On May 9, 8:47*am, "Jim" wrote:
"Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is Here wrote in messagenews:nJSdncJbwoMFqrnVnZ2dnUVZ_t2inZ2d@comca st.com...



Jim wrote:

"Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is Here wrote in message
...
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.

Why are they called bass boats? What advantages do they offer serious
fisherman?

To truly appreciate the advantages they offer an inland lake fisherman,
you really need to look at one. *Everything about them are design to meet
the needs of an inland fisherman, from the placement of swivel chairs
designed for fishing, an open flat deck that allows one to easily walk
around the boat, the low freeboard to easily land the fish, low draft so
they will fish in very skinny water, the engine easily pulls of the water
so you don't hit the bottom when trolling in shallow water, they include a
mount for the trolling motor that will allow you to easily control the
rrolling motor with your foot from your fishing chair, the storage is
designed for storing fishing equipment, a built in live well etc.

While you can pull water toys with a bass boat, it's reason for being it
fishing.

I guess you need to be a serious fisherman to see and appreciate the
features. I'm not, so I don't.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

s'ok... as long as you are happy with what'cha got, you probably won't
miss much The only thing I really don't like about bassboats is
there is no place to hunker down out of the wind and sun if for some
reason you are not feeling good that day.

Jim wrote:

"Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is Here wrote in
message . ..
Jim wrote:

"Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is Here wrote in
message ...
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.

Why are they called bass boats? What advantages do they offer serious
fisherman?

To truly appreciate the advantages they offer an inland lake
fisherman, you really need to look at one. Everything about them are
design to meet the needs of an inland fisherman, from the placement of
swivel chairs designed for fishing, an open flat deck that allows one
to easily walk around the boat, the low freeboard to easily land the
fish, low draft so they will fish in very skinny water, the engine
easily pulls of the water so you don't hit the bottom when trolling in
shallow water, they include a mount for the trolling motor that will
allow you to easily control the rrolling motor with your foot from
your fishing chair, the storage is designed for storing fishing
equipment, a built in live well etc.

While you can pull water toys with a bass boat, it's reason for being
it fishing.



I guess you need to be a serious fisherman to see and appreciate the
features. I'm not, so I don't.

I am not a serious fisherman, but they are definitely set up for those
who are.

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 May 2008 06:18:28 -0400, "Jim" wrote:

Why are they called bass boats? What advantages do they offer serious
fisherman?

They also need to go 60 MPH!

Why? To get to the opposite shore when a shore fisherman there lands a big
one?

Jim wrote:

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 May 2008 06:18:28 -0400, "Jim" wrote:

Why are they called bass boats? What advantages do they offer serious
fisherman?

They also need to go 60 MPH!

Why? To get to the opposite shore when a shore fisherman there lands a
big one?

The serious answer is for bass tournaments, where everyone starts at a
specific location. You have only so much time to get to your fishing
location, catch your fish and get back for the weigh in.

On May 9, 10:35*am, "Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is Here
wrote:
Jim wrote:

wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 9 May 2008 06:18:28 -0400, "Jim" wrote:

Why are they called bass boats? What advantages do they offer serious
fisherman?

They also need to go 60 MPH!

Why? To get to the opposite shore when a shore fisherman there lands a
big one?

The serious answer is for bass tournaments, where everyone starts at a
specific location. *You have only so much time to get to your fishing
location, catch your fish and get back for the weigh in.

Only because they have the tourneys in places that make it necessary
and by rule make it part of the equation. Good or bad, it makes the
team and planning more a part of the game. Good for manufacturers who
want that footage of their boats doing 60 on perfectly flat, glass,
mamby pamby, baby water... pffffttt.

"Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is Here wrote in message
. ..
Jim wrote:

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 May 2008 06:18:28 -0400, "Jim" wrote:

Why are they called bass boats? What advantages do they offer serious
fisherman?

They also need to go 60 MPH!

Why? To get to the opposite shore when a shore fisherman there lands a
big one?

The serious answer is for bass tournaments, where everyone starts at a
specific location. You have only so much time to get to your fishing
location, catch your fish and get back for the weigh in.

Fishing is supposed to be fun and relaxing, not stressful.

On May 9, 10:35*am, "Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is Here
wrote:
Jim wrote:

wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 9 May 2008 06:18:28 -0400, "Jim" wrote:

Why are they called bass boats? What advantages do they offer serious
fisherman?

They also need to go 60 MPH!

Why? To get to the opposite shore when a shore fisherman there lands a
big one?

The serious answer is for bass tournaments, where everyone starts at a
specific location. *You have only so much time to get to your fishing
location, catch your fish and get back for the weigh in.

And they also take those boats where not many people will venture.

On Fri, 09 May 2008 10:35:10 -0400, "Reginald P. Smithers III" "Reggie is
Here wrote:

Jim wrote:

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 May 2008 06:18:28 -0400, "Jim" wrote:

Why are they called bass boats? What advantages do they offer serious
fisherman?

They also need to go 60 MPH!

Why? To get to the opposite shore when a shore fisherman there lands a
big one?

The serious answer is for bass tournaments, where everyone starts at a
specific location. You have only so much time to get to your fishing
location, catch your fish and get back for the weigh in.

And, at least at the one tournament I watched, the fish must be alive at
the weigh in and able to swim away.

I don't know if that's the common practice, but I thought it was a nice
touch.
--
John *H*

"Jim" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 May 2008 06:18:28 -0400, "Jim" wrote:

Why are they called bass boats? What advantages do they offer serious
fisherman?

They also need to go 60 MPH!

Why? To get to the opposite shore when a shore fisherman there lands a big
one?

One of the lakes I most like fishing on is 38 miles long. If your cabin is
in the middle, that's 19 miles each way. Some of the best places to fish
are only 15' across 10 miles up, others 12 miles down the lake. I would
hate to use a pontoon boat on that lake.

Canuck57 wrote:
"Jim" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 May 2008 06:18:28 -0400, "Jim" wrote:

Why are they called bass boats? What advantages do they offer serious
fisherman?
They also need to go 60 MPH!
Why? To get to the opposite shore when a shore fisherman there lands a big
one?

One of the lakes I most like fishing on is 38 miles long. If your cabin is
in the middle, that's 19 miles each way. Some of the best places to fish
are only 15' across 10 miles up, others 12 miles down the lake. I would
hate to use a pontoon boat on that lake.



Before I bought my first small boat in Jacksonville, Florida, I rented a
pontoon boat for a day of fishing on the St. Johns River. The boat was
fine for a couple of slackwater spots and in fact I enjoyed the
"platform" very much as I could cast lines almost anywhere I wanted and
then plunk down a boat chair for the retrieval or just to watch the bobber.

But the boat was lousy in the wind and even worse when a bit of a chop
built up. Very, very wet.

On Chesapeake Bay, where I mostly boat now, pontoon and tri-toon boats
are rare. I did see one last season about 10 miles up the Patuxent
River, and that's probably a good place for them...the river is wide
there, not that fast flowing, and usually relatively calm.