My Buck’s Bag South Fork Pontoon is at least 15 years old. It has with stood the rigors of lakes and rivers and never failed me, until recently. I will probably send in the leaking pontoon to get it fixed and keep it as a backup. It has become too heavy for me to lift by myself, up onto my rig.
So, I decided to spring for a new ‘toon, a new South Fork, with a slightly lighter frame. I transferred my spare rod holder over to the new rig along with my ginormous, side storage packs. I still have to transfer the oar holders and I will be good to go.
I will finish off with my pyramid anchor. I use the over size bags, less for the typical fly fishing stuff and more for clothing, camera gear and food. There is a ton of room for fly boxes. I am trying to pare down my quantity of fly boxes that I take out onto a lake. Rather than trying to cover all the bases, I try to think more and refine my fly boxes down a bit. If I really need it that bad, it will be back in the truck.
Bucks Bags out of Idaho have a great reputation. I researched other suppliers and several have good reputations. I stayed with Bucks because 15 years of abuse on my other pontoon boat speaks well of the product’s reliability.
SwittersB & Exploring 
Where can I get a rod holder like that?
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http://www.scotty.com/fishing-gear-equipment/rod-holders/fly-rod.htm Check who is a vendor near you……
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Ha! Well, the truck will have to wait. I am hoping both the truck and the old pontoon bladder are fixable. Really, the primary problem was the old pontoon boat was a bit too heavy. A tip: my composite oars are longer and heavier than the standard 6′ oars that come with the boats. I went to the all black, longer oars for bigger lakes and to reduce flash off of the oar shafts. That has been great, but if you keep the oars on the boat and then try to lift it, it is a wobbly 80#’s to manage up onto the truck. I use to be able to do it…not now. I use to have a stout son nearby to help….not so much now. So, I am opting for the PB that is lighter…removing the oars….and still having the rowing capabilities on big waters/winds. GM/SB
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Looks like a good set-up you have going there. How
Much does a set-up complete with oars, anchor and
Rod holders cost? Do they break-down for travel
okay or do you need a big rig for that set-up?
Danica
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Hello Danica
Well, the cost, as you can imagine, is in the pontoon boat and they range (for quality between $400. to $1200). Yes, quite a range. I would say that for everything, you should be able to locate a pontoon boat suitable for lake/moderate rivers for < than $1000. If you infrequently fish and only on lakes say a few thousand acres or less, then keep your choice in the $500.- $800. ID your fishing needs and frequency…then research the major brands.
SB
Oh, they do break down but I would not suggest that as your normal routine unless you have a pickup truck. The set up time for set up, frame and all is too long in my estimation. If I was taking a long vacation, I might consider tearing it way down, but I don’t recommend. If you fish smaller waters, you might consider a quality float tube for 200-500, which deflates way down. The downside to a pontoon boat is you can be like a large sailboat in big winds. The upside is you can kick for normal fishing or row (across big waters). Hope this helps a bit.
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