Anyone take your pontoon in the texas gulf? where? opinions?

[raythebigfoot]

Hey guys, new pontoon owner and new to forum. I just bought a new suntracker 24 XP3, tritoon, with 200 mercury verado. It's been great on lakes, but I don't live far from the coast and love to fish down there. Just not sure whether or not I should take a pontoon in the ocean. Obviously not for offshore fishing, but anybody here take their pontoon in the bays or flats? Any opinions or things I should look out for or should I avoid altogether? Will it ruin the boat even if I wash it off well? It is safe? Any and all opinions or advice would be welcome.

[steveiam]

Welcome Ray!
I have never tooned there but I fish the jeddy's when I'm down there and I seems I always see toons in the ship channel-
I bet somebody else can be more help-

[COTTS4x4]

I've had mine about 20 miles offshore in the Florida keys. Just wash it off good and pick your days depending on weather (don't go in bad conditions and you'll be fine). They handle choppy water very well. We've caught all kinds of fish offshore from mine.

[margaritaman]

The pontoon would handle salt water just wash it down after every use and flush the motor. You should be more worried if your trailer is not galvanized or aluminum. Salt water will eat it up even with good washing. I have a galvanized trailer but the leaf springs are not and they get rusty and break.

[RcgTexas]

A pontoon is great fishing platform, I have taken my boat to the jetties in Sabine pass and Galveston Tx . The salt is really hard on anything not resistant to corrosion, especially fasteners and boat trailers. My trailer is hot dipped galvanized, it isn't pretty, but has no rust except the springs that aren't galvanized .


As with any large open body of water...............watch the weather!

[zoom650]

If you decide to make trips to the ocean a regular thing, consider adding a few more sacrificial anodes. The salt package option included one on each toon, the transom, and of course the engine.

A good tritoon eats up a choppy bay like its nothing at all.

[ToonGuy]

Maybe send a PM to Mrtoler here (he's pretty busy and doesn't get on too much). I believe he regularly takes toons in the Gulf.

[trucky]

I would consider adding a marine VHF radio with a good antenna too...

[BobL]

.....The salt is really hard on anything not resistant to corrosion, especially fasteners and boat trailers....

When I had my 23' Robalo (with a galvanized trailer), I would stop at a fresh water launch on the way home. Launch the boat and tie it up to the pier and let it idle (flushing the engine). While this was going on, I would dunk the trailer as deep as possible and let it sit there for a few minutes. And before any one gets ticked at my launch etiquette, this was done at night .

Some galvanized trailers are hollow box framed so the galvanization process can be incomplete. Maybe I am too OCD but that is why people like to buy my used stuff.

When I take my jet skis to Florida I spray the crap out of the entire engine compartment with Corrosion X before I go and after I clean up.

http://www.corrosionx.com/marine.html

Sorry for the thread jack.....