11-14-2005, 01:39 AM
TubeDude,
Are you actually contemplating leaving the tube for a pontoon? That could be disasterous. Just when many of us have found the "guru" of the tubing world we lose him to the pontoon crowd.
Seriously, I lusted after one of those for a while myself until I got to use one that a friend bought. I found it heavy and cumbersome. My friend has a pickup with a bed insert that slides in and out to facilitate his onshore handling of the craft. I would need someone to help me get this onto the roof of my Subaru if it would even fit up there.
On the water I found it clumsy and resistant to many of the normal manouevres I use while finning in my Fat Cat or my Wood River tube. The craft rowed too much like a rubber dinghy for me. I subsequently lost all interest in pontoons although I do think they would make a good craft for floating rivers. If a guy had the bucks the Water Strider looks like a good step up from the float tube. It looks like a craft that might be equally at home on flowing or still water.
I can understand why you're looking as the Fat Cat style tube is pretty much the height of float tube technology to the point where the design is being replicated by other companies. Other than the types of improvements you have made on your own (Still have to compliment you on the discovery of using the "Rubbermaid" tray) I don't know where they would improve on the basic shape and design. I think you could add another 20 pounds to your setup before experiencing the inconvenience of doing what you do with a pontoon instead of a tube.
If you already have a boat trailer than disregard everything I said against the pontoon because you could add an electric motor and have a pretty decent solo fishing craft. BUT!!!!.......... you could also get a kayak and continue to fish from your tube while expanding your mobility options with the kayak. I have fished a fair bit from a kayak and it works pretty well. This summer I hope to kayak into one of the more remote areas of Georgian Bay either with my tube collapsed and lashed to the top or following along behind fully inflated and attached to a tow rope.
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Are you actually contemplating leaving the tube for a pontoon? That could be disasterous. Just when many of us have found the "guru" of the tubing world we lose him to the pontoon crowd.
Seriously, I lusted after one of those for a while myself until I got to use one that a friend bought. I found it heavy and cumbersome. My friend has a pickup with a bed insert that slides in and out to facilitate his onshore handling of the craft. I would need someone to help me get this onto the roof of my Subaru if it would even fit up there.
On the water I found it clumsy and resistant to many of the normal manouevres I use while finning in my Fat Cat or my Wood River tube. The craft rowed too much like a rubber dinghy for me. I subsequently lost all interest in pontoons although I do think they would make a good craft for floating rivers. If a guy had the bucks the Water Strider looks like a good step up from the float tube. It looks like a craft that might be equally at home on flowing or still water.
I can understand why you're looking as the Fat Cat style tube is pretty much the height of float tube technology to the point where the design is being replicated by other companies. Other than the types of improvements you have made on your own (Still have to compliment you on the discovery of using the "Rubbermaid" tray) I don't know where they would improve on the basic shape and design. I think you could add another 20 pounds to your setup before experiencing the inconvenience of doing what you do with a pontoon instead of a tube.
If you already have a boat trailer than disregard everything I said against the pontoon because you could add an electric motor and have a pretty decent solo fishing craft. BUT!!!!.......... you could also get a kayak and continue to fish from your tube while expanding your mobility options with the kayak. I have fished a fair bit from a kayak and it works pretty well. This summer I hope to kayak into one of the more remote areas of Georgian Bay either with my tube collapsed and lashed to the top or following along behind fully inflated and attached to a tow rope.
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