Pontoon or kick boats

[Gerhard]

I have been fishing from a float tube since 2004 ande really enjoy it.


Now I want to know who uses a pontoon or kick boat.


To give you guys who dont know an pontoon or kick boat look like have a look


http://www.xplorerflyfishing.co.za/categories/xpt-2-pontoon-boat/#more-158 


I fished with a guy on the weekend and I was amazed how quickly he moved around on the water...

[Bwana]

I've been using my kickboat for 5 years now and I love it. Plus points over a float tube are:


1) Very dry - only your ankles are in the water, and you don't get your nuts wet
2) Very fast - I use body boarding fins and they give very good propulsion
3) Good visibility - you are sitting higher up and can see fish moving much easier
4) More packing space - I made my own kickboat and made sure the frame has lots of packing space (I even added a stripping tray for when I flyfish)


Here's my version (it's overbuilt - 40mm aluminium tube frame and heavy duty 400mm pontoons by Feral Inflatables)

[Rory mundy]

nice to have your legs out the water when in the estuaries

[Bwana]

I agree! Don't want to be dangling your legs under water for the Zambies to snack on. I fish in a lot of the estuaries down here and have seen a couple of sharks, especially in the Transkei.

[Gerhard]

I've been using my kickboat for 5 years now and I love it. Plus points over a float tube are:


1) Very dry - only your ankles are in the water, and you don't get your nuts wet
2) Very fast - I use body boarding fins and they give very good propulsion
3) Good visibility - you are sitting higher up and can see fish moving much easier
4) More packing space - I made my own kickboat and made sure the frame has lots of packing space (I even added a stripping tray for when I flyfish)


Here's my version (it's overbuilt - 40mm aluminium tube frame and heavy duty 400mm pontoons by Feral Inflatables)

Nice Bwana,


How easy is it to get onto the water? (Weight)


What about tranportation?


Does it take up a lot of space?

[Bwana]

Gerard, it's not difficult to move around - the frame is aluminium so it's lightweight, I can pick it up by the frame and carry it to the water to launch it. I used to carry it inflated on my roofracks on my previous car, but now I carry it in my SUV with my seats folded down. The pontoons are half deflated and the frame is separated for transport, when I get to the venue I pump up the pontoons with a double action handpump and then attach to the frame with the ratchet straps. Pick it up and carry it to the water, load gear and off you go! I guess it probably weighs 20kg without gear.

[Gerhard]

Gerard, it's not difficult to move around - the frame is aluminium so it's lightweight, I can pick it up by the frame and carry it to the water to launch it. I used to carry it inflated on my roofracks on my previous car, but now I carry it in my SUV with my seats folded down. The pontoons are half deflated and the frame is separated for transport, when I get to the venue I pump up the pontoons with a double action handpump and then attach to the frame with the ratchet straps. Pick it up and carry it to the water, load gear and off you go! I guess it probably weighs 20kg without gear.

Thanks for the info Bwana...


Sounds like I might have to invest in a kick boat in near future.

[swarley81]

Hi Gerhard, I fish in "The Bass Challenge" (  http://www.basschallenge.co.za/ ) series here in Gauteng where a bunch of guys with floattubes and kickboats compete in monthly bass competitions.  (There are 2 categories: 1 for guys with kickboats and pontoons and a separate category for guys with small boats up to 4.2m, I fish in the small boat category)


I think the guys with the kickboats have definite advantages over a floattube as stated by Bwana.


Apart from the Explorer pontoon boat, you can have a look at these as well:


http://www.piscespredator.co.za/pages/396/kickboat-package 


http://floattubes.co.za/ 

[Gerhard]

Hi Gerhard, I fish in "The Bass Challenge" (  http://www.basschallenge.co.za/ ) series here in Gauteng where a bunch of guys with floattubes and kickboats compete in monthly bass competitions.  (There are 2 categories: 1 for guys with kickboats and pontoons and a separate category for guys with small boats up to 4.2m, I fish in the small boat category)


I think the guys with the kickboats have definite advantages over a floattube as stated by Bwana.


