PDA

View Full Version : Pics Of New Pontoon Boat & Kayak



Ghost
09-04-2007, 08:53 PM
About friggin' time this board is up & running! I've been wanting to show off a couple new toys to you guys.

Firstly, this past weekend I gave in to the dark side & bought a pontoon boat, one that I've been eyeing for a few weeks. A local fishing store had it on sale. I got the Outcast Fish Cat Streamer XL IR. This is an 8' length & 4' wide pontoon. It has 6' oars & a mesh rear deck. It weighs inflated at 56 lbs, this is much lighter than any other toon. I think it's due to the slightly smaller size & the mesh decking.

http://www.hunt101.com/watermark.php?file=562/19591streamer_xl-med.jpg

The pic upload is not working, so I had to resort to other means for my pic. I'll post pics again when the system is working.

I sold the Outcast Fat Cat float tube last week. I really liked the Fat Cat, but REALLY hated getting leg cramps & being low in the water. So the Streamer XL IR put me higher off the water & I can see things under the water much better. Also instead of kicking w/ my fins (I kept my Hotspot Fins) all day, I can row w/ the oars to a "fishy" looking spot & hold my position w/ the fins. But I gotta tell you guys that it's awkward to row w/ oars on a pontoon boat, either frontwards or backwards. Then again this was my first time using oars. It's not like using a kayak paddle, I may have to try that....

I've had an old milk crate that I had LP records stored in the basement. It became the crate that sits on the mesh deck. I added a 3 rod holder from Berkley, but I don't like how the rods sit in the rod holders. I'm going to try & make my own rod holders w/ PVC tubing. The Streamer XL IR has a trolling motor mount that I'm looking into adding next year. It also has a built in anchor mount under the trolling motor mount. I am using a 5 lb rubber coated dumbell for an anchor. This anchor system seems to work good.

I gotta tell you it's a b*tch trying to load the Streamer XL on top of my Jeep Grand Cherokee. I can do it by myself, but it takes some brute strength to pull it off....also need a foot stool. What I like about the Streamer XL, since it's a tad lighter & shorter than other pontoon boats, I can almost easily load it by myself. I would think a 9' & 70 lb pontoon would be a no go trying to load on the roof of a SUV by oneself.

Well, I used it yesterday for a trial run & fishing. I caught 5 bass total including a 2 lb, 15" small mouth bass. That really made my day!

http://www.hunt101.com/watermark.php?file=562/19591sm_bass_simonton-med.jpg

Something I need to get used to fishing on the pontoon boat. The front end of the pontoon sticks out quite a bit, compared to a float tube. I have to be real careful when I bring my lure back to me, not to accidentally get close to the tube(s)...that can really ruin my day then! Something for you guys wanting a pontoon boat to be aware of.

Last month was my 42nd birthday. I told the wife I wanted a kayak. I got my wish & I got a fishing kayak. Here in the Midwest, Dick's Sporting Goods are all over the place, they are similar to Sport's Chalet. They had an exclusive fishing kayak, from Islander, the American Angler Kayak. It has huge cockpit, so it's easy to get to your stuff. It's a sit inside kayak. It has 2 rod holders in back & a rear hatch to keep things in. Dims are 11' long & 28" wide. Man, I can cover lots of water w/ this kayak!

http://www.hunt101.com/watermark.php?file=562/19591islander_kayak-med.jpg

I convinced the wife that kayaking is fun that we went ahead & bought a tandem (2 man) kayak also. We both went out kayaking the river over the weekend while her brother used my kayak. Both of them really enjoyed kayaking. Now me & the wife have something to do together, like the St Joe River is right down the street from us. I don't have to travel far to use my pontoon boat or kayak; I have water access in my back yard!

I've fished w/ the kayak quite a few times & it's a blast. Only thing I don't like is I have to keep adjusting my positon while fishing.

I did land my first lake walleye though, 14.5":

http://www.hunt101.com/watermark.php?file=562/19591walleye_simonton-med.jpg

Now I have the right water crafts for fishing around here in Indiana

tacklejunkie
09-04-2007, 08:59 PM
Nice! Already catching fish on the new Toon! 8)

Z-TUNAKILLER
09-04-2007, 09:05 PM
HEY NOW Ghost, NICE !


