Pontoon Help

Hello:
My husband and I have been wanting to either purchase a pontoon boat or a nice jon boat, we have had fun enjoying our bass boat and I am sure many people would rather own a bass boat rather than a pontoon, but we have grandkids and want to take more than 2-3 people fishing with us, I am looking for advice on what type of pontoon boat is made well without being expensive, I would like to know what to look out for when shopping/buying a pontoon, and what experiences you fisherman have had on pontoons! We love to crappie fish and have heard a lot of people say the wind is a problem with pontoons and you cannont navigate them around brush like a bass boat, I like the features of some of the bass pro fishing pontoons and have heard about G3 pontoons, not sure which brand of pontoon boat is better! Any suggestions would help us out before we buy another boat. We will be fishing on Truman Lake in Missouri, not going to take this to salt water, we have experience boating, just not with pontoons. I am just not sure what to look out for before we purchase a pontoon!

Lowe makes a good quality Pontoon. Made in Lebanon, but so are tracker toons. We are very happy with the fit and function of our Lowe.They do blow around a lot more and a single hull boat when trolling, but on truman you can always pull up to some trees and tie off or put out some anchors if needed. You are correct in saying you can't navigage as well in the heavy brush.
I would recommend 115hp or better if you cover a lot of water and want to pull tubers and/or skiers. 20ft. pontoon will go around 28mph. Be sure to look at the fishing variety type toons for functionality.
When we were shopping last year, there were quite a few values up around Warsau. Best time to shop is tax time. You're right in the sweet spot of the buyers market.

KLB you have a PM

B.O.A.T. (Bring Out Another Thousand). There are no inexpensive boats. just ones we have to have despite the price. Some people have gone to deck boats to get the best of both a boat and pontoon. Bass pro has quite a few to look at.

They can be great family boats. Trade offs?; more difficult to navigate on an electric trolling motor, more bulky to trailer (especially in wind), cumbersome to load and unload (again in wind), and restricted cruising range. The positives you've noted already; roomy, safety for grand kids and older adults, multiple uses, etc. Dozens, literally dozens of toon manufacturers across the country. If was looking at a fishing style would lean towards one of the regional manufacturers; Lowe, G3, Tracker come to mind. If was putting one through the bends in heavy water, i.e. bashing through Lake Ozark cruiser wakes all day would go triple log and heavier built brands. Engine selection and dealer support is equally as important as the brand / model selected. Toons are no different than autos, trucks, bass boats, or homes. There are less expensive and there is higher quality, it's not possible to get both in the same boat. But you can find a blend of features, quality, value, and price that suits your purpose. PS, if you trailer back and forth to the water I wouldn't consider one without inside wind guides on the trailer. Good luck. Fishing with 4-5 friends at the same time sounded fun at first, then I realized one at a time is enough of a challenge for me. :rolleyes:

thank you for the info on pontoons, I really appreciate any info.
Kandis