The Pontoon’s Maiden Voyage

The only time I have ever fished on the water was from a boat. It was either an aluminum boat, fishing boat, wakeboarding boat, houseboat - I think you get the picture. That was up until this past weekend when I had a chance to christen the pontoon I purchased on Craigslist last week. It’s an eight foot Bucks Bag pontoon and since I have never tubed before I can’t really compare the two but what I can do is share with you is my very first tooning experience.

The Purchase

When I was looking for a pontoon I took several factors into account. First off, I wanted something that was affordable. I was a Craigslist mad man for a few weeks. There were a couple that I called but since I wasn’t ready they were quickly snatched up by other buyers. Then I saw this Bucks Bag and since my brother had told me a while back that they make a great toon I was on it. I was looking every day hoping that the items that I had listed on eBay would sell so I could buy it. Just when I was ready the item disappeared from Craigslist but I still had the number and I called. The rest is history.

The Breakdown

When I purchased it we had to take off the pontoons to fit it in my Yukon. It was actually pretty easy and letting the air out was the simple press of a button. The one thing I did notice though is that the frame will not break down all that easy. It’s connected by the bolts in the seat but luck for me it fit and I didn’t have to take out any screws. My wife had left some items from mother’s day so room was tight but it still made it.

Putting everything back together was just as easy as it came apart. It was a little difficult getting the back straps on because of the custom built aluminum platform. Other then that it was back in working order in a matter of minutes.

The Transport

I emptied out the Yukon in preparation for my Sunday Almaden Reservoir trip. I removed our car seats and rear seats and folded the back row down. I was hoping that I didn’t have to break it down and I was leery of placing it on the roof with straps. I was lucky. It fit like a glove, literally. No space left on each side. It was as though the truck was designed for this thing. Awesome.

The Maiden Voyage.

Rowing was pretty easy to pick up but what I liked most about it was knowing that I was now able to fish all of the places where they didn’t allow boats. It was also nice to see how easy it was to maneuver and how high I sat up on the water. If I wanted to I could have kept my feet up on the stirrups and not get wet but I chose to go with some Force Fins and some waders (Review on the Force Fins later). The whole experience was pretty darn cool. I managed to pull in a five pound bass that day - good sign.

Anyhow, I’d like to make a suggestion. If you don’t have a tube or toon then get one. You can find great deals on eBay and Craigslist and if you can’t afford it at the moment, save for it. It’s a great experience especially when you are with friends. There are plenty of lakes in our area that do not allow boats: Uvas, Perc Ponds, Lexington, Chesbro, Coyote (Due to Lake Level), Almaden, and Stevens Creek. That means less pressure and in most cases bigger fish.

Good luck! Now it’s time to add some accessories.

Marce