04-08-2009, 06:32 AM
On Saturday 4th of April, I had entered the float tube bass tournament at Castaic Lake. What an experience and will do it again.
I had acquired a Caddis Nevada through a trade. The bladder leaked and due to the damage I needed a new bladder. I could not find one, so I purchased the Fish Cat 4.
I had made several attempts to get it into the water to trick it out, make adjustments and try it out. Every time I made an attempt it started raining or the wind would pick up. I'm talking about 15-22 mph. To much for me. Finally the morning of the tournament. The weather was cold but nice, no rain and no wind. The whistle blew to get the tournament on the way at 6:30am. I spent until 7:45 getting things ready and making adjustments before I entered the water. I spent about an hour and a half in the water before I had to go to the bathroom.
The wind had picked up but I did not care about wind or anything else, I was having fun. I got back into my tube and in about an hour I caught my first bass. (Got me real excited catching my first fish in a float tube).
Then I had to go to the bathroom again. I prolonged going as long as I could, because I kept getting strikes on that plastic worm I was using. When It got to the point that I could not focus on anything but going to the bathroom I had to go.
It seemed I was not paying much attention to what I was doing. I got out of the tube when I was able to stand up. I started walking forward and my fin dug into the sandy gravel and I fell face down in to the water. All the way into the water. I got up and started to walk forward again and I fell again. After falling into the water 3 times. I learned to walk backwards and was able to get out of the water unsnap my fins and go to the rest room. Yes I do seem to learn some things the hard way. I am some what of a knuckle head.
I got my gear together and headed to my car to get dried off and put on a dry shirt. That was also the end of the tournament for me. I have a bum leg and that holds me back. I do things very slow, and so I missed 2 1/4 hrs of fishing. And it was a haul with all the geat going up the hill into the parking lot. From were I was in the water to the parking lot was a 10 minute walk for me and it was very cold.
The experience taught me a lot. Be prepared! I did have the oppertunity to inflate my tube in the living room. It is a different story for me anyway once you get into the water. I learned a few things as I walked around and noticed the kinds of fins people are wearing as well as waders. I checked out how different people tricked out there tubes.
My waders (Caddis neoprene), had kept me dry from the stomach down. No water from that point down and my socks were dry.
This brings up a question to ask some of you experienced tubers. Depends, or a Gladder Bladder?
I found that going to the restroom every 1 1/2 hours can cost me time.
I hung out until the end of the tournament. I also felt good that their were 43 who entered, and 26 of those did not catch a fish. The big fish prize was a 9 pounder.
After all the entrants came in for the awards I had another oppertunity to check out the different types of tubes and accesories the tubers used.
I had a great time helping with the BBQing of the hot dogs. Tubbers were real hungry after a 6hr day of fishing. And the athmosphere was great. "Tubbers are great people".
I think that I am addicted to tubing. Is there anything better than catching fish from a tube?
Have a good nite.[fishin]
[signature]
I had acquired a Caddis Nevada through a trade. The bladder leaked and due to the damage I needed a new bladder. I could not find one, so I purchased the Fish Cat 4.
I had made several attempts to get it into the water to trick it out, make adjustments and try it out. Every time I made an attempt it started raining or the wind would pick up. I'm talking about 15-22 mph. To much for me. Finally the morning of the tournament. The weather was cold but nice, no rain and no wind. The whistle blew to get the tournament on the way at 6:30am. I spent until 7:45 getting things ready and making adjustments before I entered the water. I spent about an hour and a half in the water before I had to go to the bathroom.
The wind had picked up but I did not care about wind or anything else, I was having fun. I got back into my tube and in about an hour I caught my first bass. (Got me real excited catching my first fish in a float tube).
Then I had to go to the bathroom again. I prolonged going as long as I could, because I kept getting strikes on that plastic worm I was using. When It got to the point that I could not focus on anything but going to the bathroom I had to go.
It seemed I was not paying much attention to what I was doing. I got out of the tube when I was able to stand up. I started walking forward and my fin dug into the sandy gravel and I fell face down in to the water. All the way into the water. I got up and started to walk forward again and I fell again. After falling into the water 3 times. I learned to walk backwards and was able to get out of the water unsnap my fins and go to the rest room. Yes I do seem to learn some things the hard way. I am some what of a knuckle head.
I got my gear together and headed to my car to get dried off and put on a dry shirt. That was also the end of the tournament for me. I have a bum leg and that holds me back. I do things very slow, and so I missed 2 1/4 hrs of fishing. And it was a haul with all the geat going up the hill into the parking lot. From were I was in the water to the parking lot was a 10 minute walk for me and it was very cold.
The experience taught me a lot. Be prepared! I did have the oppertunity to inflate my tube in the living room. It is a different story for me anyway once you get into the water. I learned a few things as I walked around and noticed the kinds of fins people are wearing as well as waders. I checked out how different people tricked out there tubes.
My waders (Caddis neoprene), had kept me dry from the stomach down. No water from that point down and my socks were dry.
This brings up a question to ask some of you experienced tubers. Depends, or a Gladder Bladder?
I found that going to the restroom every 1 1/2 hours can cost me time.
I hung out until the end of the tournament. I also felt good that their were 43 who entered, and 26 of those did not catch a fish. The big fish prize was a 9 pounder.
After all the entrants came in for the awards I had another oppertunity to check out the different types of tubes and accesories the tubers used.
I had a great time helping with the BBQing of the hot dogs. Tubbers were real hungry after a 6hr day of fishing. And the athmosphere was great. "Tubbers are great people".
I think that I am addicted to tubing. Is there anything better than catching fish from a tube?
Have a good nite.[fishin]
[signature]
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