I worry this stuff to death...

[Tinker]

I'm planning on getting a pontoon boat soon after Xmas. I've worn a path in the carpet from pacing the floor over who makes what and how long it might hold together.

I've driven poor, patient C_Run nuts by debating the merits of kayaks vs. pontoons on these rivers, and pretty much settled on a pontoon as the more practical idea.

I'm going to use it exclusively on the small south coast rivers. Ten months a year they are thin and shallow and there's a lot of gravel I'll drag it across. I waver between getting a cheap one (i.e. "disposable/replaceable") and the hope that spending a little more might get something more durable.

What are your experiences with durbility? I'm not going to beat the crap out of it, but it will be dragged.

Are there any brands or models you'd recommend for this kind of abuse?

(It needs to cost less than a drift boat)

 

[jamisonace]

Once you're on the water, I'll come join you from my drift boat and we'll try for steelhead. You definitely don't need anything too big for those rivers and I would suggest a pontoon over a kayak for that application.

There's one float you can do with a pontoon that doesn't require a shuttle.

I'm excited for you.

 

[TTFishon]

I've been using a Bi-Mart cheapy for a little over a year now and the only issues I've had were my own fault and Bi-Mart replaced my toon with no questions asked. I've floated the Siuslaw, Umpqua, Mckenzie, Middle Fork Willamette, and the Calapooia rivers numerous times. It has been dragged over gravel, logs, mud, and jagged rocky reservoir rocks. The reason I had to return it was because I dropped it from the bed of my truck when it was covered in ice and frozen causing it to leak. I think it's a great starter toon.

 

[JeannaJigs]

I'm a DBer, but I will say that the best built cats/toons that I've seen are the Badcats, made in Tillamook.

Those things are TANKS and cost about as much. They look similar,and might very well be the same that Ed Fast rolls with on the upper Sandy canyon...That thing takes a hell of a beating in some serious low white water and I was very impressed with the construction. definitely overkill for most coastal rivers though. I think fish cats make a pretty good toon for general use. I have long since abandoned pontoon boats for my drift boat, but I did have a relatively inexpensive creek company that I took good care of, and took on the mckenzie and coastal rivers, and it never failed me, Rose (Lilsalmon) still has it. It just depends on how much you want to invest, how serious you are about using it, and how much common sense you have using it. If you abuse it, it doesn't matter how much you spent, it will eventually fail.

 

[Tinker]

While I was on retreat I ran into a party heading down the Sixes in personal pontoons. I liked the looks of the $300 Creek Company models (from Costco) they were using, but all of them were brand new and no one knew how long they might hold up.

Can't get the BadCat dealer links to work but I'll bet they're costly. The pontoons look just like the pontoons the big boys use to run the Colorado. They do look like they're built like a tank (and not just any tank: an M-1 Abrams tank). Sent them an email and even if they're too costly, it'll be good to know they're still in business.

Bucks Bags over in Idaho makes a line with models priced about twice what Creek Company 'toons cost - they're made in America - and $700 is in the neighborhood of how deep I'm willing to plunge right now.

Jeanna, I don't know how serious I am, but I'll know how to answer that the minute I catch my first stupid salmon, and I'm anal enough about gear that I still use a 20-year old Coleman inflatable camping mattress when I take an overnighter.

TT, I appreciate hearing about your experiences, too; from you and Jeanna, it sounds like they're all pretty much able to make it down a river and across gravel at least once, if I don't dance on them when wearing my ice crampons. And if I use a little common sense - and that's about all that I have, anyway - I should be able to drift the rivers a few times without floundering.

If I had a drift boat, it'd be altogether too complicated: The Boss would want to come along, and she'd definitely insist we take the dogs with us, and then I'd have to hide all of the hooks to protect the dogs, and about 5 minutes later it would stop being a fishing trip and turn into a River Adventure for Labradors... smaller is better!

Jamie, I'll have to ponder on the wisdom of drifting down with you. I've fished with other OFF members and they always, without fail, catch all the fish. I already have visions of me watching your boys nail fish after fish while I sit there, all fishless and miserable in my wobbly little pontoon, cheering them on.

Actually, that sounds like a Very Good Day on the river, and I'll take you up on that offer every time you're down here.

Thanks, all. I'll let you know which way I go.

Hmm. I wonder how fast I can get it to go if I strap on a 15-horse outboard..?

 

[Tinker]

And another question: online, everyone crabs about the pump they bought to inflate these things. Who's making a decent pump?

 

[WildRivers]

And another question: online, everyone crabs about the pump they bought to inflate these things. Who's making a decent pump?

