Float Tubers Unite

[Kenny Poe]

Any and all float tubers are welcome here for discussion. Especially those people who are curious about them. I claim to be no expert at float tubes, but I do know that I enjoy mine. You can use a tube to access parts of a lake that may be impossible to access with a boat, or on foot. At Two Rivers, you are not allowed to use any motorized boats, so a float tube comes in real handy.
Also, if we have any kayakers out there, please feel free to chime in and give advice on your experiences.
I witnessed one guy (OBG) catch a master angling award channel at Two Rivers out of his float tube last summer, on his fly-rod. OBG would not have been able to hook that cat, much less land it, without his float tube.

[Bruce Condello]

[Bruce Condello]

I wanted to see if this kind of rig counts as a "float tube". :-)

I also have two traditional float tubes so if someone wants to go with me that they can borrow one of them. They are machines when it comes to catching big bluegill.

[Kenny Poe]

Technically I think they are called pontoon boats, but that is a sweet ride, and most certainly welcome for discussion. I have considered getting one of these, but I dont have a vehicle big enough to put it in. Tell us about any modifications you have made to your rig. How long have you been using it, and what if anything would you do to improve it.

[Bruce Condello]

I've fished my conventional float tube for over fifteen years. I've fished out of it 150 times and I've logged and documented over 10,000 fish out of it. Usually I catch between 75-125 fish each time out. I am about to embark on my first inflatable pontoon adventure, so maybe I'll learn some things that I can post in relation to modifications, problems, etc.

[Csteel]

I haven't float tubed before but I have kayaked.

My first time time down the stream didn't go to well. The stream was not for beginners. I loaded up my "sit inside" kayak while the other guys headed down in the canoe. I went through the first rapid and bottomed out most of the way down. When I got to the first pool, I paddled over to the shore and almost flipped. I righted myself and headed towards the next rapid. This one was a cut bank with exposed roots and a fast current. I then proceeded to get pushed right into the roots. I just hung on till my friend could help me out of it. My fishing poles were trapped to the top and when he grabbed them the back end of the kayak sunk. I fell out and watched the kayak float down and get stuck in a tree 20 yards downstream.

I ended up getting my camera wet even though it was is a ziploc bag. The rest of the day I stayed in the canoe.

[Kenny Poe]

Where were you fishing/kayaking? Sorry you had a bad experience, especially losing a camera after you took obvious precautions to make sure it would stay dry. I got to paddle in a "sea" kayak last summer at Merritt Reservoir. A camper not to far far my sight let me try it out. Not only could you paddle, but you could peddle. It also had a rudder on it to help steer. It was alot of fun to cruise around in, until a speed boat came by. Then you had to make sure to point the nose directley into the wake, I found out the hard way twice.

[Csteel]

I was at Illinois Bayou in the Ozark Mountains of Northern Arkansas. When I get a new camera I am going to get a dry case for it. I had fun though. It would have been more fun if I wasn't worried about losing all of my fishing equipment. Next time I just want to do a float trip instead of fishing.

[Rob Greer]

I've been float tubing for 2 months with a U-boat 2000. I am totally hooked on it. I would like to mount one of my extra fishfinders on it so I can explore the depths and structure of new lakes. There's nothing like getting hauled around the lake by a big cat or fighting a big bass at eye level when it hits the air! Super Duper fun machine!!

[Ray Danders]

Csteel, I feel your pain man. I see it happen many times over the summer. A kayak is great for just floating down stream, but if your not good at it, you'll probably get wet on an average MI trout river.

The float boats I use are perfect. You can't tip them over because they are so stable. This picture shows my friend Ron going down a rapids with a big rock in the middle that is difficult to avoid. You can see both pontoons are wet but even though he crashed it was not a problem and it was his second time in a float boat.

In shallow water if you want to stop you just stand up. As you walk downstream and the water gets deep you simply sit down and float to the next hole.

If you want to park it and sit and fish like Mike here it is all to easy.

In the next picture my grandson Jake is standing on my foot rest. That rest allows me to stand on it if I want to get up higher. In this case, Jake sits on my cooler with his feet on the rest and we both fish. He has his own boat, but likes to fish on mine. I like that better too.

The kid does this to me all the time, but I expect him to return the favor some day.

Over the years I have purchased 5 of these boats as I upgrade and they take a real beating. They are tough, safe and excellent fishing platforms. The nylon cover causes resistance so they float a little slower than the other types with smooth finishes. As a result they don't twist easily in the wind and while extremely easy to control, so the resistance actually helps.