Built for both fishing and family fun, offering something for everyone.
With their comfortable seating, homelike amenities and tremendous versatility, it’s little wonder than pontoon boats continue to grow in popular-ity each year. Whether it’s a weekend enjoying the sun, pulling the kids on a tube or just hanging out on the sandbar with friends, pontoons seem to be able to do it all.
They’ve also begun to catch on as capable fishing boats. Fishing pontoons like Manitou’s 22 Oasis Angler VP blend traditional pontoon comfort with serious fishing amenities such as pedestal-mount swiveling fishing seats, rod holders and live wells. You want to relax in the sun with a book while your spouse wants to fish? It’s not a problem in this boat.
The 22 Oasis Angler VP comes in two versions – one with pedestal-mount fishing seats in all four corners for serious fishing families, and a Full Front edition that offers the fishing seats in the stern while preserving the traditional extended lounge seats in the bow for greater overall versatility. Beyond their additional seating space, the full front loungers also provide a huge amount of protected storage space in the seat bases for all sorts of gear.
The furniture in the Oasis Angler is all-new for 2019, utilizing a new design with just the right level of support for all-day comfort. Seats are finished in Manitou’s new super-soft Matrix marine vinyl, which gives the boat a fresh look, greater comfort and enhanced durability.
Also new for 2019 is the Oasis Angler’s completely redesigned helm console, which further contributes to its cleaner, more contemporary look. The smartly-designed dash panel includes a GPS speedometer, tachometer, trim gauge, volt gauge, fuel gauge, a standard 12-volt accessory outlet and a USB port, while still leaving plenty of space to add aftermarket electronics such as a high-end fish finder or GPS chartplotter. The helm console also houses the standard four-speaker Kicker stereo, which features Bluetooth connectivity so you can stream your tunes directly from a smartphone or tablet. The elegant Verona steering wheel provides a pleasing balance of form and function, while the low back reclining helm chair both swivels and slides to accommodate drivers of different heights.
Not content to stop there, Manitou further upgraded the 2019 Oasis Angler models with new sidewall colours and a second stern entry gate. Why two aft gates? With two pedestal fishing seats in the stern, the second gate provides each angler with direct access to the water to sort out tangles or land a hooked fish – a thoughtful and useful addition that greatly enhances this boat’s usability.
Those new additions really add to the value of the boat, since all of the other standard features that made the Oasis Angler such a popular model carry forward for 2019. That includes the standard Bimini top with storage boot and powder-coated frame, the standard soft-side cooler, LED in-wall docking and navigation lighting, LED courtesy lighting, the wide four-step rear boarding ladder and the standard ski tow bar. Also standard are the built-in waste basket, built-in cupholders throughout, and durable vinyl flooring for easy cleaning and great looks. The boat even comes with a colour-matched mooring cover.
The business end of the boat – the stern – features rod holders and a live well to keep the day’s catch fresh all the way back to the dock. Manitou offers an extensive option list, along with a wide range of appealing goodies such as a rail-mounted barbecue grill, flooring upgrades, stereo upgrades and even an integrated stern tackle box.
By Craig Ritchie