I am looking to buy a boat.  I want a boat for fishing, my wife would like a boat that we can enjoy with the kids and one she could lounge and lay out tanning on, so there has to be room.  I was looking at pontoon boats as a great compromise, there are fishing models that have a lot of good options, but I am worried about a pontoon boat not handling well in larger waves (over 2'), also I 'm not sure how good a trolling motor could control a boat like this.  does anyone out there have a pontoon boat and what are your thoughts, is a pontoon a good option or will i be limiting where and when i can go fishing.  I was also looking at deck boats which i think would still work for both of our uses, since they have a v hull, bigger engines, and still have quite a bit of room, but are a little more pricey.  let me get some thoughts out there of your experiences with either of these boats.  thanks

What type of fishing do you plan on doing?

Pontoon boats catch a lot of wind as they are tall on the water and the panels on the side catch the breeze like a sail, making them difficult to control with a trolling motor in the wind compared to a low profile boat like a bass boat. There are plenty of high power thrust trolling motors available to match the needs of a pontoon. They will give you plenty of room for a family boat. I personally see the balance between up and down sides to a pontoon as equal. If I was buying a new boat I'd go with a 20' pontoon for fishing manuverability while still having room for the family. Larger ones will likely be too difficult to handle easily as a fishing boat.

Pontoons are often overlooked as a fishing boat and carry some big advantages as well as drawbacks. If you are thinking about a pontoon, remember that you will be giving up speed and rough water capability. An often overlooked drawback is the fact that they are difficult to store and trailer. A pontoon is a great choice for a family on a calm lake that can leave the boat in the water all season. An upside is that they have a relatively shallow draft opening up a lot of 'skinny' water for fishing. A bass style boat is a very poor choice for a family, especially one with small children or pets they may want to bring along due to the low gunwales.

Good info here!!!

thanks for the thoughts guys. i think it is gonna be between a 20' tri toon or a deck boat now. I really like the idea of a pontoon for all the room on it, we could take out the dogs (we have 4), the kids, and us and i would still have room for all my gear. some of the issues you guys brought up are exactly what is making my decision that much harder, i would be trailering to different lakes, not leaving it at a dock, but i do have a new f-150 so trailering isnt a problem, i will be building a new barn/garage to store the boat. i " m just worried i will spend all this money on a pontoon and end up regretting it because its not fast enough, or it is gonna be a big problem getting on and off the trailer - a lot of the time i will be taking the boat out by myself. man this is tough!

I do all types of fishing- bass and panfish being primary, but i also go for walleye, pike, and catfish.

Until you mentioned the dogs I was going to suggest a fish and ski type boat. Sounds like you are going to have to set some priorities. Do you really wnat a boat that is perfect for 15% of your use but less than ideal the rest of the time?Sit down and list your priorities (and don't forget the wife's oppinion) in order from most to least important.Something that should be near the top of your list is cost to operate, and this includes the cost of towing the boat to the lake! In this context, speed is overrated

I had a pontoon boat for 7 years. All the pros and cons listed above are true. A couple of additional points are; don't go with a standard 25hp motor. I had a 40 4stk which was too small for my needs. I'm on a huge lake (30 miles long) and top speed was 15mph so it took forever to get to a lot of spots and eventually stopped going to them. Forget about any precise trolling patterns, at slow speeds I was at the mercy of any little wind and chop, especially with my elec trolling motor (it had 50 pounds of thrust which was the recommended size for my boat). With big waves you're going to do a lot of bouncing too. Finally the storage space for rods was non-exsistant, a lot of under seat storage but nothing for 6 and 7 foot rods, which could be a problem with the kids and 4 dogs. Last year I traded the pontoon in for a fish and ski, for fishing and touring it's perfect for my wife and I, but I do miss the toon at certain times. Good luck.

fellas another possibility to think about is the tanks under the toon- my son got a 24 ft harris three tank which is a lot safer on extremely larger lakes(lake of the ozarks in mo)it is a very stable boat & with the V-8 it will get you there fast which doesn`t empress me but maybe some people it would

if you are looking for what I think you are looking for, a cross between a pontoon and a deep v. Check out the Lowe Sun decks, SD224 (22ft) and SD194 (18'9") Both of these deck boats are set up for fishing with moveable fishing seats, and seat bases in both the front and rear decks of the boat, also the gunwales are hig enough in the cockpit for comfort while underway, yet they slope down to the floor leaving an open casting platform in the front. the capacity is 12, 10 persons respectively, and if it comes down to speed, the 22foot can be fitted with up to a 175 horse, the 18'9" up to a 150 horse. there are also options which could be added for a more active family, with a tow tower option, and a privacy tent, for those times you have to change on the go. more fishing options but I will let you take a peak at it yourself, from the link added to this post. http://www.loweboats.com/sport-deck...port-deck/
something I would consider when it comes time to get into the market.