Fishing Forum

[#505000]I've shore fished, I've tube fished, boat fished, and I finally made the plunge and bought me a pontoon so I could try pontoon fishing. I decided to buy the Outcast Fish Cat 9. I looked really long and hard at the Creek Company models but after all was said and done I got the Fish Cat.[/#505000]
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[#505000]After much eagerly awaited anticipation my wife got home from work and told me we needed to go visit the $450 kitten I now own which is currently hospitalized at the vet (It started as a $30 kitten from the pound). I advised my wife I would be happy to drop her off on my way to Lincoln. [/#505000]
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[#505000]Since the vet closed in 1/2 hour my wife told me she would start loading the car. I grabbed the pontoon, stuck it in the trunk, and my wife began grabbing all the gear I told her I needed. Amazed at how quickly I was ready to go we headed out. 20 minutes later we arrived at the vet. I wanted to try a new trick with some rubber bands I had aquired and decided to stick them in my tackle box. Wait a minute........ no tackle box.[/#505000]
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[#505000]In the rush to pack to see the $450 kitten the tackle box had been left behind. I rushed home grabbed the box, and made it to Lincoln at 6pm. I threw the pontoon together and hit the water. I haven't rowed anything for a few years and found myself going in wierd circles in the harbor. I think a couple on a boat felt sorry for the poor retarded kid on the pontoon and they offered to tow me out of the harbor. Being lazy I jumped at the offer. At the mouth of the harbor I let go and worth of the most special special olympiad I rowed my way south toward the reeds. It was a wee bit breezy but after 4 or 5 hundred yards I found myself getting in the swing of things.[/#505000]
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[#505000]With the breeze I was having a hard time telling if I was getting fish or if I was just being blown around (looks like I need to invest in an anchor). I did manage to land a mudder through the lip on a circle hook with a big gob of carp meat. I got a few more taps and that was about the end of it. Grateful that the mudder had saved me from the dreaded skunk brigade I relased him. No sense screwing with karma. The wind really started to pick up so I used my new rowing skills and made it back to the harbor. [/#505000]
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[#505000]Thinking the retarded kid might need some help the couple in the boat offered to tow me back into harbor. I let them know I now knew how to row and politely declined the offer. Back at the harbor I finally got to meet Ocean. I would have stayed to fish with him but I had to be back today bright early for work.[/#505000]
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[#505000]The maiden voyage of the S.S. Carp Slayer (or de-virgining) went well. I decided for as much as I love the venerable float tube, the pontoon kicks some serious bottom. It was also nice to clean that pack of skunks out of my tackle box (once I got it in the car with me). [/#505000]


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Sounds like a whirlwind adventure there Gary! Good thing you got some fish for the maiden voyage, now you should really be able to put the hurt on them. As for the kitten, I say a 2 cent present would solve all of your problems[]
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[cool][#0000ff]Congrats on surviving your maiden voyage (with the toon). Once you learn how to run your ship you can focus more on fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I really wish that I had been able to record the first experiences of tubers and tooners over the years. It would produce a "funniest video" movie that would be funnier than anything I could ever imagine. You were wise to go by yourself, rather than have a bunch of experienced (critical) fellow tubers and tooners watching you learn the "ropes".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you plan to fish in the breezes you WILL need to acquire an anchor system. Otherwise you will spend all your time on the water in craft control and not enough time fishing.[/#0000ff]
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Welcome to the world of toons. Don't give up entirely on your tube though, it definitly has it's application as you will see after you've used your toon for a while.

I laughed at your account of the missing tackle box. I once hit the water after forgetting my rod. I ended up using a spool of leader material held by a hook disengourger placed through the hole in the spool and held tightly in my hand(reminicent of good old days ice fishing) - I actually landed a couple of fish doing it - they weren't trophies by any stretch of the imagination, but, they were fish.

