If you are planning to fish rivers, be sure to get a pontoon boat that has an anchor system and go for the sturdiest you can afford.

I only use my 8 foot Creekside for stillwater and carry it in the back of my van partially deflated. I can inflate it with a hand pump in under five minutes.

in the spring and summer I'll use it a couple of times a week on local lakes.

It is supposed to be rated for rivers, but I'll pass unless it is pretty mild.

I had a 9-foot Outcast lite, but at 65 pounds, plus oars and gear, it wasn't nearly as convenient as my smaller boat, but then I'm not into river running.

One thing I did do with the Outcast was secure an aluminum backback frame under the seat on the frame so I could backpack it if I needed to carry it any distance.

My buddy and I traded boats since he didn't think the Creekside was too good an idea for rivers, and I wanted something easier to carry and load for frequent trips on stillwater.

Whatever you get, put in some hours on very easy water rowing before going down the rivers.

And whatever toon you buy, add another $100-$150 for an inflatable PFD.