You can build your own for less than $300 from easy to get materials.  If you're interested I'd be happy to show you how.

NOW THATS A FISHING RIG THERE!!!!!

It's superlight.. only about 45 lbs finished...easy to throw in the back of a short pickup.  Anybody with a little handyman skill can do it..   I'm not trying to sell you anything....  I have info how I made it... be happy to share it with you....

That's a nice rig. Is the 2X4 for a trolling motor?

Yes... screwed and glued to 3/4" hardwood plywood with 4" screws.  Surprisingly strong.  More than good enough for an electric.

How did you build this!?!? Awesome!!!! Please share build list.

I was thinking of doing a build along thread if I thought anybody was interested.   Most people that see it seem to really like the idea.   It started out with me wanting to make a mini pontoon boat, but I soon figured out that the pontoons were impossible to afford or make from conventional materials. Most pontoon companies want about $1000 for one.

 

I'm a furniture design engineer, and on a trip to China I saw a boat that looked like this one:

 

They use them all over there.  Pontoons are simple mesh bags with Styrofoam scrap inside.

 

Needless to say that got me thinking ...  How to make a junk flotation system that works well and was durable enough to be practical.

 

What I came up with is similar to a roll of lifesavers.  Each lifesaver is a mesh bag that can be filled with a variety of materials.  You can go from stacks of solid polystyrene insulation sheets cut in a circle at the top end of cost, down to free empty water bottles.  Seems like just about anything that floats will work... and work surprisingly well. 

 

The lifesavers are stacked in an outer cover that's made from a cylinder sewn from indoor outdoor carpet.  That carpet is very durable stuff... you could attack a pontoon with a samurai sword and probably not get through it.  It works like a fine mesh that allows water to enter the pontoon and surround the flotation, but then lets it immediately drain out when you take it out of the water.

 

The final result is a very stable, durable and inexpensive pontoon that can support many hundreds of pounds.  the boat in the picture with me (240 lbs), battery and misc gear never goes below the half way mark on the cylinder.  I have boats that are over 6 years old and still going strong.. never needing any repairs or significant maintenance.

 

Most people get scared away by the cutting and sewing required, but it's very simple.  All you need to do is buy 2 of these carpets from home depot: 

http://www.homedepot.com/s/foss%2520area%2520rug?NCNI-5  only $18 each...

 

Cut them into the sizes I give you and then take them to any upholstery shop or someone with an industrial sewing machine.  they will easily sew it up and put in the zipper for a only few bucks.

 

 

 

Ok... so if I haven't scared you away yet you are probably a good candidate to give it a try....  Still interested ?  Anybody interested in hearing more ?

I'm interested

How did you build the one with the canopy

Ok.. I'll start a new thread....  the canopy parts are easy to get also... they use those fittings for making tarp canopies... you can get them here...  3/4" EMT canopy fittings:

http://www.ysbw.com/Canopy-Fittings-3-4-Inch-s/6.htm

What did you use for the pontoons