Pontoon Boats : A Buyers Guide

When shopping around for a pontoon boat for fly fishing, there are a number of things to look for and consider. What type of pontoon boat you want will really depend on a number of factors, all of which are determined by the type of fly fishing you do, where you do it, and how you will transport your boat.

Contents of this article:

• Inflatable Pontoon Boats v. Solid Pontoon Boats
• Size of the Pontoon Boat
• Pontoon Boat Uses
• Transport Issues for Pontoon Boats

Inflatable Pontoon Boats v. Solid Pontoon Boats

The first big factor to be decided on selecting the right type of pontoon boat for fly fishing is whether or not to get inflatable air bladders in the pontoon boat or to get solid air bladders. Each of these types of pontoon boats have their pros and cons, depending on how you will be using them.

McDonald Creek in Glacier Park

Inflatable air bladder pontoon boats offer the benefit of being immensely portable. Once the air bladders of the pontoon boat are deflated, these types of boats easily fit in most trunks, depending on the size of the frame. As the air bladders are inflatable, these types of pontoon boats are also lighter than their solid air bladder cousins. Some of these inflatable pontoon boats are even small enough and light enough to be backpacked into remote lakes and ponds.

Although the air bladders on inflatable pontoon boats are not solid, they are still immensely strong. They are designed for nasty encounters with rocks and logs and such, so they will not easily puncture. And, should they puncture, these air bladders are easily patched. Just make sure you have a patch kit with you in the boat - not in the glove compartment of your car.

If there is a downside to inflatable pontoon boats it is that they take a little longer to set up and take down. In addition to having to assemble the frame and attach it to the pontoons, inflatable pontoon boats obviously have to have the air bladders inflated. Happily, this usually doesn't take more than 5-10 minutes, depending on the type of pump used and how big the pontoon air bladders are.

Solid, or rigid, pontoon boats, on the other hand, have solid pontoons. These pontoons, in essence, are tough special forms of plastic. You never have to fill the pontoons with air as the pontoons are solid, just like a catamarans sailboats pontoons are. The good side to this is that the pontoons are more durable than the inflatable pontoons - you really have to work at it to puncture a solid air pontoon.

On the other hand, because the pontoons are solid, they aren't likely going to fit quite as nicely in the back of your trunk - depending on the size of the boat, of course. This is not a big deal if you have a pick up truck, but is worth remembering if you will be transporting the boat by car.

Solid bladder pontoon boats also make setup easier. Since the air bladders do not need to be inflated, set up involves simply assembling the frame, attaching it to the pontoons and casting off.

Size of the Pontoon Boat

Another consideration in buying a pontoon boat for fly fishing is to figure out how big of a boat you need. Pontoon boats come in all sorts of sizes, including some two person varieties. The differing sizes of pontoon boats all have their advantages, depending on what you use them for and where you use them.

In general, if you are very large, you will want a larger pontoon boat due to the extra weight capacity these boats provide. The larger pontoon boats have larger air bladders, and thus have a larger weight capacity. Thus, if you weigh a lot or will be taking a lot of gear on a float trip, a larger boat will be needed.

And on that subject, don't overload a pontoon boat. While these boats are tough to tip, it can be done, especially if you have 500 lbs of weight in a boat designed for 400 lbs. Thus, if you think you will at sometime be using your pontoon boat for long river journeys with lots of gear, get a big pontoon boat that can handle it!

The smaller pontoon boats, though, have the obvious benefit of being lighter and generally a little bit more maneuverable. As they are smaller, they are also less expensive and a tad quicker to set up.

Lastly, if you want to have two people out on the water with you, make sure you get the new tandem pontoon boats that have recently become available. Never put two people on a pontoon boat that is only designed for one!

Pontoon Boat Uses

Where you will be using your pontoon boat is also another factor in deciding what type of pontoon boat to use. If you will be using the boat primarily on rivers, especially those with rapids of Class III or IV, you will want to make absolutely sure that the pontoon boat is rated for whitewater. Some pontoon boats are only designed for sedate rivers and lakes and will not handle well in whitewater. If you take one of these types of pontoon boats out into the rapids you are not likely to have a real fun time.

Thus, if you plan on primarily river fishing, be sure to double-check the specs of the boat to make sure that they are fully capable of whitewater.

For lake fishing and sedate river running, any pontoon boat will work just fine.

Transporting a Pontoon Boat

As mentioned, inflatable pontoon boats offer the big advantage of being more portable as most will fit quite nicely in the back of a trunk once deflated. Solid pontoon boats, on the other hand, usually won't fit quite so nicely in a trunk and man require a larger vehicle to haul them around in (many people put these types of boats on the roof of their vehicles, actually).

Thus, make sure you know before hand how you will be hauling your pontoon boat around. Likewise, if you plan on carrying the boat around for long distances (portages, around rapids, etc..), make sure the pontoon boat is light enough to be easily carried in awkward places.

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