School me on float tubes

benarsenault · Post by **benarsenault** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 9:18 am

Hi everybody,

Thinking about investing in a float tube / belly boat for bass fishing. Any words of wisdom? I imagine they aren't much fun if it's really cold outside or if there is a lot of chop on the lake, but I drive a compact car and I think a float tube might be my best option until I get a truck and can haul a boat. I'm a little worried about getting run over by a boat, but then again I'll likely be fishing close to shore. Any advice would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

MT · Post by MT » Wed Mar 16, 2016 11:07 am

Used a float tube for years during my fly-fishing days. With proper gear and layering you can still stay warm. As far as choppy water, you are actually at an advantage because part of you is under water. Great option as long as you can park close or walk to the water. We used to strap them to backpack frames and walk into remote lakes in my younger days. Of course you should still wear a pfd and I would wear something bright and carry a horn to prevent some idiot from hitting you.

M3AN Bass · Post by **M3AN Bass** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 11:39 am

I fished from a tube for about 6 years. They're a great option if you can't go the boat route. They definitely up your game compared to shore fishing. Check out the Sonoma County Belly Boat Bass Club forum:

http://scbbbc.websitetoolbox.com

Robb R · Post by **Robb R** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:36 pm

Good question . I have fished out of both a float tube and a pontoon type float tube . You can easily stay warm if you wear the right type of waders . I used 5mm thick neoprene and layered clothes and had no problem with being warm .
I used my first float tube for about 2 years , advantages are they are really easy to transport to the launch location (sometimes I walked 1/2 mile to a spot ) they are easy to store and put in a car. The disadvantage is really dealing with wind . If you kick a great distance to a spot and then have the wind pick up , it can be tiresome to get back if you are going against wind . Dealing with boats is a concern , just try to stay close to the shore and make sure you wear highly visable clothes . I migrated to a pontoon style ( I still own two of these ) . I love my pontoons , I have an 8 ft and a 9 ft version from creek company . Much easier to move spots on the water ( use ores to move , use fins to keep still on a spot ) Also pontoons you only have from your knees down in the water , so never an issue for warmth. Also , you sit higher off the water which makes it much easier to fish different styles and casting is way better . Moving to the water to launch is a little harder , but the Creek company pontoons are made with quick disconnect pins to assemble and disassemble really easy . I know a guy that has the exact same 8 foot model I have and he has a 4 door Honda civic to transport . He just lets the air out of the bladders and disassembles it and the entire thing stores in his trunk.
Pontoons are great , they are especially useful on areas that are pressured and area's when wind can be a problem.
Another cool thing with pontoons is you can customize your storage . I have mine rigged up with 4 rod holders
(vertically mounted ) and custom built plastic storage bins(Tap PLastics) that hold up to 12 Plano 3700 boxes . I now have a bass boat , but still prefer using my pontoons at certain times and on certain lakes . You should go and see how the Creek Company pontoons assemble and disassemble before buying anything , you would be surprised how a small car can hold them .
tight lines ,
Robb

Chad Sweitzer · Post by **Chad Sweitzer** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 1:14 pm

+1 On the pontoon boat. It has almost all the advantages of a float tube (less portable) but it is much faster. I've caught all my biggest fish out of a float tube or pontoon, and I think that's because of the stealth factor. No sonar, no TM, no 21 foot silhouette, gives you a much better chance at getting a big bite. I've got a Creek Company, which is great for the price.

delta4life · Post by **delta4life** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 1:16 pm

I've used float tubes for 16 years on the delta and a couple local lakes. Classic accessories makes a good tube called the cumberland. Keeps you sitting up high and has thick padded seat/backrest. About $200 give or take a little. It's great for getting in between docks and shallow islands in the delta, working areas that boats have a harder time accessing. Great for control on a spot, wind is not hard to manage at all. It is more tiring to kick against a stiff wind, but it is manageable. It will get easier the more you do it. You don't need waders in the summer but you would for cold water. I wear a back brace (black kind with velcro) to ease the back strain after 8-10 hour marathons. Neoprene booties with soles fit over the stocking foot waders so walking is easy after you kick off the fins and they protect the waders. You can make a rod holder out of PVC and strap it to the D-rings or get one that fits behind the seat. Very portable and can be strapped on your back or carried, no problem. I bring 4 rods and lay 3 over the lap and one in the hand. Very stealth, no trolling motors to spook fish. I've never had a problem with boats, they can see you fine, there are flags that can be secured to the tube for visibility. Try it, you'll love it!

DDG · Post by **DDG** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 1:44 pm

Strongly suggest a kickboat over a float tube. You can sit up higher and fish better out of a kickboat.

benarsenault · Post by **benarsenault** » Thu Mar 17, 2016 7:40 am

Thanks everybody, this is great information! What do you do when you have to go to the bathroom? Do you take the flippers off and find a spot on the shore to pee, or do you just pee in your waders? I would think going up on shore would be a better option, but curious to hear how you guys handle this. Apologies for the uncouth inquiry.

