Customizing/Building Pontoon Boat.

[MillerPhoto]

Just wondering if anyone out there owns a pontoon boat or did at one time..

 

Im looking at possibly building a custom pontoon boat.. Eaither buying a old used one, or buying just the pontoons and

building one from scratch.. Have lots of ideas for it, but just wondering if anyone has worked on one and has

any tips? I am customizing it for fishing, but also to work with my Wildlife photography, and for those rainy days, making a couple trap doors down the middle so your protected from the elements and can still jig directly below the boat with a cover over top.

 

Thanks

[2 tone z71]

seen all sorts of Pontoons up here on the bay ,worked for a few contractors over the yrs that there Barge is a set of toons with a deck on it ,lots of interesting setups out there,I like that enclosed idea with the hole in the floor be nice for late fall walleye jigging

Edited April 21, 2009 by North East Shark

[irishfield]

http://www.romppais.com/pontoon%20boat%20kits.htm

[MillerPhoto]

Aswome, thanks for the link Irishfield.

 

 

Shark, yeah I like the idea being able to inclose it from the wind and rain, and being able to jig for fish from inside.. Also could use a propane heater to boost the temp a little on those cold days.

[jediangler]

I've seen more musky photos from a pontoon boat this last year than ever before. Might be the new trend in fishing. I can see many advantages and only one drawback, speed.

[2 tone z71]

I've seen more musky photos from a pontoon boat this last year than ever before. Might be the new trend in fishing. I can see many advantages and only one drawback, speed.

theres at least 2 I can think of on the bay here that pick the front right out of the water almost looks like they plane off and they GO prob mid 30s pull skiers and kids on the tubes all summer

[irishfield]

Father-in-laws 26' tri hull does 38 MPH with the 115 Merc on the back.

Edited April 21, 2009 by irishfield

[Dondorfish]

Shark, yeah I like the idea being able to inclose it from the wind and rain, and being able to jig for fish from inside.. Also could use a propane heater to boost the temp a little on those cold days.

 

 

 

LOL - Startin' to sound an awful lot like ice fishing!

But that would be pretty neat!

 

Don

[MillerPhoto]

Yup, I have seen more and more large pontoons that you can almost ski behind! Alot of 20-24 foot pontoos are coming with 100hp+ motors now, better structure and building allows more HP. Change the aluminum frame to steel, and you could probly push 175HP!

 

Gives me a idea.... Pontoon Speed Boat! hahaha do we hear.. Gusiness Book Of World Records! lol

[Mike the Pike]

Shark, yeah I like the idea being able to inclose it from the wind and rain, and being able to jig for fish from inside.. Also could use a propane heater to boost the temp a little on those cold days.

 

 

 

 

LOL - Startin' to sound an awful lot like ice fishing!

But that would be pretty neat!

 

Don

 

So Don will you be getting the floating Holiday Inn back on the water sometime soon

[Radnine]

If I had a dedicated place on a lake I'd have a pontoon boat in a heartbeat. They are like the minivan of boats.

Jim

[Dondorfish]

So Don will you be getting the floating Holiday Inn back on the water sometime soon

 

 

Hey Mike - hope to have it up and running very soon - with a few new modifications!

 

Don

 

[e-z-out]

[TroutnMuskieHunter]

Chad....my wife and I bought our pontoon boat 15yrs ago and it's been and still is a pleasure going out on it .....it gets more use as a fishing boat now because the wife is bored of floating around the river

 

I put it in the river in the spring (maybe this weekend ) and pull it out when the ice starts to build up on the shore...it is ONE STABLE boat that I don't have any concerns about when heading out on a windy day and there's a good chop on the river....

 

If you're building one from scratch, don't cheap out on the floor material....look for some 7-ply Marine grade pressure treated plywood at a minimun!!....you can also google 3rd party pontoon furniture companies that sell swivel seats, lounge chairs with built in livewells, etc.....

 

You'll love it!!!

 

 

Edited April 21, 2009 by TroutnMuskieHunter

[irishfield]

This will be my next boat...

Edited April 22, 2009 by irishfield

[CLofchik]

Just go whole hog and spend the weekend out on the water.

These guys have the right idea

 

[POLLIWOGG]

If you want to use it for chartering or any commercial use it would be a nightmare to build from scratch because you would need it checked out for stability and weight etc, gets costly. Toons have been around long enough that there are some out there in need of restoration that can be had reasonable, might be a good place to start.

 

I think there's a video of one with 2 big mercs on the back doing 100mph.

[MillerPhoto]

Thanks for all the replies and such, the vids are good, that Pontoon is awsome with the Twin 300's! But thats a masssive one, lol gotta be atleast 28'!! Im lookin around 18-22, not really going to be commerial use, even if it was... It would be a max of 4 plus me, and I would have all the legal docs and waivers.. But eaither way, first is to get the boat lol.

 

Lookin around I will probly go a older used one, and update it from there, I don't want alot of seatin on it.. maybe 8 max. But one of the biggest things will be to build a platform on top that can be walked on, even fished from! Would be good for the shallow waters being able to see your bait when your fishing. Kinda like fishing the flats in Flordia..

 

Most likly be a purchase this summer and build it up to hit the water next year! Even thinking of a center lift trailer so the pontoons are hanging when trailering... and making some sort of bracket system so before you back it in the water, you can pull pins and the pontoons will slide out an extra 2-3 feet on each side to give more stability! Lots of ideas, just gotta get something to start with haha

 

Thanks again for all the posts!