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PONTOON BOAT CLINIC
THURSDAY, APRIL 26TH. GBF will host a pontoon boat clinic for
members who want to improve their boat handling skills. Rick Radoff,
will be teaching the clinic, which will be held at Sailor Bar on the
Lower American River. We will drift from Sailor Bar to Sunrise and
take out there. The drift will be from 5:30PM to 7:30PM or so. There is no
limit on participation, and there is no fee. We will have more
information on the
clinic at the April meeting this coming Thursday evening. There will be no
need to sign up - just show up if you want to take part in the
clinic. We will arrange shuttles when we get there. If you decide to
participate, please be there by 4:30PM so we can begin the drift
promptly at 5:30PM. If you have questions, call Bill Carnazzo at (530)
367-5209, John Peterson at (916)624-2903 or Rick Radoff at (916) 624-2107. This will be a fun
event - if you wish, bring rods, BBQ, party stuff, etc.
Important! Read this!
PONTOON BOAT REMINDERS
by
John Peterson
The time is prime for fishing many local rivers. Drifting in a
pontoon boat can be an enjoyable experience. Following common sense
rules and these simple reminders will go a long way in keeping you
out of trouble on the river.
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Learn to
read the water. The real secret to successful drifting is to
let the natural flow of the river do the work. Use it to your
advantage!
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Safety is
always a concern. A personal flotation vest is mandatory on
most waters. Caution: some states/rivers do not allow inflatable
life vests. Vests should always be worn in rough or unknown
water or windy conditions. It is a good idea to tie down your
oars as they can easily be pushed out of the oar locks if struck
by an object. A spare oar is not a bad idea. I always tie a
loose 10 ft. line between the bow-stern pontoon rings
which can be used to secure the boat when exiting or tethering
the boat, or otherwise can be grabbed easily if needed in an
emergency. I usually carry a hand pump as air pressures change
during the day. A patch kit is optional, but I always carry a
Leatherman type tool in my side pouch. Periodically check for
loose rubber doughnut retainers on your oars.
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Anchors are
another issue. They should always be used when the boat is
beached. Throw out at least 8ft. of rope, regardless of water
depth. I have chased several boats down river when anchored too
tightly. Anchors can be used midstream in mild flowing water.
Always deploy the anchor when the boat is facing straight down
stream; if the boat is angled, a pontoon can dig in or otherwise
tip you over. Take care when anchoring in very fast water. My
motto: “If not sure, don’t anchor”. Caution: Anchors do get
caught in rocks & may not be retrievable; cutting the rope &
abandoning the anchor may be the only option.
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What to do
about rods? Tie them down or tether if in unknown or
questionable water. I personally do not care for vertical rod
holders as I have seen many rods lost when pulled out by
overhead branches. My preference is to lay/string my rod
lengthwise along the pontoon. A plastic case, rope loops or
shock type cord all work well. Remember to pay attention to
what is above and below you when floating down a river. Banging
into obstacles in the river or on the bank can expose rod tips
to breakage.
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While
drifting down river it is common to get into shallow water, to
graze the bottom, hit a rock or bank. The pontoons normally are
rugged enough to withstand most impacts. Always face down river
and let the natural current do the work. The key is to keep
away from sharp objects! Watch out for sticks, sharp rocks and
overhead sweepers (trees or branches hanging over the water).
Keep your feet on the pegs, out of the water when drifting or
they may get caught and pull you out of the boat. I do not use
fins on moving water for similar reasons.
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Reading the
water is important. As the river flows you will encounter fast,
slow, shallow & deep water. Water will form a natural “V”
indicating the channel, follow through the “V” where practical.
An inverted “V” indicates a submerged object; pass to one side
or the other. When there is a bend in the river the deeper
channel is usually towards the outside bank.
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When faced
with an obstruction or anything else you want to avoid, point
the boat towards the object and row away from it. Short,
shallow, strong strokes work well for adjusting boat direction.
Many times the above-water obstruction creates a “bow wave”
which may help by pushing you away from the object. In a very
swift water flow, the current can carry you directly into the
object. There is usually a depression after passing an object
midstream and you may be drawn back towards the obstacle (back
eddy).
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It is
common to encounter small waterfalls (drops) along the river and
many times we become overly concerned when faced with this
dilemma; “do I find a way around or do I go over?”. If there is
no other easy option, face the waterfall, aim straight forward,
and normally the boat will porpoise straight through the falls.
Going over/through a waterfall sideways usually results in
flipping the pontoon boat.
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Hydraulics
are similar to depressions except they are created by objects
under water and are not always visible. Hydraulics can be
scary. They are rough, and can bounce you around, spin, or
otherwise hold you in place for what seems like an incredible
length of time. Rowing either forward or backward will help
stabilize/control the boat and eventually will carry you
out/through the rough water.
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Holding the
oars down into the water can assist in aiding the current to
carry you down stream and stabilize the boat. A hard upstream
wind can halt your progress and may even push you backwards.
Just holding the oars submerged in the water can be more
effective than rowing, assists in offsetting the wind influence,
and can keep you moving down stream.
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If you fall
into the water, don’t panic, roll onto your back and face down
stream so your legs will protect you from objects. In this down
stream sitting position pull backwards with both hands and
eventually you will get to shore.
Here's some interesting websites with more how-to articles and
photos of "toons" on various waters:
Dave Scadden's Pontoon Boat Journal - several excellent
articles on how it's done
http://www.oregonfishing.com/pontoonboatphotos.asp - nice
white water photos
Pontoon Boat Basics online by Dave Scadden at
www.flyfisherman.com
or in Adobe PDF: toons.pdf (610 KB)
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