There are several types of pontoon boats that can be used for fishing. While the traditional aluminum pontoon boat, with its large deck area, is fine to fish from, it is not what is being discussed when talking about pontoon fishing boats. The boats in the category of pontoon fishing boats are small, often inflatable versions of the venerable pontoon boat.
These boats offer a fisherman or a pair of fishermen an option to wading or shore fishing large water or smaller streams. Available in single-person, two-person plus and pack models, the pontoon fishing boats offer a smaller and commonly lightweight alternative to the full-size version. For those fishermen who wish to have an even lighter-weight boat to fish from, the kick-powered model of pontoon boat makes an easy-to-use option that can fit inside of a car's trunk.
Lightweight pontoon fishing boats are available in several configurations, with each one offering particular positives and negatives to the fisherman. The single-man version of the pontoon fishing boat is manufactured with a lightweight steel or aluminum frame that connects to two plastic pontoons. Available with a seat or an optional standing platform, this version of the pontoon fishing boats allows an angler to paddle out into a lake or river or use a small, electric trolling motor with an optional motor mount.
The two-plus-person pontoon fishing boats are somewhat larger than the single-person versions and often require a small trailer to transport the vessel to the water. With the same basic construction as the single-person version, the steel or aluminum frame is connected to plastic or aluminum pontoons and is able to float in very shallow water. Seating arrangements on the two-plus passenger pontoon fishing boats are in a straight line down the center of the boat to create a very stable fishing platform. This style also has the option of mounting an electric trolling motor to the boat.
Two versions of the pontoon fishing boats are similar in that they are both designed to assemble on the water's edge. Both the pack boat as well as the kick boat are take-apart designs and utilize inflatable pontoons. While the pack boat version is paddled like its larger cousins, the kick boat is designed to be powered by the user's legs in a kicking motion. The biggest disadvantage in these pontoon fishing boats is that the user's legs are exposed to underwater tangles of brush as well as rocks and other hazards while the fisherman sits in the seat with his legs underwater.
