Pontoon Boats

[monsterbuck07]

What brand Pontoon is the best? Why?

I know everyone says the best day you have with a boat is the day you buy and second best is the day you sell. I get it.

However we live 4 miles from the TN River and 25 minutes from Guntersville. I already have a small flat bottom for fishing and we are wanting a family boat for tubing and just getting on the water. I don't want a ski boat, I've done that and with kids the ages about to be 8,6,2 by October I want something with a lot of room.

If you have owned one, I'd love your input. I know all about boats and pricing but not much as to best brands when it comes to Pontoons, I will says the Benningtons I have saw coming to the boat ramps are nice!

Thanks in advance guys!


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[leader]

https://www.sylvanmarine.com/


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[prstide]

My family has a Bennington. They are nice and stand behind their products.

 

[X-Tennessean]

What brand Pontoon is the best? Why?

I know everyone says the best day you have with a boat is the day you buy and second best is the day you sell. I get it.

However we live 4 miles from the TN River and 25 minutes from Guntersville. I already have a small flat bottom for fishing and we are wanting a family boat for tubing and just getting on the water. I don't want a ski boat, I've done that and with kids the ages about to be 8,6,2 by October I want something with a lot of room.

If you have owned one, I'd love your input. I know all about boats and pricing but not much as to best brands when it comes to Pontoons, I will says the Benningtons I have saw coming to the boat ramps are nice!

Thanks in advance guys!


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I own a Trifecta tritoon.
I don't care what brand you go with but if I had one and only one suggestion.....it would be to strongly consider a tritoon over a pontoon. The ride and handle is SO much better not to mention the resale if you decide later on down the road.

I spent several months looking, reading about, sitting on etc etc. Drove several miles looking at different dealers and speaking with them before I settled on the Trifecta. One of the main reasons, it was setup the way I wanted as far as layout and it was actually at my closest dealer, Malones Marine in Buchanan Tn!! Bennington was the next closest dealer in Murray and yes they are nice boats but they did not have what I wanted and at that time and it was going to be a year wait if I ordered it.

I wanted the best of both worlds, one suitable for pleasure and fishing.....NOT like a Lowe fishing tritoon either. I still have seating for 12 with the ability to comfortably fish off it. I have it setup to spider rig, pull jigs, pull crankbaits frankly do any style of fishing I want to from it! Talk about relaxing and enjoyable with multiple people!!
I also opted to upsize the motor from a 150 to a 200 hp Yamaha, it doesn't seem like much but were it really shines is while you are out cruising. With the bigger motor I am able to throttle back lowering the rpms but maintaining the same speed at which the 150 would be higher burning more fuel.

What I figured out between brand A vs brand B, it essentially comes down to finer detail such as upholstery, decking material and under pinning unless you get into the sport versions were lifting strakes and such come into play.

Feel free to message me with any other questions and I will do my best to help ya out.

 

[Crow Terminator]

I'm glad you posted this. I had been looking at getting a 16 to 18 foot aluminum boat to catfish out of. We borrowed my parents 17 foot fiberglass bass boat Saturday and took my niece. I found out right there that I am scrapping all plans for a small boat. There just isn't enough room in them. Niece had a big fish hook up but there just wasn't room for us to maneuver within the boat. Now you guys have me looking at pontoons, since they are considerably cheaper than the 20 foot aluminum boats and more floor space/stability too.

 

[tnhunter62]

I bought an older pontoon when the kids was small.they had a good time on it and we didn't worry alot about it. I would recommind a good trailer has a must. My pontoon has a small 3tube in the front and i like that alot as when everone crowds up to the front it doesn'tsink down alot.

 

[FLTENNHUNTER1]

Love my Bennington. I have the 20 SFi set up for fishing.

 

[double browtine]

I owned a small 16 ft once. It was good for 2 adults and 2 kids under 100 lbs. Don't ever buy one smaller than a 20 ft. Also go with a tri-toon. First time I rode on one I was amazed at the difference in the ride and handling. My brother in law had a 24 ft tri-toon with a 150 Honda 2 stroke. It would run 25mph with 6 adults on it. Pull a tube, and was great for fishing. It had the rubber flooring which was awesome! He actually bought it from a friend of mine who bought it new. My friend installed a large bilge pump with a hose pipe so he could spray off the deck when he was on the water. It came from the factory with 1/2" spacers under all the rails so the water would drain.

I have a 20ft SeaArk aluminum deck boat. It works great for a family also. If I ever buy a pontoon, it will be a tri-toon with at least a 150hp motor and a 4ft open deck on the front.

 

[catman529]

I know everyone says the best day you have with a boat is the day you buy and second best is the day you sell. I get it.


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I don't know why people say this. I love my boat and have a list of different boats I want to buy in the future. A pontoon is one of them. They're comfortable and stable and have a lot of room


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[ImThere]

I know everyone says the best day you have with a boat is the day you buy and second best is the day you sell. I get it.


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I don't know why people say this. I love my boat and have a list of different boats I want to buy in the future. A pontoon is one of them. They're comfortable and stable and have a lot of room


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I say it. I have loved the boats I have had but was happy to get rid of them when I did.
Of course my boats have been play boats not fishing boats. The up keep, wintering, the cleaning, the break downs. Sucks. Flip side being on the water, teaching the kids to ski, swimming from the boat. Fun.
I should mention that has been exactly 3 boats, I'm saving all my boating for retirement. Lol
And I hate being on rivers. They plain make me nervous


See you in a tree, Ricky
Tree Saddle Hunters_R_US on Tapatalk

 

[mike243]

I have a 18' with a 50hp, 4 people can fish it without any problem, I wouldn't want a bigger 1 for what I use it for, its not a speed demon so if you want to pull folks on tubes and such you better go with the biggest motor you can. my deck underlayment is aluminum so never any fear the deck will rot off, a standard trolling motor will yank it around all day and then some with 2 batteries trolling. ask to test pull a few toons while on the trailers and see how much you like handling a 28' down some skinny roads to a boat launch before you decide what size you need vs want

 

[catman529]

I know everyone says the best day you have with a boat is the day you buy and second best is the day you sell. I get it.


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I don't know why people say this. I love my boat and have a list of different boats I want to buy in the future. A pontoon is one of them. They're comfortable and stable and have a lot of room


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I say it. I have loved the boats I have had but was happy to get rid of them when I did.
Of course my boats have been play boats not fishing boats. The up keep, wintering, the cleaning, the break downs. Sucks. Flip side being on the water, teaching the kids to ski, swimming from the boat. Fun.
I should mention that has been exactly 3 boats, I'm saving all my boating for retirement. Lol
And I hate being on rivers. They plain make me nervous


See you in a tree, Ricky
Tree Saddle Hunters_R_US on Tapatalk

haha I remember you were kinda uneasy on the canoe down in Georgia. I've never had a pleasure boat but I can understand the headache. The thought of winterizing a boat is a foreign concept to me. I use my boat year round. Aluminum fishing boats are the lowest maintenance easiest boats to own but not as family friendly


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[WTM]

get you one of those 3 pontoon models that run about 60 mph. you can fish in it, ski behind it and pull intertubes back in the shallows where the stake beds are. seeing several of those on the water.

 

[monsterbuck07]

Thanks for all the replies!

I looked at many different sizes and brands and we purchased a 22 ft. Bennington. I looked hard at the tritoons but in the end the deal I got on this boat was too hard to pass. We have had it out and absolutely love it.

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