03-02-2003, 01:32 PM
[cool]As the moderator of this "flotation fishing" forum, allow me to extend a hearty howdy and an official welcome. From the looks of your posts around the BFT boards, you are catching up on some of the back posts and getting a feel for the helpful and friendly attitude of our growing family. Hang around and have some fun. And, while you are at it, soak up all the info you can.
First, I'll make a personal offer. I have a finished but unpublished book, based upon over forty years of float tubing. It covers all different kinds of tackle and techniques, fresh water to salt water and multi species. Shoot me an email at [url "mailto:pscouten@qwest.net"]pscouten@qwest.net[/url] and I will send you a chapter summary and a couple of the introductory chapters...in Word format. If you are a masochist, and want more, I'll feed you any of the others you's like...no charge. Big deal, huh.
I also grew up in Southern California and spent much of my fishing career there. I live in Phoenix now, but still stay in touch with the whole California fishing scene. I am not the best source for some of the current changing regulations, but I have fished almost every body of water (flowing or standing) in California...at one time or another. And a major part of my experience has been from a donut dinghy.
I just bought an Outcast SUPER Fat Cat. I'm a big boy and I like some of the design differences...like the inflatable seat...over the regular Fat Cat. Let me know if you would like some help in tricking it out with the rod racks and sonar. I will be shooting some digital pics when I finish installing my gear on the new craft.
If you are looking for a place to get acquainted with your new toy, you can go anywhere the water is deep enough to kick around without touching bottom...including a swimming pool. I have tested new gear and adjustments in swimming pools lots of times. It's also a good place to help find a leak in an air bladder. Those big mothers don't fit in a bathtub too well. And, you will get leaks from time to time. Murphy was a fisherman.
If you like the feel of big fish stretching your string, you are already hitting some of the best waters. I have a couple of others to suggest, depending on how serious you are and how far you want to drive. Up north, you have Lake Casitas, inland from Ventura. I used to live in Santa Barbara and fished it for trout, BIG bass and BIG cats. It is a pretty lake, in rolling hills and oak trees. It can be tough to learn, but the rewards are great.
Also, to the south, there are some legendary big bass lakes around San Diego. And, float tubers account for some super catches. Lakes Murray, Otay, Wofford (sp.?), & San Vicente all offer big fish for the big fish specialist.
A little farther north, you can find both great trout and big bass on Lake Isabella, up in the hills to the east of Bakersfield. The heyday of the super Florida bass is not what it once was, but there are still plenty of big ones in there. Also good for crappies and cats. Scenery is good too, and you can wave a flyrod over the Kern River, both above and below the lake.
If you want to go on a float tube bassin' safari, go up I-5 and take the turnoffs to the various foothill lakes along the Sierras. Many of them have great fishing for largies, smallies and spots. Several years ago a near record largemouth came out of Success Lake, near Porterville.
How about some more info, too, on your preferred style of bassin'? Do you use baitcasting, spinning, fly rod...or? You will soon be surprised to find out that fishing from your Fat Cat will help make you a better fisherman overall. You get up close and personal with your quarry, without noise or disturbance, and you can position your self for short, accurate casts...and then have better feel for what's going on at the business end of your line.
In short, you never need to apologize to anyone about "only having" a flotation system. These are not just "poor man's bass boats". They can be highly effective fishing craft and you can get into places that the power squadrons will never have a shot at.
I might suggest you seek out a local float tubing and bass fishing club. There are a few around, and they are usually pretty serious and accomplished bassers.
Get back to us with any specific questions, and we will chip in what we can to contribute to your new delinquency.
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First, I'll make a personal offer. I have a finished but unpublished book, based upon over forty years of float tubing. It covers all different kinds of tackle and techniques, fresh water to salt water and multi species. Shoot me an email at [url "mailto:pscouten@qwest.net"]pscouten@qwest.net[/url] and I will send you a chapter summary and a couple of the introductory chapters...in Word format. If you are a masochist, and want more, I'll feed you any of the others you's like...no charge. Big deal, huh.
I also grew up in Southern California and spent much of my fishing career there. I live in Phoenix now, but still stay in touch with the whole California fishing scene. I am not the best source for some of the current changing regulations, but I have fished almost every body of water (flowing or standing) in California...at one time or another. And a major part of my experience has been from a donut dinghy.
I just bought an Outcast SUPER Fat Cat. I'm a big boy and I like some of the design differences...like the inflatable seat...over the regular Fat Cat. Let me know if you would like some help in tricking it out with the rod racks and sonar. I will be shooting some digital pics when I finish installing my gear on the new craft.
If you are looking for a place to get acquainted with your new toy, you can go anywhere the water is deep enough to kick around without touching bottom...including a swimming pool. I have tested new gear and adjustments in swimming pools lots of times. It's also a good place to help find a leak in an air bladder. Those big mothers don't fit in a bathtub too well. And, you will get leaks from time to time. Murphy was a fisherman.
If you like the feel of big fish stretching your string, you are already hitting some of the best waters. I have a couple of others to suggest, depending on how serious you are and how far you want to drive. Up north, you have Lake Casitas, inland from Ventura. I used to live in Santa Barbara and fished it for trout, BIG bass and BIG cats. It is a pretty lake, in rolling hills and oak trees. It can be tough to learn, but the rewards are great.
Also, to the south, there are some legendary big bass lakes around San Diego. And, float tubers account for some super catches. Lakes Murray, Otay, Wofford (sp.?), & San Vicente all offer big fish for the big fish specialist.
A little farther north, you can find both great trout and big bass on Lake Isabella, up in the hills to the east of Bakersfield. The heyday of the super Florida bass is not what it once was, but there are still plenty of big ones in there. Also good for crappies and cats. Scenery is good too, and you can wave a flyrod over the Kern River, both above and below the lake.
If you want to go on a float tube bassin' safari, go up I-5 and take the turnoffs to the various foothill lakes along the Sierras. Many of them have great fishing for largies, smallies and spots. Several years ago a near record largemouth came out of Success Lake, near Porterville.
How about some more info, too, on your preferred style of bassin'? Do you use baitcasting, spinning, fly rod...or? You will soon be surprised to find out that fishing from your Fat Cat will help make you a better fisherman overall. You get up close and personal with your quarry, without noise or disturbance, and you can position your self for short, accurate casts...and then have better feel for what's going on at the business end of your line.
In short, you never need to apologize to anyone about "only having" a flotation system. These are not just "poor man's bass boats". They can be highly effective fishing craft and you can get into places that the power squadrons will never have a shot at.
I might suggest you seek out a local float tubing and bass fishing club. There are a few around, and they are usually pretty serious and accomplished bassers.
Get back to us with any specific questions, and we will chip in what we can to contribute to your new delinquency.
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