what djd said... lower the center of gravity on the boat and just be easy when u move around.. i used to have a 10 footer when i was in highschool adn i reached for a lure on a limb once and i got to take a swim in the ole cumberland river.... i was on edge when i had that boat and really couldnt enjoy fishing... if u cant get the pontoons figured out i would upgrade to a wider and longer boat because if u cant have fun fishing why go...