Apart from the Explorer pontoon boat, you can have a look at these as well:


http://www.piscespredator.co.za/pages/396/kickboat-package 


http://floattubes.co.za/

Thanks Swarley!!!

[Debbie]

I use a pontoon for the very reason of not wanting my butt in the water  .  It stand higher and has more packing space. 


I also have a Mariner 4 which I use when fishing with my daughter but prefer fishing from my pontoon. 

[Gerhard]

I use a pontoon for the very reason of not wanting my butt in the water  .  It stand higher and has more packing space. 


I also have a Mariner 4 which I use when fishing with my daughter but prefer fishing from my pontoon.

What pontoon are you fishing from Debbie?

[Gerhard]

I've been using my kickboat for 5 years now and I love it. Plus points over a float tube are:


1) Very dry - only your ankles are in the water, and you don't get your nuts wet
2) Very fast - I use body boarding fins and they give very good propulsion
3) Good visibility - you are sitting higher up and can see fish moving much easier
4) More packing space - I made my own kickboat and made sure the frame has lots of packing space (I even added a stripping tray for when I flyfish)


Here's my version (it's overbuilt - 40mm aluminium tube frame and heavy duty 400mm pontoons by Feral Inflatables)

Bwana,


I like the hight your pontoons are giving you out of the water.


Should make casting a fly a lot easier.

[Debbie]

I use a pontoon for the very reason of not wanting my butt in the water  .  It stand higher and has more packing space. 


I also have a Mariner 4 which I use when fishing with my daughter but prefer fishing from my pontoon.

What pontoon are you fishing from Debbie?

Gerhard I have a Froggy


http://www.floattubes.co.za/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=6&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=19&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=29

[swarley81]

Gerhard, I've seen guys who modified their pontoon boats with a standup platform so that they have a casting platform.  That will make it even easier to cast a fly line...




Have a look at this site from the US where they really pimped a few pontoon boats.  Maybe you can get some ideas there as well.


http://bass-n-tubes.com/gallery2/v/rigging/ 

[Bwana]

@Gerhard - That is one of the reasons I opted for the bigger size pontoon - the standard size is 300mm diameter, and I have used the 400mm. I built it tough for when I fish the estuaries - the pontoons are double thickness PVC instead of the standard. On the left I have a stripping tray and it works really well for fly casting.

[Gerhard]

@Gerhard - That is one of the reasons I opted for the bigger size pontoon - the standard size is 300mm diameter, and I have used the 400mm. I built it tough for when I fish the estuaries - the pontoons are double thickness PVC instead of the standard. On the left I have a stripping tray and it works really well for fly casting.

What would it cost to build a kick boat like yours today Bwana?

[swarley81]

Hi Gerhard,


Check out this topic on [size=78%]http://www.basschallenge.co.za/index.php/forum/64-small-bass-boats-tugs-etc/22226-pontoon-boat-project.html[/size]


This guy built his own pontoon kickboat a month or so ago.  He lives in the East Rand, maybe he can give you some advice from a "local" Gauteng perspective as well.


W

[Bwana]

I remember the total cost when I built mine was around R1900 (4 years ago). It will definitely be more now, but I overbuilt mine on purpose to make sure it lasts forever. The main components are :


40mm aluminium tube
50mm x 3mm flat aluminium bar (for the round brackets that hold the pontoons in place)
20mm x 3mm flat aluminium bar (to make the struts the support the stripping tray and storage compartment
Plastic irrigation T-pieces and Elbows to fit the 40mm tube
6mm Galvanised bolts and nyloc nuts to secure the tube to the fittings
1 x plastic chair (grind legs off and mount the metal frame to the inside of the frame with bolts)
2 x inflatable pontoons (mine are 400mm dia, double thick PVC, +/- 1.4m long) These were R1500 from Feral Inflatables in Park Rynie
4 x heavy duty ratchet straps
1x 250mm x 18mm x 1m pine shelf board (for the back "shelf" behind the seat, I use it to store spare rods and pump)
1 x flat plastic tray
1 x seal lock plastic storage box for gear


That's about it!

[Debbie]

Gerhard there  is a guy in Port Shepstone, Pem, who builds the Pieces Predator.  Also nice a strong. Not sure the price. His number is 0833012851.