Pontoon question

[panfisher]

I am thinking of buying a 8 ft. pontoon and have heard different things about them.

One concern I have is their weight when fully loaded, I have been told you need a full size deep cycle battery when using a trolling motor and this doubles the weight when carrying it for launch.

Also if the wind comes up it causes a problem.

Any of your thoughts would be helpful.
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[albinotrout]

Yes you do need a full size battery when using a motor. I have an old leigh that I have rigged up for motor and etc...
I do put a lot of stuff on it from rods to gear. I weigh 215, add battery, motor, rods, tackle, fishfinder, etc... the weight does add up and the toon holds everything.

Pics attached.
The pics are of the old setup that I replaced this year with a new motor rack similar to the one shown. Just changed how the rod holders attach to the rack.

When looking for a toon check the weight capacity then add about 50 lbs. The manufacturers generally under rate the weight their craft can hold for legal reasons. I would go for one that can hold around 350 depending upon how big a guy you are. There are many different brands out there, find one that you like!

Hope this helps.

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[panfisher]

Looks fully loaded with every thing you would need, how is it for lifting when you launch, I'm pushing 60 and concerned on that also. Do you make multible trips from truck to shore to get ready?

Thanks
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[flygoddess]

Lets just say, I am not far behind you on age. I have a 9ft N.F.O. Renegade that "I" can carry on my shoulders. it weighs 28lbs. Add a few more lbs with bags loaded, but I can still pick it up.
Yes I make a couple trips. One for the motor and Battery (and yes, you need a deep cycle because you will be draining it and recharging it allot and it is the only battery you can do this with) I have the BIG battery too. around 58 lbs. I also have a rear deck with rod holders, but I only pack three rods at a time.
Then I make the third trip getting my hip waders on and my rods. I strap my PFD on my boat and pack it with my boat. Fins I loop over one arm.
So, three trips. The idea is exercise.......[][laugh] And I love to walk.

My other boat is a 10' 6" NFO with a frame so a little heavier, but same deal. That one I do pack on a flatbed trailer though and I can get pretty close to the water.
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[albinotrout]

I now use a trailer to haul the toon around on since I downsized my vehicle from a van to an SUV. What I have done in the past and will continue to do is find a nice accessible launching site at the lake. Most lakes have some kind of ramp. Others use a beach of some sort. I usually pull up to the launch site and unload and finish rigging up the toon. The battery and motor go on after I get it in the water. Easier that way to lift. Don't try lifting it fully rigged with motor and battery. You will injure yourself. When ready to launch I take the vehicle to the parking area then go back and launch and attach motor etc... I now have a toon that I do not need to take the storage pouches and stuff off (bottom toon in pic). I can leave them on unlike my first toon (top one in pic) which will speed up the launching process. Now if you need to hike to a location use a tube like an outcast Fat cat for example or something lighter and easier to carry. My wife uses an Outcast FC4 (pic attached).
This pic of the trailer is not the final product. This was taken during the build back in February and looks much different now. I lowered the top deck and added bracing to it.

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[SportfishinSteve]

[#000050]Panfisher, the more you can rig these things up the more comfortable you will be, BUT they get heavy. I normally backdown the ramp, drop the toon in the water, then load the battery, motor, cooler, fishfinder, poles, bait, lunch, tackle, PFD, net, etc. You can put it in the water then load these things with your waders on so your not dragging it on concrete or asphalt ramps.[/#000050]
[#000050]The attached pics are a 9' Fishcat that holds all my gear and me and I'm pushing 275 lbs and am 64 years old.[/#000050]
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[#000050]Best of luck with your new venture. [cool][/#000050]
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[chinook]

I guess I am not very creative because I look at your toon and I am amazed at how you have that thing rigged. I am struggling to find ways to store poles and my rig up my fish finder. Any suggestions since you seem to have solved these problems?

Thanks
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[flygoddess]

I like the removable DECK. I can use it on either boat. Place for battery, lunch box, Transducer, and three to four rod holders, plus my dog on occasion.

Just strap it on with two straps each side and good to go. Sonar is Ram Mounts. Clean, easy and convertible...LOL will work on any pontoon.

I am a 5'7" and somewhat thin, so I got it down. With the trailer I am in the water in minutes, and I agree...don't pack the battery or even the motor on your boat. It is thin metal on those frames.
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[albinotrout]

What kind of toon do you have? Also need pics and specs then I can do a little brainstorming.
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[WaveWolf]

[#502800]Hey flygoddess ........ Were you up at the Idaho Falls show? ....... I saw a flygoddess sign for a person that was tying, and was wondering if that was the genuine flygoddess? When I got back, you, or whoever it was, had left.[/#502800]
[#502800][/#502800]
[#502800]Do you have a picture of the deck that you put on your toon to hold all your stuff?[/#502800]
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[flygoddess]

I am the one and only...LOL Sitting next to the Gentleman that makes REAL bugs, or at least they look like it.

