09-04-2003, 11:33 AM
[cool]I agree that a 'toon is great for many fishing situations. But, for a "lifeboat" strapdown and relaunch on the lake somewhere, a donut makes more sense...unless you're hitchin' a ride on one of Donald Trump's yachts.
It used to be common to see tubes strapped down on houseboats and even bass boats down on Powell. They would power back into a good fishing area and then pull up on a beach, get out and launch.
That's the best way to do it. Unless you are Spiderman, with super flexibility and strength, it is extremely difficult to make safe entry and exit into a tube from a boat...even with a good stern ladder or platform. One slip and you can get wet and lose gear over the side.
Yep, sweettalk someone with a decent sized boat into letting you hitch a ride. Then, make sure you really have it secured, because a fast ride down the lake will suck that craft airborne in a hurry. When you reach your chosen fishing spot, get out of the boat and then lift out the tube. Set it on a good launch spot, set the fins down inside FIRST and then step in and secure them. Man, I laugh myself silly everytime I watch the amateurs try to get into the tube with their fins already on their feet.
IMPORTANT: Make sure your ride is clued in on where and when to pick you up...or launch where you know you can make it back okay without help. Know what the wind patterns are, so that you can use the weather to help you get back, rather than having to fight current or waves all the way.
By the way, you can use an adaptation of that wherever the roads meet the river or lake. You can have someone in a car or truck drop you off upstream and you can float down to where you have left your vehicle. Or you can park and float, and then try to hitch a ride back to your car. If you are all fishy, sunburned and nasty though, you might have to hijack a car to get back.
And, all that is much easier with a tube than a 'toon.
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It used to be common to see tubes strapped down on houseboats and even bass boats down on Powell. They would power back into a good fishing area and then pull up on a beach, get out and launch.
That's the best way to do it. Unless you are Spiderman, with super flexibility and strength, it is extremely difficult to make safe entry and exit into a tube from a boat...even with a good stern ladder or platform. One slip and you can get wet and lose gear over the side.
Yep, sweettalk someone with a decent sized boat into letting you hitch a ride. Then, make sure you really have it secured, because a fast ride down the lake will suck that craft airborne in a hurry. When you reach your chosen fishing spot, get out of the boat and then lift out the tube. Set it on a good launch spot, set the fins down inside FIRST and then step in and secure them. Man, I laugh myself silly everytime I watch the amateurs try to get into the tube with their fins already on their feet.
IMPORTANT: Make sure your ride is clued in on where and when to pick you up...or launch where you know you can make it back okay without help. Know what the wind patterns are, so that you can use the weather to help you get back, rather than having to fight current or waves all the way.
By the way, you can use an adaptation of that wherever the roads meet the river or lake. You can have someone in a car or truck drop you off upstream and you can float down to where you have left your vehicle. Or you can park and float, and then try to hitch a ride back to your car. If you are all fishy, sunburned and nasty though, you might have to hijack a car to get back.
And, all that is much easier with a tube than a 'toon.
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