Captain, see any of dem Yahoo fishes yet. Momma told me, bring one home an she gona cook it up fo me! I ain’t got one of dem vest things, so I’m just gona stand on Billie Bob’s head, so’s I can keep my feets dry!
If I’m posting, its because I’m sitting here at work, dreaming about fishing.
This is awesome! Some funny comments on this thread!
BG
In rough water I’ll take a toon over a v-hull any day. Had an 18’ toon, ran wide open in the worst Lake Murray could dish out. Took many a wave over the bow, water runs right off. If you think about it there is nothing to fill up.
Apparently no one on here has ever seen the lake during a bad storm.
Saw quite a few 30’ plus tritoons fishing the rigs 20 mi. off shore in Alabama! I was amazed how they ran in 3’ seas at 6 sec.
I used to have a 18 foot toon which had 24" tubes .I have trolled on Keowee many days when the water was rough . Probably the worst day I can remember we had 3 to 4’ waves and each time they hit us we would have 8" to 1’ of water come on the deck . Had 4 rods out and catching 4 to 5# bass every pass (and a few 6’s ) .
It was wild I remember I couldn’t walk from the back of the boat to the midsection without holding on to the rail . Our buddies couldn’t believe we went out that day , I don’t either as I look back on that day . What a man does to catch 40+ nice size fish .
A pontoon running 116 mph https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j136TTyG_E8
quote:
Originally posted by dparker677In rough water I’ll take a toon over a v-hull any day. Had an 18’ toon, ran wide open in the worst Lake Murray could dish out. Took many a wave over the bow, water runs right off. If you think about it there is nothing to fill up.
there’s nothing to fill up, but there are brackets to break. as many others have stated, ive taken my 24ft pontoon out into some gnarly conditions, but still would have rather been in my walkaround at that moment. in my opinion, the brackets and braces that hold pontoons together, arent made for the continuous beating they would get offshore. there is alot of linear flex over a 24-30ft platform plowing through 4-6ft waves consistently
If I’m posting, its because I’m sitting here at work, dreaming about fishing.
you do realize that the comments that are saying “it’s not such a bad idea as you might think” are put out there to “enrage and horrify” right?
didn’t a pontoon break apart a few years ago in Merles* Inlet? and the parasailing bote got blamed for the wake.
tennispro offending someone should make some kind of Moultrie News spot in the police blotter.
Bottom loading conditions have many more variables than simply saltwater vs freshwater. Panel size, classified operating condition and speed being big players. Not sure how you would adapt the ISO or ABS scantling to a pontoon, but I am sure it can be (and probably has been) done. I would imagine the overall hull hog or sag would be a bigger concern than bottom loading. It would be pretty easy to build an ABYC pontoon boat. Lots of opportunity to deal with buoyancy during flooding and ride quality is certainly not a requirement.
“If you had to tell someone how good you are, then you probably aren’t that good”
02 Carolina Skiff 175 RG Honda 90 -
I was in Steinhatchee, Fl. a few years ago catching scallops. I was about five miles from the river/inlet when a monster summer storm sprang up with high winds and multiple water spouts. Needless to say there was a mad charge to get into the safety of the river. As we were coming up the long channel to the river, We saw a “twenty something” foot pontoon crest what I would say was about a four foot wave. The toon dug it’s nose into the sea and pitch poled. If I remember correctly there were eight people on board and they all went into the water and best I could see with only two (children) wearing life jackets. By the time I could turn around and get back to them other boats had picked them up (lots of blood visible).
You CAN take a jon boat to the Bahamas. I sure as hell wouldn’t try.
ZX
This is my new offshore fishing/party boat
jws, you need a new friend? i provide free beer…
If I’m posting, its because I’m sitting here at work, dreaming about fishing.
