Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Hi all,
I am new to Pontoon boats and to this forum. I was hoping to get some advice from you experienced toon guys and gals. I am wanting to buy a pontoon for mostly fishing. I plan on putting downriggers and maybe an enclosure at some point. If I can get good enough I would like to try being a guide. I will be fishing Norris Lake in East Tennessee. I would like to be able to do the occasional overnight trip with the wife and 2 daughters (3 and 10). I can't believe how many different brands of boats there are. I was wanting a pontoon with good rod lockers and seats that turn into a bed. I know the older crest super fisher had these features, but not the new ones. I will keep the pontoon on an uncovered slip so I need to cover it. I was thinking of getting a enclosure for the middle and individual covers for the 4 corner seats and a vinyl floor. I also need upgraded fishfinder and gps. I plan on doing a lot of trolling and the option of trolling around 1.8 mph with the main motor would be nice. Comments please.

Can anyone recommend:
Trolling Motor (12V or 24V) I like the autopilot concept
Pontoon Make and Model
motor and horsepower
anything I am forgetting?

Thanks
Mike

I wouldn't guess as I haven't looked at new one's , but you want a 24 foot or bigger to give you the sleeping room and you might want to go triple toon for the stable ride.

24 v trolling motor remote and even better with the auto pilot so then you can have it hold you in place or run a line back and forth over a hole where there hitting.

The engine I say e-tec how big depends on your wallet, it's lighter than the four strokes and your not changing oil even when your not using it and no maintenance for 3 years on a new one and no break in.

You can get the camping enclosures on all of them but I let some of the guys with them tell you the pro's and con's on them.

Good choice on the toon... Plenty of room to camp/fish/guide on! How big a motor you get will depend on how fast you need to get somewhere and how much gas you want to burn getting there!

I can only speak for the toon I own, its a voyager and its a solid, well built model... Best bet is to go find a local dealer and see what you can get, most companies make fishing specific models with livewells and corner fishing seats!

Welcome to the site!