Here is a bit more on the subject. Skookum hasn't built their pontoons for a long time and actually made only a very few compared to what they have used from Maxxon over the years. The Skookum owner actually built very little, (perhaps the floor boards?) on his boats. He got people to supply the components and put them together to provide a good boat at a decent price.

Bad Cat, I'm positive, also gets their pontoons from Maxxon. Maxxon provides excellent products for the money but they are vastly less money than the big whitewater names such as Sotar, Maravia, NRS, and like. But Maxxon pontoons are flatter, providing more footprint than the whitewater designed inflatables, which is probably better for fishing anyway.

Skookum had all their galvanized steel frames found on their good quality boats made by a guy who lives in North Bend. The aluminum frames that are powder coated are made overseas and not near the same quality as the steel frames. If you knew how much they paid for them, you'd never buy their Osprey model over the steel frame boat.

Aluminum is lighter than steel but more expensive, more difficult to work on, and can be more difficult to repair, and often requires a larger diameter tube than steel to get the same strength result, thereby negating its lighter properties over steel. I'd bet all my RVRFSHRS that the steel frames made by Ken (he offers a lifetime warranty) will still be going strong after the overseas aluminum frames on the Skookum Ospreys have bit the bullet.

Anyway I posted this question to see what people like and don't like in rafts and catarafts (acknowledging everybody is a little different) and I appreciate those who responded.