Pontoon boats are increasingly popular for fishing. Here are the pros and cons

There’s no denying pontoon boats have grown increasingly popular on Canada’s rivers and lakes. Once dismissed as little more than glorified party rafts, pontoons have evolved to become truly versatile, comfortable and capable boats. And they’ve caught on with buyers, with the National Marine Manufacturers Association noting they now represent approximately one third of all boats sold in Canada each year. Or in other words, nearly one in three new boats leaving dealer showrooms today rides around on hollow aluminum tubes.

It’s easy to understand why. With their big, flat floors and plush upholstered seating, pontoons are exceptionally comfortable, offering plenty of room for the whole crew to spread out. Amenities such as galleys, barbecues and refrigerators add to the comfort, while the wide, swing-open doors mean no one must climb over seats or step precariously on the gunnel to come aboard or leave.

As well, pontoons can accommodate both wheelchairs and baby strollers with equal ease, making them a real hit with multi-generational families. And let’s face it, the incredible stability appeals to everyone, so it was only a matter of time before someone began to look at pontoons as potential fishing platforms.

There are times and places when a pontoon boat is awfully tough to beat, with the pros often far outweighing the cons

Today, most pontoon builders offer a range of fishing models, with standard features such as rod holders, tackle and rod storage, fishing stations, aerated livewells, swivelling pedestal-mount seats, high-end electronics, and provisions for an electric trolling motor. And since pontoons are big, roomy boats, there’s space to add just about any kind of bolt-on goodies you can imagine, from downriggers to planer-board masts to shallow-water anchors and more.

But what’s it like to actually fish from a pontoon? As a full-time boating writer who travels all over the map each year attending new product launches and test-driving new models, I’ve fished from a huge number of different boats—walleye rigs, bass boats, 14-foot tinnies, big offshore trollers, drift boats, canoes and even a couple of luxury yachts. I once even trolled for walleye off the back of a Great Lakes freighter. Pontoons had remained a mystery to me, however, so I made it my mission to fish out of as many different models, in as many different places and situations, as I could.

My overall take-away? There are times and places when a pontoon boat is awfully tough to beat, with the pros often far outweighing the cons. It all comes down to how you prefer to fish.