On May 9, 5:42*am, "Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is Here
wrote:
wrote:
I am thinking of making my next boat a pontoon boat in the 20 foot
range. I'd like to hear from people who own pontoons and especially
those who trailer them. Things that I'm thinking about is how hard to
load/unload, ease of towing, etc. Also, do you all fish with yours
using an electric trolling motor? One thing I'm wondering is how they
handle while using the trolling motor in the wind? Much difference
than a bass boat?

As you know, they are popular on inland lakes as a party barge, but they
would be hard to handle in a cove with a electric trolling motor,
ESPECIALLY, with any kind of wind. *You have much more wind surface to
act as a sall on a pontoon boat than you do on a bass boat.

If you want a boat to act as a floating dock, to bring lots of people to
spend the day on the water and to be able to have a grill and picnic on
the water, and maybe do some fishing, go with a pontoon boat.

If you want to be able to do serious fishing, working the shoreline and
coves with a trolling motor, go with a bass boat.

I've already got a bass boat.

On May 8, 11:51*am, wrote:
On Thu, 8 May 2008 07:39:40 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
I am thinking of making my next boat a pontoon boat in the 20 foot
range. I'd like to hear from people who own pontoons and especially
those who trailer them. Things that I'm thinking about is how hard to
load/unload, ease of towing, etc. Also, do you all fish with yours
using an electric trolling motor? One thing I'm wondering is how they
handle while using the trolling motor in the wind? Much difference
than a bass boat?

If you are serious about trailering, be sure to get a trailer that
sits under the pontoons with a wide wheel base, not one of those
narrow sissor trailers that sits between them. Those things are only
suitable for moving a pontoon around the yard.
My trailer was built from a regular Magic Tilt like you would use to
haul a 20 sumpin foot boat. The pontoons sit in cradles on 2x2 members
bolted to the frame over the wheels. It trails well at highway speeds.
You want the boat loaded so the bow is lower than the stern to get
some of that NASCAR "down force" at speed.

You can move a pontoon around OK with a big trolling motor but the
wind can screw with you. There is a lot of "sail area" in that cage.

That's what I was guessing. It sounds like you don't mind hauling
yours on it's trailer, and that's my biggest concern.