"That's my eighth one in less than two hours", I remarked to my fishing buddy, Bob Skrbac, as I lifted a fat, fighting smallmouth bass to the deck of my 20-foot pontoon boat. We were fishing a backwater off the Colorado river impoundment, Lake Moovalya, on the California-Arizona border. Over my right shoulder I could see the beautiful Moovalya Indian Casino across the lake near Parker, Arizona. The smallies were liking the white plastic worm I was presenting, rigged for drop shoting.
I had started fishing for bass on the Colorado and other nearby waters after I had joined the Parker Bassmaster club. I had retired several years prior to that and only after starting to spend my winters in a mobile home park, Bermuda Palms, in Earp, California did I find that bass fishing was fun. Born and raised in Washington and Oregon I knew only trout, steelhead and salmon.
I joined the Parker club as a non-boating member and took part in the club's monthly tournaments learning from the locals what a crank bait was, or a spinner bait or one of the other special enticements bass fishermen use. I had to pay fees the same as any other club member for the tournaments and it cost me quite a bit to learn the how-tos before I was able to start racking up points like the big boys
It was fun and it wasn't long until I purchased my own used but serviceable 18-foot bass boat. Life was good until I suddenly developed a fragile leg which made it hazardous and difficult to climb into or out of a conventional bass boat. I was having to amble around with either a cane or crutches. Even getting into a boat from a dock was a bit hard on my ego to have to sit on the dock and swing my legs into the boat. Climbing into while it was still on a trailer was out of the question. It was with a heavy heart that I had to sell that beloved bass fishing machine.
Bank fishing was not a viable solution to my need to fish and fishing docks like those on Lake Havasu were not the answer either.
My wife, Grace knew I was hurting and saw an ad for a used pontoon boat at a marina on Lake Havasu and suggested we go take a look at it. I was not very interested.
After all I was not a party kind of guy. But, we looked and with more urging from Grace we bought it. She wanted it so she could have the large brass ship's bell that was hanging near the skipper's station!
The mobile home park on the Indian reservation had it's own boat docks on the California side of Lake Moovalya and that was a perfect setup for me and the pontoon boat. The boat was parked about 100 feet from our home making it easy to get to it. No launching or unlaunching. All I had to do was amble down to it, fire up the motor , throw off the lines and I was back in the fishing game.
To the person who couldn't climb into a conventional boat the pontoon was the answer to my prayers. The flat, level deck of the boat was flush to the elevation of the dock and I could even swing from the dock to the deck with a pair of crutches. Two fishing seats on the bow of the boat made it similar to fishing from the front deck of a bass boat. To finish converting it I installed an electric trolling motor to the front of the deck and that worked perfectly.
The boat was quite rugged. I could ram it back into the bullrushes to a honey hole. It had aluminum twin hulls that could withstand quite a bit of abuse and I didn't have to worry about a paint job.
Even on the days I wasn't planning on fishing we did have picnics on board with neighbors or friends. The swing out barbecue was great for those hamburger sandwiches to go along with the potato salad, baked beans and yes, even a pie or cake.. We often used the boat to ferry guests over to the casino on the Arizona side for some food or gambling.
The day eventually came when we had to sell our home in Earp and move back to Salem. We were unable to take the pontoon with us so we sold it. But, on our return to Salem we soon bought another and had many good outings with it up at Detroit Reservoir. Even after moving to Vancouver we used it for a couple of years on a backwater of the Columbia river as well as nearby Lackamas lake at Camas, WA. We have now sold it, also but the loss doesn't feel as great now. No matter, we have had our fun and good memories of pontoon living which can't be taken from us.
