Fishing from pontoon boats

kawishiwi · 04-12-2014, 11:37 PM

I am looking to buy a family boat for winni. This would be a fish & swim boat. Can anyone comment on how fishing from a pontoon works on the lake?

pjard · 04-13-2014, 05:55 AM

I can only answer half of your question. I just bought a Berkshire 231 STS RCF. The entire stern is designed for fishing. I've looked for a long time for a good boat that had the right set up. I finally found it in this boat. Now all this being said, obviously with the ice I don't have the boat in the water yet so I can't share any real life experience yet.

RLW · 04-13-2014, 07:32 AM

kawishiwi, I just noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends.

Have a ball with the new ship that might come under your command and the fish are waiting for ya.

ishoot308 · 04-13-2014, 07:34 AM

You will love fishing from a pontoon boat!! Once you do it you will never go back! It is by far the most comfortable way to troll for hours.

Below is a few pics of the Premier I purchased last year from Winnisquam Marine. It's a custom floor plan that Winnisquam has made just for them. As you can see, the entire stern is dedicated for fishing.

I utilized the ski tow bar for my rod holders which worked out great. I also mounted two LED marine lights for those early morning and late evening charters.

I have my planer mast mounted in the front just outside the playpen gate in Berts track system for quick and easy install and removal(sorry no pics). You can walk right up to the mast and reel the boards in which is very convenient.

The downrigger mounts I custom made and had them powder coated. They mount into a Berts track system for easy and quick removal also. The box you see between the two rear facing seats in the center rear is a live well.

Over the winter, Winnisquam Marine mounted a 9.9 Mercury trolling motor with a Panther T-5 remote steering unit and throttle control and they did fantastic job and were great to work with!! Don't have any pics of that yet, but I am looking forward to using it soon!!

I would recommend a similar open stern setup if your looking to purchase.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Dan

mhtranger · 04-13-2014, 07:35 AM

I fish Winni for bass out of a bass boat 98% of the time and the other 2% is out of a pontoon. It is good for deep water but not so good for fishing the shore line. Slow moving around rocks and sits to deep in the water.
If fishing for lakers and trout there are a few members on here that use them and work out great. Lots of places for mounting down riggers and rod holders.
And there you have it. Posted about the same time I did. Hahaha

Just my .02

secondcurve · 04-13-2014, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhtranger

I fish Winni for bass out of a bass boat 98% of the time and the other 2% is out of a pontoon. It is good for deep water but not so good for fishing the shore line. Slow moving around rocks and sits to deep in the water.
If fishing for lakers and trout there are a few members on here that use them and work out great. Lots of places for mounting down riggers and rod holders.
And there you have it. Posted about the same time I did. Hahaha

Just my .02

That was my thought exactly. Pontoons can be set up very nicely for salmon and trout fishing as ishoot38 notes above but they are problematic if you are doing Bass fishing in close to shore. Just as in boating in general, there is no single solution fishing boat.

Orion · 04-13-2014, 04:19 PM

That's a seriously nice setup, ishoot!! Well done.

kawishiwi · 04-21-2014, 11:38 PM

Thank you for the info! Second question, how big of a pontoon boat is needed to be safe and comfortable in the broads?

ishoot308 · 04-22-2014, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kawishiwi

Thank you for the info! Second question, how big of a pontoon boat is needed to be safe and comfortable in the broads?

That's kind of a tough question to answer because depending on the day, you could be out there with a paddle boat and be safe.

I guess to answer you question in my opinion (others will vary I'm sure) 22' minimum with three pontoons will get you through pretty much everything the broads can dish out except the worst of days when you shouldn't be out there anyway. I also would recommend as much horsepower as you can afford and definitely nothing less than 115 HP.

If money is no object 24' - 26' tri-toon with the biggest motor rated for the boat.

Go see Ryan at Winnisquam Marine for some great recommendations on their line of pontoons. Great people to do business with!

Dan

Bob G · 04-24-2014, 05:53 PM

Check out www.fishlakewinni.com/message board There is a post by Forry who is selling a decked out pontoon boat.

pjard · 05-02-2014, 05:23 AM

Ishoot....those rod holders on the side. Did you have to drill through the aluminum to mount those. I'm looking for a good quality rod holder and I would lke to avoid any drilling.

ishoot308 · 05-02-2014, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjard

Ishoot....those rod holders on the side. Did you have to drill through the aluminum to mount those. I'm looking for a good quality rod holder and I would like to avoid any drilling.

Good question! No I did not, what I did was I cut 1" x 1" square aluminum tube about 4" long, end capped them, then painted to match railing.

I then applied the 4" blocks to the underside of the railing using a special 3M VHB (Very High Bond) tape. I then placed the Scotty rod holder over the rail and block and installed two #12 stainless tek screws into the blocks only. If you look closely, you can see the block in the picture.

I was determined with this new boat not to have any additional screw holes whatsoever anywhere on the boat, especially the railing or side walls. So far so good!

In my opinion Scotty makes the best rod holders for this application, actually all their equipment is top notch!

Dan

RKEKB · 05-02-2014, 09:45 AM

I have a beautiful pontoon set up listed in the classifieds here. May be just what you're looking for. It was custom designed for fishing and purchased new from Winnisquam Marine. It's a totally complete package and in excellent condition, with only 100 hours.
We're getting into a cruiser so the pontoon is up for sale.
Give me a call.
RKEKB 781-608-2566

RLW · 05-02-2014, 01:52 PM

RKEKB, I just noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends.

Best of luck with the sale of your boat. Have you placed it in the forums classified section and also place a nice picture of it both here and in the classified??

