Not everyone needs 250 horsepower and a battleship-sized rig to have fun. Just ask John Lawrence, of South Florida, who lives on a 60-acrea lake and runs his 2016 Edge 7516 Qwest pontoon with an electric motor, and doesn’t miss a thing, especially the sound of an outboard gas motor.
Ah, silence does have its virtues..
“We live on an electric-only lake and Qwest offered the right sized boat for us, to get on the water and enjoy fishing or cruising with a beverage,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence has had several boats before but has found that his Qwest has met expectations and then some.
“Our Qwest pontoon is great and there's a ton of room to fish from the front or the back, “ he said. “My wife can enjoy shade and music under the Bimini top, and we bring "Nikki" our 14-year-old Yorkie out as well. She loves the boat and the water.”
When fishing, they target a variety of inshore species.
“Our lake is full of largemouth bass and Peacock bass,” he said. “As well as a few Chiclids and a bunch of carp. We don't miss a standard fishing boat at all. The pontoon is way more comfortable and spacious, it has plenty of storage for lures and tackle. We added four stainless rod holders and the livewell is amazing. We love the Bluetooth stereo and the fishing seats up front get used all the time.”
Lawrence said after the initial purchase the dealer was very helpful but after a year with the boat they decided to work directly with Qwest for a couple of minor fixes that were needed.
“After a year or so we had Bimini top issues and dealt directly with Qwest,” he said. “They were responsive, helpful and accommodating. Super easy to work with.”
Their neighbor saw how well the Qwest performed and went out and bought their own- something that the Lawrence’s would do again if the desire comes.
“It’s been 5 + years we've owned it and Qwest has stepped up and made ownership easy and pleasant,” he said. “We would buy one again.”