MrSimon

Sounds like he didn't actually make the jets bigger .... basically he just cleaned them out with brute force. If bad gas sits in the carbs for a long time, it becomes almost impossible to clean everything with just solvents and thin wire. I'd definitely put new fuel hoses/filters on for good measure. All it takes is one small piece of gunk from the inside of the hose to break loose and lodge in the jets.

Outstanding pictures! You did a great job on the post production editing.

I agree. Don't let it go. Cleaning carbs isn't all that hard, but it's one of those jobs that people often don't do properly .... especially the jokers some marinas hire to work in the shop. If at all possible, take the boat out on the water and show them what's happening, then after the fix it, take them back out to make sure it's fixed. Also, I believe the carbs on that motor need to be synchronized ... which should have been included in the work they already did.

Couple guys said it already, but if the wife isn't on board, it's not a good idea to sink a lot of time and money into something. I totally agree that renting a few different places over the next couple years is the way to go. Check out different areas and talk about the various options with the wife.

I'll second what Chris said about the carpet floor .... if you are going to fish from it, definitely get vinyl. When talking about rough water, the size of the actual pontoons makes a big difference. The shorter boats will have smaller diameter pontoons that don't handle waves all that well. The larger boats have wider beems and larger diameter pontoons ... making them much more stable in rough water.

Launching, retrieving, and docking is not a problem at all. If you have any boating experience whatsoever, you'll be fine. Mine tows great and doesn't get blown around at all, but I'm towing with a 7,500 pound 3/4 ton Suburban on a brand new trailer. If you are seriously considering one, you should rent or borrow one for a few days and get the feel for it.

Make sure your mechanic takes it for a water test. Sometimes it's hard to diagnose a cylinder not firing in the shop. I had an issue with the same motor where the fuel connector at the motor was letting some air in ... causing it to stall out sometimes. I'd double check all your connections.

I have fished out of them for a while and recently bought one last year. I got a used 22' Crest with a very open and fishing-friendly layout. I wanted a fishing chair at every corner, no sun decks or big lounges, and I wanted the railings to extend all the way to edge of the floor (meaning no deck on the outside of the fence). It wasn't easy to find exactly what I wanted, but eventually I did. I put a brand new 90HP etec pontoon series on it and it will do 22mph. Regarding towing, they don't weight all that much, but they feel a lot heavier because of the air drag. If you will be towing long distances or through big hills or mountains, I'd definitely recommend using something substantial. A mid-size SUV with a V6 isn't going to cut it. In terms of fishing from them there are some pretty big pros and cons: PROS: Comfort and room!! It's huge, has a flat floor, plenty of storage, comfy chairs, and even a couch. It truly is like fishing out of your living room. Stability. I was really impressed by how well it handled waves. I was able to cut easily through chop that would have absolutely soaked me in my 16' V hull. A 22' hull usually spans the waves and gives a smooth and dry ride even in heavy wind. Family friendly. I can take my wife and three small kids out with no worries of people falling over. It has a sun cover, plenty of seating, a cooler, and is easy to drive. It's the perfect family cruiser. Capacity. I can go on a trip with 5 or 6 guys and not have to take two boats/vehicles. All my buddies can load up in the Suburban and take the pontoon boat anywhere we want to fish. Range. With almost a 30 gallon fuel tank you can run all week without having to fill up. Cons: Boat control. I opted to not put a trolling motor on my boat as it would be very much in the way and a tripping hazard when not deployed - not to mention expensive and would require three additional batteries on the boat. Therefore I have no way to control the boat other than to drift with the wind. Anchoring a 22' pontoon boat in windy conditions is an exercise in futility. If you like to target specific structure or slowly work a shoreline, you'll have a hard time in a pontoon boat. It's great for drifting and trolling though. Size. This isn't a problem for me as I have room to store it and a truck to pull it .... but not everyone does. Covering it. Not a biggie, but it takes some creativity (or money) to keep it properly covered when parked. All in all I love it. It's perfect for the family or relaxed fishing trips with a bunch of buddies. But for more serious structure fishing, I take my smaller boat that is better designed for that purpose.

Just this past week I went overboard while out fishing with my kids. I was leaning over the front of the pontoon waiting to drop the anchor ... I asked my 8 year old daughter to just bump the throttle forward a touch. For whatever reason she slammed it in reverse full speed. I went head over heels and landed in the water. Fortunately she quickly put it back in neutral and I scrambled back in the boat (adrenaline made that pretty easy). If she hadn't put it back in neutral the boat would have slammed into shore at full reverse speed with my 8 and 5 year old kids on board. It REALLY shook me up. It was my fault for asking her to use the throttle without having given her the proper instruction ahead of time. After that we went through some THOROUGH training on the boat, it's controls, and what to do in a bad situation. It was a very harsh reminder how quickly a fun day on the water can turn tragic.

If the fish dies, nature will make better use of it that you would anyway. Don't feel bad. You did the right thing. After all, our hobby is to fool animals into biting razor sharp hooks and then making them fight almost to the death .... purely for our enjoyment. Getting upset when one dies seems a little silly.

