First time in a Pontoon .
Quote:
Originally Posted by
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.
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
First time in a Pontoon .
Quote:
Originally Posted by
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.
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
First time in a Pontoon .
Quote:
Originally Posted by
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.
Some rivers you float and some you don't ! "you got's to know your limitations " Mike