Does any have any experience with these boats. They are a catacraft type boat with large (20") pontoons to handle whitewater. I'm interested in the 10' Guide model for floating local rivers.
Positve or negative comments are welcomed.
Thanks for your input.
Brian

ASk SH69. He works for them I believe (or atleast helped out at their booth at the sportsmen show).

My buddy has a pair of the Ospreys that we use on the GH tribs and around the peninsula. They're pretty nifty because you don't need a developed accesss to launch or take them out.

Put a rodholder on it, and get used to fishing floats and you can fish from them pretty effectively.

They're able to take any water I'm willing to row, but you have to be careful where you anchor.

Click the link to check out the ones my buddy has: http://www.steelheader.com/osprey.htm

Have one and use it frequently. Also a drift boater. Actually, I prefer to use my friends little water skeeter in the summer. In the winter, I'll use the skookum. It's fun to play in the frothy water, but I don't know if it's worth the hefty price tag. Now with the new 'cat oars, it's a better bargain. It doesn't sit well with the anchor, I have a hard time keeping it straight and it's very difficult to manage with a big fish on, but that's part of the fun I guess. It pulls plugs well and is challenging to land a fish with. Additionally, it's heavy to pack out in one piece. Try the Skeeter or any comparable model, you'll pay WAY less, and it's so easy to pack in and out.

Actually, I don't work for him, I volunteered to work the show. Has been talk about being a rep, but nothing in concrete. I just love his products, and have had quite a few years experience in catarafts to judge them.

Not sure about 10footfreds comments though. No comparison between the boats, and not sure about the anchoring thing in question. I've used most of the boats out there, and they are alot easier to sit on the anchor with then most of the others out there. Now, if you're talking boats to pack out, of course you don't want a steelheader/guide model. They're not DESIGNED for that. They are designed to be a whitewater grade fishing boat that you can actually FISH out of. Not just sit in seat and go with flow. I've used them hard for a good 10 years now, using some of the original Steelheaders (9' models) which you can see in my avatar. You may pay way less for a skeeter, but at same time you are buying way less of a boat too. If you want a packable boat, buy an osprey model. I used mine from Jan-Dec with no real problems. Plus, during summer I had the ability to long line a cast with my fly rod well out of fishes view standing up (which is always easier to cast on your feet then in the seat). I had my old outcasts (which my upper end outcasts were very comparible to the skeeter) and would never think of using them ever again. Plus, I like knowing, especially during the heat of summer, I have a boat with no inner tubes, and no stitching on seems.

Personally, it really depends on what you want from a boat, and how you plan to use it. If you only plan to use the boat for slow drifts, and rarely plan to fish out of it, I'd buy as cheap as you can get. Alot of the lower end boats all come out of same factory in China, just with different colors and slight tube changes. And onto pricing, if anyone thinks they are expensive, never have bought whitewater grade boats before. A good set of whitewater tubes, and a professionally built whitewater frame will run you thousands of dollars. I paid almost $4,000 about 12 years ago for my then 18' cataraft with frame and oars. But I was doing alot of whitewatering back then. The tubes ran me almost $2300 of that price (if memory serves me). For what he's offering, and the grade tubes, it's actually quite a deal. But these boats aren't for everyone. And shouldn't be. If price is purely a consideration, go with a cheap boat. But these boats are for those who run their boats hard. If I was only a "sunny day" boater, I wouldn't spend the money on them either. But I'm not. The day I sold my 9' steelheader it was like new, and they're better built now. That's with years of hard use on it too.

To summize, I know I went stray. LOL. I would say only to buy an osprey/guide if you want the best boat on the water. The osprey if you want a hardcore kickboat, the guide if you want a fishing craft (stand to fish from). Any inflatable will move with a fish on. That's a given (even my 16' cataraft I still have does to a point). You can net, just have to know what you're doing when you're alone. That's like ANYWHERE you may fish, bank or boat. These boats are for you ONLY if you want a hardcore boat that is extremely well built that will safely run whitewater if you have to (and preferably if you KNOW how to do it). If you purely want transportation from hole to hole on a slow river, go with your lower end fishcats, skeeters, odc's.

S69 is spot on, he knows his stuff!
I've owned a 9' Steelheader since '96 and run rivers from Northern BC to Oregon with it. Never once has it let me down...Great boat!

Hey GreenSauks. Looks like you're close to me. I'll be getting a new 10' guide here soon. Once my shoulder heals, have to go for a run down a local river.

I bought a 10' Xstream about a year ago after owning a Buck's Bags Southfork and shopping around for a long time. I really like the Xstream. It's very stable, I have no problem standing on it while on anchor or on the move. The first time out I was surprised how stable it is when I anchor and stand to fish. I haven't done any heavy water but have had no issues on the Skagit, Sky, or Stilly with it. The one drawback is that at around 100lbs it's too heavy for one person to lift/carry. With one person at each end it can be carried. It also will not fit into the bed of a compact pickup when inflated and put together.
Stonefisher, if you send me your email address I'll share what I learned while shopping around.

