I’m looking at getting a pontoon and would like to set up a handful of rod holders off the back for catfishing. Would you guys recommend a fishing model with the back open or the couch up against the rear rails and just bending over the seat to get to the rod rack? I’ll post two pictures of the types I’m thinking of.
-James
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I like the idea of the seats in back with a rod rack with ~6 rod holders across the back.
Steve DeMars should be around tomorrow with some photos of his cat-toon set up.
Very well thought out.
Brian asked me to reply on your pontoon question. Here is the info I provided him.
Brian – Here are a couple of pictures of the rear deck of my pontoon. I still consider my pontoon a work in progress and I am constantly moving things around and trying new things. Here are a few things to think about for a cat/sturgeon fishing pontoon that I have learned.
#1: I had a couple of built in seats in the fishing deck area. I took those out so that I can put a large fish on the deck and have some room to handle the fish and take photos without tripping over seats and gear. I have almost 8 feet of clear space across the back deck. You need that space to deal with a large fish.
#2: You want to be able to quickly measure length and girth of your fish so you can get them back into the water unharmed. I have a 60 inch metal ruler laying on the back deck so I can get a quick length measurement without having to lift or drag the fish around. You want to have a space so after a quick measurement you can easily lift the fish up under control, snap your photos and then get them back in the water safely. I have tried to get everything not needed off the back deck or stowed up and out of the way.
#3: I have the back deck lighted with a clamp on light that is clamped to the top of the bimini top. It is focused to completely light the entire back deck and around the outside of the boat with the flick of a switch. When I get a big fish on I want to be able to clearly see the entire back end of the boat so I can net a big fish easily. The clamp light has a 15 foot cord and I run that cord to a power inverter plugged into an accessory 12 volt battery I store right behind the Captain’s chair steering console. That battery is stored in a battery case that is wired with two 12 volt power plugs that I plug a 400 Watt power inverter into. The power inverter converts DC power to AC power so I can run standard AC equipment like lights. I light with low wattage bulbs. In the summer I have one of those yellow bug light bulbs in it to hold down the bugs and in the cool fall weather when bugs are not a problem I use a low watt LED white bulb.
#4: The fiberglass console you see in the back of the pontoon houses the fuel tank and the rear livewell. I had a 12 volt power plug run from my trolling motor batteries to the back of the boat and mounted on the console. I use that power plug to run a small 100 Watt power inverter that I plug an AC aquarium aerator into. The air hose runs to an airstone in the livewell tank through a hole I drilled in the top of the livewell. That aerator keeps your bait fresh and lively – I will drain and add fresh water several times during each trip to keep the bait healthy.
#5: I use driftmaster rod holders off the back of the boat. I have standard Scotty/Cabela rod holders too but I personally prefer the driftmaster holders. They take up less room and the rods butts can be set so they don’t hang into the deck area as much as a standard holder. Just personal preference.
#6. Right behind the deck area is the changing room/porta pottie. When it is closed it makes a nice flat area to work off of. I store a tool bag in the changing area that has everything you could possibly need for fishing. Pliers, cutting knives, game shears for cutting bait, snag busters, hook removers, etc., etc. The porta pottie comes in handy and was the only requirement my wife had when we were purchasing a new boat. If you have female fishing partners you will want the porta pottie.
#7: In picture #4 you will see a hose wrapped around a rod holder. This is my wash down hose. I have a 12 volt wash down pump wired on the back of the boat. It has a plug in switch which I can plug into the back power plug and it gives me a fairly strong water spray to wash down the back deck after it gets slimed by a sturgeon or a catfish. This comes in pretty handy.
#8: In picture 4 you can see my net rack in the corner. I have a very large landing net, a small landing net, and 3 different livewell nets. You will find nets can be a pain in the buttocks if they are just stored laying down. I mounted holders so all my nets can be hung or stored vertically.
This turned into kind of a long winded e-mail but I thought I should share some lessons learned through use and abuse. Good luck with the pontoon boat.
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Hey, thank you guys for the responses it was really helpful. I found a prime pontoon with the fishing layout that I will probably pick up in the near future. And damn Steve, nice rig you have there.
What type of inverters are you running? I’m looking at getting one for the boat and am not sure if it needs to be marine grade or not. I will probably mount it underneath my console or in my battery compartment so it will be covered but might get a little moisture.
Boy, you keep that awfully clean Steve. Very nice layout. I’d love to have that much space!!!
I think each person probably has a different layout that works and it definitely evolves over time. I had rod holders across the back and on the sides of my old boat, but rarely used the side ones. Now, I have them basically wrapped around the back of my 14′ Sea Nymph.
Definitely good to have a dedicated space to measure and photo the fish. I have decking (the “flathead loft”) that’s marked off. IF I catch a fish, I can put them up there getting a quick measurement and photo. Of course, I don’t have all that floor space.
At the end of the day, it’s great to have as much as you can within close reach…baits, rod holders, terminal tackle, lights, etc. That’s why I have the small “fishing seat” in the middle…close to the rods and my bait bucket is right behind me when I’m anchored.
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