[cool][#0000ff]Like most of us tubers in cold country it has been tough to stay inside messin' with tackle and waiting for Mama Nature to get back on her meds so I could go fishin'. So, I decided to sneak in a quick trip between storms this week.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Almost canceled my planned trip when the weather forecast called for wind. Glad I didn't. One time I am glad the weather folks got it wrong...again. It was 42 air temp and almost glass when I launched at 8 AM. Water temp at 46 both inside and outside the harbor.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Messed around inside for a while. Nothing on sonar or the end of my line. Hit the points at the channel entrance. A couple of slow moving rock fish. No hits on plastics or cranks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fished all the way from the harbor to the bubbleup. Dragged a minnow on one rod while tossing a range of plastics and cranks...in and out...from 4' to about 6' deep. Nada, zip, zilch. Not a touch on anything. Usually at least get a few whacks from the kitties. Not today.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got to the bubbleup area about nineish. Wow! No buoys to help locate the underwater line or the outflow. Fortunately, I know the area pretty well and was able to work out along the line to the area near the end where the water was showing some outflow on the surface. Saw some fish on sonar but they all had their little mouths tightly closed. Couldn't even get a bump...even from a whitie. Some days are good. Other days are like today. They probably turned on after I left.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Gave up on the bubble up and I was out in 9 feet of water. Put up the plastics and tossed out two bait lines...one with minnow and one with perch meat. Started working my way back into shallower water. Pow...zing. First bite. First catfish. A 19" cookie. Skunk repellent.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A few minutes later the line popped free of the catch again and streamed off my reel. When I set the hook on this one the rod tip didn't move. Then some more line left the reel...against the drag. Several fun minutes later I netted a 27" chubby cat that weighed right at 8#. Lovely.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Figured a couple more cats and I would have enough for a load for my smoker. Got another 19" cookie and a 22" midsize to finish the load. Didn't get another bite in the next hour so I motored back to the harbor. Fished inside for another half hour and called it good. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water temp still just over 46 degrees but the air temp was reaching for 60. Lookin' like spring has sprung.[/#0000ff]
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Your killin me. We are socked in with rain. I am supposed to go to Lewiston Id next week. I will be fishing there even if I have to put on gortex. Nice basket!!
Ron
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[cool][#0000ff]Thanks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I was wondering if that picture might get you hot and bothered.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Soon. Hope you get a buncha bigguns this year.[/#0000ff]
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Nice fish! Looks like Utah is really picking up. Seeing bass, walleyes and catfish coming in is raising my tubing pressure! Keep up the good work on exercising those fishies.
I don't think I will be getting out for awhile. We have rain and snow mix going on, and we are still working to get daughter-in-law and the grandkids out of Japan.
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[cool][#0000ff]Wow. Good luck with getting the family members safely back in the states. That is scary.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I breezed through your country last week on a two day speed run to visit aging relatives. As I went through Blackfoot, heading north, it was 45 degrees at 9 in the morning. An hour later in Moore it was only 16 degrees...and my aunt still had a glacier in her yard. The we came back through about the time the hurricane hit and tried to blow us back to Blackfoot. I'm an old Idaho boy myself, but Mama Nature was havin' fun pushin' me around.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Plenty of good fishing ahead for us all. We just get a bit impatient as soon as the ice starts melting.[/#0000ff]
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Our prayers are out to your family C. If there is anything we can do, give a shout.
TD, I have GOT to try the "W" this year!!!!
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[cool][#0000ff]Think early to mid May for crappies and wipers. But there are also lots of kitties and some walleyes available too. But the crappies and wipers are both shallow and hitting white jigs and flies very actively.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Stay in touch and we will keep tabs on the action and go for it when the time is right. As I told you I also plan to assault a few on the long rod this year.[/#0000ff]
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C - if you dont mind me asking where in Japan are the family? Either way thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.. I may not be able to do much from here but if there is anything I can do dont hesitate to ask.. :-)
MacFly [cool]
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Sorry to hijack the post.
Our son and his family are at the Navy base in Yokosuka. That is on Tokyo Bay.
So far it is ok there. With luck and prayers they will get the problems solved, and it will stay ok .
Things are arranged now and our daughter-in-law and their 3 small boys (1 1/2 to 7yrs) will be coming home this weekend. It is hard for them to leave their dad there right now, but it will be better not to have to worry about the little kids being there.
