Fishing Forum

[cool][#0000ff]Weather forecast was for light NW breezes this morning at Willard. The actual conditions are usually about 180 degrees opposite of the forecast so I wasn't worried. I should have been. They were right. I hate it when that happens.

A "significant" zephyr was blowing right into the channel at the south marina and rippling on the launch ramp as I prepared to launch about 6:30. I figured it might lie down later. I figured wrong. I also figured I could just fish inside the channel until if and when it did settle down. Good plan B. Sort of.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Air temp was 58 and water temp 71 at launch. With the continuous breeze, the surface temp of the water still had not gone over 72 when I bailed out about 11AM.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Quite a few boaters launched early and splashed their way out through the sloppy chop into the open lake. Some of them returned within a short time, saying they could not operate in the bumpy water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I started off with a bang. Within minutes of tossing out a minnow to drag up the channel, while fishing plastics and hardbaits on my second rod, I got an "inquiry". Actually, it popped the line loose from the clip and just about emptied the spool on my spinning reel before I got the bail closed and set the hook. The major bend in the stout rod and the scream of the drag suggested that the fish was probably not a cookie cutter kitty. After a few minutes of grunts and giggles, I put the net under a nice 21 inch wiper that weighed out right at 4#.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I figured WOW, this is gonna be a bananner day. I figured that one wrong too. Only wiper of the morning. But, I did scratch out a couple of cookie cutter kitties from the stingy channel...since the wind never did die down enough to let me kick outside the marina.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As per usual, I saw a lot more fish on sonar than I put in my fish basket. At times my screen was full of shadlets and predators. But, they all had lock jaw and/or full tummies...although the wiper I filleted was completely empty. When I ramped my tube there was a small shad washed up there and I took a picture to show the size they are running right now. About 1 1/4". That is big enough to get the long starved predators excited. It is a good reason to drop down in size on the lures too. I do well with 2" pearl shad both for boils and for bottom bouncing when no fish are showing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Wouldn't ya know it. I came in about 11 AM. I had not had a touch in over an hour and the wind was still blowing hard out on the lake. I could tell by looking at the white caps marching by the marina entrance and watching the red and green buoys nodding at each other. I was tired of fighting the wind for no action so I ramped it. And, as I took off my fins, the wind died down and the lake was turning to glass. But, I just know that if I had gone back out I would have been surfing.[/#0000ff]
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=50841"][#63626b]RAMP RIPPLES.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (196 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=50842"][#63626b]GOOD START.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (205 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=50843"][#63626b]SLOPPY & CHOPPY.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (213 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=50844"][#63626b]CHANNEL CHANNEL CAT.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (182 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=50845"][#63626b]2ND COOKIE.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (189 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=50846"][#63626b]SHAD & PREDATORS.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (255 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=50847"][#63626b]SHADLET.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (115 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=50848"][#63626b]LAYDOWN AT ELEVEN.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (208 KB)
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I love the first pic.

I guess once you start fishing Willard as much as you do, they reward you with your own reserved parking spot. []
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What a wimp ! Little breez and you running home.[]
But yeah, nice wiper. Good job TD.

Peter
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[quote swedishfish]I love the first pic.

I guess once you start fishing Willard as much as you do, they reward you with your own reserved parking spot. [][/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]Yeah, I am legally entitled to park there because of my advanced age. But, just so they won't think I am fudging, I bend over and walk funny too. Problem is that it is mostly natural these days.[/#0000ff]
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[quote peter805]What a wimp ! Little breez and you running home.[]
But yeah, nice wiper. Good job TD.

Peter[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]A little breeze...ALL DAY...is more tiring than fighting a strong breeze for a short time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And, I will have you know I was not running home. I don't do much running at my age.[/#0000ff]
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Here you go. Your pic needed a few enhancements.
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Pretty good!!![cool] I like the update on the photo.
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[quote TubeDude][quote peter805]What a wimp ! Little breez and you running home.[]
But yeah, nice wiper. Good job TD.

Peter[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]A little breeze...ALL DAY...is more tiring than fighting a strong breeze for a short time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And, I will have you know I was not running home. I don't do much running at my age.[/#0000ff][/quote]

Come on TD, Im just giving you hard time just like you
geve me .
Its all good brother, we must have some fun too.[]
Oh, and what age??? You dont look old to me. Once
you 95 THEN you old.

Peter
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[quote swedishfish]Here you go. Your pic needed a few enhancements.[/quote]

Great enhancement !!! TD should print and frame that.
That is just way too cool. Love it.

