Buying a new pontoon!
Moderators: Redneck_Randy, badmoonrising, lakerunner
Buying a new pontoon!
Hey guys, thanks for letting me join. I'm in the market for a new boat and not sure whether to get a twin or tritoon. Seriously considering the Suntracker 22' Fishing Barge XP3 with a 150 Merc., I know some say it's cheap, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. What's anyone's opinion on strakes on the outside of the outside pontoons?
-
- Posts: 1873
- Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:28 am
- Location: Iowa/Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.
- Contact:
Re: Buying a new pontoon!
Buy what you can afford. Look at the reviews on the boats. Compare several of the style you are looking at. A lot of companies offer entry level fishing boats that are comparable in price. Look at them and compare the differences in the manufacturers. Tritoon vs twin, if your going with the relatively high horsepower of the 150, go tri. The difference in handling, planing ability and ride will amaze you. Lifting strakes, yes. Add them. The more lift you get, the more efficient the hull. Positive angle lifting strakes will provide lift and performance, they are streamlined with the pontoons and increase the lifting surface of the pontoon without scrubbing off speed. Negative angled strakes hang down from the pontoons, create more lift than positive angled strakes, because they trap the water in the groove they create, but they scrub off speed because they create more drag.
You may get some people telling you what should buy, I won't, because its your purchase. I've never owned a fishing model, so I hope some people that own that model of Sun Tracker, can chime in with what they like and don't like about it.
Have fun shopping and ask us all the questions you want. A lot of really good experienced people running around here...
You may get some people telling you what should buy, I won't, because its your purchase. I've never owned a fishing model, so I hope some people that own that model of Sun Tracker, can chime in with what they like and don't like about it.
Have fun shopping and ask us all the questions you want. A lot of really good experienced people running around here...
Owner-EzFender Boat Products
Members, visit your discount page at:
http://www.ezfender.com/PontoonForums-M ... -Page.html
Members, visit your discount page at:
http://www.ezfender.com/PontoonForums-M ... -Page.html
- solidhadriel
- Posts: 68
- Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2016 7:47 am
- Location: Southern Cali
Re: Buying a new pontoon!
I looked at Sun Trackers at my local Bass Pro and a used Tritoon before settling on my Pontoon. The Suntrackers seemed kind of bland to me (personal preference.) But from those on this forum who have them really like theirs. I ended up going with a loaded Pontoon that cost more than some of the Tritoons with a bigger engine, instead of a Tritoon.
However, the consensus on this forum seems to be "get a tritoon with as much HP as you can afford." For my 'toon, it was hard to beat the layout, features, and amenities my boat will have and I'm not trying to be a speed racer nor do we have lakes that have serious chop either.
However, the consensus on this forum seems to be "get a tritoon with as much HP as you can afford." For my 'toon, it was hard to beat the layout, features, and amenities my boat will have and I'm not trying to be a speed racer nor do we have lakes that have serious chop either.
2014 Bentley Encore 220 Elite Lounger
with Mercury 4-Stroke 115HP
with Mercury 4-Stroke 115HP
-
- Posts: 333
- Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 8:19 pm
Re: Buying a new pontoon!
In the end it's your money, nobody else's. What the rest of us think don't matter for shit. There are many good brands of boats out there, boats that offer great value , amenities, quality construction and overall good return on investment. Don't get caught up in the name brand game.
Decide what you want the boat to be. A cruiser, a fishing boat, a water sports boat, you going to cruise at 15-18 mph or you gonna want to blaze wide open across the lake at 40 or more? Different features for these scenarios. tri toons offer more performance and take larger motors to push them. the rise is higher, drier and faster. If that's your bag do it. I spend my time going 15 -20 mph or less the majority of the time. I have a twin toon w a 4 stroke 115 Yamaha. Wide open she will pull 30 mph w three people and a tank of fuel.mfor U.S. it's perfect. For others, maybe not.
Do your homework, decide what YOU want and buy what YOU want, not what someone else wants you to buy. Everyone on this board has an opinion. In the end listen to your wallet and your heart. You will make the right choice for you in the end
Decide what you want the boat to be. A cruiser, a fishing boat, a water sports boat, you going to cruise at 15-18 mph or you gonna want to blaze wide open across the lake at 40 or more? Different features for these scenarios. tri toons offer more performance and take larger motors to push them. the rise is higher, drier and faster. If that's your bag do it. I spend my time going 15 -20 mph or less the majority of the time. I have a twin toon w a 4 stroke 115 Yamaha. Wide open she will pull 30 mph w three people and a tank of fuel.mfor U.S. it's perfect. For others, maybe not.
