First time in a pontoon

[kbbgood]

I finished getting my Fishcat 9 ready to go to the water last weekend and it about wore me out. Way to much slow water and then the faster water had way to much timber in the way. Should I have had the seat farther back or what will make the boat easier to control in the current. I didn't have it weighted down. Just me (280 lbs.) It seams like I had enough air in the pontoons. Any help I can get will help. I have never been in one before so I don't know how to handle it. I'm 66 years old and not in real good shape . Guess I will get better on it though.

[montana mike]

I finished getting my Fishcat 9 ready to go to the water last weekend and it about wore me out. Way to much slow water and then the faster water had way to much timber in the way. Should I have had the seat farther back or what will make the boat easier to control in the current. I didn't have it weighted down. Just me (280 lbs.) It seams like I had enough air in the pontoons. Any help I can get will help. I have never been in one before so I don't know how to handle it. I'm 66 years old and not in real good shape . Guess I will get better on it though.

It is not a good idea to go out alone with no experience ! Find someone who can help you and start on a lake with no moving water . You can get in real trouble real fast! I pulled a guy out of a log jam on the Bitterroot river . He was pinned against a snag in three feet of water. IF we had'nt been close , it would have been real bad ! Good luck , Mike

[steveg137]

It is not a good idea to go out alone with no experience ! Find someone who can help you and start on a lake with no moving water . You can get in real trouble real fast! I pulled a guy out of a log jam on the Bitterroot river . He was pinned against a snag in three feet of water. IF we had'nt been close , it would have been real bad ! Good luck , Mike

Second the above

I've used my pontoon for number of years. In rivers like lower sac it can be hard work and not sure I recommend it. Pretty much impossible to fish drifting so stop and fish riffles. Map the float for smaller distances. Don't or be very very careful anchoring. Only do so in slow water.

Check weather- a wind can make it impossible to make progress.

Would focus on Stillwater's at least for now.

I've had fantastic times on lots lakes with my pontoon.

Just take take to get to know it and be cautious.

Enjoy
Steve

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I would guess that 70% of the time pontoons are on still water fisheries?

Moving water is dangerous.

The lower America river is pretty mild for moving water.

[JayDubP]

@kbbgood: welcome to the world of inflatables

9ft pontoons are usually recommended for people under 200lbs and under 6'2". Total weight capacity of the FishCat 9 is listed at 375lbs. Just you and some gear are putting a load on it, so it will ride lower in the water which means it is harder to row and turn.

All inflatables are work in slow water or wind (some of the slow water on Lower Sac seem to take forever to row through, especially when the wind is blowing upriver). I would stick to stillwater or rivers with minor rapids and not much frog water (Yuba & Feather) to minimize rowing. As steveg137 posted, consider your pontoon as a ferry boat to get your from place to place -- but nearly all of your fishing will be done standing in the river. I will second the post of not anchoring except in dead water.

Consider moving up to a 10ft pontoon or a Watermaster Kodiak. That will solve the weight capacity and maneuverability issues, but it will still be hard work in slow water or wind. Longer oars with better shaped blades help.

If you will fish stillwater a lot, consider getting an electric trolling motor.

Lance Gray usually has Pontoon Class on the Yuba or Feather-- great one day class to learn about using your pontoon. Plus you get on water experience on a river so you know what to expect when you fish it at a later date.

Also, there are some good online videos on how to read a river and how to best navigate different types of rapids.


Have fun and stay safe.

Jim

[tcorfey]

KBBGood, I have a Fishcat 9 also, it is a great pontoon for both Stillwater and moving water. But as has been said before if you do not have experience it is best to learn on Stillwater first.

