Anyone use a pontoon boat for bass fishing?  Since I have friends and grandkids, I'm rethinking the bassboat and will perhaps consider a pontoon boat.  My budget limitations still apply, but the points some of my friends have made about getting more enjoyment out of a pontoon boat rather than a bass boat are pretty well taken.  I'm not going to be a tournament fisherman, although I would like a boat with the typical fishing amenities, like a live well, trolling motor, and depth finder.  But it would be nice to be able to accommodate more than a couple people and there's no way I an afford a large bass boat.

 

My other big concern rather than cost is what I need to tow my boat with.  My van would accommodate a small aluminum bass boat but perhaps not a pontoon boat, even a small one.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks

if you plan on doing alot of bass fishing out of it, I think you will be GREATLY disappointed. i grew up around pontoon boats. My dad always owned one. It doesn't make a good "bassboat". It does make a good large fishing platform for open water fishing though. As for towing, a front wheel drive minivan will STRUGGLE! Maybe consider a multi species fishing boat. More room than a bassboat.

I don't have a boat so I'm not much help but have you thought about a boat like this? Just seems a little better all around especially if the grandkids ever wanna wakeboard or tube or something.

I did compromised with my wife on pontoon boat instead of bass boat. My wife agreed to get fishing sport pontoon (lowe is very nice) with everything 150hp 2 captain chair, live well, trolling motor and gps/fish finder. I ended up told her to get party style instead (sun tracker party barge) since we have quite a few friends and family that always hang out with my wife.

I do have other toys when I wanna go fishing, Jonboat, kayak and float tube. 

If you are really into fishing, deck boat might do it for you, casting platform and lounge chair.

 

 

Btw with all this talk you might need a new truck to tow, they are pretty heavy at least 4000 lbs. Do you know how much weight your van can tow? Even 14’ aluminum Jonboat with outboard engine that almost 1000 lbs already.

Unfortunately my budget is very limited, which is why I've been looking at older bass boats.