06-30-2004, 09:29 PM
[cool][blue][size 1]I think all of us "dedicated" fishin' fools probably have some good tales to tell on ourselves about going "below and beyond" the boundaries of good sense...just to get to a fishing hole.[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]Probably my craziest tubing sessions were on the dredger canals near Buras, down below New Orleans, in Louisiana. You could drive right up to them, and you could catch fish by walking around the available shoreline and casting. But, as a tuber, I couldn't be satisfied with that. I had to go afloatin'.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]The banks were either straight down or fast sloping slimy mud. If you tried to walk on the mud, you would sink to your knees. I hatched the plan of using my fins as "mud shoes/skis". I got my tube around my waist, stepped to the top edge of the mud slope and crouched. I then slid quickly down into the water, settled in and began paddling out to meet the fishies. Got a few too, as you can see in the pics.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]The fun part came when I had to get back on shore. I couldn't ski upslope. My first efforts were to keep the fins on and try the side to side uphill shuffle, like you do with skis. It worked okay until I was mostly out of water and there was no buoyancy to lighten my weight. Once I got to knee deep, I went knee deep into the mud. [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]I pitched my rods and fish basket up onto the grassy bank to lighten my load and free up some mobility. I then worked all around the end of the canal, looking for a small stretch of bottom that had some roots or some other firmness. No luck. Finally, I got rid of the fins, unbuckled the crotch strap on the tube and pulled it up over my head and used it as a float to get myself farther up the bank. Once I got within reach of some overhanging reeds, I pulled myself physically up over the tube and the reeds to dry ground. I got muddy, and the mud stunk. But, I had worked out the problem. I had to strip down pretty good to get in my car for the drive home. Glad I didn't get pulled over by one of the locals.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]In subsequent trips, I brought a plank with cross pieces tacked to it for some traction. I also tried some old carpet. Both worked and I enjoyed some great fishing that I would have otherwise never have experienced.[/size][/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][size 1]Probably my craziest tubing sessions were on the dredger canals near Buras, down below New Orleans, in Louisiana. You could drive right up to them, and you could catch fish by walking around the available shoreline and casting. But, as a tuber, I couldn't be satisfied with that. I had to go afloatin'.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]The banks were either straight down or fast sloping slimy mud. If you tried to walk on the mud, you would sink to your knees. I hatched the plan of using my fins as "mud shoes/skis". I got my tube around my waist, stepped to the top edge of the mud slope and crouched. I then slid quickly down into the water, settled in and began paddling out to meet the fishies. Got a few too, as you can see in the pics.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]The fun part came when I had to get back on shore. I couldn't ski upslope. My first efforts were to keep the fins on and try the side to side uphill shuffle, like you do with skis. It worked okay until I was mostly out of water and there was no buoyancy to lighten my weight. Once I got to knee deep, I went knee deep into the mud. [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]I pitched my rods and fish basket up onto the grassy bank to lighten my load and free up some mobility. I then worked all around the end of the canal, looking for a small stretch of bottom that had some roots or some other firmness. No luck. Finally, I got rid of the fins, unbuckled the crotch strap on the tube and pulled it up over my head and used it as a float to get myself farther up the bank. Once I got within reach of some overhanging reeds, I pulled myself physically up over the tube and the reeds to dry ground. I got muddy, and the mud stunk. But, I had worked out the problem. I had to strip down pretty good to get in my car for the drive home. Glad I didn't get pulled over by one of the locals.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]In subsequent trips, I brought a plank with cross pieces tacked to it for some traction. I also tried some old carpet. Both worked and I enjoyed some great fishing that I would have otherwise never have experienced.[/size][/#0000ff]
[signature]