coachp

I am planning to make my first river drift with my personal pontoon. I am a rookie at river floating and was wondering where a good streach to start out on the sandy or clack. I was also wondering if anyone knew where a good place to look at a veriety of PFD's I think I might need one.

Troutski

Have you ever floated down a river before ? I have a DVD from a drift boat manufacture that gives instruction on how to read the water and best of all what not to DO. I could burn you a copy if you would like...as far as PFD's are concerned try JOE"S or Bi-mart.

Chuck

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Teach a man to fish and he will steal your secret fishing hole...

18406ej

Joe's had more PFD styles than I knew existed. Enjoy your trip

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E.J.

"I am going where streams of whiskey are flowing"

buddah426

not 2 butt in here but i just recently purchased my first pontoon also and am inquiring on that river drift video... is it a good vid? any chance that i pay for a disk and shipping u'd be willing to burn me one? thanks...
jamie.

osmosis

I wouldn't float either the sandy or the clackamas without a pfd. Especially now in the higher, cold water! Your safety needs to come before some fish, usually.

the stretch between oxbow and dabney, and from there to L&C are all moderate to easy pieces of river on the sandy.

Clackamas I'd suggest waiting until summer and then running barton to carver, carver to riverside, or riverside to clackamette. Or a long all day trip from barton on down.

I don't run a pontoon but I have run a sled in those rivers, and have seen plenty of guys on pontoons. I suggest wearing a wetsuit to help stay warm if your planning on going real soon.

Raincatcher

You guys are braver than I am, that's for sure. I always wonder what happens if you're drifting down with the current, hook a huge springer,said springer heads down with the current and hauls the pontoon with it? I haven't seen a brake pedal on any yet...or steering wheel for that matter. Maybe grandmothers aren't made to float anywhere but pools or calm lakes? Whichever waterway you guys choose, be safe and be careful. Your future grandchildren need you to teach them how to fish.
Barb

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Safety First! Fish Second!

buddah426

thats funny you say that barb cause when i went and bought my pontoon i worried about the same exact scenario. what i did was i bought a 15 lb pyramid weight for an anchor and rigged it up to the frame off the back and it seems to work fine for the winder lakes. if anything i hope it might at least slow me down going down the river as long as my rope stays in tact (knock on wood huh?). i was told a story at the store, dont know if its urban legend or not but heard of a guy that got tangled in rope from similar rigging and was pulled under and drowned but i've taken precautions to avoid that problem...