Z

FISH ON !

Socal Bassman
09-04-2007, 10:21 PM
Nice toon Ghost. I almost gave in and bought that same one the last time I was at BPS.

Ronira
09-05-2007, 02:40 AM
Very nice Ghost, you didn't waste any time breaking it in right. Ron

bigfishlittlefish
09-17-2007, 10:19 AM
I convinced the wife that kayaking is fun that we went ahead & bought a tandem (2 man) kayak also. We both went out kayaking the river over the weekend while her brother used my kayak. Both of them really enjoyed kayaking. Now me & the wife have something to do together, like the St Joe River is right down the street from us. I don't have to travel far to use my pontoon boat or kayak; I have water access in my back yard!
My wife & I are considering purchasing a yak. We're debating on whether to purchase 2 single seaters or a tandem. My wife is leaning towards a tandem. (My suspicion is that she can sit back & relax without my knowledge while I do all of the work.) Can u give some insight into the pros & cons of a tandem such as can 1 person load a tandem onto a car or SUV & can a single person use a tandem? I may use it to go fishing by myself.

bflf

Ghost
09-17-2007, 10:18 PM
Man this site is running REALLY slow!

bigfishlittlefish,

I have both a single sit-in fishing kayak & we then bought the tandem sit-in kayak. For me I would prefer to have 2 single kayaks, so we can do our own paddling. But after a couple outings w/ the wife, that would not be a good idea for our relationship. Why I say that is, she is not a strong paddler & tends to take it easy paddling. While I am in the back seat, I can power paddle, I have to keep up w/ her...most times. So if the other person is not a strong paddler & you both need to keep up, a tandem kayak is best. Also if we want to, we can bring a child w/ us, so that would be 3 people in the tandem kayak. The one we own, it has a weight capacity of 500 lbs.

The tandem we bought is nothing fancy, cheap in price but gets the job done....in paddling together on the river or lake. The cockpit is huge that you can get in easy & put other gear inside. It does have a front bungee strapping, for more stuff. I am going to be installing a couple Scotty rod holders on the back of the tandem kayak.

As for paddles, go w/ a 220 cm length for the wife; or the person in the front seat. The back seater (you) I recommend getting a 230 cm length paddle. The longer paddle, you can get more power from it. I would think that the front person paddling especially a woman, the 230 cm would be a bit too unwieldy for them.

Always let the person in front get in the kayak first while you hold the kayak for stability, then that person can hold the kayak for you to get in.

We went w/ a sit-in tandem kayak. With the sit-on-top models, which are great, you will get wet. This is something the wife did not want especially if the water is cold. Also the sit-in kayaks tend to be more lighter in weight than a sit-on-top kayak.

Also w/ a tandem, you can store more gear/stuff on it. Also you can use the tandem as a fishing kayak, or go alone.

The single fishing kayak I have it was already built up w/ a couple flush mounted rod holders, & paddle keeper. Also the cockpit is pretty big, that it is easy to get in & out. You can get to your gear much easier than say a touring kayak, that has a smaller cockpit opening.

Loading a tandem kayak, it is BEST done w/ 2 people. The one we have is 13.5' long & around 70 lbs. So trying to load it on an SUV, I have a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee is still too hard to do alone. Now if you are loading that tandem on a car roof, I would think it would be doable by one person. The car is much lower than an SUV, roof access wise.

With a tandem kayak, it's also much easier to get it to the water from the car w/ 2 people. I did buy a 2 wheel kayak buggy, so if I go w/ one of my kids, they don't have to have to carry the heavy kayak. I can just wheel it to the water & bring back the buggy to the car.

Having a couple sit-in kayaks, we can extend the kayaking season, since we are enclosed inside the kayak, versus a sit-on-top. We live in the Mid West & when it gets cold, you don't want cold water coming inside the kayak.

Hope this helps, if you still have other questions, PM me.

Ghost

one_leg
09-18-2007, 03:17 AM
That red color makes it look fast just sitting there on the shore.

I bet you catch a mess o' fish with that thing!!!!

One_Leg