Floating Through the Recession
Part Two
By Mike Radice
Western Staff Writer
July 27, 2009
Click here for Part One
Float tubes and pontoon boats, also known as kick boats, offer anglers great access to any lake or stream. Nearly eye-to-eye with big fish, this type of fishing adds a new dimension to angling and at a price anyone can afford. In the first of two articles we looked at types of kick boats and what to look for in a quality craft. In the second and final article it’s time to consider specifics such as weight capacity, application and accessories and then put one in the water to pursue some of this summer’s best action against bass and panfish.
Let’s ask a few questions before we part 
with your money on a new boat. First, says Lance Egan, Fly Fishing and Marine Lead at Cabela’s in Lehi, determine just where you want to fish. “Are you fishing still water or moving water? In the river you would need a longer boat like a pontoon boat rather than a float tube.” Pontoon boats are larger and more stable to better handle any rapids. The oars also mean moving across the lake more quickly. Pontoon boats come in several configurations but all are basically the same shape – two pontoons with a frame attached.
Float tubes come in various shapes and sizes depending on application and storage needs. U-shaped boats offer more room, weight capacity and comfort. Before you determine the style of craft that best suits your interests, consider weight capacity, application and accessories.
Weight Capacity
One of the biggest factors in choosing any boat is weight capacity. Not all boats are made the same when it comes to this issue. “Most of the float tubes will hold up to 275 pounds while some go as high as 300 pounds,” Egan explains. “That rating is what I like to call the manufacturer’s comfort level for weight capacity. It relates to the stress put on the bag and the materials.” Look for the best materials you can find. “Most float tubes are stitched,” Egan said. “The higher-end pontoon boats have thermally welded seams which are stronger and will last longer. Nylon or PVC coated nylon is most common.” The coated nylon is heavier and that may become a factor if you think you are going to run up against the weight capacity of your boat. Denier ratings are common too with a difference between materials above and below water. Thicker is better and worth the weight. You will know why the first time you inadvertently float over sharp branches and rocks.
Accessories – Fins and Oars
There are some basic necessities that all anglers should consider for their float tube or pontoon boat. First and foremost is a good pair of chest waders. You are sitting on top of the water in a pontoon boat and about waist high if in a float tube. Waders keep you dry, cool and buoyant. Equally important is a comfortable PFD. Many vests are bulky and could restrict your movement in a float tube. Several manufacturers have suspender-type PFDs that take up no space around you and feel comfortable worn all day.
Next is a good pair of fins. Large, stiff fins will help propel you through the water easier and conversely will require less effort to keep you hovering over a productive brush pile or slow moving school of fish. “Fins are the one thing that most people overlook when they consider buying a float tube or pontoon boat,” Egan stated. “In their head they’re thinking float tube; fins, pontoon boat; oars. When you are fishing you can’t row and fish at the same time. So the fins are indispensable, you just can’t do without them.”
As vital for any successful outing in a pontoon boat are oars. Pontoon boats come equipped with an adequate pair of aluminum oars for paddling around the lake or navigating easy rapids on most rivers. ”Serious white water folks like carbon fiber shafts and oars, but for the vast majority of uses on both lakes and rivers the aluminum oars are fine,” Egan said. A longer oar can be an advantage for reach. You can dig deeper into the water for more power to help get you out of a stormy situation if the weather turns sour. Carbon fiber oars give a bit more propulsion but for the money, stay with the aluminum oars that come with your boat.
Since both float tubes and most pontoon boats must be blown up before launching them, a pump is the last vital accessory. Hand pumps are least expensive and take the most time to pump up your boat. An electric pump makes the job quicker. Simply attach it to your car battery by alligator clip and push the button. It pumps up your tubes in a fourth of the time. Then, top off the tubes with a few pumps from the hand pump to get them tight for all day action.
Many other products are available for these small boats. Fish finder manufacturers have developed finders especially for attachment to tubes or frames. Storage bags, cup holders, rod holders, etc., are all available. Motor mounts are standard on some pontoon models which allow for a small gas outboard or electric motor. Be sure to check your local boating laws. Many states require you to register your float tube or pontoon boat if you attach either a gas or electric motor. Also, many high elevation lakes prohibit motorized vessels. Both float tubes and pontoons are meant to spend summers on those cool mountain lakes.
