Fishing Boats For Sale

One of the best ways to fish a river, small lake, or pond is with a mini pontoon boat, and in this article I’m going to list and discuss some of the more popular mini pontoon boats that are available to anglers. These boats are great for many types of fishing, from fly fishing in Oregon to largemouth bass fishing in Alabama.

The biggest key to purchasing any of these mini pontoon boats is to make your purchase from a quality manufacturer. If you purchase your boat from a quality manufacturer it will last for many years of fishing. If on the other hand you skimp, you can become very disenfranchised and think that mini pontoon boats are not a viable option.

So, how do you know you’re dealing with a quality manufacturer? A quality manufacturer will stand behind their mini pontoon boats with things like free trial periods, money back guarantees, and free or discounted shipping and handling charges.

Any or all of these things show you that you are dealing with a good manufacturer who makes a quality boat.
Outcast PAC 1300 – This is the perfect mini drift boat. This boat holds up to 2 anglers very comfortably and is sturdy enough to handle very rough water. This mini pontoon boat is perfect for river fishing western rivers. This boat is manufactured by Outcast, a great manufacturer.
Outcast PAC 1000 – This boat is one of the most popular mini pontoon boats on the market. Again, this boat is made by Outcast, so quality isn’t an issue. The PAC 1000 is a one angler boat and is great for both river and lake fishing. This boat is equally good for both fly and spin fishing. The pontoons on this boat are made out of 1100 denier PVC, which is extremely durable. The PAC1000 is extremely maneuverable and a pleasure to fish from.
FoldCat Boat – While the above boats can take upwards of 45 minutes to assemble, you can be fishing on the FoldCat in under 5 minutes. Of all the mini pontoon boats in this article the FoldCat may be the best and most economical option. But, just because the FoldCat is less expensive than comparable boats it doesn’t mean that the FoldCat isn’t a quality product. The FoldCat is made by Sea Eagle, a quality manufacturer. These boats offer everything that an angler could want, and perform well in both lakes and rivers.

Any of these boats would be a great choice for anyone in the market for a personal boat for fishing. These mini pontoons are extremely easy to move around and will provide you access to otherwise untouchable water. I know my mini pontoon boat opened up what seemed like “whole new worlds” of new fishing water to me.

One of the best ways to fish a river, small lake, or pond is with a mini pontoon boat, and in this article I’m going to list and discuss some of the more popular mini pontoon boats that are available to anglers. These boats are great for many types of fishing, from fly fishing in Oregon to largemouth bass fishing in Alabama.

The biggest key to purchasing any of these mini pontoon boats is to make your purchase from a quality manufacturer. If you purchase your boat from a quality manufacturer it will last for many years of fishing. If on the other hand you skimp, you can become very disenfranchised and think that mini pontoon boats are not a viable option.

So, how do you know you’re dealing with a quality manufacturer? A quality manufacturer will stand behind their mini pontoon boats with things like free trial periods, money back guarantees, and free or discounted shipping and handling charges.

Any or all of these things show you that you are dealing with a good manufacturer who makes a quality boat.
Outcast PAC 1300 – This is the perfect mini drift boat. This boat holds up to 2 anglers very comfortably and is sturdy enough to handle very rough water. This mini pontoon boat is perfect for river fishing western rivers. This boat is manufactured by Outcast, a great manufacturer.
Outcast PAC 1000 – This boat is one of the most popular mini pontoon boats on the market. Again, this boat is made by Outcast, so quality isn’t an issue. The PAC 1000 is a one angler boat and is great for both river and lake fishing. This boat is equally good for both fly and spin fishing. The pontoons on this boat are made out of 1100 denier PVC, which is extremely durable. The PAC1000 is extremely maneuverable and a pleasure to fish from.
FoldCat Boat – While the above boats can take upwards of 45 minutes to assemble, you can be fishing on the FoldCat in under 5 minutes. Of all the mini pontoon boats in this article the FoldCat may be the best and most economical option. But, just because the FoldCat is less expensive than comparable boats it doesn’t mean that the FoldCat isn’t a quality product. The FoldCat is made by Sea Eagle, a quality manufacturer. These boats offer everything that an angler could want, and perform well in both lakes and rivers.

Any of these boats would be a great choice for anyone in the market for a personal boat for fishing. These mini pontoons are extremely easy to move around and will provide you access to otherwise untouchable water. I know my mini pontoon boat opened up what seemed like “whole new worlds” of new fishing water to me.

A pontoon or party boat can be a fun and relaxing way to travel out on the water.  These spacious boats hold as many as 15 or so people and can allow for sunbathing, music and partying!  Several months ago after searching through various listings of used Pontoon boats for sale, we found a great deal on one for just under 00.  The boat can hold up to ten passengers, includes a built-in radio, fish finder, and spacious storage for all sorts of items underneath the seat cushions.  We’ve found the pontoon boat to be a lot of fun to take out on the lake for journeys to explore different areas and enjoy the relaxation of being on the water.

