I'm new, I'm new...

[Ron Burgundy]

Are you saying we should have them put a trolling motor on the unit?

We live just North of the Skyway, so Egmont isn't a stretch. We would like to go at least as far as Anna Maria. You think that's doable?

I know you guys are thinking...why did we ever let her in here? Ha Ha

No, the bow is good.

Yes, if conditions are right.

[oldcoot]

Pammy....welcome aboard....no matter which way you go motorwise....you are going to spend quality time together on the 'toon...my bride and I had a runabout with a 200hp Evinrude and a Tracker Proteam 185 bass boat...we fish ALOT!!....now with our 24ft Suntracker Party Barge with fishing seats on the front porch...we don't fish as much...(I type this as the song "Pontoon" by Little Big Town comes on the radio)....we have enjoyed this boat more than any other we've had...I was born in Tampa...get the 200hp for those nasty storms and tides...definitely get a troller for the inlets to fish in....enjoy the ride!!!

[rbiederwolf]

Pammy, welcome aboard. First a Tritoon is the only way to go. I just spent a week down in the FL Keys on the ocean side, and my original pontoon would have been a problem. However my tritoon was amazing.

I have a 115hp and get 27-28mph at WOT. I have lifting strakes on the center tube but not the outers. In rough waters I need more power. Mostly as you go with the waves the boat still "surfs" too much, and does not ride on top of the waves.

I am looking at a 150hp and a 200hp. My local guy says that currently Yamaha is testing a "new" 200hp engine. It is lighter than the current 200hp and I think he said a 4 cylinder thus more fuel efficient as well.

If it were up to him the current 200hp is not worth the extra dollars over the 150hp. He says you dont gain a ton in hp because of the weight difference. He thinks the "new" 200hp engine however will be a much better choice. Hopefully it will be out end of this year.

Hope this helps

[Pammy]

You guys are great. I have already told Wes we have to have a trolling motor. We were thinking a 150 on a 22' Sun Chaser. Wes has injured himself so we have been on hold for a week. (The 200 is still in the running though)
I do want to trailer the boat to the keys. We never took any of our other boats, but we are excited about being "Tooners". Taking the Toon and the Yak would be my dream vacation.

Pam

[Pammy]

"now with our 24ft Suntracker Party Barge with fishing seats on the front porch...we don't fish as much..."

The boat we are looking at has the seats for fishing as well. Are you saying that we won't want to fish in the boat or that "pontooning" in general is so pleasurable that we will forget about fishing? Pleasure in any fashion is okay with me . I fish from a kayak. I can always take that with us.

[HandymanHerb]

Fishing is great from a pontoon, your can walk any where and do what you need to get the fish and really great for teaching kids how the fish, just like being on a dock, but you can move it to where the fish are.

[GregF]

Toons also make great dive boats if you are not too cluttered up with furniture. I had a regular ladder but my dog loading platform is even better. You can swing around and sit on that with all of your gear and unpack there.

[bruuuuce]

Rough water I would go with a 24' or 26' toon with a BIG motor... I know not what you have found or looking at but the longer boat and bigger motor will make a better ride, PLUS if Wes likes a speed boat he isn't gonna be happy with a 150, he is gonna feel like a turtle caught in a outgoing tide.

Also if it isn't already salt water and Aluminum = corrosion so you have to paint the toons with anti fouling paint, so be sure to check that and make sure you factor that into your cost.

Pontoons are slow, if you like speed you have go tritoon and big motor/motors.

[oldcoot]

Fishing is great from a pontoon, your can walk any where and do what you need to get the fish and really great for teaching kids how the fish, just like being on a dock, but you can move it to where the fish are.

Exactly....we still fish...but not as much...seems the pleasure has overidden the fishin'....for now....LOL!!

[playcat]

Y We were thinking a 150 on a 22' Sun Chaser. Wes has injured himself so we have been on hold for a week. (The 200 is still in the running though)
I do want to trailer the boat to the keys. We never took any of our other boats, but we are excited about being "Tooners". Taking the Toon and the Yak would be my dream vacation.

Pam

Before deciding on the 150 vs 200, check the weight difference...if the 200 is more than 100 pounds heavier, then performance-wise not so much difference.

We carry our kayak on our toon and it has really opened up new use for use, especially when we fish. plus, when we are bottom fishing for monster catfish, its a bit slow for the kids, and they paddle to the beach on the yak while we change baits, etc.

[Bamaman]

Toons also make great dive boats if you are not too cluttered up with furniture. I had a regular ladder but my dog loading platform is even better. You can swing around and sit on that with all of your gear and unpack there.

Greg: You're right about their making great dive boats. But not in my new Bennington.

Old junky pontoon boats make great dive boats. You know, the kind with bare plywood floors and wooden benches for seats.

My local dive shop took a 28' pontoon and widened it to about 12'. Then, put an old 235 hp Johnson on it and a generator to run a bunch of flood lights. It's quite a sight to see in the middle of the night on river dives.

[JohnO]

We carry our kayak on our toon and it has really opened up new use for use, especially when we fish. plus, when we are bottom fishing for monster catfish, its a bit slow for the kids, and they paddle to the beach on the yak while we change baits, etc.

Just bought a couple kayaks Wednesday. Ran into a couple onthe lake that let my daughter try theirs out. She took to it like a duck to water. I told them they just cost me a bunch of money. I got 9.6' boats that fit quite nicely on the front of my pontoon. So starting tomorrow we'll be running to the coves and then exploring them in the kayaks. Too cool

[Ron Burgundy]

I've been thinking about getting a kayak to bring along also. I used to have one. The beauty is in the simplicity. Sometimes less is more.

[russelljackson]

I have been wondering if anybody did this, I've been thinking about it ever since we started looking at toons! It's the perfect platform to kayak off of! Can't wait!

[Pammy]

The kayak caused the biggest push for a pontoon over a traditional V hull. I love my kayak. I have all but given up riding my motorcycle for the last couple of years due to my kayak bonding....It's almost my favorite thing...