[professori]

Has anyone built a casting platform for a pontoon boat? I have an 8' 6" Waterskeeter and am wondering if I can build a platform (with lean bar) for it, and would love any ideas or suggestions. Thanks

[Frank Whiton]

Hi professori,

This is going to be a problem for you if Skeeter does not sell one made to fit. I will assume that it is not available from Skeeter and talk about building one. You have relative short pontoons for a platform and that could be a problem. Making a platform is not difficult but you have to figure out how to mount it to your boat. The frame has to go far enough forward to support the platform. In the picture you will see the platform sold by North Fork Outdoors. You will have to fabricate a similar platform and provide some way of fastening it to your frame. One way is with heavy duty nylon straps. A strap at each corner up on over the frame would work and not damage the pontoon. The width of the platform would hold it in place if it fits tightly between the pontoons. You could also use metal straps but you have to be careful that the straps don't dig into the pontoon. The lean bar may be the most trouble to construct. North Fork Outdoors sells a lean bar for their boats and you may be able to modify it to fit your boat. Unless you have a shop where you can fabricate with metal you will have a hard time making something yourself. The platform and learn bar from North Fork will run around $300. ($150 each)

The standing platform and learn bar on a boat like yours should only be used on still water. I have never been in a situation that I felt a standing position would be an advantage from my pontoon boat.

Frank

[BigCliff]

I think Joni has rigged up a similar contraption for one of her pontoons. Hopefully she'll chime in.

[professori]

Originally Posted by Frank Whiton

Hi professori,

The standing platform and learn bar on a boat like yours should only be used on still water. I have never been in a situation that I felt a standing position would be an advantage from my pontoon boat.

Frank

Frank - Thanks for the help. I was plannig only on still water applications. I fish on a lot of gin clear lakes where the ability to stand makes sight fishing easier. Watching a strike indicator while fishing chironomids is also a lot easier the higher you can be. Finally, on a 4 to six hour stint it is nice to be able to stand for some of that time and give the legs a different attitude.

[MikeLove]

Professori, I had an aluminum standing platform and leaning bar made for my fish cat dual pontoon 8 ft boat. I posted some pictures of it here last year and I have found it very useful when fishing farm ponds. I always drop anchor, stand up and fish a nice pattern around my boat. I found standing aided me in stripping bass flies more quickly and allowed me to make longer casts..I was out about 300 dollars..MikeLove

[Frank Whiton]

Hi professori,

I need to get a life. I work up last night thinking about your question. Here is an Idea I came up with. I think you can remove the foot rest on your boat and make a lean bar that would slide into the same place your foot rest go. It won't be fold-able but I think it would be fairly simple if you can use a conduit bender and use some thin wall conduit.

Frank