Hello All. I intend to replace my current frameless Pontoon Boat with either a Water Master Kodiak or a Catchercraft Freestone. I fish the Humptulips, Wynoochee, Satsop and Kalama. I would like input from folks who have used either of these boats.
Thank you

Don’t own either, but have rowed a Water Master a few times but only in stillwaters. Was a slug on the lake.
Dave a Catchercraft is a good dude and won’t bs you when comparing crafts.
Have you looked at the Outcast OSG Clearwater as another possible option?
Good luck with your decision.
SF

Thanks for your input. I have spoken with Dave and I agree he seems to be a straight shooter. While there are many Videos featuring the WM (everybody from April Volkey to Red's Fly Shop) I have found no videos showing the performance of the Freestone. I am just trying to get more info.
I will take a look at the Clearwater.
Thanks,
JT

I've got a custom frame built with NRS bones.

This has full diamond plate floors/platforms

I was thinking about rebuilding to change the configuration from two up front and rower in rear to be one up front, middle, and rear.

I found http://www.rowframe.com/

The website and author by extension seems to have a good sense of humor and build a good product. I can't swear by it's quality but they're popular on mountainbuzz (rafting forum) and seem to be a great deal.

Good luck!

I own a WaterMaster. I like it. I’ve not floated many rivers with it. Packs down nice.

Nice thing about CatcherCraft is you can demo it from them. But you do have a frame to deal with.

I've had a WM Kodiak for over 10 years and used it on most rivers in western WA, some in BC, along with several lakes. As Stonefish pointed out, it's not speedy on lakes, or rivers for that matter. But it gets the job done. I'm acquainted with Dave at Catchercraft. The Freestone has a real rowing frame, so it can handle heavier whitewater than the WM. However, the WM can handle heavier whitewater than I want to take on. I've run my WM on the Sol Duc and through Moose Rapids on the Dean, so the Humptulips, Wynoochee, and Satsop are a piece of cake. The WM has less weight and bulk than the Freestone, so it packs up and loads better in a float plane or helicopter. The Freestone tracks better and rows faster than the WM. It comes down to the trade offs that are applicable to your situation.