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Publisher Brady L. Kay
Executive Editor Brady L. Kay
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By Brady L. Kay
I’m sure there are anglers out there who question why their boat even came with a boarding ladder. They have no plans to go swimming and the stern ladder is probably viewed as something that just gets in the way of their casting. However, for the majority of boat owners, those ladders see plenty of good use. Water sports are a huge part of boating and that’s why a lot of pontoons come standard today with a ski/tow bar or a pylon. We do plenty of tubing in my family and even though I’m a little past my expiration date when it comes to being pulled around on a tube, at some point on almost every trip, I find myself in the water cooling off. It’s often the highlight of my day, just to float and swim around the boat.
TOW YOUR BOAT
By Roy Sparks
Boat U.S. reports that over three-quarters of its calls for help on the road are for trailer breakdowns, while the rest of calls are related to problems with tow vehicles. To get you the confidence you need to tow your pontoon or deck boat safely, here are 10 tips to get you started.
Bruce Bauchmire, Lewis Center, Ohio
John De La Franier, Portbay, N.Y.
Marcus Rosehill, Kaneohe, Hawaii
Danny Criner, North Chesterfield, Va.
Tom Gilbert, Atlanta, Ga.
Jennifer James, Lake Anna, Va.
e-mail: sales@jcpontoon.com
Always wear a personal flotation device while boating and read your owner’s manual.
e-mail: sales@jcpontoon.com
Always wear a personal flotation device while boating and read your owner’s manual.
The MSP 7
Innovation on display in Minneapolis
The MSP 7
Innovation on display in Minneapolis
In 2018 the NMMA – in an attempt to broaden its reach – expanded to the Minneapolis Boat Show with its Innovation Awards to include smaller boats as well as pontoon boats that typically aren’t found at the other two Florida-based boat shows, at least not to the same degree as in Minnesota.
OUR TEST CREW A big thanks to our neighborhood test crew. From left to right, Toby (11), Hanna (17), Addie (7), Payton (15), Bode (12), Kaitlin (12) and Allie (17).
For a professional water toy test you need a professional pontoon, at least that’s how we were able to justify enlisting the high-end and luxurious Barletta Corsa 25UEA for our water toy test. As impressive as this model is, Barletta actually considers it to be its mid-range line, proving the Indiana-based manufacturer aims to exceed your expectations and understands what boaters really crave.
is turning heads
At the helm of the operation is David Bailey, a 21-year-old entrepreneur with a passion for boating and the outdoors. PDB magazine recently had the opportunity to sit down with David and get the full scoop on Bailey Custom Boats.
a Winner
During our Shootout this past summer we had the opportunity to test three different Swingback models from Bennington: the 25 L, 27 Q and 23 SX. Each one was so much fun, sharing the similarities of the Bennington DNA while boasting different and exciting features. It might be hard to pick a favorite, but maybe our review can help. Let’s dive in.
I’ve got a hard-core fishing buddy who slays fish, from crappies to bass, bluegills and saugeyes, year-round from the same man-made Midwest reservoir – and practically anywhere he travels to wet a line. Whether vertically snapping his favorite blade baits up and down through a hole during mid-winter ice-up or from the deck of his pontoon boat, he knows the simple, shiny slivers of metal will likely catch the most fish, in the greatest variety, for his effort this time of year until well past ice-out.
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Last month I mentioned the shallow water levels our local lake is experiencing this winter. Projections continue to be low and I thought I would share a few things about shallow water. Funny thing, I searched “shallow” on the Internet to see what I could find and the first thing that popped up was a movie from 2016 called The Shallows. This was an American survival horror film and in the movie a medical student, surfing on vacation, gets stranded 200 yards from shore and must use her wits and determination to survive a great white shark attack.
Next, I found a song called “Shallow” from the latest remake of the movie A Star Is Born, starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Neither of these things really had much to do with pontoons, although if the stranded surfer would have had a friend with a pontoon the movie could have been over a lot sooner with a lot less violence. And Lady Gaga or Bradley Cooper? I don’t know if either of them even owns a pontoon.