Peter
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[quote swedishfish]Here you go. Your pic needed a few enhancements.[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey Ryan, you do fine work. I like it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Now if only Photoshop could do REAL work on people...not just photos...you could make a lot of money by "improvements".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]New fishing schedule. Friday morning at the Knolls. Can you make it?[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]All in good fun, Peter. We both have a sense of humor and thick skin so we can take it.[/#0000ff]
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I think Friday will work. I've got a meeting in the early afternoon I can't miss, but that lets me fish all morning. I'll PM you when I know for sure.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#500028]Love the wiper! About your seat - - no, the tube seat. I've been in my tube (Super Fat Cat) every day from Saturday through today (Wednesday), sitting on the stupid slick vinyl seat that is very much like a slip-and-slide. Every 5 minutes I had to pull myself upright cause that seat is SLICK. If I hadn't been camping up on the mountain I would've done something about it, like gluing rubber shelf liner on it maybe. I know you've been there, done that. I thought of Velcro, but I'd look ridiculous stepping out of the lake with a tube stuck to my butt, and I'm not sure I'm ready for the lawn chair just yet. Any thoughts?[/#500028][/font]
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[cool][#0000ff]Slip-slidin' away. Not good when you are a tuber.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]All PVC coated seats are slippery when wet. But, if everything is properly balanced...seatwise...there should not be that much of a problem. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are two parts of the inflated seat on the SFC. Inflation is a big issue on the bottom seat. If it is not FULLY inflated, it will sag a bit and contribute to the forward slide problem. The back seat should be firm, but not rock hard. And, the adjustment straps should be set right. Be sure the ones at the bottom, connection top and bottom air chamber pockets, are pulled good and tight. No looseness allowed. Secondly, the strap adjustments on the sides that keep the backrest upright should be positioned so that they allow you to lean back slightly in the seat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Ideally, you will sit on a firm but comfortable bottom seat, with a firm but comfortable backrest that has you tilted ever so slightly backward when at rest. That makes the center of gravity move backward just enough that you do not have the forward sliding problem. But, it can and does happen on almost any tube as you move around for fishing, motation, etc. However, there is a difference between having to do a slight positioning thing once in a while and having to constantly push yourself back in the seat. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Interestingly enough, I first started playing with the seat "add-ons" just to solve that problem. First, it was with my first SFC, that sometimes lost a bit of air during a trip and let me slide out. Had a lower air chamber that constantly developed new pinhole leaks around the seams. Next, I got an H3 Freestyle. Fantastic craft in every way...except I never could fish comfortably in the seat provided. I tried all kinds of inflation and strap adjustment variations, but still tilted slightly forward and had to keep repositioning. At the end of the day my arms and back were trashed. So, I added seats with contoured bottoms and higher backs. I also used stadium seats to good effect. Here are some pics of some of the other "mods".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Y'know, the velcro idea ain't bad. Might help solve the pack-in issue when you need to carry your tube a ways up from the water. 'Course, carrying all of that bent over might be both funny and debilitating.[/#0000ff]
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TD is right. The amount of air in the seat (both parts)
makes a HUGE difference.
When I first top off my SFT in the morning by the lake, I make sure that I put a lot of air in it. Because when I put
it in cold water ( sierra nevada lakes) it will get a lot
softer. Then If I need I will let some air out or in.
NOW, when all good , seat just fine, no problem during the day temp but in evening it gets
colder the air in the seat will "shrink" and the seat and the
tube gets softer-I will start sliding . But at that point Im
just about done fishing so I just deal with it for the
last half hour or so.
Oh, and that is one of the reasons why Im looking for
small pump that I can have on my tube all the time.
I have still not find one that would work just yet.[frown]

Peter
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You got the sonar which means a battery, why not one of these:

http://www.captaingarys.com/product_info...d=25680238

I paid like 3 times that for mine. They will pump your tube up in probably a minute
Small, about the size of a can of.......COORS LIGHT!
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[quote flygoddess]You got the sonar which means a battery, why not one of these:

[url "http://www.captaingarys.com/product_info.php?products_id=25680238"]http://www.captaingarys.com/...products_id=25680238[/url]

I paid like 3 times that for mine. They will pump your tube up in probably a minute
Small, about the size of a can of.......COORS LIGHT![/quote]


Seeeeeeeee I did not even think about that ! I need to look into that.
Thank you sister. Thats why I pay you the big bucks []

Peter
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It seems like all the higher end tubes have inflatable seats. I am curious why? Why have the manufactures determined inflatable is better?

I ask because my ODC 420 is stiff foam and I don't seem to have the issues that others complain about with inflatable seats.

Don't get me wrong though, I would trade my ODC for an SFC in a heartbeat. The ODC is a great tube for the price, but I can't stand having the inflation valves in the pockets.
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Peter when looking around this is what I have found.

small battery operated pump runs about $15
k-pump ( mush more pricey but they look neat ) [url "http://www.k-pump.com"]www.k-pump.com[/url]

Hope this helps.
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The inflatable seat thing is one reason I am iffy on the Fish cat for my wife. I like the solid seat. She is small (5'0") so I am a little worried how she would be able to handle it.
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