Northwest Fishing Reports

Who owns (or has owned) a Caddis mini pontoon boat? Another person on the forum has questions and I can't answer them.

Gringo, didn't you own one or two a couple of years ago?

zen leecher wrote:Who owns (or has owned) a Caddis float tube? Another person on the forum has questions and I can't answer them.

Gringo, didn't you own one or two a couple of years ago?

I spend a lot of time float tube fishing and have owned 4-5 different tubes. Just keeping it short here, but the most important thing to consider in my experience, has been the shape/style of the tube.
The following link is the shape that I would look at. I actually have completely not liked the Caddis tubes that I have fished in, but that being said they were not the shape of this one that I will link:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/CADDIS-S ... 065&rid=20" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


That shape will cut through the water much better than the usual Caddis donut shaped/belly boat.

This next link is the one to stay away from:

http://www.amazon.com/Caddis-Sports-Nev ... float+tube" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This style does not have the pointed rear end that cuts through the water. Also, you are sitting much lower in the water. Don't get one that you sit in a sling style seat. That will put the water level up to your belly.
The ones that have their own separate seat shaped thing that rides above the water, these will allow you to only be wet from about knees down. Also if you are in a sling strap seat it is harder to cast than it is if you are riding a little higher on the water. Imagine all the false casts you make if you are fly fishing, and sitting low in the water.

Here is a link to what I prefer.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Outcast- ... 038&rid=20" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Notice the bottom of the seat, is it's own separate cushion. That seat also helps keep the pontoons from being pulled in towards each other when you are sitting in the toon.
If you look at the Caddis belly boat style above, there is a sort of extension piece that fits between the pontoons, right over where your knees would be.
This is designed to keep the pontoons from being pulled together while weight is in the craft. HOWEVER... it doesn't work very well in my experience. They still try and come together.

(Interesting that the one negative review of the Outcast Super Fat Cat tube, the one I like.. The guy is unhappy that there isn't a cross bar. The very thing that I don't like, lol. Oh well..

Quad, I called it a float tube but it was the "mini-pontoon" boat.

zen leecher wrote:Quad, I called it a float tube but it was the "mini-pontoon" boat.

Oops!

I did own probably the smallest Pontoon I think I've seen made. I am almost certain that it was a Caddis. I will say that I sold it to Gringo, as he already had the exact same one, and now he would have a complete set.
He can chime in here better and tell you of his experience.

I did not care for that small Caddis pontoon though. I felt it was just to small, and when I sat in it, I think that the Pontoons were so trying to compress together to accommodate my weight.
I am 200 lbs, can't recall what it was rated for, but I'm pretty sure that I would still have been within the rating.
Curious what Gringo says. He used his a lot in the beginning and made some cool "Gringoesque" mods. to it.

Quaderonamous, was this what you sold to Gringo?

That is the exact one I had. I replied to your PM Motoboat. As Quad said I did some mods to mine that really improved it.

The two main mods.

#1, The pontoons, no matter how much air you put in em tend to crease at the 4 mount points of the chair. To distribute the weight more evenly across the whole pontoon I took two 5 gallon buckets, cut the bottom out, cut them in 1/2, cut the ribs of the top, smoothed all edges (I even lined the edges with duct tape) and inserted them into the bladder bag centering each over the seat mount.

#2, I took a 1" drill and drilled holes in the seat in places where it wouldn't compromise it structurally. I was actually able to take a good amount of weight off it that way (wish I had a pic to show you) and not effect it's strength.

I also rigged up some easy rod holders and a net "Floor" for gear over the pontoons behind the seat I can describe if you want (I will look and see if I have pics).

Oh and to keep the weight centered I had to move the seat forward so the back seat mounts were right againstt the gear bags.

It seems nothing is perfect, and tinkering unavoidable. I like the 5 gallon bucket idea. But is that effort ultimately worth it? That is the conundrum faced with......lol! Very much appreciate your comments Gringo.

Yes it is true that one "boat" won't do. That's why for trout I've had three wood or aluminum boats, a Bucks pontoon boat, a caddis for a very short time, a couple of belly boats, a vee boat and now a Spring Creek pram. I have also borrowed back the Bucks pontoon boat.

I think the best boat for trout fishing would be a wide 14 foot one that is launched by two able bodied youngsters and kept lakeside for my personal use. The "youngsters" would also recover said boat on the trailer and hopefully clean the fish.

zen leecher, "veryyyy interestink" (Colonel Clink, from hogans hero's).