston Whaler with a 75 HP 2-stroke motor
I have a 55 lb thrust electric motor and a 30 lb thrust electric motor.
I used them all over the last couple of years for different reasons and each is a compromise.
Where I have been fishing lately is Lower Sac, Trinity/Lewiston, Lower Stanislaus, Lake Davis, Snag Lake, Pyramid lake, Lake Delvalle, San Luis Reservoir, Fall River, Baum Lake.
This year I want to add McCloud Reservoir, Utica and Union Reservoir and a few more in the sierras. I also might give the Klamath river a go.
I used to fish a lot in the ocean, Morro Bay, San Francisco Bay and occasionally the Delta. But not so much anymore as I have changed my focus to trout for 90% of my outings. Including the fact that my wife is not comfortable with having my son in the ocean in a 17' boat and she will not go out there with me either.
I fish with my 11 year old son, my wife (occasionally) and a buddy who has a pontoon boat.
About half of my outings I don't even take a boat and wade small streams/rivers like the Upper Yuba, Upper Toulumne, Upper American, Upper Stanislaus forks, Hat Creek, Pit river, Upper Sac, Deer Creek, Carson forks, Truckee, Kings Canyon, etc…
Yeah I get around and that is why I need a versatile boat as sometimes I fish by myself and on the same trip my wife and kid may come up for a couple of days. It is tough to have the wrong boat with you when you are hitting lots of areas. I have even had to have my wife bring a second boat to swap in when she came up for with my son.
The boat I am thinking about getting is the Koffler Rocky Mountain Skiff. It seems that it would be quite versatile not perfect but good enough for a lot of situations.
If I buy that boat I could probably get rid of the pram, the canoe and the Whaler.
I would probably keep the pontoons for quick trips or places where I need to carry in a boat to launch it.
What I gain is a lighter boat to trailer with either an electric or a 9.9 hp 4-stroke motor, better stability than the canoe, more capacity than the pram, yet still easy enough to manage myself and use efficiently with my electric motor, better handling for rivers/tailwaters. Although the pontoons work pretty darn good and they are easy to stop and fish from.
I think the Koffler would even work okay to fish for Sharks, Halibut, Stripers and rays off Alameda rock wall in the SF Bay or in the Delta as long as I stayed within a couple of miles of the launch ramp. Same idea with Pyramid staying close to the ramp.
What I lose is the ability to go for Salmon in the Ocean (obviously) or Pyramid to the far side of the lake as it would be quite a run at an estimated 10 mph.
Issues with the existing boats are:
- Pram is great for one person stand-up fly casting but two can be challenging and it only fits two people max so with the wife and kid they take the pram and I take the pontoon.
- Canoe I can take three people but you need to stay seated so fly fishing is more difficult.
- Pontoon I only have two and it takes time and energy to pump up tubes and when traveling I have to deflate to fit in car because of expansion when going up and down in elevation.
- Maintenance and storage of three boats versus one.
- Whaler is great for many things but it is more maintenance than an aluminum boat. Also the two stroke is not allowed in some waters and it is not a good boat for skinny water like the lower Sac or in the Fall river.
I thought of getting a 14' Maralon Jon boat due to the width and capacity but, it would not be good for stand up fly fishing in the lower sac or Trinity either. So I would have to use the pontoons there. It could run a 20hp motor though so it would work well in most lakes and the Delta. Due to space considerations I may still have to get rid of the Whaler if I get the Jon boat.
If I get rid of the Whaler than I would probably hook up with some friends who also have Whalers or jump on a party boat for Salmon/Halibut with my son. With the Whaler gone I would not be able to take my son tubing or wake boarding which we do once per year but river running adventures might be a good substitute.
If any body has some helpful advice I look forward to it. Maybe you have used a Koffler Rocky Mountain Trout or a Jon boat in the past or made the transition from power boat to drift boat and have some experience to share. I would really appreciate it.
Regards, T Corfey