They will stay with us until the end of the school year then head back to Japan.
Hard to follow the news there. Lots of prayers needed!!
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We will keep your family in our prayers. Thank your son for his service.
pa
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since the military is the military... and with this crisis and confusion.. if they get sidetracked and end up in socal and need a place to stay for a night let me know.. we have a spare bedroom and they are welcome to stay as needed.. I remember my days of traveling in the military and there was nothing like a good hot meal, a hot shower, and clean linens to brighten any mood...
MacFly [cool]
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Thanks for the offer.
Right now things are back up into the air. We had arranged civilian flights, but now it looks like the Navy is going to evacuate them sooner.
The rumor is that they will go to Korea first and then somewhere I hope closer to home! If they get to So Cal I may be calling you.
Just keep praying for Japan and its people too. They have been absolutely wonderful to our kids.
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I did read that the military was doing an evacuation and I thought of you. Good to know that they will be safe. [cool]
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We are praying hard for everyone involved both in Japan and New Zealand, especially our Military and their families that are stationed there. It is such a tragedy.
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[quote TubeDude][cool][#0000ff]Think early to mid May for crappies and wipers. But there are also lots of kitties and some walleyes available too. But the crappies and wipers are both shallow and hitting white jigs and flies very actively.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Stay in touch and we will keep tabs on the action and go for it when the time is right. As I told you I also plan to assault a few on the long rod this year.[/#0000ff][/quote]
Hmmmmm. Walleyes in Utah? Sounds good. I'm from Minnesota and really miss eating walleyes.
Got a question RE: float tubes...I recently bought an ODC 420 tube. I used it last weekend and had to keep adjusting myself in the seat. It felt like I was slipping forward. Any experience with this tube? I'm considering getting an Outcast Fat Cat to remedy the situation. However, I don't know if the seat on the Fat Cat would eliminate the problem.
Thanks!
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[cool][#0000bf]A big part of setting up any new tube is getting the seats properly adjusted. This includes the little straps at the bottom back...that tighten the backrest to the bottom part of the seat. Then you have to make adjustments on the position of the backrest until it supports your back but is not too far forward. Once it is set for your body you should not have a problem.
But, it is always possible that a tube will not ride right. I had that same experience with an H3 Freestyle which is a top of the line tube. No matter how I adjusted the seat I still kept slipping forward. I had to slip foam shims up inside the seat and even add a cut down yard chair seat to be able to use it.
Keep working with the adjustments. But if the tube has some kind of manufacturing defect you should not keep it. A comfortable ride is a major part of the appeal of float tubes and you have a right to expect that.
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Fishtales23, Allot of people have that same tube, but I haven't heard that problem from them, which doesn't mean it isn't happening. Some people just sit different, like I loved the way I sat in my H3 Freestyle (wished I had kept one[cool]).
I had one of the first SFC's and I know they came out with accessory cushions. You could replace the stock. They were a little thicker and the front of the seat was higher, like a wedge.
Make sure, first off you have your cushions in right, and then as TD suggested the back rest. If neither of these work, then I am guessing, this tube isn't for you.
The SFC is a bigger tube and might solve that feeling.
I took my Renegade (which is a BIG version) out yesterday and forgot to top off the seat area. I had that sliding out feeling. MAYBE, add plexiglass or something similar to the bottom to firm it up.
One question for you, how big are you?
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Thanks to both Pat and Joni! I'll give it a shot.
Joni,
Have you put the trolling motor mount on an Outlaw Escape? Is there room in the back for a battery, small cooler and a dry sack?
Cheers
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Tube Dude has never owned an Escape. I "tried" a battery and motor on mine.
There is allot more room behind the seat on a ODC, SFC FC, Fish Cat...etc. The Escapes advantage is you have OARS.
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Wow! I didn't realize you had a trolling motor on your tube. What size is the TM? How did you attach it?
I once had a SFC but sold it because I got blown from one end of a lake to the other and had to call a friend to come and pick me up with the boat. I've also had 2 kayaks but they were too much trouble to load, unload, transport to the shore, etc. Had a lot of fun on the kayaks, though.
I'm looking for the perfect fishing machine. (Aren't we all?) I still have my Endura 30 and am hanging onto it in hopes of being able to use it.
I noticed some sort of cushion that sits on top of your SFC seat. What is that?
Thanks!
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