Test Drive
Unfortunately, the chance to test drive a prospective boat is not likely available. “Liability for safety sake may not make it possible for a test drive before buying,” Lance offered. You can sit in one on the showroom floor but this is about the best there is. “Most pontoon boats under $500 I would call disposable,” Egan advised. “Those boats between $500 and $1,000 are of decent quality and should give you a few years of use. Most of the $1,000 plus boats are going to give you a lot more for a long-term investment.”
Sizing Up A Boat That Works
When rowing your pontoon boat, your knees should not touch the oars. Some simple adjustments will take care of most problems but you do not want to be in a boat that is not big enough for you. Proper oaring means good leverage. If your knees sit too high they will be in the way of the oar handles. Likewise, if the frame is too long for your feet to rest against the foot rests, your leverage is reduced and most of the rowing power comes from your back. It should take a combination of legs and upper body to pull the oars through the water.
On a pontoon, the seat rests on an adjustable rail. Slide it into the best position and tighten the bolts. Check them each time before launching to ensure the best fit. It is a great deal harder to make that type of adjustment once you are on the water.
Most float tubes have either straps or an inflatable seat adjustment. When floating, you should be able to sit comfortably with your back against the back rest. Your arms should rest at the level of the boat. If you sit too high your center of gravity is too high. Also, your arms just dangle and it actually makes your back sore by days’ end. If you sit too low, water could splash up overtop of your waders.
Let’s Get In One and Ride It
Float tube or pontoon boat? One illustration of why you do not want a boat that just barely holds you is this: You are floating along tossing a bobber and small jig into flooded brush for crappie. The wind begins to pick up. Clouds slowly develop over the mountains to the West. The bobber jumps and you finally pick up your first 13-inch slab. Several brush piles down lake a pontoon angler enjoys the same success.
It’s two hours later now. Six respectable slab crappie and three monster bluegill slowly swim tethered to the side of your boat as you kick further away from shore to try one larger clump of waterlogged brush. The wind has picked up even more now and the clouds are dark grey and lowering. On a calm day it might take you 20 minutes to get back to shore in a float tube using fins for propulsion. But today, the wind shifts and it’s pushing you closer to the middle of the lake, not closer to your car. The pontoon angler watches intently but has an added advantage over her float tubing counterpart. She has oars, not just fins to get her back to shore.
In late summer here in Utah we have what the weathermen call “microburst” storms late afternoon. The heat of the day intensifies and collides with the moist air and swirls around the mountains. The two air masses come together and give us some spectacular afternoon winds, lightening and heavy, intense rain. All of those ingredients are in play now over the lake.
The time to turn back from the storm and safely get off of the lake has past. Kicking back to shore the water begins to lap over the top of your float tube because you are sitting too low in the boat. The weight capacity has been exceeded. The pontooner puts her back into the wind and begins rowing. All of her storage bags are zipped shut to keep water out. With each pull of her oars she draws over the water and makes good headway. Water splashes up against the sides of the boat but nothing serious.
Forty-five minutes later, exhausted and drenched from the rain and lake water slapping at his face and down into his waders, our float tube angler staggers onto shore only to find that his stringer with those beautiful trophy crappie and bluegill is gone. Somehow, during all of the kicking the stringer came loose and the fish floated away in the opposite direction. He also lost the second rod he had secured with Velcro to the boat. The wind and choppy water stripped that away too. The pontoon angler has finished disassembling all of her gear and begun stacking into her old SUV.
This all could have been avoided using a bigger boat with greater weight capacity. Larger floatation offers greater height above the water, more maneuverability and a safer ride when conditions become a bit more challenging and the catching is still nonstop.
Both anglers had a successful day on the pond before the storm pushed them off. The float tuber could easily maneuver about the lake as did the pontoon. If you are an angler that likes to stick it out until the last possible moment, keep our two anglers in mind when you make your purchase.
Float tube or pontoon boat, both are good investments and offer more opportunities for fine fishing and great memories.