My Tube Mods:

[MillerJ]

So I've taken some ideas from folks around here, and also added a few of my own to get my FC4 where I wanted it in terms of a fishing platform. I thought I'd share a few pictures of the "finished" rig.

First thing I did was build a PVC 3-rod holder like most here have done, only I decided to use the 1 and 1/4th inch thicker stuff because I already had some around the house.



I dremeled out some notches on both sides so that both bait casters and spinning rods would sit firmly down in there. I also just drilled a few holes in the back and threaded though some 550 cord and lashed the rack to the D-rings.



Everything works well so far with this setup, but it took some trial and error with the length of the lashing cord so that the rods would hang away from the tube instead of in toward where Im sitting.

On the other side, I wanted some kind of tool "rack" where I could easily get to some pliers or other tools I might need without having to dig through the pockets. I came up with this:



Basically what this is, is a Craftsman Roll-up wrench pouch that I got at Sears, here:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605...921x00003a

I also bought a grommet punch and made it so that I had grommets to lash the pouch to the side of my tube. I punched a few more in to tie that extra rod holder to the pouch as well. This has worked really well.

Later, after looking for the right lip gripper, I modified the pouch a little bit more so that it would fit.



I removed the stitching from between two of the pockets to effectively double the width, and now my gripper sets right down in there. And by the way, here is a review link to the little Berkley Tec gripper I got for the tube. A little pricey, but perfect for a tube.

http://www.tackletour.com/reviewberkleyt...lgrip.html


I was thinking about how I could best utilize the open space in the back of the tube, and then I found a soft cooler in my garage that fit perfectly in the back. It's not water tight, but it's good for harvesting panfish and keeping a cool drink or two and has some extra storage space for a stringer and various other items.



That's a small packable rain coat Ive got lashed to the top and I also carry that little net back there. I punched a grommet into the bottom of that cooler as well so it would drain faster.

Since I do tend to get blown around a bit in this thing, I also made a little anchor system that's lightweight and works really well.



Basically that's just a little mesh bag full of rope with a clip on one end. If I feel I will need to anchor, I just fill the little mesh bag up with rocks drop it in the water and clip it to a d-ring to keep me in place. It's simple and works really well.

Overall, Im really liking fishing from a tube. I've already had some success on several occasions, in particular when I've gone after crappie.



Haven't landed any real monsters yet, but definitely some eaters. As spring rolls around Im confident that will all change. Thanks for looking!
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[flygoddess]

VERY NICE!
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[atvaholic]

Excellent mod! Does the PVC fixture stay tight to the body? How exactly did you fasten it. I can see you hooked to the d-rings on the side but what about underneath?
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[MillerJ]

[quote atvaholic]Excellent mod! Does the PVC fixture stay tight to the body? How exactly did you fasten it. I can see you hooked to the d-rings on the side but what about underneath?[/quote]

The PVC is attached only to the d-rings, not underneath. It stays tight to the body only because it's hanging against it. There's two holes drilled into each end of the rod holder, and the chord was threaded through and tied together around the d-ring.
There isnt any way for it to flip over and drop rods out or anything, because the lashing chord is too short to allow for that.
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[flygoddess]

Awesome. Have you tried it on the water? My question would be, do they curve IN toward your head? The majority of the pole is sticking straight up and I wonder if sitting in the water the bottom of the holder drifts out slightly causing the tips to curve in. I only ask this because it seems in all the other mods, they are lashing the bottom as well.
Heck I don't know, never done that[laugh]
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[MillerJ]

Yes, I fish with it quite regularly. Here's how she looks on the water.



The poles never lean in on me, only straight up or just slightly away from the tube.
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[flygoddess]

Right on...That was what I was looking for. A picture is the BEST way to show things off.
Thanks!
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[AdictedBassTard]

Nicely organized!

-BT
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[brittlab]

pretty slick rod holder. I may have to fab something up myself
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[zonker]

Great Job MillerJ. Sounds like the spring is going to hold some great things for you. Please keep us posted as to your progress and success.

zonker
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