07-27-2010, 11:34 PM
Good call Zach! I'm really enjoying the Renegade I got in April!
Its not perfect, but I like it. It does seem to "sway" more when anchored in river current than my old pontoon, and the wind has more effect on it than it did in my old standard Anglers Inn frame-model pontoon. I would have made the thing about 8 feet long too. I still fail to see the use for the front 18 inches of the pontoons, but that's just me.
I had to move the side bags back from their original position for rowing, and have recently added a cushion and Therma-rest seat over the standard seat to gain more height in the seat. I now have plenty of room to pull on the oars without the bags getting in the way, and also can see fish a bit easier with the seat a few inches higher.
Replace the plastic clips that hold the seat back up with some metal snaps. Both plastic ones broke the first few trips on mine. The Scotty anchor system is still working ok, but I put a plastic pad on the stern to protect the pontoon material from chafing.
I love the clips that the oars stow and lock into, and the oar locks are working out ok too. I would still like to try some longer oars, but so far I'm living with the standards. Those new valves have not been a problem at all. (I always had Halkey's and had some reservations about the "new" ones) Its been fairly easy for a short, skinny guy like me to lift and carry back and forth to the river, fully inflated, even up some steep banks.
Those storage bags are big enough for more crap than anyone needs. I put a 6-pack cooler with ice in one of them, and still have room for rain gear! That still leaves the other one for all the "stuff."
I rowed mine through Red Creek Rapid a while back, with no problem at all. Also rowed some small white water in Montana a few weeks back, and again, not a worry at all.
So far, everybody I've seen or talked to about their Renegade likes the way it handles and enjoys fishing from it. I think you will too.
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Its not perfect, but I like it. It does seem to "sway" more when anchored in river current than my old pontoon, and the wind has more effect on it than it did in my old standard Anglers Inn frame-model pontoon. I would have made the thing about 8 feet long too. I still fail to see the use for the front 18 inches of the pontoons, but that's just me.
I had to move the side bags back from their original position for rowing, and have recently added a cushion and Therma-rest seat over the standard seat to gain more height in the seat. I now have plenty of room to pull on the oars without the bags getting in the way, and also can see fish a bit easier with the seat a few inches higher.
Replace the plastic clips that hold the seat back up with some metal snaps. Both plastic ones broke the first few trips on mine. The Scotty anchor system is still working ok, but I put a plastic pad on the stern to protect the pontoon material from chafing.
I love the clips that the oars stow and lock into, and the oar locks are working out ok too. I would still like to try some longer oars, but so far I'm living with the standards. Those new valves have not been a problem at all. (I always had Halkey's and had some reservations about the "new" ones) Its been fairly easy for a short, skinny guy like me to lift and carry back and forth to the river, fully inflated, even up some steep banks.
Those storage bags are big enough for more crap than anyone needs. I put a 6-pack cooler with ice in one of them, and still have room for rain gear! That still leaves the other one for all the "stuff."
I rowed mine through Red Creek Rapid a while back, with no problem at all. Also rowed some small white water in Montana a few weeks back, and again, not a worry at all.
So far, everybody I've seen or talked to about their Renegade likes the way it handles and enjoys fishing from it. I think you will too.
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