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Hi all - Like many said before, I found this site while researching pontoons; and glad I did! A lot of people, including me, seem to be interested in the Colorado. It looks to have so many extra features, like the basket, pockets, motor mount and apron below the seat (I drop things). I'm looking for something to use for bass fishing up here in MN. Is the Colorado a lesser quality boat, compared to the Fish Cat9 or some of the Bucks Bags like Spey Cast or High Adventure? I'm about 230lb and I'll probably look into a motor if I end up liking the 'toon. So weight load is a factor. Plus I drive a Corolla and will probably have to break the toon down every trip. I think I'd like to sit as high as possible as well. Maybe there is another alternative I should be checking out? Thanks
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Hi mdtalic, Welcome to the board.
I have the colorado and like it,its a good starter toon.
You said that you would need to break it down every time, the colorado has 2 bolts that hold the basket on so you will need to have a wrench, the rest of the assembly is with clevis pins.
The colorado is rated for 400 lbs.
I do like that stripping apron, has saved many things.
walmart.com and sams club have the best prices.
Rodger
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[cool][#0000ff]Welcome to our playroom. Sounds like you have already done some homework. I am still in the "codgertation" stage myself. I have also been back and forth between the Colorado and the Cougar (or the 9' Outcast Panther).[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I think the Colorado is set up better for a motor, if that is a definite on your part. If you are going to use it with only the oars, then the Cougar is a better ride. The flimsy metal platform behind the seat on the Cougar will bend under the weight of a deep cycle marine battery for an electric motor. The heavy duty and spacious basket on the Colorado is better for carrying a load...including a heavy battery. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The motor mount on the Colorado is adjustable laterally, whereas the one for the Outcast line is fixed, exactly in the center. That should be okay, but some guys like to change the location.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The covers for the air chambers on the Colorado is nylon, whereas the Outcast line is PVC coated. I have heard of potential problems with the exposed bottom seams on the Colorado showing wear when they are dragged on the ground.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The big difference in design is in the air chambers. Colorados have one large (wind-catching) air chamber on each side. Cougars (and Panthers) have two lower profile air chambers on each side. This decreases wind resistance and increases stability and flotation. The operator rides slightly lower to the water in the Cougar, which makes it easier to use fins for positioning and hands free fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I keep looking at both. The frame on the Colorado also seems to be more "TubeDude friendly". In other words, it seems to offer more options for attaching rod racks, sonar and other add-ons, without interfering with the oars...propelling or idle.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The good news is that I have not heard a discouraging word from anyone who has purchased either. They are both good crafts and those who use them seem to be happy with their choices. [/#0000ff]
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I tend to favor outcast. I bought a couple of pac 800's when they first came out years ago. now I use them primarily on small rivers-the 8 foot pontoons ride fairly low by the time you get a battery and motor and my 210 pound frame on there. a couple of years ago I splurged and bought a pac 9000 that I have been really happy with. a couple of weeks ago I bought a fishcat 9 so members of my family could also use a motor and battery. for the price I have been very impressed with how the fishcat 9 handles the weight. It also rides nice and high in the water. The frame breaks down quickly as well. As TubeDude has said before I would recommend, also, that you try out all the brands you're interested in before you commit. I didn't have that opportunity when pontoons were just coming on to the market. In retrospect, I would have bought all 9 footers.
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Not sure why the last message showed "guest", but that was me.
I'm pretty close to getting the FC9 now. It just seems more sturdy to me, and I probably won't get a motor this year. But I'd love to hear other recommendations if any one else wants to chime in.
Thanks everybody -MDT
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What's the difference between the Fish Cat 9 and the FC9 DLX? There's about a $100 difference and it can't be just a padded seat. I can't exactly tell what it is though. And on one web site, I found a DLX for $425 and another DLX for $380; both new. Could it be the '04 vs. '05 models? Any difference there? The pontoons do look a little different.
One last question - Out of all the different boats, under $700, which one has you sitting highest out of the water? It's so hard to determine what I want just from pics. Although, the pics on this site have been the most helpful. Thanks again! -MDT
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I'm not sure what the difference is-Outcast changes their product line options fairly often. It could be a motormount or a side bag upgrade, assuming the pontoons are the same size.
The height a person sits will depend on the weight of the person and all the gear. On the new fish cat 9 I bought, I had about 300 #'s on it and the pontoon's were riding above the halfway mark.