When taking trips out on the pontoon boats fun may be your goal, but safety should always be a priority.  The last thing you want is your partying to get in the way of safety and cause a hazard to other boaters or even worse an accident on the dock or water.  This article will outline several safety precautions to keep in mind while you’re using your pontoon boat.  Safety tips for driving the boat are better learned via a safe boating course, so these will be general safety tips for storing your boat and what to do before taking it out.

On board the pontoon boat it’s essential to have a flotation device.  This is in case of a sudden crash or impact, or if the boat flipped.  The flotation device should always be kept out in the open when your boating, just in case of an accident.  Also, make sure to include a number of lifevests, which can be stored underneath the seat cushions on the boat.  Err on the side of caution by having 8-10 of these just in case you have a lot of passengers.  You never know when they will be needed, or if certain passengers are unable to swim.

If your pontoon boat is stored at a dock, it is necessary for it to be tied up to the dock.  At our dock there are four cleats, two in front and two in back of the boat.  It is essential that you properly cleat the lines and that the pontoon boat is fastened securely near the dock.  Otherwise, if it is loose or becomes unattached, your boat may float away and hit something!  When leaving for an outing on the boat, we always make sure one person is on board while one or more passengers are on the dock to untie the ropes from the cleats.  Then the people on the dock safely board as the pontoon boat motor has been switched on.

With many new and used pontoon boats, the key also includes a special clip for the “killswitch” or “dead man’s switch” attached by a cord on the keyring.  This clip-on switch provides an important safety function to shut off the boat’s motor.  It’s very important before even starting the boat that you have this clip in place, so that if your key becomes dislodged or you have to pull it out for an emergency, the motor will shut down automatically.

While out on the water, there are several safety rules to keep in mind.  While I could cover them here, it is generally advised that you have completed a boating or boater’s safety course for your area.  Different states have different laws or regulations regarding who is required to have passed a boater safety course before being allowed to even drive a boat on the water.  You can find out more about your particular state’s laws and regulations at the appropriate Game and Inland Fisheries website for your state, or your state’s gov site.

Bass fishermen might be patient when their lure’s in the water, but speed is of the essence when getting to and from their favorite spot. A combination of pad bottom, lifting strakes, and reverse chines push this boat onto plane and deliver eye-watering top speeds, while the in-floor fuel tank and lateral-running livewells add to stability and reduce any tendency to chine walk. Outfitted with a Mercury 225 OptiMax Pro XS, our test boat planed in about four seconds and peaked at more than 70 mph.

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Boating Magazine – Fish

Boat control is critical if you are fishing for Walleye, because this factor is dependent upon success on the water. There are many things that can be done to help improve your control over your boat, and there is also equipment and other tools that can help as well, to make you even more efficient at Walleye fishing.

Successful Walleye fishing depends on being able to control your boat completely and precisely, keeping you in the small spot that is perfect.

For example, drift fishing relies on complete boat control, and this includes the speed. If you go too fast, the bait will come up and not be as attractive to the fish.

If your boat speed is too slow, the bait will drag and be jerky as it goes through the water. For drift fishing it’s important to keep your boat speed at a controlled level.

Marker buoys can also help you get better control.

A lot of anglers do not use these, because they have GPS and do not feel marker buoys are necessary, but marker buoys work great when control is important. These buoys provide a physical marker to help you locate the current position of the boat, and this can help you stay on target and allow better control.

…And it goes without saying that trolling motors clearly play a big role as well here.

Keeping your bait at the desired level in the water is another important consideration. Walleye look for bait that appear natural, and boat control is necessary for this to happen. If you are not maintaining proper control of the boat, your bait will not glide along the bottom but instead will rise up in the water.

The biggest Walleye can usually be found close to the bottom of the lake, so this is where you want to keep your bait usually, and precision boat control can help alot with this.

Walleye also like underwater structure, and perfect boat control is needed to maintain your position when fishing these areas

Boat control is critical if you are fishing for Walleye, because this factor is dependent upon success on the water. There are many things that can be done to help improve your control over your boat, and there is also equipment and other tools that can help as well, to make you even more efficient at Walleye fishing.

Successful Walleye fishing depends on being able to control your boat completely and precisely, keeping you in the small spot that is perfect.

For example, drift fishing relies on complete boat control, and this includes the speed. If you go too fast, the bait will come up and not be as attractive to the fish.

If your boat speed is too slow, the bait will drag and be jerky as it goes through the water. For drift fishing it’s important to keep your boat speed at a controlled level.

Marker buoys can also help you get better control.

A lot of anglers do not use these, because they have GPS and do not feel marker buoys are necessary, but marker buoys work great when control is important. These buoys provide a physical marker to help you locate the current position of the boat, and this can help you stay on target and allow better control.