Here is my Renegade:


Sonar:




Here is the X5

Transducer & Sonar:





Rod Holders:



We also mount a rod holder on the front to troll while rowing or when using two rods at the same time:




OH, and this is the X5 for compact packing:


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[chinook]

My deck does not come off. I have a Outcast toon that Scadden designed and it has a rear plate and transom for the electric motor. I have the same sonar as you do except mine has GPS. The sound does not work anymore which is very disturbing and it will never work when in the vicinity of other sonars. It just goes haywire. Anyway, mine is mounted on a small case that has the battery stored inside. I am trying to figure how to mount that small case on my frame with a quick release of some sort. I like the mount you have because it raises it up so it could be above one of my gear bags on the side frame. Let me know if you remember where you got it.
Thanks
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[flygoddess]

Cabela's for the RAM things, but get ready for sticker shock. That stuff s expensive. Actually, that is my husbands sonar...I am Humminbird all the way.
Where my Renegade has no frame, I bought just the RAM ball mount and put it on a strip of wood. It sits in one of my side bags, but I do like that riser too.
I bought this one and my Humminbird mounts right to it. This is also the ball mount I mounted to the board

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Boating/B...t104523480

This is the accessory on the foot bar:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Boating/B...t104523480


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[idahoron]

For my fish finder I Made a holder for my FC4 float tube. I just added a couple of straps and put it on the Sportsman's 9 AKA FC9.
I kind of like this design because I can use it on both the float tube and pontoon. It is a stand alone unit that I can put on about anything. I am adding pictures of it on both the rides. And no it is not in the way when I use the oars.
I like my rod holders and where they are. Some might not but for me they are great for trolling or just kicking around. I fish with two rods and I can put both rods in the holders and keep and eye on both. I have them cut so the rod slides in and lock in place. To take them out I turn the rod a quarter turn and they slide out.
I carry a series 27 battery in a box on the back. I also keep a small cooler on there for bait and drinks. The motor is a 45 pound thrust minn kota.
This ride is heavy. I do NOT carry this boat even empty. I back up to the water with my trailer and slide it off. After it is down then I add the other gear. It takes a few minutes to do but I don't like all the stuff on the boat when it all the time. Stuff would disappear quick in the drive way at my house.
If I want to pick up and change places I don't strip it. I just take off the heavy stuff and put the boat on the very back of the trailer.
One of the neat things about tubes or toons is a person can pimp them out the way THEY want. You can get ideas from others and make something or change a design and try that. Check out a lot of pictures and as questions. Good luck. I about forgot you can see the oar cam in the first picture. Ron









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[WaveWolf]

[#502800]I didn't get to see the real bugs I guess, but the guy that tied the hummingbirds was something else.[/#502800]
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[#502800]Isn't that the Scadden transom and plate on your toon?[/#502800]
[#502800]I was talking to Mikes Fly Desk at the show and they said to get the Traxxis motor, reverse the shaft, and use the glass matt battery. What is your take on that?[/#502800]
[#502800]Also, I was thinking about joining a couple of small coolers together, and putting the batteries in one and stuff in the other one and just sitting them behind the seat in the Renegade? Is that a viable option?[/#502800]
[#502800][/#502800]
[#502800][/#502800]
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[flygoddess]

I would love the glass battery and with regular Acid batteries going up, I just might.
The ice chest is a great idea. I use a regular battery box, but I have put inline fuses and quick plugs on it.
I am now using the Maxxum 40 motor....works great on the Renie.
I had the smaller deck which came with my X5, but I bought the magnum deck for it, then I ended up cutting a hole a little bigger than my battery box, I outlined the hole in the aluminum deck with car door molding to cover any sharp edges, so, the battery is sitting on my tube seat and part sticking through the deck. I run a strap over it and nice and secure.



This way, Baxter can run back and forth...LOL
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[MatchT]

[inline 245_roundRailmount.jpg]I mounted my transducer on my trolling motor in a similar fashion as below. so far no problems. I have velcro straps securing the wire up the shaft on and along the frame near my storage bags were my display is mounted. I used two hose clamps linked together from my garage as an experiment and have not removed it since.

an alternative to ram mounts and slightly cheaper are scotty 269 swivel fish finder mount. and if you have rails similar to outcast toons buy 1 1/4 round rail mount...posibilities are many....s[inline unnamedCAZ62BNF.jpg]cotty makes mount that strap to the tube.


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[flygoddess]

I love that mount Match, except like I told you, I sometimes hit lakes with no motor, but I can still use my sonar. Just a thought.
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[MatchT]

obviously posting pictures is not my specialty.

I wish finding scotty products were easier....fly fishing accessories are hard to find...tube mounts...fly rod holders in stores...pretty much online are the sure way to find them...sears...
match
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[flygoddess]

That is what we did. We did luck out on allot of the RAM stuff being at Cabela's but we did have to buy allot on line else where, but some were killer deals.
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