I’m looking at buying a float tube or a pontoon boat to fish from. I’m curious to hear your opinions on the pros and cons of each and your recommendations on what to consider before purchasing one and the accessories needed for them to make them enjoyable to spend a day fishing.
Thanks in advance for the forthcoming info!!!
To me it is a question of budget.lol I think pontoons are a lot easier and more comfortable to fish out of but I am still using my 12 year old $89 cabelas special float tube. It has served me well but I know it is a lot more of a workout than even using a Utube or a Vtube. Tube Dude looks like he has a really sweet setup on his tube. You should PM him and see what he has to say. Tube Dude if you read this what brand is your tube and how much did you pay before excesorising. I have a five day henry’s trip planned this spring. I am really considering upgrading after all these years.
Fishjon
Hey FishnMusic,
That will depend on the type of fishing you do and the location where you fish.
I have both and use them for different situations. However, there is quite a bit of overlap.
Briefly; here is my take on it.
**Float tube - Float tubes are more portable. For example: small lakes and places that I have to hike a bit to get into or when I have only a small amount of space to haul my floatation craft (like when I go with others in their vehicle). **
**Pontoon - Bigger water or moving waters. There is more versatility because of the size. Less portable, but more room on the craft and the ability to easily mount a trolling motor to cover more area. They can also be less fatigueing due to the oars and/or a motor. They do take more time to set up, they are heavier, and need more vehicle to transport. **
There are many other pros and cons for both, that I could list here, but, I am sure others will add their individual observations and reasons to use one or the other.
I am in the final stages of editing my book on a lifetime of tubing and tooning. One of the chapters is “Choosing a Craft”. I am attaching a PDF file of the unedited chapter, without pictures. I am also adding a new one page comparison between tubes and toons that might help clarify your thinking.
If you wander over to the Float Tubing forum, there are archived pictures and past threads with lots of ideas on how to “Pimp your ride”.
A lot depends on the kind of fishing you want to be doing and what you want to add. There are different types of rod racks, tool racks, apron modifications, fish baskets, sonar mountings, etc.
Once you decide on your ride, let me know what you get and you can bring it over to my tubeatorium and I can help you get it all set up.
Thanks, TubeDude. The chapter out of your book was a most excellent read. Clear and concise and full of information. It gave me a lot to think about. Your posts are always entertaining and helpful.
As the Iraqi army said during Desert Storm…
TANKS
Well, welcome to the world of watercraft. Do you have your PFD picked out? Lets do that first. Pick one that fits well and is comforable to wear while sitting in a chair. I have an inflateable model that I love, I also have a mesh shoulder one that the pading in the back is a perfect lumbar pad. I recommend going to Cabela’s, Boaters World or even Wal-mart to try several on for comfort.
I have 2 tubes, a full round, nylon covered rubber truck tube model that was my first. I still use it, mostly for duck hunting because it is all cammo. It is the most portable, It can be deflated, rolled up and fit into a big daypack. I can blow it up with a bicycle or cigarette lighter pump. and has a couple of pockets.
It turns on a dime, and is good for really fan casting an area. It needs water at least 3’ deep to fully float me. and learning to either get in or walk with flippers can be entertaining.
I have a U tube design that I fish from. It is very stable, easy to enter and exit and easy to manuver,plus it holds a line better when kicking from one spot to another. . It has a ridged seat so it is not as portable as my tube, but can still be blown up on site. and when deflated and folded up as best it will, can still be bungeed to a pack with ease.
Then there is the toon. Large. can be deflated and put into 2 large duffle bags, best transported in a SUV or truck assembled and semi or fully inflated. Stable. Has a cooler right behind the seat, which is a full padded boat seat (accessory) I sit completely out of the water. Big long pockets. I can row or kick or row to a spot and then kick around. It can handle a good amount of fast water with ease and has done the Green, Provo, Jordon, Weber and lower Ogden rivers. I am currently in the market for a large pontoon that is capable of multi day trips on class 5 rivers for the families trend away from lare motorised craft.