…And it goes without saying that trolling motors clearly play a big role as well here.

Keeping your bait at the desired level in the water is another important consideration. Walleye look for bait that appear natural, and boat control is necessary for this to happen. If you are not maintaining proper control of the boat, your bait will not glide along the bottom but instead will rise up in the water.

The biggest Walleye can usually be found close to the bottom of the lake, so this is where you want to keep your bait usually, and precision boat control can help alot with this.

Walleye also like underwater structure, and perfect boat control is needed to maintain your position when fishing these areas

Some of the finest walleye fishing takes place in late spring and early summer, once spawning is completed and the fish begin to search for food. Forage fish are not abundant in this period and all predators are moving extensively, a phenomenon which makes it much easier to find the more aggressive fish. In the late spring and summer months, walleye move to deeper water and structure. Summer months can provide some of the most consistent fishing patterns and action. It’s during this period that walleye readily bite throughout the day and often best during the mid-day hours.

Fishing methods for walleye and sauger are more varied in summer than in any other calender period. Back trolling with a slip-sinker rig is the best means of locating fish. Begin your fishing trip by using bait-fish, but always carry a few night crawlers or leeches. Instead of a plain hook rig it is on occasion better to add colored beads or a spinner blade in one of the bright fluorescent colors.

Sometimes when the fish are using heavy cover such as weeds, stumps, or boulders, it may be necessary to use a slip-bobber rig, which is most effective when fished with natural bait in snag-infested locations. Specialized jig heads which stand at a 45 degree angle when on the bottom and tipped with a large minnow, can produce fish when others fail.

Anglers new to the walleye game, take heart: you can employ many of same techniques with which you are already familiar and need no special rig.  Whether you are a boat or shore angler, you can catch walleye successfully.  First, remember these fish-eating hunters prefer the deeper waters of lakes and large rivers but move to shallow flats to feed during darker hours.

Lakes and Reservoirs

In large reservoirs, fish will often be found at or near the thermocline (25-35′). Rocky points, shorelines and drop-offs near submerged river channels are prime locations. In lakes and reservoirs, early summer walleye movement is mostly at random and rather haphazard, often involving most reaches of an entire lake, reservoir or stream. As aquatic vegetation emerges and forms suitable protective cover, where these predators can lay in ambush, the fish associate closely with these natural structures. Movement is reduced, and the fish quickly establish smaller and more predictable activity centers. They inhabit these reaches throughout the summer and on into early autumn. Foraging is more attuned to low light periods, especially at dawn and dusk. A most favorite fishing technique in this situation is to present the bait through the heavy cover. At these times fishing with minnow-dressed leadheads or other live bait is most productive.

Fishing for walleye in reservoirs using other techniques, such as shoreline wading, can often times be productive in summer, providing you can locate the fish. Best suggestions seem to be night-time fishing near rocky structure, on hard-bottomed land points, and around submerged road beds and islands. Casting with a leadhead tipped with a bait-fish or other natural bait is the most successful method.

Many reservoirs do not develop vegetative cover because of fluctuating water levels, but in summer walleye still associate closely with underwater structures in the form of land points near drop-offs, stone rip-rap on a dam face, sunken islands, and flooded creek channels. Also, windswept underwater gravel bars and reefs or hard clay bottoms are good for walleye in summer. The basic fishing method does not differ from other waters.

River and Tailwater Walleye Fishing

In streams, deeper pools with submerged logs and boulders are a great place to begin your search for walleye. Similar to lake walleye fishing, crank baits and jigs with twister tails can be successful walleye lures in rivers. Biologists also recommend using a spinner bait, or simply a hook with a night crawler or minnow suspended below a float and drifted in the current.  Concentrate your efforts in slack water areas.  Walleye will often feed right on the edge between slow water and swift current.

Walleye fishing in tailwaters depends greatly on the discharge from dams. When flows from the reservoirs are high, fish migrate upstream toward the dam. Some walleye are also flushed from the reservoir and hang below the dam. Reservoir tailwaters provide ample shore fishing areas.

Walleye fishing in the interior rivers in summer is consistently best in the deep pools and scour holes immediately downstream from riffles and lowhead dams. Working a slip-sinker rig or a leadhead tipped with a night crawler or plastic lure during low light periods will usually end with fish on the stringer. Start fishing in the head end up the pool and cover it completely, then gradually move to the deepest part of the pool. Present the lure or bait along the bottom while using a pumping action — alternately raising and lowering the rod tip. Minnows and leeches also work well for walleye, and don’t overlook experimenting with a small crawfish for bait.

Early summer fishing is usually best and slowly tapers off until late summer when walleye and sauger fishing becomes more difficult because of an abundance of natural forage. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different baits. Change your presentation, and look for alternate locations when you don’t catch fish. Walleye are there, but many times they are very selective in their food habits or inactive.