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+--- Thread: Tubing for macks.... (/showthread.php?tid=575771)
Tubing for macks.... - Wannabefishn85 - 03-31-2010
I have never been mack fishing and was wondering if any of you have done it from a float tube? I hear about people having success on the ice and trolling in deep water. Can it be done from a tube?
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Re: [Wannabefishn85] Tubing for macks.... - gstott - 03-31-2010
I've caught smaller ones up in Wyoming on Lower Green River Lake in my float tube with a fly rod and sinking line. They were pretty shallow though. I'm sure you could fish Flaming Gorge or Bear Lake vertically jigging deeper water, I don't see why it wouldn't work. I really want to get up To Bear Lake one of these years and try fly fishing for some bigger macks when they're in shallow.
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Re: [Wannabefishn85] Tubing for macks.... - TubeDude - 03-31-2010
[cool][#0000ff]The short answer is YES, you can fish for macks from a float tube. The longer answer is that a pontoon with a motor would be better. Not only will you usually have to fish a fair distance from where you launch, you always have the risk of having to scoot out of there if a sudden wind comes up. And even a pontoon with a motor is no match for the winds on Bear Lake and the Gorge.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you can get over mack habitat...like the rock pile on Bear Lake...you can vertical jig or slow drift a bait tipped tube jig. Ditto for some of the closer humps on the Gorge. You can troll if you have the toon with motor but vertical jigging is often the best way to fish them anyway.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But, you really have to pick your day and hope for the best weather. You can maintain position fairly well in a light breeze, but anything more than that will blow you out of position in the deeper water pretty fast. And, once the breeze turns into something else you might be in for a long ride to the other side of the lake...or worse.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]EDIT: There is one exception. If you just want to catch a mack from a tube...one time...you can hit Bear Lake about October when the macks come shallow to spawn. At that time they can be taken right off the rocks at the main marina entrance and also close to shore at Cisco Beach and other rocky spots around the lake. I know a couple of guys that actually catch them on fly rods from their float tubes at that time.[/#0000ff]
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Re: [Wannabefishn85] Tubing for macks.... - wormandbobber - 03-31-2010
I used to float tube for lake trout at Fish Lake several times each spring...now that I have lost a lot of my lake trout catching desire, I only do it at most once a year. But, it can be done and is a good method for chasing them at Fish Lake as long as you don't venture to far from the shoreline. Fish early in the spring (as soon as the ice is off the lake--usually in May) during the early morning hours before the wind comes up....and dress warm.
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Re: [Wannabefishn85] Tubing for macks.... - Coldfooter - 03-31-2010
Been there,, done that...
#1.. Because of distances from shore to Mac locations,, and the W factor,, hitch a hide in a taxi to a honey hole and back to shore.
#2. Dont get up ended..
My concern would be the stress factor on the mac while working them from a float tube.. Your basically setting on a bobber so you have no real leverage..
Large Mac pull hard so backing off your drag to keep from being up ended might drag (forgive the pun) out the battle long enough to over stress the fish..
Just a thought....
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Re: [Wannabefishn85] Tubing for macks.... - RDRRM8E - 03-31-2010
Try the east side of Bear Lake. You can get pretty deep pretty fast. Cisco Beach, right off the ranger station is a great place to start. You can be in 100 feet of water within a stone's throw. As TubeDude said, try a tube with a little cisco or sucker meat. Don't be surprised if you hook decent cutthroat too.
The Gorge is another story. Most of the better structure for good macks is a pretty good distance from shore though any of the rocky points you catch pups on can throw you a decent fish now and then.
Coldfooter has the best idea. Catch a ride with a boat and tube from it. If something happens like wind, the boat can pick you up. Obviously, with my very limited exposure to float tubes and pontoons, it seems a pontoon would be easier to get in and out from a boat than a tube.
Captain Jim and I had the discussion of catching macks from a pontoon and from his experiences it wasn't that big a deal. Macks GENERALLY pull straight down so it wasn't like he was being towed around a whole lot. Good Luck, it sounds like fun to me.
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Re: [RDRRM8E] Tubing for macks.... - Coldfooter - 03-31-2010
LOL, yeah they commonly pull straight down while your standing static on the floor of a boat. Its a whole different ball of wax if yer butt is resting not so fermly in a float tube that weighs at best10 lb..
Now if a feller was able to troll a second rod once hooked up to a mackie and being drug around,, oh baby! oh baby! [
]Word to the wise tho'..
What I remember best about this little adventure is,,, they leave the hookup area and head for DEEP water Fast!! lol... As I said,, dont get up ended..
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Re: [Coldfooter] Tubing for macks.... - TubeDude - 03-31-2010
[cool][#0000ff]Hey, ol' buddy, I have landed quite a few fish over 30 pounds from float tubes...fresh water and salt. Never had a problem with gettin' turned over...even in my old round tubes. With the newer designs, with longer noses for more stability, the chances are even less.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The last thing you want when fighting a big fish is to let it hang straight down and try to lift it back up. Much better to use your fins to move out away from the fish and pull sideways on it. Tires the fish much better and absolutely no danger of being overturned.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you have decent tackle with a good drag you don't have to fight the fish on a light drag. In fact, you can keep the drag tight and let the fish pull you around to further tire itself out. I have had several bigguns towing me around and had folks in boats freak out when they saw the wake behind my tube.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]All that being said, it is much better to fight a large fish from the deck of a stable boat...with gear that can apply enough lift to get the fish to the net faster. Catching a big mack from a float tube is a novelty act and ain't something you would wanna do on a reglar basis. I have never even had the urge to do it once. I'd rather rassle a big ol' kitty. And, I have caught flatheads over 30 pounds from a tube. [/#0000ff]
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Re: [Wannabefishn85] Tubing for macks.... - muskyhunter - 04-01-2010
I second the Cisco beach area!! Green River Lakes is a good one as well[
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Re: [TubeDude] Tubing for macks.... - Coldfooter - 04-01-2010
Hey ol' buddy, how's things?? You still kickin'??,, no pun intended,, sorta [
] As you well know this old bird is no expert when it comes to float tubing but I gave it a whirl for a couple years. like I said above,, "been there, done that".. The only thing that kept me coming back to that wet seat was chasing kitties of size in UL,, and,, attempting to catchg a Mack of size while soaking my butt in the float tube at FG.. Kitties proved easy of course.. Mackies,, not so much.
And as I mentioned, "dont get up ended",, trust me on that! BTW,, in July FG is colder than it looks but I had the taxi near by..
I gave up my quest of netting a decent Mac while nesting in a float tube. I figure it best to leave it to those with far more tubing know-how than I have.. But I continued chasing those pigs from the hard deck and boat.. (I perfer the ice)
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Re: [Coldfooter] Tubing for macks.... - TubeDude - 04-01-2010
"Hey ol' buddy, how's things?? You still kickin'??,, no pun intended,, sorta"
[cool][#0000ff]I'm always kickin' 'bout one thing or 'nother. But, since I'm married it never does much good.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have codgertated about goin' afloat for macks a time or two. Then the meds wore off and I got back to normal...and went fishin' for kitties instead. Sorry, but I have caught macks before and just never caught the fever like some of you guys.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Dif'rent strokes (kicks) fer dif'rent folks.[/#0000ff]
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Re: [Wannabefishn85] Tubing for macks.... - Wannabefishn85 - 04-01-2010
Thanks for all the helpful information and tips from everyone! If I do give it a whirl and happen to hook up with one I'll be sure to use caution. I'd hate to have to take a swim from the tube.
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