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Pontoon for bay fishing
Posted on 5/12/20 at 5:54 pm
Posted on 5/12/20 at 5:54 pm
Planning a trip to grand isle in a month and debating on brining my 22' pontoon with 90hp. Should be plenty of power and its set up really well for fishing just worried about rough water chop. Anyone have any recommendations. how much is too much?
I will have young kids with me at times so that factors in. Wouldnt be too concerned with just experienced boaters on board.
I will have young kids with me at times so that factors in. Wouldnt be too concerned with just experienced boaters on board.
6
Posted on 5/12/20 at 6:43 pm to SupaD
just stay in the bay and you should be alright no matter the wind direction. i wouldn't mess with gulf side in a pontoon but thats just my opinion. east winds can bring in some pretty miserable fishing conditions.
Posted on 5/12/20 at 8:48 pm to SupaD
I had a 20’ sun tracker fishing barge with a 90 mercury and fished everything I could see in the bays with no issues. I did so with a 6 and 10 year old and not once worried about safety. Winds were 10-15 ESE and chop was easily manageable. We didn’t catch much but had a good time.
Posted on 5/12/20 at 9:11 pm to SupaD
Caught 101 trout (5 people), 4 pompano, 3 reds and several sheepshead off the beach last week in a pontoon boat.
Just keep an eye on the weather/seas. If it’s rough, stay in the bay.
Just keep an eye on the weather/seas. If it’s rough, stay in the bay.
This post was edited on 5/12/20 at 9:12 pm
Posted on 5/12/20 at 9:51 pm to SupaD
I rented a 22’ pontoon on vacation in Apalachacola FL and wind kicked up one afternoon with 4-6’ swells. Was nasty as shite!
High winds and sunny. Yet we made it slowly across the bay with waves crashing over the front.
If that boat made it under those conditions, you should be fine.
High winds and sunny. Yet we made it slowly across the bay with waves crashing over the front.
If that boat made it under those conditions, you should be fine.
Posted on 5/13/20 at 8:29 am to SupaD
Just have everyone sit toward the back in rough water. 
Posted on 5/13/20 at 8:43 am to CharlesLSU
quote:
I rented a 22’ pontoon on vacation in Apalachacola FL and wind kicked up one afternoon with 4-6’ swells. Was nasty as shite!
I don't doubt that it seemed like 4-6' while you were out there but it was probably less. A pontoon caught out on that bay in those kind of seas probably doesn't make it back.
Posted on 5/13/20 at 9:45 am to SloaneRanger
quote:Newer tritoons can handle that
I don't doubt that it seemed like 4-6' while you were out there but it was probably less. A pontoon caught out on that bay in those kind of seas probably doesn't make it back.
ETA: If you absolutely know what you are doing, but likely you would be screwed in actual 6 footers
This post was edited on 5/13/20 at 9:49 am
Posted on 5/13/20 at 10:08 am to SloaneRanger
I've lived my whole life in varying sea conditions......it was legit.
I got back in plodding at 3-5mph. It was surreal and I was terrified a pontoon weld would fail. Trim up with everyone in back to keep the bow high in a head sea to boot.
ETA: 6' footers were scattered of course, hence 4-6'
I got back in plodding at 3-5mph. It was surreal and I was terrified a pontoon weld would fail. Trim up with everyone in back to keep the bow high in a head sea to boot.
ETA: 6' footers were scattered of course, hence 4-6'
This post was edited on 5/13/20 at 10:09 am
Posted on 5/13/20 at 10:12 am to SupaD
You'll be fine if you've got some sense, especially if you know your way around there. Just pay attention to the weather. I wouldn't go bailing out to the rigs or anything but you'll be fine in the bays.
Posted on 5/13/20 at 10:47 am to DownshiftAndFloorIt
The Navy has pontoon boats at GITMO that anyone with a license can rent....to get a license you take a rules of the road test and prove you can more or less pull the boat up to a dock without destroying the boat AND the dock...destroy one and you are good, both will require a retest...so its easy to qualify to rent a pontoon boat at GTMO.
About 10 AM every morning of the year the wind starts to pick up at GTMO....the bay goes from leisured 2-3 foot swells about 20 feet apart to 4-6's about 8 feet apart in a hurry...almost everyday...its gets really UGLY...around noon...about the same time folks with hangovers are well enough to be interested in going boating....so these folks rent a pontoon boat with almost no boating experience and set out in confused 4-6 foot seas with winds around 30 MPH....and have themselves a good time. As far as I know no one has ever had an incident due to wind and sea conditions on those pontoon boats at GTMO...I have been on them when the damned thing would seem to be rolling 60 degrees and they have never had one turn turtle. Yes, waves will wash across the deck but a pontoon is the ultimate in wash deck technology....as long as there ain't a hole in the pontoon it will stay floating and even if both pontoons somehow sank there is enough shite on the deck to keep the thing afloat for days.
My only concern would be any painted carbon steel on your boat....one plunge into the salt and everything not stainless, aluminum or plastic is going to start rusting...rinsing it off when retrieved from the water won't prevent it it will only slow it down....
About 10 AM every morning of the year the wind starts to pick up at GTMO....the bay goes from leisured 2-3 foot swells about 20 feet apart to 4-6's about 8 feet apart in a hurry...almost everyday...its gets really UGLY...around noon...about the same time folks with hangovers are well enough to be interested in going boating....so these folks rent a pontoon boat with almost no boating experience and set out in confused 4-6 foot seas with winds around 30 MPH....and have themselves a good time. As far as I know no one has ever had an incident due to wind and sea conditions on those pontoon boats at GTMO...I have been on them when the damned thing would seem to be rolling 60 degrees and they have never had one turn turtle. Yes, waves will wash across the deck but a pontoon is the ultimate in wash deck technology....as long as there ain't a hole in the pontoon it will stay floating and even if both pontoons somehow sank there is enough shite on the deck to keep the thing afloat for days.
My only concern would be any painted carbon steel on your boat....one plunge into the salt and everything not stainless, aluminum or plastic is going to start rusting...rinsing it off when retrieved from the water won't prevent it it will only slow it down....
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