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[cool][#0000ff]Sorry, I don't have the definitive answers for you on the pontoons. I am shopping, myself, but have not got all the info put together. Sometime in the next week or so, I will be putting together a pontoon shoppers guide, with listings of the basics and links to sites where there is more info on each of the major models in today's market.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That is not going to help you for this weekend. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you are very large, and/or if you wish to run rivers, then get the 9 footer. Otherwise, an 8 footer will be easier to pull around with oars and keep positioned with your fins.[/#0000ff]
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[#000050]Thanks guys. This has really been helpful. [/#000050][#000050]You put a lot of work into this T.D.[/#000050][#000050] The whole site is great. I'll make sure to post a review of my first outing on the FC Cougar I ordered today!
And if anyone else is interested, I got a better deal on the Cougar when I actually called Eagle Outdoors. Something with not being able to advertise a $499 tag. They were really nice too.
So again, Thanks. Unfortunately, it's not going to get shipped until after the holiday, but I will keep up with this site.
Nice to meet you all! - MDT St. Paul, MN.[/#000050]
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I think that you will really, really like that boat!
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see mdtolics "awesome" report.
HCD
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Go for it!
I'm new to the whole thing so I can't compare the FCC to another pontoon, but I love it. I did do a lot of Internet research though. I can't think of anything that would make it better. It's very stable and quick in the water. And there's more room on it than I expected. It does get blown by the wind easily; so I picked up a small anchor that fits it it's own bag and stores easily in one of the cargo pockets. I suppose I should say that I'm fishing bass on lakes with spinning gear. You might want to ask others for river and ocean or fly tips. And I'm just using the oars for propulsion. It seems like it will handle a motor just fine. The PVC material is very durable and I feel totally confident on the water. And I have no problem pulling it out of the lake and throwing it on top of my Corolla by myself. As HCD said to me when I was looking around - You will really, really, like this boat.
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Hey TubeDude,
Before you decide(I think you should go with Outcast-you like it better) you should check out mine in operation. It will give you some hands-on with some of the questions you have brought up here. As far as customization, the Outcast will be easy to modify. You haven't seen all of the itterations mine has gone through(a lot of my float tube system came directly from my pontoon modifications). With you customization skills, it will be very easy to get it the way you want it.
BTW - I don't know if I told you, but, before I got my current pontoon, I owned a DLX-9, and have a good idea of the differences(both in design and application) through direct experience of customizing them. I think you will find the Cougar a far superior design given your intended application and your physical requirements. Also, don't worry about the apparent flimsy battery platform - for 25 cents, it can be made pretty much bullet proof - did you see or remember what I did with mine ? You, yourself, could stand up on my battery platform and cast a fly without any problem(if you still flycast-that is). You also will have an almost infinitely greater amount of storage potential on the four tube design than on the Colorado - there is just so much more to work with.
P.S. Once you oar(or motor for that matter) a pontoon boat like mine, you will not want any other format that is currently available - the difference in manueverability and stability is very marked(read almost enormous) !
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[cool][#0000ff]Hey Dawg, thanks for the input and the kindly offer. I have made a pretty thorough "up close and personal" inspection on the Cougar and I have pretty much definitely decided that will be the way I go. BFT member Henerysfork has both the Cougar and the Colorado in his personal arsenal. He brought them over and we did a lot of "side by side" comparisons, complete with his personal observations. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am satisfied that the design and the quality of the Cougar will allow me to perform my transformation rituals on it, to get it properly tricked out. I also believe that the lower profile of the four air chamber system will give my "large frame" plenty of floatation while maintaining a lower profile for fewer control problems in the breezes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Until I decide to become a troller (never enjoyed it much), I will probably not add power. I used to be a pretty fair oarsman, and I plan to only use the oars for long distance propulsion. Otherwise, for maintaining position during normal fishing conditions, I will use the fins, as intended.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The two main obstacles right now are storage and transportation. Both of those issues should be resolved before the summer is over. Until then, we have no place to store two toons and my Jimmy would not handle two of them without a trailer...which we are considering.[/#0000ff]
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Hi FH, what did you do, for .25, to make your storage platform so sturdy?
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Hey there mdtolic,
It is a very simple solution, I'll post a photo of the modification as soon as I can - I just got back from a trip with my hounds, so when I get things settled a little I take a photo and put it up here.
How handy are you with tools ? It was an easy modification - 25 cents was kind of an exaggeration - it will probably cost less to do.
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