Robb R · Post by **Robb R** » Thu Mar 17, 2016 8:56 am

another good question , and yes it is an issue . I just look for an area that I can go to shore . If you piss in your waders you will never get the smell out . I am a big advocate of drinking lots of water to stay healthy and when your on a pontoon boat in the middle of summer it's hard to stay fully hydrated . I usually bring two full 32 ounce water bottles
frozen solid , that seems to help the most on summer days to stay cool .
Another website to look up is " bass-N -tubes " . they have lots of pictures of how guys have rigged up float tubes with all types of gear .
Remember if you add a trolling motor (lots of guys do this ) , you will need to file a CF number for registration purposes . Also if you end up wanting to fish tournaments , there are lots of options to consider for holding the bass and keeping them alive .
Lastly , one of the key tricks to using a pontoon is how much you inflate the pressure to the bladders . When you initially inflate the bladders and then put them in the water , the colder water will tend to "decrease" the pressure a little bit therefore making your ability to move a little more difficult . I have mine set up (double boston valves are std)
and I bring my manual air pump with me , after 5-10 minutes on the water , I add a little more air to each bladder so that it's easier to row to a new location . Also , you might find eventually that one side or the other will sit a little lower due to a small leak or just not matching air pressure exactly , in that case , again I add a little air to the low side so I sit even in the water . Also , if you end up storing the tube in your garage , make sure you let about 50% of the air out , especially on summer days , if not , a really hot garage will , "inflate" pressure and burst the bladder. It might seem a little overwhelming at first , just takes a little practice . Pontoons are great for bass fishing .
tight lines ,
Robb

delta4life · Post by **delta4life** » Thu Mar 17, 2016 11:22 am

I strongly recommend a float tube over a kick boat. You can stand up to pee or fold down your waders and commence from a sitting position. Just don't hit your reels. It's not a problem.

DDG · Post by **DDG** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 9:48 am

delta4life wrote:I strongly recommend a float tube over a kick boat. You can stand up to pee or fold down your waders and commence from a sitting position. Just don't hit your reels. It's not a problem.

If you fold your waders down in a float tube you will let water in since you will most likely be submerged from the waist down. With a kickboat you only get up to your knees at most. I usually just get on my pegs and I'm able to get a urine release haha

badbass25 · Post by **badbass25** » Sat Mar 19, 2016 5:54 am

I know that you posted about float tubes, but another viable option is a Kayak. Kayak Bass Fishing is growing rapidly and we've already got a Kayak Bass Club here in Nor-Cal, called Yak-a-Bass. We've got our first tournament of the year tomorrow (Sunday March 20th) out of Tiki Lagun. We are expecting close to 50 anglers (permit's maximum). We do most (if not all) of our communications through our Facebook group page. Give us a search under "Yak-a-Bass Nor Cal".

Wes

delta4life · Post by **delta4life** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 8:14 am

Yeah, I would fold down my waders so I could fill them with water. I'm giving tips to the person who's asking.

scott h · Post by **scott h** » Mon Mar 21, 2016 5:55 pm

DDG wrote:
delta4life wrote:I strongly recommend a float tube over a kick boat. You can stand up to pee or fold down your waders and commence from a sitting position. Just don't hit your reels. It's not a problem.
If you fold your waders down in a float tube you will let water in since you will most likely be submerged from the waist down. With a kickboat you only get up to your knees at most. I usually just get on my pegs and I'm able to get a urine release haha

Actually, it really depends on the float tube, I have had both styles, the old fabric seat with a nylon buckle and your in the water up to your belly and my current tube which is the v shaped that has a thick polyethylene flotation seat which sits me high enough out of the water and only get wet up to the knees, I prefer the later and the float tube over the pontoon simply because my float tube needs are small lakes primarily.

DDG · Post by **DDG** » Sat Mar 26, 2016 3:41 pm

scott h wrote:
DDG wrote:
delta4life wrote:I strongly recommend a float tube over a kick boat. You can stand up to pee or fold down your waders and commence from a sitting position. Just don't hit your reels. It's not a problem.
If you fold your waders down in a float tube you will let water in since you will most likely be submerged from the waist down. With a kickboat you only get up to your knees at most. I usually just get on my pegs and I'm able to get a urine release haha
Actually, it really depends on the float tube, I have had both styles, the old fabric seat with a nylon buckle and your in the water up to your belly and my current tube which is the v shaped that has a thick polyethylene flotation seat which sits me high enough out of the water and only get wet up to the knees, I prefer the later and the float tube over the pontoon simply because my float tube needs are small lakes primarily.

Ive had that version too, I just like the versatility of kick boats. just a lot more you can do but same with tubes too i guess.