Newer Pontoon Boats Better

Like fishing rods, reels, line and lures, personal floating devices have changed dramatically the last 30 years.

When a small Oklahoma company began manufacturing float tubes about the time fly fishing started becoming popular, no one dreamed that the belly boats would evolve into today’s pontoon boats and that the boats would be used at lakes and streams throughout North America.

My first float tube was made by that Oklahoma company. It consisted of a heavy truck inner tube inside vinyl-covered canvas. The cover was held in place by a heavy-duty zipper that ran around the inside of the tube. Two small “pockets” for fishing tackle were sewn to the top of the tube. The seat also was sewn into the canvas.

Although the float tube was just large enough to support an angler weighing about 175 pounds, it was heavy, probably weighing 15 pounds.

The company’s tubes became popular with some southwest bass anglers and numerous Inland Northwest fly fishers.

My next float tube was a medium-sized Caddis tube made in the Northwest. The inner tube was considerably lighter than the Oklahoma company’s tube and the two pockets were larger.

Then, to provide more safety, several manufacturers began adding bladder-supported backrests to their tubes. I sold my Caddis tube and bought an extra-large float tube made by Browning. I still have the Browning tube and use it when I backpack into a lake.

The round and oval belly boats have two major drawbacks. They’re difficult, when an angler is wearing swim fins, to get into and to exit. If they tip over, an angler could drown before freeing himself. Second, they are inadequate for river fishing. In fact, some fly fishers have lost their lives while floating streams.

Float-tube makers, aware that anglers wearing fins didn’t like getting into and out of float tubes, began making open-ended tubes a few years ago. Tube producers still make round or oval tubes, but the open-ended tubes are now the most popular tubes in the Inland Northwest.

Meanwhile, about a dozen years ago, L. Darryl Osburn of Hamilton, Mont., started making what he called a Water Otter, one of the first, if not the first, pontoon boats created especially for individual anglers. He used high quality materials, including nearly indestructible pontoons and a heavy-duty aluminum frame. Anglers used fins and paddles to propel his first Otters; later, he added a rowing system.

A few Inland Northwest fly fishers were intrigued by the Otter, among them Clay Findlay of Spokane. Findlay bought a Water Otter more than 10 years ago and used it to float numerous lakes and streams. He still thinks the Otter is one of the best pontoon boats ever made.

Numerous fly fishers and some bait and spin fishers bought the Otters. It didn’t take long for other entrepreneurs to realize that Osburn was producing a device that was becoming popular. The race was on as numerous businessmen decided to produce pontoon boats.

As the result of the intense competition, an angler has numerous choices when he or she shops for a pontoon boat.

Pontoons of Osburn’s original Water Otter were round tubes that sat flat on the water. Osburn still markets an improved Otter, but he’s also producing a pontoon boat with curved pontoons.

I bought a Water Otter nearly seven years ago and used it to fish scores of lakes and streams throughout Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia. Because the frame extended clear around the boat, I had to maneuver carefully when getting into and out of the boat. Finally last March I decided to buy one of the open-ended pontoon boats.

I quickly realized that there are numerous different brands of pontoon boats on the market. What I wanted was one that was made with high quality materials and had a strong, dependable rowing system. One day last March, I launched my 14-foot aluminum boat at Fourth of July Lake and turned the electric motor up high. A few minutes later, Dwight Tipton launched his big pontoon boat made by Outcast Sporting Gear of Boise and began rowing toward me.

The curved pontoons of his boat skimmed over the water and he soon passed me. That made up my mind. I knew that the Outcast was made of the best materials and that the rowing frame would never break. I bought an Outcast. Pontoons and frames of some pontoon boats I considered were made of less than high quality materials. Frames of some were flimsy.

Since then I’ve fished out of my Outcast at numerous Inland Northwest lakes the last four months. I know that I can row the pontoon boat faster than most people can row their boats and I feel comfortable and safe on the boat. The one and only disadvantage is its weight. It weighs 54 pounds, compared with 22 pounds for the Otter, which I sold.

However, I can put up with the additional weight. I’m not going to carry the Outcast more than 50 yards or so.

Makers of pontoon boats undoubtedly will come up with more innovations the next few years. Pontoon boats will, like autos, continue to evolve as entrepreneurs try to capture the hearts of anglers.