S69...Sounds good, just shoot me a PM when you're ready to go

Check out STS current issue for a two page review on the Osprey. Even if you can't stand Dunnington, and it seems that a lot of you feel that way. he has written a concise review of the product that (I am told) was completely unsolicited. I do know that he bought his boats about a year ago. They weren't given to him or anything like that.
G

Yup, I can testify that he did it unsolicited. Bill and I were at the show, and we kept being told about the article in STS. We had to go dig up one (Bill was hoping Nick Amato was at show to talk to him, but didn't find him). Normally Bill gets news of any articles like that, but he didn't in this case.

I bought a 10' guide model this summer and have been both pleased and dissapointed. First the negative; just because it is a pontoon boat doesn't necessarily mean that it will be easy to lift around. Its not the weight persay, however it is the dimensions of the 10 ft guide model that prevent me from just tossing it around, its too long and wide to to lift with any ease and Iam a very in shape 23 yr old who lifts 4-5 days/wk. The next negative is that the boat doesn't fit into my 01' f150 without hanging over the sides. Becuase of this I ended up buying a new trailer to tow it with becuase who in the hell wants to assemble it at the launch...I've done it and it sucks big time.

Now to the possitives. First and foremost is the customer service. Bill is a great guy with a great product and when my pontoon sprung a leak he said without a doubt bring it back and I'll fix it..Great customer service in my opinion. Next is that they carry a ton of weight for outings as well as being every bit as stable as a db. My buddies and I are in constant search of tougher water when fishing simply to run the boats down because they can handle anything....Really tough boat.
Overall very satisfied, but if your looking for something that can be packed easily stick with the smaller boats like a bucks bag southfork or others, not quite the quality but won't leave you stranded either. If you want a rowing machine that can handle any fishable river and if your willing to pay the price go skookum. Oh yeah, for those of you that don't know bill also sells some of his boats that are used for a little less.

Hope this helps,
Drew

One more thing to consider too. You'll see quite a few knockoffs. Made to look the same, but with much lesser material. So, when you think you're getting a deal, you're buying a lesser boat. So if you go with a knockoff, just remember you're getting probably 1/4 of the boat. Like the xstreams, badcats, and don hills. All have between 1200-2200 denier. The skookums are made with 5500 denier. A much tougher boat, plus his tubes are made locally here in Woodinville instead of in China like the knockoffs (though they like to claim they're all made in same factory). Something to consider.

If you would like to compare the various stats on pontoon boats. Drop in to your local fly tackle shop, and pick up the 2004 copy of the "Fly Fish America Gear Guide". This should give you a good idea of the quaility of the pontoon boat that you maybe interested in. It really give some super info. I just purchase a used Osprey 1, I'm now in the process of setting it up to my spects. I spent close to a year researching this subject and waiting for the right deal to come along. Just remember you get what you pay for, and once you are in trouble is not the time to wish you had purchased some better. Three cheers to Bill , a super guy. If you got a question give him a call

Hey Moocher, was nice meeting you at the show. Nice to put a name with a face. Hope to get your boat setup now.

Ditto 69, It is coming together just fine, a little slower than I wanted but I can't be every where. I'm in the process of putting a utility trailor kit together. My goal was to be road ready by the 1st of Feb. Family issue's have taken a presidence right now, so I won't be able to keep tht date. I hope you did well at the show, any plans on you being at the Monroe Sportsman Show!

Hey SH69 sorry I didn't get to meet you at the show, would of liked to talk to ya a little about the 'toons. But did talk to Bill for a bit.

I have the 10' Guide and love it. I felt very safe on it and realy like the amount of stuff you can take with you for the day. Also was very impressed with the durability as I had to drag it around the log jam on the Green, floating when I could.

When I got it home and hoisted it up in the garage to look under it at the rub strip I was supprised that dragging it all that way didn't hurt it at all, just kind of scraped it but no gouges at all. I will still be careful if I have to drag it.

I was able to pull plugs with it but, I don't think I could do it as well as in a drift boat but I will keep trying.

Ever thought of or used an electric troller on one like some of the drift boats? Sure seems like it would be nice to have when your boondoggin'/plugging and get a fish on. What do you think?

I should be at the Monroe show. If not during week, on sat/sun for sure.

Badbobber, no problem, it got hectic there during the show. Actually, I have ran a motor on mine (the old 9' actually). Ran good. But be forwarned. Certain rivers, lakes, and most salt will require you to license your cataraft, even with a small electric. Think it's any federal area (which some lakes and rivers are, and all salt is). I know I was stopped on Lower chehalis and given a warning on mine several years ago. Unless laws have changed. I didn't want to pay to license my small boat, so opted to forget it. But does help backtrolling plugs. The bigger the Skookum, easier to pull plugs. But will admit, I've found it easier to pull plugs in a driftboat rather then a cataraft. That's unless you put a kicker/trolling motor on.

I just moved to Monroe, when is the Sporsman Show?? I would love to check it out!

I just put a 12' model up for sale on the Classifieds board if you're interested.