Are you saying that you already had it professionally tuned up and had the carbs cleaned? If so, then I'd assume it's running properly on all three cylinders and your problem is most likely motor positioning ...mounting location or trim settings - as was already mentioned. Any chance you have a long shaft motor on a short transom ... it kind of looks like that could be the case from the photos.

This got me thinking about my pontoon boat. It doesn't have a ladder and there is no way someone could climb up and over the side of a round pontoon and through one of the gates. The only real option is from the back, using the motor or climbing up the back of a pontoon. I think I'll be buying a boarding ladder for the front of the boat ASAP. I think they make them that fold up under the front deck between the pontoons ... something that can be pulled down from the water.

Falling out of a boat can happen to anyone. And it happens in an instant, with no warning. Lat year my buddy was fighting a monster, and BOOM, he was underwater. No idea what happened. Even as a strong athletic person, it wasn't easy getting back into the boat. Fortunately this situation had a happy ending. The other guy retrieved his rod and the fish was landed. That's not always the case.

I wonder what the long term difference in price is between getting motors with alternators vs. buying chargers and paying for the electricity. The alternators certainly are more convenient for the guests, but then again you'll have to charge/maintain all those batteries at some point.

Sad reminder that it's best to take a fishing buddy with you if you can. And if not, wear a life jacket and keep your cell phone in a water tight bag on your person. Especially on big water.

Hi guys. I'm looking for some places to take my family on a few day trips from our cottage in NY. I've listed the criteria below and was hoping to get your guys' thoughts. Within an hour or so from the 1000 island bridge (from looking at the map, I see places like Charleston, Rideau, Beverley, Sand, and a ton more) A nice public ramp with restrooms and maybe a picnic area Preferably a scenic lake without too many cottages - the more islands, bays, and rocks the better Looking more for numbers than size of fish. Bass, pike, walleye, trout ... whatever. As long as it pulls back the kids are happy. Ideally a lake that has mapping chips available. Thanks guys.

I couldn't agree more!!!! I should get a bumper sticker that says "slot limits and lower creel limits save lives"

At those prices, you could almost get a custom cut sheet of aluminum. Might be worth looking into.

Yup. But talking about boats instead of complaining about the government seems like a drift in the right direction.

Great advice in this thread!!!!!!! Trailer issues ruin trips WAY more than boat issues (at least in my experience). A few hours of maintenance once a year .... some spot checks throughout the season ... and you'll save yourself some big headaches. Thanks for the reminder! Also, in the winter, I remove the tires and set the trailer on blocks. The tires get sprayed with rubber treatment and store in the basement.

Nothing fancy. An old 16' Sylvan Super Snapper with a 2004 Honda 40HP. It's a little rough around the edged, but it serves me quite well. The pontoon is an older model Crest that I searched and searched for. It's got a very open floor plan with four fishing chairs at the corners, no deck sticking out past the railing, vinyl floor, and no frills. I finally found one in Delaware in the middle of winter and bought it sight unseen. I love it!!! I did upgrade the motor to a 90HP pontoon series e-tec though. I'm glad I did.

At Happy Day Lodge the owner encouraged us to release the walleye and eat the bass ... since the bass are ridiculously abundant in that lake and walleye is far and away the more sought after fish by guests. I thought that made sense so we ate some. They were delicious! Fried up in a fish taco you couldn't tell the difference between bass and walleye. The bass were harder to clean though ... tougher skin and seemed like harder bones than a walleye. If I had to clean bass on a regular basis, I'd use an electric knife.

So, if I read the rules properly, this is what I need: For my 16' boat with 40HP outboard: Life jackets for everyone on board 15m floating rope A paddle, OR an anchor with 15m of line A bail bucket OR manual pump A waterproof flashlight OR three flares A pealess whistle, airhorn, or something to make noise (I wonder if my kids count) Working nav lights For my 22' pontoon Life jackets for everyone on board A floating heaving line OR a throwable life buoy attached to a 15m floating line A reboarding device (this is interesting because my pontoon doesn't have a ladder, but it does have a step on the back of each pontoon, which could easily be used for climbing back in) A paddle or anchor and line Waterproof flashlight Approved fire extinguisher Six approved flares Whistle Working nav lights This is a good thread because I'm missing a few items. Time to go shopping and get all legal. PS - I think safety is important and having these items is a smart idea .... but it annoys me that the government tells me I HAVE to have them and will fine me if I don't. It's a slippery slope! What's next, getting checked to see if everyone is wearing sunblock, eye protection, and proper footwear?

I struggle with this with my own kids quite a bit. I used to make them wear them ALL the time in the boat, no matter the conditions. Now we use the rule "motor on, jackets on". Which also happens to be the law where I live. It's important to know what the laws in your area are. Life jacket related tickets can be steep. I got one in Ontario for $240.

LoL! Yes, we have a time machine! Actually, no. I just messed up when writing the caption. I didn't notice until the movie was already rendered and posted. It's too much of a pain in the arse to fix now.