Poll: Pontoon Boat: Oars, Fins, or Both?

[rabbitearscarver]

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

[Joe Billingsley]

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.

[PETI]

Not using fins on a toon in still water is missing the whole point.
Oars to get there or back, fins to fish.

Peter

[Normand]

ditto what peter said

but sometimes i forget the fins and the oars work just fine

[DShock]

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

[Joe Billingsley]

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

[CRAPPIECAT]

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.

Good luck,


Carl

[thezugbug]

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!

[Gnu Bee Flyer]

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.

[DShock]

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