Pontoon boat w/ casting platform

[ORpoke]

Looking for one of these to use in small rivers/creeks that are too small for a drift boat. Anyone know of some good brands - and have you tried them?

[draggin bottom]

Hi OR,

I have been studying alrger catarafts for a while now. IMHO, the best deal out there right now on a quality, stable boat is Bad Cat River Boats. Made in the NW is a plus. (Tillamook). Gary's shop in Clackamas, OR carries them. (Not sure if I can use the shop's name here). They don't have alot of dealers so they could be tough to find in GP. They do sell direct, but no price difference. So support your favorite shop. I'm sure they could get it for you. I know they go down to 9 feet, maybe 8. You can stand and cast even in broken water. I can get you more details in a PM if you wish. Good luck and let us know what you buy and I'd like your review.

DB

[Tanner]

Do a search, there are countless threads on this.

Definitely do your homework or most likely you will be sorry for making a hasty purchase. You want to look at things like who makes the most durable ONE PIECE frame, are the pontoons full rocker shaped or not (full rocker is not good if you want it to track and not flip over in larger whitewater.

Just rememkber the old phrase "You Get What You Pay For".

Try this for a start. I don't own one but wish I had bought this instead of the one that I have

Or if you want to look at one of the best in the business try here I do own one of these but in the 16 foot version. WHITEWATER MACHINE!!!!!!!

[ 01-08-2004, 03:32 PM: Message edited by: Tanner ]

[Water Ready]

I am the new ifish flyboard sponser that Jennie spoke about. Still working towards the link. I build 8' to 14'Cats with floors. 8 and 9' seems to be a little unstable, kinda like standing on a innertube. 10'x19" pontoons are quite a bit more stable. Best all around is the 12'x19". can also be made into a small 2 person. My pontoons are called Rapidcats, and are built for whitewater fishermen in mind. Aluminum frames with 12 postion locking swivel seat. e-mail if you would like. or check out my website. :smile:

[Tanner]

Iwannago-Fish,
What kind and weight of material are your tubes made out of?

[Water Ready]

My toons are 1100 D- pvc, welded at seams. I have ten that I rent and demo on the North Santiam. Have never had an issue and we did a lot of low water this summer. I have video of Salmon being caught on one of my Cats. My own has a foot release anchor system and rod holder for pullin' plugs. I run a 12'x19" cat and like the way it handles and supports my 250 lb body. The frame is all welded(TIG) .125 aluminum 6061 tubing , so no nuts and bolts or pins holding together. Total wgt. of boat(12 ft) is 90 lbs. I can send more info, but e-mail me at waterrdy@wvi.com if you would like.

[Holehog]

ORpoke, I have a 9' version of the cat refered to by Tanner as "this" and it has served me well. Great for small rivers and low water conditions. The entire cataraft thing has had a domino efect on me. I now own a 9', 12' and 14' and mostly use the 14 on the Sandy, Clack and the rivers of the O.P.
Shop carefully and get the best boat you can afford.
Good Luck

[Fishy-Fingers]

I saw one for sale on the "Boat and Tackle" classifieds. The listing is on the first page and is listed as:

Pontoon Boat w/ Minnkota electric motor

I was looking at it for myself but don't feel I want to afford it right now.

[Steelheader69]

I agree with Tanner. The steelheader is best on market. Built for every situation, and heaviest built tubes/frames on the market. Plus, biggest handling capacity too. I've test run mine on class V's. Especially in the smaller 9/10' boats are extremely stable on anchor to fish out of. Now, I've owned and/or run boats from 8' to 18' catarafts. I like the makeup of the Steelheaders for fishing. Plus, they're made of 5500 Denier. Pretty hardcore stuff.

[3527766]

One thing to consider is transportability. Larger units need trailers or pickups to move around while the smaller one can be loaded on top of any rig and tied down. If you fish alone, the ability to lift the pontoon intact onto the top of your vehicle by yourself is essential. Otherwise, you are breaking it down and putting it wet and muddy into the back of your SUV when you're cold, tired and hungry. Generally, I don't use the pontoon if I'm fishing with other people (drift boat) so it's a one person operation. If we are going on a longer trip, I almost always have something else attached to the trailer hitch (sled, drift boat, or bike rack) so I need to be able to tie it down on my roof. However, the stand up frames and more stability of the larger units is very very nice. I've done it both ways and it's a matter of tradoffs. Just make sure before you buy because the resale value is nowhere close to the purchase price.

[Fishing Maniac]

I see the Skookum Pontoon drifters being advertised in the back of the Salmon Trout Steelheader magazine all the time. They claim to have a casting platform and be very stable. They seem a bit pricy but better safe than sorry. Good luck!

[Water Ready]

:smile: Fishing Maniac,
Sorry your so far away. More than welcome to demo one of my Rapidcat 10', 11', 12'or 14' Cats to check out stability. I build for fishermen. Feel free to e-mail to try if the drive is not to far. :grin: Happy Fishn' &lt))>< Rapidcats