Brass ones indeed. There was a pontoon boat that tried the jetties on a rough day if I recall correctly. The pontoons float…even when they get snapped off the deck. That is the danger…they aren’t meant for the kind of stress you can see in a heavy sea. On a smooth day the ocean can be a like a lake…long period low rollers aren’t rough. He gets points for picking the day and the balls to do it!
quote:
Originally posted by FLORIDA_BOY2Not lakes anywhere south of the Great Lakes has it seen 7’. Or 6 or 5 or 4 or 3.
…
Mike Martinez“Team Hookers Dream”
2016 Sea Hunt 25 Gamefish twin Yamaha 150’s “Wet Dream”
1994 Ken Craft 175CC 1998 Yamaha 115 “Dream Machine”
Look, I found a video of a pontoon handling what were definitely 4-6’ waves on Lake moultrie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDY-vvx_qfc
I stand corrected. I suppose 7’ in lake moultrie is possible.
quote:
Originally posted by FLORIDA_BOY2Not lakes anywhere south of the Great Lakes has it seen 7’. Or 6 or 5 or 4 or 3.
…
Mike Martinez“Team Hookers Dream”
2016 Sea Hunt 25 Gamefish twin Yamaha 150’s “Wet Dream”
1994 Ken Craft 175CC 1998 Yamaha 115 “Dream Machine”
The nastiest waves the Santee system can produce are in front of the Marion Dam with a west wind, recorded 4 footers and reported 4-6’.
True 6’ were recorded on Marion during Hugo.
I’m sure there have been 7’ on our bigger lakes. Not common though. 4’ not common but very doable. 2-3’ very likely in a strong sustained storm.
My neighbor fishes santee in a triple pontoon boat that will run 65mph. He’s a nut, but he even says 2’ are all he’ll do and only if he’s forced to.
Back in my youth on a good day with buddy boats I’d ride out on a pontoon boat. My biggest issue with one is loading or unloading in heavy current. Salt water has two options for me. Dead low or dead high. Other than that a pontoon belongs on a lake. 
“Why Bruce?”
I have a 24’ pontoon boat and I’ve been caught on Lake Marion down near the dam and trying to get back to Goat Island. After taking several big waves over the deck, I ducked in behind a small island and tied to two cypress trees to ride out the storm. It was VERY uncomfortable. I’ve read in this thread the concern about stress, and I agree. Does anyone really know how much stress a pontoon boat can handle? How would that be rated? I’m sure some are more well built and durable than others.
Harold Wilcox
www.haroldshogwash.com
quote:
Originally posted by millacdquote:
Originally posted by FLORIDA_BOY2Not lakes anywhere south of the Great Lakes has it seen 7’. Or 6 or 5 or 4 or 3.
…
Mike Martinez“Team Hookers Dream”
2016 Sea Hunt 25 Gamefish twin Yamaha 150’s “Wet Dream”
1994 Ken Craft 175CC 1998 Yamaha 115 “Dream Machine”
Look, I found a video of a pontoon handling what were definitely 4-6’ waves on Lake moultrie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDY-vvx_qfc
I stand corrected. I suppose 7’ in lake moultrie is possible.
I watched the video. No way those were 4’6’waves.
Harold Wilcox
www.haroldshogwash.com
quote:
Originally posted by hwilcoxquote:
Originally posted by millacdquote:
Originally posted by FLORIDA_BOY2Not lakes anywhere south of the Great Lakes has it seen 7’. Or 6 or 5 or 4 or 3.
…
Mike Martinez“Team Hookers Dream”
2016 Sea Hunt 25 Gamefish twin Yamaha 150’s “Wet Dream”
1994 Ken Craft 175CC 1998 Yamaha 115 “Dream Machine”
Look, I found a video of a pontoon handling what were definitely 4-6’ waves on Lake moultrie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDY-vvx_qfc
I stand corrected. I suppose 7’ in lake moultrie is possible.
I watched the video. No way those were 4’6’waves.
Harold Wilcox
www.haroldshogwash.com
Haha, yeah they were 2-3’ following seas, so rough! 
i was being a bit sarcastic, this site needs a sarcasm font.