After rowing your first day, how's your upper body feel now ?
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I forget my flippers one time on a family outing. We were only at Mill Hollow and there was a breeze blowing from the shore opposite the dam. So i decided to put in over there and let the wind move me accross the lake. Well Igot out in the middle of Mill Hollow and the res. turns to glass. We'll after a couple of hours sitting out there I decide to head to shore. Well if you have ever been in a float tube with no flippers, you know just kicking with the feet you don't move much. After about 30 min and a few [url "mailto:#$&@*$"]#$&@*$[/url] a breeze came up and blew me off the lake. My legs were more tired than a full day in the tube.

John
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[#505000]I must be in better shape than I thought I was because I really didn't get sore. The one thing I need to bring with me in the future I think is a pair of gloves. I started some new callouses and I think if I would have done much more rowing would have developed full fledged blisters. [/#505000]
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[#505000]On the plus side my Toon has a built in anchor system. I just need to go buy a rope and anchor. I think staying put would have dramatically improved my fishing trip. Not to say it ws a bad trip. I really had an enjoyable time. I love the tube, but I decided I really really love the toon. I like having more room for gear and being higher out of the water.[/#505000]
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Hey gary you need to try the first spring! Thats were i caught most of my big cats last year.Its underwater this year but it might be holding those bigger cats .Gonna be there in the first springs in my waders wednesday if the weather and my wife cooperate! []
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[#505000]Since reading your other post my mind has been wandering that way too. Depending on my wife's schedule I may try to make it out that way too.[/#505000]
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[cool][#0000ff]You'd better have lo-o-o-o-o-ng waders. The rock shelf everybody fished from last year is at least five feet under water. The bottom of the springs is over eight feet deep. What's more, the kitties seem to prefer shallower water, and there has not been much action in the springs themselves.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you can fight your way down through the shoreline reeds and salt cedars, there are some places you can find some kitties in close. But, they are pretty smart about heading into the tangles when you hook them.[/#0000ff]
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Good thing you told me that Pat i would have drowned in there! I didnt know they were that deep! Guess i am gonna have to search for some other spots down there.
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[cool][#0000ff]Hey Cesar, I PMed you a couple of suggestions. But also, for anyone else who might be inclined to do some wading down there, BE CAREFUL. The bottom is rocky and uneven. Even if you think you know the contours very well, it is easy to slip into a crack or to step off a ledge into deeper water while wading. That is especially true around the first spring, but equally true almost everywhere now covered by water down there.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Many of the "regulars", who know the area intimately, drive down to the area just out from the orchards. There are a couple of roads that go down into the rising waters. You can wade out on those roads until you reach some of the formerly dry rocky flats. These have been holding good numbers of both walleyes and white bass for guys who know how to fish plastics. There are also channel cats for those who fish bait under a bobber, to avoid getting snagged on the rocky bottom. Sometimes you can find cats right up in the shallow water and do not have to wade very deep. But, again, be very careful and place each step cautiously. Also, if you are fishing for cats in that area, use heavy line that is abrasion resistant. The cats like to head into the flooded stickups or wallow in rockpiles.[/#0000ff]
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The one exception to tubing without fins is Polokid. That guy usually doesn't even use flippers! Once at Jordanelle we were fishing and he could go faster than I could with my fins, and he was in bare feet!!
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First time I had my toon out was on a Pocono Lake, I hadn't even thought about an anchor, just wanted to get out there, after a few minutes of mindless circling I proceeded to fish some lily pads, after 2 casts I had line wrapped around the entire pontoon craft, around the oars and around myself, turning in circles and bitching like a sailor. Now I have an anchor and a little peace of mind, I still stay in on windy days though. It's still a crapshoot keeping position, it's not like standing in a boat where you can just turn your body 180 degrees, love it though, I feel one with the water, love the workout from rowing. And I even caught some fish that first time out.
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[cool][#0000ff]Welcome aboard, and thanks for sharing your "first time" with us.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I guess you realized you responded to a two year old post. Still good info to review once in awhile.[/#0000ff]
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