I have no practical experience, Tinker, but the Coleman pumps are highly thought of on Amazon.com.

 

[Mad dog]

Tink, stop worrying and go to Bi-mart and get one of these....good enough for what you are going to do. Perfect for those little south coast rivers! Nobody works a toon harder than my youngest, he traps, hunts and fishes out of it....he is hard on it!!! He has had this one for 5 years with no problems.

 

[DrTheopolis]

My advice - whatever toon you decide on, if it's a hot, sunny day, blow it up next to/in the water. Sitting on rocks/pavement, by the time you get your gear stowed and whatnot, you just lost a tube... take a guess how I know? OK, it was actually the friend I was with, but that'll end a day quickly.

The plastic milk crate strapped on the rear rack is $$$. Put a hand pump and a patch kit in it (only need one for however many toons are on the trip).

 

[Throbbit _Shane]

The picture Mad dog posted is the same pontoon TTFishon and 1nutInThewater have. I think Jon aka 1nut got 5 or 6 years out of it before having any problems. This spring he got on it and the frame broke but that can be fixed quite easily.

I used to have a 8' Creek Company and used it quite a bit and was rough on it. I bought it for around $90 3-4 years ago and it had some use before I got it. It worked great for me until the stitching on the bladder covers failed on me, during a 3 day Umpqua float. The good thing though was I emailed creek co. pictures of both bladder covers torn and they sent me free replacements a week later in time for my next camping trip!

I now use a 10' Fishcat. They're great boats a little more spendy but not to bad, and you can tell you'll get years more of use out them.

And another question: online, everyone crabs about the pump they bought to inflate these things. Who's making a decent pump?

I use two pumps. Since I drive a car and assemble my boat at the lake/river I use a electric air pump that plugs into the cigarette lighter. Then to top it off I use a manual two way pump. And I agree a plastic milk crate works great for storage on the back, also a grocery basket does too.

 

[Tinker]

Tink, stop worrying and go to Bi-mart and get one of these....good enough for what you are going to do. Perfect for those little south coast rivers! Nobody works a toon harder than my youngest, he traps, hunts and fishes out of it....he is hard on it!!! He has had this one for 5 years with no problems.

I know, I know... I over-think EVERYthing. Drives The Boss crazy. Five years with loads like that? I was worried that the ones at Bi-Mart would be toast after one season. They're tougher than they look in the stores. Thanks.

The picture Mad dog posted is the same pontoon TTFishon and 1nutInThewater have. I think Jon aka 1nut got 5 or 6 years out of it before having any problems. This spring he got on it and the frame broke but that can be fixed quite easily.

I used to have a 8' Creek Company and used it quite a bit and was rough on it. I bought it for around $90 3-4 years ago and it had some use before I got it. It worked great for me until the stitching on the bladder covers failed on me, during a 3 day Umpqua float. The good thing though was I emailed creek co. pictures of both bladder covers torn and they sent me free replacements a week later in time for my next camping trip!

I didn't know you used a pontoon. Cool! I think a 10' would be a too long for down here (and someone might suggest that I have room enough to take a dog with me) but are there differences between how the 8ft tracked and how the Fish Cat tracks? It's not impossible that we might someday end up with two 10-footers so we can put one Lab in each. May as well ask now.

My advice - whatever toon you decide on, if it's a hot, sunny day, blow it up next to/in the water. Sitting on rocks/pavement, by the time you get your gear stowed and whatnot, you just lost a tube... take a guess how I know? OK, it was actually the friend I was with, but that'll end a day quickly.

The plastic milk crate strapped on the rear rack is $$$. Put a hand pump and a patch kit in it (only need one for however many toons are on the trip).

Don't put it on hot rocks or hot asphalt. Okay. I guess that balancing the tailgating BBQ on the tubes is not a good idea, either? No hot lunch? The BBQ thing is stupid, but I wouldn't have thought about hot rocks or pavement damaging the tubes until it was too late. Thanks for that. It'll surely save at least one trip.

I have a few milk crates laying around. Would I still have enough room to strap on the 20hp? I've decided a 15 horse outboard wouldn't create enough of a rooster tail to impress the hard-hull crowd. (I'm being a smartass about the outboard motor. And the hard-hull folks.)

Carrying a patch kit and a pump in the 'toon was golden, too - all five of the guys I watched launching pontoons put the pumps back in the truck.

Jeanna, guys, thank you for sharing your experiences with me. It's all good information.

If the rivers don't rise enough to float them with a guide, soon, I'll have a pontoon before Christmas!