Hello everybody.

 

I don't have a boat, usually do bank fishing, but sometimes living in Florida I have a opportunity to rent a boat on a lake , I have scheduled a boat for a trip that I'm doing in November close to Orlando, it's a pontoon boat, and I want some advice for the best approach to fish on a big lake, where to start and to look for bass spots? close to the shore line? and since the pontoon probably don't have any trolling motor is a good idea to not approach the spot too close because of the noise right?

Your work should start off the lake.  Find lake link or navionics depth charts for the lake you're planning on fishing and compare them with google maps aerial views.  Print out the maps as big as you can and mark points, humps, drop offs, docks, flats, etc. where fish should be in the fall.  Then, do some googling to see if there are any online discussions you about popular spots and mark those as well.  

 

Once you get on the actual lake, you have two choices.  If there's no wind, you can try shutting off the big motor and drifting towards decent spots, fan casting on the way there and once you get there.  Use high percentage baits that target the whole water column - i.e. a topwater lure, something mid range like a chatter bait or crank bait, then bottom contact like jigs.  If you find fish, target them until they stop biting.  If not, move, and repeat.  If there is wind, I'd do the same thing, except anchor so that the current carries you towards the area you want to hit.  

I currently fish out of a pontoon boat.  I have owned a number of bass boats in my life.  I no longer fish tournaments and I am not as stable as I used to be.  I am retired and my pontoon is docked on Little Lake Harris.  My pontoon works great for me.

 

The biggest problem with fishing out of a pontoon boat is boat positioning and trailering.  The wind blows them around and they always seem to drift in the wrong direction.  I solved that problem by installing a Minn Kota Terrova trolling motor.  It's like having a guide run the boat for you.  The anchor lock feature works great.  I'm sure you can't rent a pontoon rigged like my boat.  Don't judge all pontoons by your rental boat.  Rigged right, today's pontoons are serious fishing machines.   

2 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

My pontoon works great for me.

 

Me, too!

 

I have fished out of rental pontoons many times.  Without a high price t/m it’s a ***** in windy conditions.  I would drag an anchor to slow the drift.  You must line up the drift with the target area.  Then if any action I would power around and do the drift again.  It does make me appreciate my bass boat a lot more!

I too have had a pontoon boat as a primary fishing vessel.

As said above, wind is you biggest and navigating shallows can be thought without a TM. A bow and Stern anchor is a must and a pole anchor is a great idea for shallows.  The biggest  benifit was being able to take out some friends and not be in each other way..........An expandable net is also a great idea