What do you use on your 'Toon for stillwater: Oars, Fins or Both? And maybe Why?
My first time this weekend, and I just had regular hiking boots, and they got wet anyway, so I figured I might as well have fins on, to turn and hold position…
Thanks as always.
Dave
Dave,
I almost always just use fins. If I really need the oars because of wind or if the distance I’m going to a particular spot is a long way I feel like I probably don’t need to be using the pontoon boat anyway. The oars also usually get in my way when I’m stripping line or switching rods or whatever.
Joe.
Not using fins on a toon in still water is missing the whole point.
Oars to get there or back, fins to fish.
Peter
ditto what peter said
but sometimes i forget the fins and the oars work just fine
My Force Fins are a most valuable tool. Don’t leave home without them! Also I am a hands on person and there isn’t a chance of my rod being in a holder while I’m fishing.
Doug
I always take two rods with me on the boat - different weights, different types of line, etc. - and I keep the one I’m not using affixed to one of the pontoons right next to me with velcro straps on the frame. It always scares me when the oar handles accidentally bang against the extra rod that’s strapped on.
Joe
I’m with Peter, oars to get there fins to fish.
When I get to where I want to fish I have a couple of bungie cords that I strap my oars out of the way behind me. Seems to work ok for me. Just kind of slide the oars in under the straps and get after it. 8)
Good luck,
Carl
I have/bring/use both. The oars for moving to a fishing spot or trolling, the fins for making minor adjustments in my positioning if I’m casting to a spot. If I’m looking to get off of the water quickly (rain/electrical activity) I use both!
My fish cat came with heavy duty oars that have floatation material in them so they won’t sink. They are quite heavy so I replaced them with a lighter version that are easier to move around .
My buddy bought a el cheapo toon, more of a toy than a serious boat. It cost him only $145.00 . I looked at it and I sure wouldn’t trust my life to something looking so cheaply built. While fishing he dropped an oar in the water and low and behold it sunk. He didn’t have fins. His trip down the lake with the remaining oar was one of the funniest things I witnessed this summer. It developed a leak and the farther he went the lower in the water it got.
We called and asked if he needed help but He yelled NO! so we just sat there and laughed at him. One of the perks you get when your buddie’s pride gets in the way of sanity.
He had an inflatable vest on and the lake is not that big so he was in no danger but had it been a larger lake and windy He might have been in some trouble.
If you lose an oar or a fin having backup seems like a good idea. From this lesson I checked and discovered than my new lighter oars would indeed slowly sink. I filled them with some of that foam goop so now they will float.
If something happened whereby you had to swim for it, fins would be a nice boost.
I am thinking of getting a small electric motor for those long cruises down the lake to the good spots.
GBF,
Your buddy learned the hard way! You have to be prepared for the worst! This is something that happened to me early in my float tubing, I got careless finning into the shore, got out of my tube and walked FORWARD instead of BACKWARD (correct direction) One of my fins bent a fractured, luckily my experienced friend had a spare. PLAN for the accidents!
Doug
I haven’t even taken the oars along the last several times. I can’t row and fish at the same time, but I can kick and fish just fine. If there is a need to move faster, I would take the oars along in case I needed them, tho.
DG
Anyone use a small electric motor?
It effects whether you need fins or oars or both.
Oars to get around.
Fins to keep position and move short distances while fishing.
I use fins, oars and a minn kota electric. I use the oars to come in close to shore when motors up. They also work for a rudder when you have along way to go with the electric on high. Fins for fine tuneing and slow movement. I just loaded the toon on the truck for a early morning fishing trip. Sunday morning I got 35 fish between 19" and 10". What a blast. All was released. The older you are the more help you need crossing the lake. 
I find that since my legs are farther out of the water in my toon than in my belly boat, it takes more effort to get around with flippers. So I always have oars along. AND, I learned something very handy last week on my new toon – If I’m doing lots of maneuvering near shore, I pull the oars completely out of the water and rest them on the front of the pontoons, or on the back deck. I can spin in place with ease with flippers. BUT if the wind comes up and tries to spin me, I simply drop the oars into the water, either fore or aft. They act like a keel, and I can stay aligned right with just flippers. But try to do a 180 with the oars down like that, and it’s tough! Simply lift thme back out to spin in place with flippers. DANBOB
I use both. I only have two hands and haven’t figured out how to row and cast at the same time. Like when you want to just cruise the shore line and hit the structure. The fins work great for that. Also if you are out on the lake when the breezes come up if you don’t have oars it is going to be a long afternoon getting back to the truck.
I use both most times. The fins allow you to hold position relative to where you want to cast and prevent the wind and current from having its way with you.
I keep my extra rod in a rod/reel case strapped to the 'toon. It’ll hold two, 4 piece rods and reels so I have both in the case during transport and one in use while fishing. The spare is always protected.
Jackster,
I’ve done that, but I interchange the two pretty often and I haven’t figured out a good way to put the second rod together and string it up and break down the other one without dunking the reel and half the rod in the water. I know it doesn’t really hurt anything but I still hate to do it. Besides, I guess I’m too impatient to take the time to do that every time I switch rods. 
Joe
[b]In the summer I do a lot of stillwater. I have my toon set up to hold 3 loaded ready to go rods and I can take a 4th with me. I use the Scotty rod holders with a security strap in case something happens.
I too use oars to get to where I want, then I use fins (Force Fins) but if it is breezy, I do use the Minn Kota to hold me in place.
I forgot my flippers once and found out I can steer OKAY with just my feet and the motor. Not as quick as with the fins but I could go in the directions I wanted.
Even on the Navigator II (a tube/toon) I pack my rods, oars, and motor easily. On my pontoon I mounted the rifle holder for ATV’s on the frame and it holds the blades from the oars perfect, on the Navi, I mounted stainless steel coat hooks to the platform to hold the blades.[/b]
“I do use the Minn Kota to hold me in place.”
A use I suspect is not often appreciated