Because you said it is a lot of work I would first recommend that you air up to the point of about 1/4" deflection when you press down on the tube. Secondly, when you want to cover any distance in the pontoon you should be rowing so your back is towards the location you want to go in and use your legs to power the stroke not just your back and arms. If you are rowing in the direction you are facing then it is a lot of work on Stillwater. Also the oars provided with my Fishcat boats have a curve to the blade, make sure the inside of the curve is the part that is pushing the water. Alternatively if you are in moving water you want to be facing the intended target so that you can adjust your drift like a drift using strokes to point you in the right direction i.e. for steering not for covering lots of water. Also make sure the inboard portion of your handles are adjusted so they are not overlapping, in some instances certain boats require that overlap but the oars on that pontoon are pretty short so I do not recommend an overlap.

If you find that you are more apt to cover distance on flat water you may want to invest in a "better" and longer set of oars. The oars that come with the boat are pretty good though, I was able to race my buddy in his pontoon, he had an electric motor and I had oars, we raced the length of snag lake in the gold lakes region and I easily beat the motorized toon. By the way at the time I was about 56 years old I am 60 now.

I don't think I want to write a tutorial on moving water here but there are lots of videos on that the concepts are the same if you use a drift boat or a pontoon so watch some of the drift boat 101 videos to gain some insights. I have drifted many rivers with my fishcat with no issues but I also have 40 years of experience running rivers in all kinds of crafts. Be careful and stay to the slower moving rivers when you start out as others have said things can happen fast and be sure to carry a spare oar just in case you break one. Also, always wear a PFD especially in moving water. I use one that has pockets like a fishing vest and is designed for kayakers so you get good arm movement. The inflatable ones work good too but I have had too many times when they went off by mistake and a reload kit is $40.00 so I stick with my regular floatation device.

Finally if fishing moving water it is easier to use the pontoon as transportation not a fishing platform. Locate the run you want to work and row over to a sandbar above or below the run. Beach the boat and work the run then get back in to locate your next spot to work.

Regards,

Tim C.

[montana mike]

KBBGood, I have a Fishcat 9 also, it is a great pontoon for both Stillwater and moving water. But as has been said before if you do not have experience it is best to learn on Stillwater first.

Because you said it is a lot of work I would first recommend that you air up to the point of about 1/4" deflection when you press down on the tube. Secondly, when you want to cover any distance in the pontoon you should be rowing so your back is towards the location you want to go in and use your legs to power the stroke not just your back and arms. If you are rowing in the direction you are facing then it is a lot of work on Stillwater. Also the oars provided with my Fishcat boats have a curve to the blade, make sure the inside of the curve is the part that is pushing the water. Alternatively if you are in moving water you want to be facing the intended target so that you can adjust your drift like a drift using strokes to point you in the right direction i.e. for steering not for covering lots of water. Also make sure the inboard portion of your handles are adjusted so they are not overlapping, in some instances certain boats require that overlap but the oars on that pontoon are pretty short so I do not recommend an overlap.

If you find that you are more apt to cover distance on flat water you may want to invest in a "better" and longer set of oars. The oars that come with the boat are pretty good though, I was able to race my buddy in his pontoon, he had an electric motor and I had oars, we raced the length of snag lake in the gold lakes region and I easily beat the motorized toon. By the way at the time I was about 56 years old I am 60 now.

I don't think I want to write a tutorial on moving water here but there are lots of videos on that the concepts are the same if you use a drift boat or a pontoon so watch some of the drift boat 101 videos to gain some insights. I have drifted many rivers with my fishcat with no issues but I also have 40 years of experience running rivers in all kinds of crafts. Be careful and stay to the slower moving rivers when you start out as others have said things can happen fast and be sure to carry a spare oar just in case you break one. Also, always wear a PFD especially in moving water. I use one that has pockets like a fishing vest and is designed for kayakers so you get good arm movement. The inflatable ones work good too but I have had too many times when they went off by mistake and a reload kit is $40.00 so I stick with my regular floatation device.

Finally if fishing moving water it is easier to use the pontoon as transportation not a fishing platform. Locate the run you want to work and row over to a sandbar above or below the run. Beach the boat and work the run then get back in to locate your next spot to work.

Regards,

Tim C.

