How many of you spider rig or troll from a pontoon boat and if so how long is yours.

[mb4850]

I've purchased a 21' SunTracker fishing barge with a 70 hp Yammaha. I was wondering about trying to get my wife to fish with me on it to see if she would like spider rigging. I'm sure it wouldn't be good in the wind but was thinking about those summer days.

[bowhunter012463]

I was thinking about doing that to my pontoon

[T.C.]

The few die hard crappie guys I know who own pontoons back troll with them..........use drift socks to keep the boat straight.

[Southernrebel]

How did you get a yammi on a suntracker? I only had the option of mercury when I got mine.

[Cray]

I fish off a friends 21 ft. Works pretty good. He has a 80 lb terrova and it pushes it pretty good. Get you a couple of 60 in drift socks and you can fish in some pretty good winds. It is a little rough to control in a good breeze but plenty fis hable off the front with pole holders. Excellent for pulling cranks off the back. He has 75 yam my 4 stroke. When I lived in Springdale some years back all I did was bass fish but used to see a lot of folks in the summer anchoring next to the bluff banks rigging lights and crappie fishing off pontoons.

[Harold]

If you are cheap like me you can get some 5 gallon buckets instead of the drift socks

[JD1]

I have a 21 tracker signature with a little 25 hp merc 4 stroke. I troll alot but really want to get a trolling motor for staying on structure,

[boatstall]

While I prefer being in my skiff, or pirouge, feeling the thump, single poling, taking the toon with a bunch of folks can also be fun.
We use ours for spider rigging, trolling, and both pushing and pulling.
Tends to also enjoy setting up for catfish, both anchored on a good hole, as well as drifting.
Have a total of 24 Driftmaster rod holders, 10 on foredeck pipe rack, 6 on stern rack, and 8 on sides.
Lets me pick the style of fishing without having to move any rod holders.

Bow and stern racks are home-made. Angle and direction are adjustable for all holders on the pipe racks, except the ones mounted down the sides on the fencing.

Running a Minn Kota Maxium that was added after these pictures. It is onboard always, but only bolted to the foredeck when needed, and only takes a couple
of minutes to attach with 4 bolts and wing-nuts.

Run 2 XXL Cabelas drift socks, when drifting.
Have 4 Anchor Mate winches mounted inside each of the interior corners, that have 15lb. river anchors, allowing 4 point precise anchoring.
The anchors can be un-clipped, and the drift socks attached, allowing drift to be set 360 degrees.

She is old, and she is not pretty. But after several years of trial rigging, she works well and is easily single-handled.
Not unusual to make 3-5 days without touching land.
Hope this gives you some ideas, and that you enjoy yours as much as we do ours.

[mb4850]

Thanks all for the info. Bill I would love to see more pictures of your boat rigging since camping on the boat and fishing is how I'm rigging my boat. When you say river anchors are you talking about mushroom or the dig in type of anchors? I will get some pictures on here of my boat but it is similar to yours in that it has the front 8' of open deck. What is your sleeping set-up? I fish from a kayak so I plan to arrange a way to tow my kayak and fish from it at times. Tonight is my wife and I maiden camping/fishing voyage. I am working on installing some type of onboard toilet for extended stay. I have purchased a small gas stove and plan on rigging a small sink and fish cleaning station that flips over the side rail. Any other hints and tips for rigging from anybody camping and fishing from their pontoon would be appreciated.

[Yadkin Guide]

I guide and have two boat of which one is a 22 ft pontoon with a 115hp Mercury Four Stroke. I have equipped it with a Minn Kota Auto Pilot, a 995C Humminbird, a 50 gallon Super Bait Tank II, and many rod holders. Along with Driftmaster we have developed a way to store 16 rods for transport that works well. We have also developed a way to mount rod holders that makes them very versatile. I plan on taking pictures soon to show how this can be done easily. Good luck with your pontoon and do get some drift socks.