I also have a kayak that while is the most dificult to transport has become my favorite. It is fast, it can cover a lot of water in a smalll time as far as most UT waters go. It is roomy, I can just about strech out in it and nap. It also has a cooler and a padded seat. It cannot be propelled by foot power although some can. This ties up your hands, but when I want to get away from the crowds it is worth the sacrifice to have to drop anchor or drift with the wind
I’m looking at buying a float tube or a pontoon boat to fish from. I’m curious to hear your opinions on the pros and cons of each and your recommendations on what to consider before purchasing one and the accessories needed for them to make them enjoyable to spend a day fishing.
Thanks in advance for the forthcoming info!!!
Really there is a very simple way to determine which to purchase, a pontoon vs. float tube:
Can you drive to the lake you want to fish?
If you can drive to it, buy a pontoon. If you have to carry your vessel to the lake, get a tube.
either way you’re gonna have to bring it up this way a time or two this summer
Too many things to consider. Tube Dude did a great job of covering the important points. I wanted to add a few observations/ problems I’ve encountered with having both.
With a float tube, you are usually at least waist deep in water. There are others that raise you up so only your rear is in the water. I usually get wet up to my navel, and my fly vest gets soaked as it leeches up. I usually don’t have enough room in the side pockets to carry everything I like to have.
Because of being in the water, I usually need neoprene waders. In the early spring and winter it can get very painful for your toes. Some days I can only handle being in the water 1 hr. and then I have to start holding my feet out of the water to warm them up.
Float tubes are deathly slow. I recommend getting a u-tube or v-tube so you can move a little faster. If you get blown across the lake, you may have to get out and walk back, as kicking back against the wind with fins could take hours. “Trolling” can also be very tiring on your legs if you want to do it at a decent pace.
When I have backpacked into the Uintas and Boulders, it was best to have the smallest, simplest, least-decked-out, lightest-weight tube I could find. However, in most other situations, the opposite is best (if only have 1 tube). Also, DON’T choose the bicycle pump/inner tube type, as they take a very, very long time to pump up by hand and wear out the pumps in a hurry.
Pontoons are the far nicer way to fish. I use it most all of the time, except for hike-ins. You are out of the water except for kicking, where just your feet or maybe calves are in. I use breatheable waders or none at all.
You are riding high on the water, with less resisitance against the water than a float tube, and so you move faster. It takes minimal effort to troll vs hard kicking in a tube. You can travel far greater distances in litte time. (Learning to oar straight can be a pain at first.) This reduced resistance means however, that the wind really blows you around vs a tube. In faster winds I get off the water.
Pontoons are bigger and heavier. I don’t think it is timely to put the pontoon away every time I use it. I usually leave the 'toons partially inflated and partially take apart the metal bars. However, if you only have a car, I doubt that you will fit it in without completely tearing it all apart, and then you may still have problems fitting it in (not even including a trolling motor, battery, anchor, etc.).
My pontoon was about 4 - 5 times more money than the float tube.
If you have the space and money, get the pontoon. Actually, if you have the money, get both. =)
Well IMHO in comes down to 3 little words BUDGET, BUDGET and BUDGET. There are several great options in both. I would like to add and I am sure it is in TD’s write up always consider the body of water you are fishing, pontoons lend the selves a little better to large bodies of water. That being said I choose a V shaped Pontoon and I love it!! And don’t forget there are a few cross over craft out there that are the best of both worlds if you can afford or are willing to pay alot.
I have an H3 and I love it. It floats my 250+ gear very well and only my backside gets wet.
Majja
Lots of great replies already by TD and others…
One of the biggest factors in choosing, is obviously what you prefer. Both have pros and cons. For me, I love my 'toon because I like to be up out of the water. Also, if/when the dreaded “W” picks up, and assuming your 'toon is equipped with oars, it’s much easier to get from ‘A’ to ‘B’.
It’s all about personal preference.
Thanks for all the info and opinions. For a starter tube I went and purchased the Classic Accessories Togiak float tube–kind of a ‘V’ pontoon float tube. Fairly inexpensive (but not the cheapest) for a first tube and seemed to be kind of a middle ground on what people seem to prefer. I have never been in a float tube before so now I’m just praying for some warm(er) weather to get out and give it a try and hopefully I enjoy it!!
I also went kind of middle ground on some of the other necessities–waders, flippers, pump.
Thanks again for all your help!!