kayak or pontoon?

[vanessashanahan]

I have always been a pontoon guy. I have even attached trolling motors to them on occasion. Pontoon or kayak? For those who have done both what did you ultimately stick to and why?

[Idadon]

If you plan on fishing South Texas like I do all winter, the PEDAL kayak is the better choice. Better in the wind that seems to blow all the time. The new kayaks now are relatively stable and depending on the manufacturers have comfortable seats that sit you up higher. I’m personally saving my pennies to buy a Native Slayer Propel 13!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Or a new Stand Up Paddle Board? They have fishing models.


We usually see pontoons going down rivers for trout and steelhead or in lakes for trout and bass.


These peddle kayaks are extremely popular in Florida inshore fishing.

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Idadon, Where in TX? We spent the last 15 winters in the central east coast of Florida.

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Native Slayer Propel 13 kayak......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOPTSyN_uTg

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Here is a video that gives you an idea how the peddle kayaks perform:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXuYyTHRyhg

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Here is a good video about fishing Stand Up Paddleboards - SUP:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEjqyZNhwbo


These are getting very popular in Florida.

[Idadon]

Hey Bill! We have a permanently set 5th wheel on the shore of Baffin Bay. If the bay is dead it’s not to far of a drive over to South Padre Island for Bull Reds, flounder, etc. Baffin Bay is reputed to be the best place on the Gulf Coast for huge speckled trout. Unfortunately I can’t find one but I keep hoping!

[Jcolin]

Really love my Outcast 8’ pontoon for floating steelhead rivers, its not easy fishing out of it or anchoring up, but I just use it to get out and swing different runs. Also light enough to launch anywhere. I'd assume an experienced whitewater kayaker could float gnarlier rivers, but the rivers I do are pretty mellow anyway. Got a drift boat recently, but probably will still use the pontoon much more as I'm usually doing solo floats and swinging flies.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Hey Bill! We have a permanently set 5th wheel on the shore of Baffin Bay. If the bay is dead it’s not to far of a drive over to South Padre Island for Bull Reds, flounder, etc. Baffin Bay is reputed to be the best place on the Gulf Coast for huge speckled trout. Unfortunately I can’t find one but I keep hoping!

That Baffin Bay looks very interesting. What other species are in there?

Our son's mother-in-law live right on the top of Padre Island on the inside water with a dock.

We have a customer/good friend who lives in Brownsville south of you.

[Scott V]

I have always been a pontoon guy. I have even attached trolling motors to them on occasion. Pontoon or kayak? For those who have done both what did you ultimately stick to and why?

I use my kayak in the delta and ocean only. I will take my float tube any day over a kayak.

[Woodman]

I use my kayak in the delta and ocean only. I will take my float tube any day over a kayak.

I have to agree. Just a lot easier to manage multiple rods and gear in a pontoon. Move around with fins if you're on still water. Stand up in the shallows without leaving the boat, etc.

[Idadon]

A lot of you that respond to this kind of question probably know the name “Dave Scadden”. Some years ago he produced a hybrid inflatable kayak called a Navigator. It’s about 10’ long, has good size tubes, a regular kayak kind of seat and can be propelled with oars, a kayak paddle or your legs & fins. How you ask can that be, well the front of the kayak floor, just forward of the seat is open! This little jewel try’s to be both a kayak & a solo pontoon and actually does pretty well at it. Rated for class three rapids, it been on the snake river numerous times. At the moment it’s being used as a wading AID in south Texas. I paddle out to where I want to fish and then stand and walk around as I need to. At 71 years my balance is somewhere between poor and zero! My navigator serves as a wonderful stabilizer and if I get tired (happens often nowadays) I just sit down for awhile and fish.

Having maybe peaked Your interest I’ll let you know that the navigator is no longer produced. I bought mine years ago when it was on clearance. Not sure if he has any left. Check the navigator out on uTube it’s an impressive fishing aid!