I think some of you guys are missing the boat ! No pun intended . I have used my old River Otter for 25 years using my fins and not my ores while fishing . I have had good success on rivers large and small in five states . With a little practice you can control your pontoon and fish at the same time. The oars are there if needed as backup. If you find a good spot , pull over and wade. Try it you might like it! Mike P.S. Good Floating

[tcorfey]

Mike, glad you like your fins, Have to admit I like fins on still water lakes and they are best for maneuvering quietly or slowly moving around. I guess you could use them in a slow moving river too.

I have to admit I have never seen any one run a swift current river like the lower Sac in Redding, or the Trinity river in a 9' pontoon boat using only their fins and with their fly rod in hand. Have you run those rivers with fins alone? That would be interesting to see your fast water technique. Can't understand how you avoid obstacles in a boulder field or how you line yourself up to avoid rocks and sweepers.

I have heard that Dave Scadden when float tubes first came out used the old round Bucs bags float tubes on some rivers, I believe they stopped doing that because after a newspaper article was written about Dave's success fishing out of a tube on a river lot's of other people tried but several flipped and drowned while not being able to right themselves.

Regards,

Tim C.

[montana mike]

Mike, glad you like your fins, Have to admit I like fins on still water lakes and they are best for maneuvering quietly or slowly moving around. I guess you could use them in a slow moving river too.

I have to admit I have never seen any one run a swift current river like the lower Sac in Redding, or the Trinity river in a 9' pontoon boat using only their fins and with their fly rod in hand. Have you run those rivers with fins alone? That would be interesting to see your fast water technique. Can't understand how you avoid obstacles in a boulder field or how you line yourself up to avoid rocks and sweepers.

I have heard that Dave Scadden when float tubes first came out used the old round Bucs bags float tubes on some rivers, I believe they stopped doing that because after a newspaper article was written about Dave's success fishing out of a tube on a river lot's of other people tried but several flipped and drowned while not being able to right themselves.

Regards,

Tim C.

Some rivers you float and some you don't ! "you got's to know your limitations " Mike

[JasonB]

Lots of good advice so far. I definitely agree that you really need some more help, in person on the water, if you wish to learn safely. There were a couple of points in your post that strongly hint that you got lucky on your first trip, it could have easily gone very badly. My personal recommendation would be that you don’t try floating any moving water with your boat without a much more knowledgeable partner. Keep in mind that the specs the boat companies list are about as optimistic as possible, in terms of weight capacity or what kinds of water it’s capable of handling. They wish to appeal to as broad a market as possible, but for an inexperienced person it’s best not to get anywhere near the top end. An expert who knows their stuff can make things work with all kinds of sub par equipment, but then again most of them wouldn’t typically wish to bother.

Not trying to sound negative, but there is a lot to learn and understand to safely float rivers in any craft. Take some time to research more on safety, take a class or two if possible, and try to find someone to mentor you. On a more positive note, all the effort is well worth it; this will open up lots of places to explore and fish, and there is no better way to travel than to float a river in my opinion.
JB

[FlyFisher007]

I have fished many times from my 8ft. Pontoon on the Yuba and the only time I use my oars is at the take out. I have caught many fish as I`m floating, using my fins. I will kick to the shore to land them if they are of any size. There are two or three spots that you need to kick a little harder to keep you out of the trees though. Other than that it's a great time on the water, especially this time of year where waders are not needed, which IMO is safer anyway. It is a good idea having a buddy along in case of any trouble.
15879

[kbbgood]

Knowing what I have, I just got the Minn Kota C2-30 and have not had it in the water yet. Wondering it it is powerful enough, or should I have got a more powerful one.

[robdog]

Last year I bought a Sea Eagle Packfish 7. I have taken it out on the Lower American & Lower Yuba. So far I can only catch fish standing in the river. No way I can control my inflatable in moving water. I do use an anchor, but I make sure I stop somewhere I won't have difficult access. One more thing I would add is to take your time on the water. If you hear rapids, slow down & scout the direction you will have to take. One last thing, wear a life vest.