Pontoon, Tritoon or just stick it out

[sunkatchers]

Two years ago I inherited the old family V-hull. After many hours of restoration I got it into the water and then I remembered. What a piece of crap it was to ride in. It is a 20 runabout with an i/o but it will pound the innards right out of you unless the lake is perfectly calm. My Dad though this was fun, no one else did but it was a boat ride and supposedly there is no such thing as a BAD-DAY-ON-THE ?LAKE.
A friend of mine took us out on his pontoon boat and that?s when the fight started. They ride so smooth and his 90hp pushes it along at a reasonable rate. A ton of room and it handles the chop on Long Point bay just great.
Now I am looking into getting a pontoon. But here is my dilemma and I need advice.
I like to walleye fish off the North shore of Lake Erie. To killem I have to go out 6 to 8 miles and there can be some rough water. Can a pontoon or tritoon handle this kind of water? Not going out if there are 5 foot swells but an average day with some white caps and swells?
Need as much info from the experienced as I can get.
Thanks
Ron

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Pontoon, Tritoon or just stick it out

That would not be my boat of choice for big water. A tri-toon would certainly be in order and I would not want to get a pontoon broadside to a 5 foot wave/swell. On calmer water a 24 ft or longer boat would be ok. For fishing you want whats called a "four corner fish" layout. This style generally has a fishing chair at each corner of the deck. Some will have the front and rear rails at the very ends of the boat with the chairs behind the rail. Others have the front rail set back so the two forward chairs are in front of the rail. Fishing from the rear with a "cruiser pontoon" that has couches, changing rooms, or sun decks at the rear, while nice features, make fishing a real pain. There are a few center console versions on the market and that opens up walk around area at the starboard side.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Pontoon, Tritoon or just stick it out

Personally, I wouldn't do it. I am ok with say 2' swells but that's it. I was speaking with a customer of mine who is a seasoned boater. He took his brand new Crestliner pontoon with i/o, out on Erie at Port Dover. Erie churned up, as it often does, and he had to get back in 3-4' swells. he bent all three pontoons. Crestliner replaced the boat because they said it should have held up, but the owner said he would never do it again.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Pontoon, Tritoon or just stick it out

+1 on above. They know what they're talking about.

When you get into longer high quality tri-toon's, they've got to have high horsepower--and, the price is pretty high. Stick with a 24' or longer v hull for that usage.

 

[The Rooster]

Re: Pontoon, Tritoon or just stick it out

Hey Ron, welcome to the forum. To be honest, we've run our "toon" in 3-4 footers w/ white caps more times than I would have liked to, and it handles these conditions quite well. But, the tubes are nearly 27' long, and our lakes are shallow, so we get short, steep waves and don't have any trouble staying on top of the slop. Submarining the nose, in the trough, is not an issue. I would NOT feel comfortable in 4-6 footers in Lake Erie though. Compared to Lake Ponchatrain, Erie might as well be the Gulf of Mexico. Just my opinion. Good Luck !!!

 

[MinUph]

Re: Pontoon, Tritoon or just stick it out

Deep V for the lakes up there. I use my toon in the gulf and its great. But come from The big lakes up there and would never venture out in a pontoon tritoon or any toon for that matter on anything from a flat forecast.

 

[sunkatchers]

Re: Pontoon, Tritoon or just stick it out

Thanks for the replies. Perhaps not what I had hoped for but as they say "The truth Hurts". The wifey is totally stuck on a Toon. I got her half convinced that a Tritoon would give us both what we want but perhaps I was over confident.:facepalm:
Thanks again
Ron

 

[5150abf]

Re: Pontoon, Tritoon or just stick it out

It is going to float fine the probelm would be getting water on the deck if and when a wave breaks over the bow, also we have had a number of boats on lake Michingan that got the panels blown out of the rails or really bent when a big wave hit them.

As others have said, if you are going to do this get tri toon for sure and 22 plus.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Pontoon, Tritoon or just stick it out

Thanks for the replies. Perhaps not what I had hoped for but as they say "The truth Hurts". The wifey is totally stuck on a Toon. I got her half convinced that a Tritoon would give us both what we want but perhaps I was over confident.:facepalm:
Thanks again
Ron

She'd get unstuck the first time it submarined with her aboard. Look online for a video of a toon taking a bunch of water over the bow and show it to her. That might help get her unstuck as well. Have you considered a deck boat? Older deck boats aren't the best for that kind of water either, but the newer ones have more of a V hull, which of course is what you need, but retain some of the toon like characteristics, more furniture, table, open floor plan, etc., up top. That's probably what she's looking for. Good luck pard. Let's all say it together. "If mama ain't happy......."

 

[lncoop]

Re: Pontoon, Tritoon or just stick it out

Oh, and welcome aboard. Keep us posted.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Pontoon, Tritoon or just stick it out

perhaps a deck boat , I dont know a lot about them , but I am sure others here do.

 

[sunkatchers]

Re: Pontoon, Tritoon or just stick it out

Well after due deliberation (listening to the Wifey) I think I have decided that a 22? Tritoon is in our future and I will just have to pick the right days to go way out on the lake for the big-ones. Great Bass fishin in the inner bay off Long Point. The Walleye are usually waiting out about 6 miles off port Bruce, Ontario in July, so if I pick my days perhaps I can still haul in the count

Cowgirls are like barbed wire?Handle with Care.

Ron

PS; Thanks for the HiHo to the new guy. I appreciate.