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Every Pontoon Boat is a Fishing Boat Just Waiting to be Released

People fall in love with pontoon boats because you can pile everyone you know and their pets onto the deck, shove off and have some fun. They float a ton of people, they're comfortable and cozy, and they just ooze party.

One look at a pontoon boat full of people passing, and your first thought is, "Man, they look like they're having a blast!"

One thing that people tend to forget, however, is that a pontoon can double as a mighty fine little fishing boat — all it takes is a little jazzing up and a some imaginative accessorizing.

You're going to need a fishfinder, like the Lowrance Mark-5X. That little beauty will reveal even the most closely guarded underwater hiding spots.

Then there's music. If you go fishing with purists, they'll sometimes yell at you that the music is scaring the fish. Yeah, well, let them be scared then. This is pontoon boat, for goodness sake, and we need some tunes.

Set yourself up with a Boss receiver and some marine speakers and you'll be good to go — frightened fish and all.

If you're going to be out there chasing fish all day and into the evening, you're going to want some lighting. Whether it's a fold-down light, an LED utility strip, a pole light or a combination sidelight, you'll have the upper hand.

If there's one thing that separates fish from man, it's mechanized illumination. And gills.

Finally, there's flooring.

When you finally haul one in, and he's there flopping around on your already-scummy boat carpeting, that slimy little fish is not going to make that primitive marine flooring any easier to clean.

When you upgrade to MariDeck vinyl flooring, however, that slimy sucker can flip and flop until his little fish heart's content. All it will take is a quick rinse to get right back to brand new.

So, there you have it. You love your pontoon boat because it's a floating getaway and a waterproof party — but don't forget, somewhere inside is a fishing boat just waiting to break free.

Pontoon Boat: Your Floating Stay-Cation

You don't have to go too far to get away.

You, after all, are among the elite. You have the hardware required to bring the party wherever you go. You invested in a floating memory-making machine.

You're a pontoon boat owner.

Leave the "all-inclusive" cruises to the schmos who are willing to settle for cramped cabins, crowded dinners and hack entertainment. Let the landlubbers scour Travelocity for the can't-miss, can't-wait deal of the century that comes along every four days. Let the masses pack their SUVs and head to their secret, pristine vacation hideaway that's a secret to everyone except for all the people who have Facebook.

You're a pontoon boat owner. For you, the vacation starts as soon as you shove off from the dock.

On regular boats, kids get bored quickly because they can't move around. Your floating living room, however, gives them all the stay-cation space they need to spread out and have some fun.

What would you do on vacation? Go fishing? Go water skiing?

Check and double check.

Unlike most boats, with their rigid seating structures, pontoon boats are comfy and cozy. Cuddle up and watch the sunset — or sunrise, depending on your stay-cation itinerary. Grab a pair of binoculars and see what kind of birds or other wildlife you can spy from your maritime sanctuary. Explore a channel or tributary you've never cruised before, or cut the engine and just relax, talk and enjoy each other's company — cell phone and iPad free.

The point is, spring is here. The kids will be out of school soon and a vacation doesn't sound like a bad idea. But you don't need to go very far to get away. When you invested in your pontoon boat, you entered an elite fraternity of adventurers and enthusiasts who don't need to travel to find excitement, adventure and relaxation.

You've got a pontoon boat. All of that goes wherever you go.

Easter on a Pontoon Boat? Yeah, Easter on a Pontoon Boat

You might not think of your pontoon boat when someone mentions Easter — but maybe you should.

For families of faith — and plenty of others that are not — Easter is a deeply personal holiday based on reverence, gratitude and introspection. It might seem a bit out of place or even inappropriate to spend such a day splashing around and having fun with your family on a boat.

But if you think about it, it's really not.

Easter, in its purest form, is a celebration of family and friends. There is no single object, machine or device on this Earth that sums up the concept of celebration with family and friends more perfectly than a pontoon boat.

It might not be your family's tradition — and Easter is all about tradition — but every tradition starts somewhere.

Maybe this year you take your old tradition and bring it to the lake.

Maybe this year you cook something special that reminds you of the holiday the night before, or early in the morning, pack it up and haul it out to the boat to be consumed among family and friends later in the evening.

Are Easter egg hunts more your thing? Can you think of a better, more exciting place to hold a chocolate-based scavenger hunt than on a big pontoon boat — think of all the hiding places!

Easter ham, Easter eggs, Easter prayers — whatever the holiday means to you won't mean anything less just because the celebration takes place on a boat. In fact, you might just find that your new tradition fits so perfectly with the holiday that it starts to catch on.

Replace Your Boat Carpeting, Because You Actually Want to Use Your Boat

Boat carpeting is beautiful. It shines with sheen. It's smooth, it's soft and it makes the whole boat look brand new — on the showroom floor, that is.

When you get your baby out on the water, however, you'll soon notice that both the looks and functionality of your flooring begin to fade at a scary pace. You've only taken your new boat out a few times and already the luster is gone on your marine carpeting. Now it's matted. Now it's dull. Now it's clumped up and spotty.

If that's the situation after just a few voyages, how do you think your boat carpeting will look in a few months — or how about years?

The No. 1 simplest thing you can do to make an older boat look and feel brand new is to upgrade from tired, inefficient boat carpeting to a modern vinyl flooring like MariDeck.

MariDeck looks absolutely beautiful on day one. Why shouldn't it? There are, after all, a boatload (sorry) of colors, textures, styles and thicknesses to choose from.

But unlike yesteryear boat carpeting, it keeps on kicking voyage after voyage after voyage. Salt water splash? A quick rinsing and it's back to new. Same for fish guts, your kid's peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and that heavy cooler filled with ice your brother-in-law just dropped on your deck, corner first.

If you had marine carpeting, you'd be storing your boat with hidden residue from fish guts and PB&J, plus probably a tear from the dropped cooler.

MariDeck is more than just a pretty face. It's truly the safest deck flooring on the market. There's no slipping and sliding no matter what spills. It provides comfort and traction while you're out on the water and easy cleanup when you get back.

Unlike boat carpeting — which gets grimy, dirty, dull and matted almost right away — MariDeck keeps up, even with your crazy pace.