Beggining Pontoon Trip???

[jcalderon]

Hey guys. As mentioned in my previous post I am brand new to this stuff! I recently bought a creek company 1018 pontoon and I have been learning to paddle it on the lakes now for about 2 weeks...... I am interested in doing my first river float with it.... My only gear at this point is a 5wt set up..... so Im not ready to fish steelhead ect just yet. What is a good "starter" river to give this thing a spin on???

[Jim Jones]

The lower Yakima is a good beginner float if you want to head that way. Put in at Ringer or Umtanum and float down to one of the lower takeouts. Not too much in the way of trouble unless something has changed that I don't know about.

Jim Jones

[Josh Brower]

where do you live at? if you live up north more, i would suggest the Snohomish river. i too am new to the pontoon boat world. i would suggest doing a float or 2 without any gear, just to get the feel for floating down river. i would put in at the launch in town and take out at Rotary park.

[jcalderon]

ya i might try that.... I live about a mile from the snoho.... but i was kind of looking for something a little shallower so i dont have to fish from my pontoon, id rather wade out and fish and just use my toon to get from hole to hole

[Josh Brower]

i live like a mile away too. i live about 2 mins walking from King Charleys. i am going to get an anchor system so i can anchor at the holes i want to fish.

[Jerry Daschofsky]

Here's the cool thing. Since alot of the rivers are closing (or are closed) to fishing, I'd suggest just leaving the gear at home and learning to row down the river. I'd hook up with STS and just do a float. Scout the river and get the "feel" of your pontoon.

[jcalderon]

Yes i will do that. I will leave the gear at home and feel out the river..... Need to get a compact life jacket first...... I hear you are not supposed to anchor in a river....

[seanengman]

Some rivers you can't anchor in because the bottom of the river is "private" property. That is the only thing I have heard of regarding anchoring in rivers. Even at that I would still anchor where ever I want because I don't believe in those ridiculous land laws, It isn't like somebody's wheat field or apple orchard is being planted at the bottom of the river. So many regulations gaurd what they can do with the water moving through there property that there is no real point in owning the ground beneath the water.

[cmdiaz88]

If you decide to do the Yakima float let me know. I have yet to use my pontoon in the rivers also and am wanting to give her the old test run.

[jcalderon]

yes diaz! we should try to get a small group together and run it all together.... that way we can help each other out just in case!

[gbeeman]

"I hear you are not supposed to anchor in a river...."

Anchoring a pontoon boat in moving water is a good way to get flipped. I did it once by accident and thought I was going to go over backwards. Fortunately the anchor popped loose and I got lucky.

Be carefull out there.

Gbeeman

[Josh Brower]

if ya want to hook up sometime and do a "gear less float" send me a PM and we will work something out.

[Jerry Daschofsky]

Well, some tubes just aren't designed to handle being under anchor. Pressure of the water will make you surf up, if not flip. Have no problem anchoring in my steelheaders. But they're a different boat all together. But you can anchor in those boats, just make it a slow stretch.

[nvgpeter]

Whether you flip or dive depends on the anchor system. If the anchor line runs through an elevated pulley you can most certainly flip. Trust me - I know! If you anchor in a river only do so where the flow is mild or protected. It is not fun to swim in a frigid river, watching your best fly box float away