34 replies to this topic

[Foersterhunter]

Ok i know there are some of you fellow fly flingers out there with these toys.Just wondering what your likes or dislikes on the model you have are.If i was going to get one right now it would either be an outcast fish cat 9 dlx or a water skeeter.I like the orvise waterskeeter but think i would lean toward the cabelas waterskeeter promo boat.Anyone have any other ideas or thoughts.

[tightlines]

I would really like one of these

Trout Unlimited Columbia Pontoon Boat

http://cgi.ebay.com/...3675555652&rd=1

[MSUICEMAN]

look around as many of these "labelled" float tubes are in fact waterskeeters with different logos on em. Usually the same setup even, but they are more money than just a regular waterskeeter. I was looking at them last year and realized that.

steve

[dabalone]

A recent thread on pontoon boats is available to check out here, maybe someone can find it for you. I have a waterskeeter, and my son just bought a outcast streamer xl I believe its called. Both are 8 foot pontoons and work great for the small lakes and and medium class rivers we fish. I can stack one on top of the other in the back of my long bed Chevy and have plenty of room to fit in all the gear we need with the tailgate up. They sit you up higher, keep you mostly dry and are much more comfortable than a floattube. Skookum, is another brand named in last thread. They are high end dollar wise but an awesome looking pontoon boat. You can find them doing a search.

Pontoon boats are very portable, stable fishing platforms that wont break the bank and allow you to access more water than a floattube and do it quietly. Some are better suited than others for running rapids and I am sure more info will be forthcoming here.

[riverboy]

Kevin

I have that Cabela's waterskeeter promo boat. It is a very nice boat for the $$. It tracks very well, it is easily assembled in about 10 to 15 minutes. It has the steel frame which of course is a little heavier than Aluminum. It also only has the single bladder pontoon's. But when you get a boat with aluminum frame and double bladder you probably will add $500 to the price. I am extremly happy with my boat. It takes me to places I could never get to before!

[sherman]

I beleive it is Orvis that makes one almost exactly like the Water Skeeter but it has a much better warranty, I think it is a lifetime warranty. I have a regular water skeeter and like it, I plan to get a wire basket for rear storage from their website. It's pretty durable, I crash in to a lot of things and have had no problems. I don't use mine as much as I would like but so far have no complaints about it.

[SpentWing]

Foersterhunter,

I have two of the 8' DryFly boats. I don't need two anymore, and wouldn't mind selling one. Let me know if you're interested.

Mike

[Foersterhunter]

Mike the only problem i have with the dry fly boats is that i need something with an open frame thats why i never really looked to hard at them.

[ridderbos3]

I have seen the dry fly boats at the southfield show. I never really realized how expensive they were. That 8 footer is over 800 bucks. How much would you sell it for used?

john

[SpentWing]

Hi Jon,

The boat that I have for sale has most of the accessories Dave offers. Black frame, anchor system, cargo bag, rod holder, cup holder, two piece oars, and the anchor rope bag. New, it's about $1200. I'm looking for $600.

Mike

[Steelheader69]

I think I've done more posts on pontoons then about anything else on boards over the years. Been running them for about 20 years now. Started out running them for whitewater. Then into fishing.

They thing for me is what you plan to do with it, and how much you plan to spend. For the most part, people only need the cheaper ODC/fishcats. Why spend more then $300 for a boat if you rarely plan to fish from it.

BUT, if you ever plan to pay $1,000+, look into the skookums. I'd rather put the $1200 you'd put out for a high end 9' outcast or bucks and buy the Skookum Osprey. Better handling capability, and better built. The Steelheader models are more of a fishing machine. One you can stand up and fish from. Was the first on the market to offer this (well before Outcast and the likes had their bigger boats). They are extremely stable. Was a pioneer in the whitewater grade pontoon boat market. Mostly because he is a whitewater guy like myself who wasn't pleased with what the makers had out there. Even when Aire took over production for Outcasts upper end boats, they needed to increase the waterline to improve fishing stability. Great for lakes, bad for rivers.

[Sippy]

[Big Daddy Hubbard]

best one that I have seen in the ODC Hobie CAt....expensive, but well worth it.....plastic pontoons that float you high and without the worry of accidental punctures or the occasional stop to re-inflate air chambers

[Steelheader69]

BDH, those are good for lakes, but BAD for rivers. Would highly suggest those who buy those not to use them for that purpose. You have good points, but actually the solid hull defeats the "forgiveness" aspect these boats create. In fact, in a hard river situation can be worse for you. The soft hull makes you bounce off rocks. Whereas in a hard hulled boat (your normal driftboat, etc) will actually come to a stop, if not flip. Have seen many driftboats sink/fracture hitting rocks in hard runs (usually rocks unseen underwater). The fracture part is the next thing. That hard hull has very little forgiveness. One good hit, and a fracture isn't as easy to navigate with as a slow leak on a normal pontoon.

Just something to consider. When I first started whitewatering these boats back in the mid 80's as a teenager (most of us started running class V's before we had drivers licenses lol) saw alot of experimental boats. Since at the time, there really wasn't many companies producing these boats. So knew alot of custom cataraft makers (most would modify rafts into single tubes). Saw a couple hardhulled boats. They didn't work well. Luckily, hobie probably was able to correct things a bit. But still, not a good thing to have split. A leak in one of those probably would be far worse then a slow leak on an inflatable.

[dabalone]

The name Hobie brought back memories, I was surfing on his boards early 60's thru 70's and remember custom ordering my first Hobie board. When it got close to pick up time I couldn't sleep. Kids lol. He has been around for a long time and still cranking out quality products.