Do your homework, decide what YOU want and buy what YOU want, not what someone else wants you to buy. Everyone on this board has an opinion. In the end listen to your wallet and your heart. You will make the right choice for you in the end
Broken Arrow Ok
2014 G3 Suncatcher
115 Yamaha 4 stroke
Paradise Cove Marina on Ft. Gibson Lake
2014 G3 Suncatcher
115 Yamaha 4 stroke
Paradise Cove Marina on Ft. Gibson Lake
Re: Buying a new pontoon!
Well said Soonertoon.
Start with the basic questions before you start looking.
What is my budget?
What will I primarily use it for?
How many people, on average, will be on the boat (i.e. usually 2 or 3 and up to 8 on the fourth of July)?
What size is the body of water where I will primarily use it?
Will I trailer it and if so, how far (on average)?
Do I have a tow vehicle capable of pulling it to where I want to go?
Who are the closest reputable dealers and what brands do they offer?
Start with the basic questions before you start looking.
What is my budget?
What will I primarily use it for?
How many people, on average, will be on the boat (i.e. usually 2 or 3 and up to 8 on the fourth of July)?
What size is the body of water where I will primarily use it?
Will I trailer it and if so, how far (on average)?
Do I have a tow vehicle capable of pulling it to where I want to go?
Who are the closest reputable dealers and what brands do they offer?
SOLD - 2009 20' Bentley w/4 Stroke 90hp Mercury
SOLD - 2011 SouthBay 522CR w/115 4 Stroke Mercury
2014 Xcursion 23RF XS package w/150 4 Stroke Mercury
SOLD - 2011 SouthBay 522CR w/115 4 Stroke Mercury
2014 Xcursion 23RF XS package w/150 4 Stroke Mercury
Re: Buying a new pontoon!
I've said it in other threads but will repeat here. I would make sure when comparing boats, try to get as close to apples to apples to see the costs. Often times their boat show and special builds will all be different enough it really makes it hard to compare. We had 4 different dealers build out boats with as identical packages as possible before we decided on our boat that should be here late this month/early next month. Once you get them all similar then the other things to think about are comfort level with the dealer, will the dealer still carry the same brand or are they the type that switches brands every few years (motors and boats), cost of service for the motor and what the dealers specifically charge, etc. Also don't forget to factor in the cost of insurance (roughly 30 a month) and property taxes if you state charges them when you are creating a budget for it.
Finally, we set our "budget" around 10% lower than what we actually knew we wanted to spend. We had the boats quoted and told them the lower ballpark number we wanted to be near assuming that they would come in a little higher. The ones that didn't it gave us a few thousand to add any extra options that weren't in the initial quote. We also discovered the more options you add the more wiggle room on the final price. We had one dealer (Avalon) that was giving us prices on options that we felt was close to his actual cost while the other dealer (Tahoe) was nearly double that meaning they were making 100% profit on most of the upgrades. These are the same boat company so it was pretty easy to figure out they have a hell of a lot of margin in upgrades at the listed cost.
Finally, we set our "budget" around 10% lower than what we actually knew we wanted to spend. We had the boats quoted and told them the lower ballpark number we wanted to be near assuming that they would come in a little higher. The ones that didn't it gave us a few thousand to add any extra options that weren't in the initial quote. We also discovered the more options you add the more wiggle room on the final price. We had one dealer (Avalon) that was giving us prices on options that we felt was close to his actual cost while the other dealer (Tahoe) was nearly double that meaning they were making 100% profit on most of the upgrades. These are the same boat company so it was pretty easy to figure out they have a hell of a lot of margin in upgrades at the listed cost.
Re: Buying a new pontoon!
Yep, My vinyl teak cost $1200, another brand was &3200. Same flooring manufacturer. Upgrades are where you can save.
2015 Qwest LS 818XRE Tri-toon w/mercury 115.
- NonHyphenAmerican
- Posts: 1383
- Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2014 11:39 am
- Location: South Central Kansas in Hooterville
Re: Buying a new pontoon!