RKEKB · 05-02-2014, 02:22 PM

Thanks RLW. I've been viewing this site for years as a guest. It had been so long that I had to register again to post the boat ad. Yes, it is in the classifieds, getting many views. Hopefully the right person will come along and enjoy it!

04-13-2014, 07:32 AM	#3
RLW Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Alton Bay on the mountain by a lake Posts: 2,023 Thanks: 563 Thanked 444 Times in 311 Posts	*kawishiwi,* I just noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends. Have a ball with the new ship that might come under your command and the fish are waiting for ya. __________________ There is nothing better than living on Alton Mountain & our grand kids visits.

04-13-2014, 07:34 AM	#4
ishoot308 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island Posts: 5,926 Thanks: 2,285 Thanked 4,937 Times in 1,913 Posts	Love It!! You will love fishing from a pontoon boat!! Once you do it you will never go back! It is by far the most comfortable way to troll for hours. Below is a few pics of the Premier I purchased last year from Winnisquam Marine. It's a custom floor plan that Winnisquam has made just for them. As you can see, the entire stern is dedicated for fishing. I utilized the ski tow bar for my rod holders which worked out great. I also mounted two LED marine lights for those early morning and late evening charters. I have my planer mast mounted in the front just outside the playpen gate in Berts track system for quick and easy install and removal(sorry no pics). You can walk right up to the mast and reel the boards in which is very convenient. The downrigger mounts I custom made and had them powder coated. They mount into a Berts track system for easy and quick removal also. The box you see between the two rear facing seats in the center rear is a live well. Over the winter, Winnisquam Marine mounted a 9.9 Mercury trolling motor with a Panther T-5 remote steering unit and throttle control and they did fantastic job and were great to work with!! Don't have any pics of that yet, but I am looking forward to using it soon!! I would recommend a similar open stern setup if your looking to purchase. Good luck with whatever you decide! Dan Attached Images __________________ It's Always Sunny On Welch Island!!

04-13-2014, 04:19 PM	#7
Orion Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Cow Island Posts: 914 Thanks: 602 Thanked 193 Times in 91 Posts	Sweet! That's a seriously nice setup, ishoot!! Well done.

05-02-2014, 05:23 AM	#11
pjard Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Gilford, NH Posts: 626 Thanks: 453 Thanked 184 Times in 97 Posts	Question about rod holders Ishoot....those rod holders on the side. Did you have to drill through the aluminum to mount those. I'm looking for a good quality rod holder and I would lke to avoid any drilling.

05-02-2014, 09:45 AM	#13
RKEKB Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Fishing from Pontoon I have a beautiful pontoon set up listed in the classifieds here. May be just what you're looking for. It was custom designed for fishing and purchased new from Winnisquam Marine. It's a totally complete package and in excellent condition, with only 100 hours. We're getting into a cruiser so the pontoon is up for sale. Give me a call. RKEKB 781-608-2566

04-12-2014, 11:37 PM	#1
kawishiwi Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 519 Thanks: 227 Thanked 167 Times in 108 Posts	Fishing from pontoon boats I am looking to buy a family boat for winni. This would be a fish & swim boat. Can anyone comment on how fishing from a pontoon works on the lake?

04-13-2014, 05:55 AM	#2
pjard Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Gilford, NH Posts: 626 Thanks: 453 Thanked 184 Times in 97 Posts	I can only answer half of your question. I just bought a Berkshire 231 STS RCF. The entire stern is designed for fishing. I've looked for a long time for a good boat that had the right set up. I finally found it in this boat. Now all this being said, obviously with the ice I don't have the boat in the water yet so I can't share any real life experience yet.

The Following User Says Thank You to ishoot308 For This Useful Post:
pjard (04-13-2014)

04-13-2014, 07:35 AM	#5
mhtranger Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 127 Thanks: 310 Thanked 68 Times in 39 Posts	I fish Winni for bass out of a bass boat 98% of the time and the other 2% is out of a pontoon. It is good for deep water but not so good for fishing the shore line. Slow moving around rocks and sits to deep in the water. If fishing for lakers and trout there are a few members on here that use them and work out great. Lots of places for mounting down riggers and rod holders. And there you have it. Posted about the same time I did. Hahaha Just my .02

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to secondcurve For This Useful Post:
ApS (04-13-2014), pjard (04-13-2014)

The Following User Says Thank You to Orion For This Useful Post:
ishoot308 (04-13-2014)

04-21-2014, 11:38 PM	#8
kawishiwi Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 519 Thanks: 227 Thanked 167 Times in 108 Posts	Thank you for the info! Second question, how big of a pontoon boat is needed to be safe and comfortable in the broads?

04-24-2014, 05:53 PM	#10
Bob G Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Gilford Posts: 20 Thanks: 16 Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts	Check out www.fishlakewinni.com/message board There is a post by Forry who is selling a decked out pontoon boat.

05-02-2014, 01:52 PM	#14
RLW Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Alton Bay on the mountain by a lake Posts: 2,023 Thanks: 563 Thanked 444 Times in 311 Posts	*RKEKB,* I just noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends. Best of luck with the sale of your boat. Have you placed it in the forums classified section and also place a nice picture of it both here and in the classified?? __________________ There is nothing better than living on Alton Mountain & our grand kids visits.

05-02-2014, 02:22 PM	#15
RKEKB Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks RLW Thanks RLW. I've been viewing this site for years as a guest. It had been so long that I had to register again to post the boat ad. Yes, it is in the classifieds, getting many views. Hopefully the right person will come along and enjoy it!