Personal Pontoon Boats

By Jeff Knapp

One of the most versatile fishing platforms I’ve had the pleasure of using is the personal pontoon boat. Larger than a float tube yet smaller than a rowboat, personal pontoon boats are at home on both still and flowing waters.

Personal pontoon boats are a step up the evolutionary ladder from the float tube. Flippers worn on the feet propel float tubes, which resemble an inner tube fashioned with a harness in which the angler sits. Your lower body is submerged in water.

The foundation of a personal pontoon boat, like the float tube, is one that inflates, making it quite portable. Two pontoons, typically ranging in size from seven to nine feet, support a metal frame constructed of either aluminum or lightweight steel. The frame is attached to the pontoons by a system of nylon straps. A folding seat is bolted to the metal frame, as are stands that house the oarlocks. Oars propel the boat, though some larger models can accept a small electric trolling motor.

Last fall I began field-testing the Fish Cat Panther, which is marketed by Cabelas. The Panther is a larger pontoon boat and features nine-foot pontoons. Even with all its detachable amenities in place, which includes a rear deck that will hold an anchor as well as a motor bracket, the boat weights only 75 pounds. The anchor is deployed via a pulley system that allows the rope to be tied off to a cleat mounted toward the front of the frame. I don’t plan on using a motor with this boat, as my objective is to keep things as simple as possible, fishing waters inaccessible to larger, more traditional craft.

Last fall I had the chance to put the Fish Cat to the test on a local river. Joining me was Howard Wagner of Fombell, PA, in Beaver County. Wagner is best known as an accomplished muskie fishing enthusiast, but on this early fall day, smallmouth bass would be our target. Howard fished from a kayak, which is another excellent craft for exploring tough-to-get-to waters.

The last time Howard and I had fished flowing waters for smallmouth bass was a couple of months earlier, when the water temperatures were in the mid-80’s. Even though we caught and released more than 30 bass during that outing, we decided that day a return trip was in order to see if larger-sized bass would show themselves when the water cooled. As I readied the pontoon boat along the river’s edge, I was anxious to see how things would go with more favorable conditions.

I had hauled the inflated pontoons in the back of my vehicle, which necessitated leaving the rear hatch open. The framework had been broken down into components that easily fit in the back of the SUV. Once at the riverside pull-off, it took about 10 minutes to snap the framework together and lash the pontoons to the frame. This is about the same amount of time that it takes me to ready my trailered boat in the parking lot of an access area.

Once on the water, it took a few minutes to become accustomed to the handling of the boat. It was very responsive to the seven-foot oars. Soon I was heading upriver in a more or less straight line. As the outing progressed, things became more natural and I was able to fish quite effectively out of the boat, rowing upriver to likely spots and casting to them as the boat drifted back downstream.

As Howard and I had hoped, the bass were just as numerous this day and were of a better average size than the ones we had taken during the summer. Many fish in the 14-inch range were caught and released. Ones up to 18 inches hit just as the final moments of daylight disappeared. Our three hours together passed quickly, but not before we had hooked at least two-dozen bronzebacks.

With any boat there are aspects of compromise. Big boats are great to fish from, but more difficult to handle, as well as more expensive to buy and maintain. Smaller craft may be easier to handle, but are unsuited for larger waters. So it is with a personal pontoon boat. It’s more of a chore to inflate, haul and erect a personal pontoon boat than to pull a kayak off the bed of a truck and slide it into the nearby water. However, the pontoon boat is more comfortable to fish from. With a beam of about six feet you don’t have to worry about capsizing it. Platforms to the port and starboard house tough nylon bags that can be used to store a camera and assorted gear. Carrying an extra rod is not at all cumbersome and the task of rowing provides great exercise. At prices of $500 and less, boats of this style provide a host of angling possibilities, including access to waters that are seldom fished

Small air pumps, specifically designed for inflatable boats, are available. Models include 110 volt, 12 volt and hand-pump versions. All provide the low-pressure inflation personal pontoon boats require.

SIDEBAR on JERKBAITS

In recent years, jerkbaits like the Rapala Husky Jerk have made a big impression on the bass-fishing market. This year’s introduction of the Rapala X-Rap, termed by the company as a “slash bait,” provides yet another option in baits of this style.

During Wagner’s and my recent outing, I had the chance to try out a smaller, 3 1/8- inch version of the X-Rap, a size better suited for bronzebacks. Earlier that year, the smallmouth bass along this section of flowing water went crazy for a soft-plastic jerkbait in the vein of the Yum Houdini Shad. On this trip, the preference was for a hard body bait, and the X-Rap fared very well.

The X-Rap has a more extreme action than traditional bass-sized jerkbaits. It can be twitched, jerked, stalled, or brought in on a straight retrieve. Many of the bass I caught last week hit the bait on the pause, an action known as “killing” the lure.

The 3 1/8 inch X-Rap is slated to be available early this year.