When I bought my toon, a SunTracker Dealer in OK was at the same show as the SunCatcher Dealer I wound up buying from.
The advantages that led me to buy the SunCatcher were:
Yamaha 90 hp motor, 22' Fish/Cruise set up, trolling motor, GPS/Depth/Fish Finder and tandem axle trailer with the SunCatcher
-v-
40hp Motor, 20' Fish/Cruise, then add $$$ for horsepower upgrade, $$$ for Trolling Motor, $$$ for GPS/Depth/Fish Finder, $$$ for single axle trailer, $$$$ for tandem axle trailer and then he topped it off by tell ing me to buy the boat from him and he'd fix it so I didn't have to pay sales tax in Kansas, that I could register my boat in OK and avoid ever paying taxes on it.
Now I'm not a prude and I don't pay any more taxes than the law requires, but it smacked and smelled fishy that he was trying to make me believe that I could avoid not only sales tax but also property taxes by circumventing the laws. Any time in my life I tried taking shortcuts like that it wound up biting me in the butt.
And then there was the "Well, the basic boat is this much but the upgrades are $$$, $$$, $$$, $$$ & $$$$.
When the Admiral and I added it up, the SunCatcher we bought was approximately $8,000 less than the "Bargain" plus we actually paid the sales taxes and first year of property taxes while still coming out that far ahead and we had the bigger boat, bigger motor, trolling motor, GPS/Depth/Fish Finder and tandem axle trailer.
So if there is a SunCatcher anywhere near you, I'd seriously look at that as a comparison to the Bass Pro SunTrackers.
And as Soonertoon said, what you buy should depend on what you're going to do with it.
The guy next to me at the Marina has a $94,000 Ski boat. He likes to go fast. He likes to pull a "Big Mable" going flat out across the lake. One weekend he burned $300 worth of fuel.
I spent most of that same weekend fishing and picnicking with some tube time for the niece.
My fuel bill was $28.
Different boats, different purposes.
That's ok. My "Admiral" swears a Lake Cruize drops her BP by 20 points. I'm fairly sure that wouldn't be the case if I got fish guts or stink bait on a $94,000 boat.
The SunCatcher was a LOT less expensive.
So I echo his comments that you decide what you're going to do, then shop some boats that fit that bill.
And then enjoy the heck out of whatever you wind up buying.
The advantages that led me to buy the SunCatcher were:
Yamaha 90 hp motor, 22' Fish/Cruise set up, trolling motor, GPS/Depth/Fish Finder and tandem axle trailer with the SunCatcher
-v-
40hp Motor, 20' Fish/Cruise, then add $$$ for horsepower upgrade, $$$ for Trolling Motor, $$$ for GPS/Depth/Fish Finder, $$$ for single axle trailer, $$$$ for tandem axle trailer and then he topped it off by tell ing me to buy the boat from him and he'd fix it so I didn't have to pay sales tax in Kansas, that I could register my boat in OK and avoid ever paying taxes on it.
Now I'm not a prude and I don't pay any more taxes than the law requires, but it smacked and smelled fishy that he was trying to make me believe that I could avoid not only sales tax but also property taxes by circumventing the laws. Any time in my life I tried taking shortcuts like that it wound up biting me in the butt.
And then there was the "Well, the basic boat is this much but the upgrades are $$$, $$$, $$$, $$$ & $$$$.
When the Admiral and I added it up, the SunCatcher we bought was approximately $8,000 less than the "Bargain" plus we actually paid the sales taxes and first year of property taxes while still coming out that far ahead and we had the bigger boat, bigger motor, trolling motor, GPS/Depth/Fish Finder and tandem axle trailer.
So if there is a SunCatcher anywhere near you, I'd seriously look at that as a comparison to the Bass Pro SunTrackers.
And as Soonertoon said, what you buy should depend on what you're going to do with it.
The guy next to me at the Marina has a $94,000 Ski boat. He likes to go fast. He likes to pull a "Big Mable" going flat out across the lake. One weekend he burned $300 worth of fuel.
I spent most of that same weekend fishing and picnicking with some tube time for the niece.
My fuel bill was $28.
Different boats, different purposes.
That's ok. My "Admiral" swears a Lake Cruize drops her BP by 20 points. I'm fairly sure that wouldn't be the case if I got fish guts or stink bait on a $94,000 boat.
