Pontoon advice for newbie tooner!!

[SoCalAngler]

Hello all--

I may be interested in purchasing a toon...what should I be looking for in a toon based on the following:

My interests/uses in a pontoon will be primarily fishing with 1-3 adults and 1-2 kids with some family cruising with 2-3 adults and 2 kids.

I was considering a 17-18 deep V fishing boat (Lund, Tracker, Crestliner), but not sure if it is as safe for my 8yo son who is autistic as perhaps a pontoon boat. Thoughts on safety between a pontoon and a 17'-18' fishing boat for my intended purposes (see above and below)?

The 17'-18' fishing boat can be crowded with 4 people aboard and don't want to lose my 8yo overboard, as he can be quite inquisitive and likes to climb on stuff! Life jackets are always worn by all aboard at all times!!

Fresh water fishing in my local lake which is 5 miles long and 2 miles wide (1-2 times per month)

Lake Havasu with family of 5 (fishing/cruising....2-3 times per year)

Lake Mead (2 times per year....fishing/cruising)

Lake Tahoe (fishing/cruising....maybe once per year)

No water skiing, maybe some float tube pulls with the kids. Nothing fast.

Thanks!!

[Toonfisher]

My .02. Pontoon all the way. Especially with children who may become bored quikly. More room to move around safely and keep entertained. Stability is also a huge plus. Good luck with whatever you decide on. Welcome.

[ROLAND]

we also use our toon almost exclusively for fishing, so the first thing I would recommend is getting one with vinyl flooring as opposed to carpet.... ours has vinyl and it's great when you consider spilled bait, dropped fish, etc... cleans up easily... this marine vinyl is not like the old kitchen floor stuff. It's textured so it has some " grip " to it and not a problem with being slippery when it's wet.... I think a pontoon is the way to go with kids also... pontoons are very stable, and obviously much more comfortable.... as for the motor, there are those that say get the most motor your boat is rated to carry, and that's a good point... However "more' motor means more money, so I would recommend to power your boat according to what your boating needs are.... if you're just going to cruise around the lake and go from fishing hole to fishing hole, then you probably won't need a big outboard... however if you think you'll be hauling around 6, 8, or more people, or if you think you will occasionally want to pull skiers or tubes, then I'd go with a bigger motor... My boat only has a 75 yamaha on it... tops out @ around 23 mph with just me and the wife... plenty fast for our needs.... like I said really depends on what you plan to do with your boat... good luck boat shopping and let us know what you decide on...

[HandymanHerb]

If your going to be on those big lakes I would say 22 to 24 foot, a 20 foot might get thrown around more on big lakes.

A pontoon is the perfect fishing platform to teach kids how to fish and great for us big guys too, your taking your own dock with you to fish off of and boats passing you won't throw you all over the place.

[Mr Geets]

We went from an 18' inboard bowrider to a 21' pontoon. REALLY HAPPY. We like to do pretty much what you do. As my brother said Hey you just bought yourself an island! The full top is super for shade and fishing in the rain Tubing is doable with my 90 horse but the rope drags in the water - need a tow point or floating ball (?). Enjoy!

[Bamaman]

Angler:

I'm also one of those who says throw the max horsepower to pontoons. But a 90 hp would probably suit you. I too like 22' or slightly larger boats for stability and general seaworthiness--and they're just slightly more money than a 20'er.

It looks like you plan to get around the region on your vacations and weekend outings. And some of these locations are in the mountains and at high elevation.

Let me just warn you about towing a pontoon/tritoon with a marginal tow vehicle. (This subject's been written about extensively.) These boats are not necessarily heavier than fiberglass V Hull boats, but they feel heavier than they actually are due to lack of aerodynamics and the general length of the trailers. A tandem axle trailer is preferred--for safety if a tire blows and stability.

I'm spoiled with 3/4 ton diesel SuperDuty crew cab setup for towing. I also like a V-8 pickup or SUV to tow a pontoon--especially if you're going to be going up to Lake Tahoe's 5000' elevation. A lot of new 6 cylinder, 300 hp vehicles will pull a boat, but you've also got to be able to stop and go around a corner at normal speeds. And rear wheel drive or 4 wheel drive vehicles are best.

[jafo9]

i have no personal experience with your lakes, however, my advice is to buy enough boat to be safe on the most dangerous lake you will boat on. an 18' 2 logger may be fine on a private lake you are fishing, but a 27' tri-toon may struggle on a big lake with lots of other boats or bad weather patterns.

[Oldboater]

For stability and space, get a pontoon. I have a 22 foot with a 90 HP motor. Top speed is 27 mph. I also have a tow bar. 22 foot pontoons are more stable in rough water.

[BoatCop]

Mead, Mohave, Havasu and Tahoe can get pretty rough in a big hurry. They're big lakes and storms crop and and ruin the water with little warning.

Even a 20' pontoon can get tossed around pretty good.

I'd look at a minimum 22' toon or even a tri-toon with max power.

My 22' with 90 hp handles the Lakes with no issues.

[BobG]

Mead, Mohave, Havasu and Tahoe can get pretty rough in a big hurry. They're big lakes and storms crop and and ruin the water with little warning.

You omitted Powell.

[BoatCop]

Yeah, I know. But the OP only mentioned those. (I threw in Mohave, since it's right below Mead)

[SoCalAngler]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, I will visit Lake Mohave, not sure about Powell, but perhaps.

After much thought and research, I have decided to go with a toon!!

I'm thinking 22' is what should work. Probably go with a 90hp.

Can't decide between a fishing model and cruising model. I like the open floor plan of fishing model, but the added couches up front make for nice laid back cruising.

Several used that I am finding (2002-2008), have 60hp 4 stroke on them. Most have 2 stroke engines which is not an option for me. Difficult to find one with a 90hp 4 stroke.

Used 'Toons out here on west coast in the 22' range (2002-2008 with a 60hp 4S) are fetching around $12-16K. New Benny 22' with a Yamaha 90hp is $26K.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.........fishing model or cruising model???????

I think I'm going to stick to a used 'toon to avoid a long drawn out payment.

So my search continues.....

[OK Toon]

Sounds like you are in the same boat (no pun intended) that we were this year when we started looking for our first toon. We had a budget of around $10K and my requirements list was 22', 2000 model year or newer, 90hp 4-stroke and cruising model floorplan.

Everyone we talked to said that would be very difficult to find (based on our budget). But we found a 2003 Lowe Suncruiser that was just a bit over our budget and I was able to talk the guy down to $500 over our budget -- but we got everything we wanted in a boat and we couldn't be happier. I would have loved to gone with a tritoon, but that just wasn't in the budget for our first boat. Maybe in 5-6 years, we'll be ready to trade up for a newer model and get a tritoon then.

Good luck with your search. We had our best luck on Craig's List (searching all nearby cities as well).

[curtiscapk]

one of the cali guys last year bought his toon just south of KC... I think he only paid 800 in shipping something to think about.



http://kansascity.craigslist.org/bod/3326828865.html

[BoatCop]

Now is the best time to buy a used toon here in the southwest.

I'm not sure how it is in the rest of the Nation, but a lot of people out here buy their toon in the spring, use it all summer and sell it in the fall to buy buy desert toys. (Quads, SxS, etc). They use them all winter and sell in the spring to buy another toon. They do this year after year, so they don't have to store toys they're not using.

Check on http://www.boattrader.com. You can compare prices and find pretty good deals on used toons.