The SunCatcher was a LOT less expensive.
So I echo his comments that you decide what you're going to do, then shop some boats that fit that bill.
And then enjoy the heck out of whatever you wind up buying.
[color=#FF0000][b]22' G3 SunCatcher V22F
Yamaha F-90
Tooning on El Dorado Reservoir[/b][/color]
Yamaha F-90
Tooning on El Dorado Reservoir[/b][/color]
-
- Posts: 333
- Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 8:19 pm
Re: Buying a new pontoon!
Property tax on a boat? Really? What the hell is that all about?





Broken Arrow Ok
2014 G3 Suncatcher
115 Yamaha 4 stroke
Paradise Cove Marina on Ft. Gibson Lake
2014 G3 Suncatcher
115 Yamaha 4 stroke
Paradise Cove Marina on Ft. Gibson Lake
Re: Buying a new pontoon!
Yeah, come to Georgia. File a personal property tax return every year for your boat and get an ad valorum tax bill. Or Florida, where at least you can pay for two years at a time.Soonertoon wrote:Property tax on a boat? Really? What the hell is that all about?![]()
![]()
![]()
More dollar$ to throw in that big hole.

Good advise above! Figure out your needs, then buy the right boat for it's intended use.
Michael and Laura
'12 Ford F150 Lariat SuperCrew Ecoboost
'14 Harris Solstice 220, P3 tritoon, Mercury Verado 150, Enertia 14p.
prior boat: '02 Century 2600CC, twin Yamaha EFI 200's, full instruments.
'12 Ford F150 Lariat SuperCrew Ecoboost
'14 Harris Solstice 220, P3 tritoon, Mercury Verado 150, Enertia 14p.
prior boat: '02 Century 2600CC, twin Yamaha EFI 200's, full instruments.
- NonHyphenAmerican
- Posts: 1383
- Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2014 11:39 am
- Location: South Central Kansas in Hooterville
Re: Buying a new pontoon!
Soonertoon wrote:Property tax on a boat? Really? What the hell is that all about?![]()
![]()
![]()
Oh yeah. Gotta pay for all that "Government" and all the "Freebies" some how or another.
Also have to register and pay property taxes and tag the boat trailer.
And since it's registered and tagged, you gotta insure it.
And you've got to Register the boat every three years with KDWP. They data share with the County Treasurers.
And then, since my boat is moored in Butler County, if it's there on Jan. 1, they want property taxes also.
Which is another reason I store it in my "Toy Box" in Harvey County where I live.
That way I only have to pay property taxes in one county.
[color=#FF0000][b]22' G3 SunCatcher V22F
Yamaha F-90
Tooning on El Dorado Reservoir[/b][/color]
Yamaha F-90
Tooning on El Dorado Reservoir[/b][/color]
- solidhadriel
- Posts: 68
- Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2016 7:47 am
- Location: Southern Cali
Re: Buying a new pontoon!
Out here it's called a luxury tax.
Like seriously? We can't just own something fun. We get taxed on it.
Like seriously? We can't just own something fun. We get taxed on it.

2014 Bentley Encore 220 Elite Lounger
with Mercury 4-Stroke 115HP
with Mercury 4-Stroke 115HP
Re: Buying a new pontoon!
We've got a gentleman down the lake that has a 127' Christensen superyacht--$25 million approx. He brings it up from Ft. Lauderdale seasonally to avoid Florida's ad valorem taxes.zoom650 wrote:Yeah, come to Georgia. File a personal property tax return every year for your boat and get an ad valorum tax bill. Or Florida, where at least you can pay for two years at a time.Soonertoon wrote:Property tax on a boat? Really? What the hell is that all about?![]()
![]()
![]()
More dollar$ to throw in that big hole.
Good advise above! Figure out your needs, then buy the right boat for it's intended use.
As far as buying a new pontoon boat, it's a tough decision. I still don't like Tracker Marine's one price marketing as it takes the competition out with price. I paid about $3K less for my Bennington than a comparable pontoon from Tracker. All the really good brands of boats have numerous price point units--and the quality on their cheapest hulls is the same as on higher priced toons. Seating and fencing is often the difference in prices.
'12 Bennington 24' SSLX Yamaha 150