New Kid in Town

[tubekid101cj]

Hi, I am a teenager and new on this site. I am very

industrious as I make custom game calls, and lures. I

am getting in to float tubing from just reading through some

posts here. I was wondering if the White River Fly

Shop® Lost Lake Open Front Float Tube Combo from

Bass Pro Shop's is good, or should I get something

else? Anything opinions will help.


Visit my site www.clayjames.webs.com
to order custom game calls and lures.

Thanks,
Tubekid101cj
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I cannot give a personal review on that craft, but the company does have a reputation for selling good entry level tubes and accessories. I am guessing that you probably have a limited budget so there is not much point in any of us telling you to buy something a lot more expensive. The $109 price for the tube, fins and pump is quite reasonable. Once you have some waders, a PFD and anything else required by your state you are set to go. Good luck and let us know if you need help in getting set up properly.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][url "http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10200385_175005002_175000000_175005000?cmCat=CROSSSELL_THUMBNAIL"]BASS PRO LINK[/url][/#0000ff]
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[tubekid101cj]

Thanks TD and yes I am on a budget and will be going to Bass Pro next weekend.
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[cpierce]

I haven't used that tube either, but it looks ok, and has good reviews from the people who have bought it. It is nice that Bass Pro also sells replacement bladders.

It looks like you live in a pretty warm area. Be careful not to leave your tube pumped up out in the sun when you aren't in the water. Also don't pump it up more than flabby and then transport it in a truck. With either the heat or changes in elevation when you are traveling the air inside the tube will expand too much and will pop your tube bladder.

I looked at your website. You make some nice looking calls and lures. That is a good way to market them.

Good luck on your tube purchase, and let us know how things go.
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[albinotrout]

Welcome to the board and when you get your tube give us a report on how it handles for you.
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[tubekid101cj]

Thanks Guys I can't wait to start tubin!
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[idahoron]

First, welcome to the board. I understand the need to stay on a budget for something. We all have to learn that at some time in our lives, and I am glad you are trying to live within your means. If you were my son first I would say this. #1- I am proud that you are keeping to the budget. #2- sometimes it is smart to get something that is more expensive.
If you were my teenage son I would say this up front. I don't think you will like that tube.
I have friends that have them. They are slow, and hard to kick and get any speed or movement out of. Last year we floated a river together. The guys with the square shaped boats like that one had a tough time. To be honest they should not have been in the moving water with that type of boat. My FC4 moved through the river with ease. Mind you we were floating a very slow river with NO white water within 100 miles. Just floating along with the stream. When they tried to cross the river they were whipped. They were working so hard to kick those type of boats they were not having any fun. They all got leg cramps trying to cross the river to get to better looking fishing spots. In the end they had to just let the current take them. After the trip was over one guy that was with us named Dan told me this. ” I run long distance, I run marathons. Kicking my tube to keep up with you in the river had me whipped!! I can’t keep up on stuff like that.”
You might not ever do a float trip like that one. But you might go with friends that have boats like mine. You will find it hard to keep up with them and you will become frustrated with your choice. If that happens then you wasted that hard earned money. That is where it might be worth it to wait a little longer save a little more and get something that will give you more BANG for the buck.
Now the FC4 might not be for everyone but I like this tube. I have used it a lot and there is not much I can say bad about it. The tube is well thought out for the most part and has a good PVC coated bottom to protect it from a puncture. It has a trunk for storage, and rings on the side to attach stuff. If you do some looking on this site you will see how many of us “pimped” or tubes.
While I don’t want to discourage you I will say I think you would be happier with a better ride. Here is a link for the FC4. Ron
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores...ELL_SEARCH
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[michaelnel]

Operating on a budget, you should also consider a used float tube. You can probably pick up a good used one of a much higher quality model than that Bass Pro one for about the same price. Used ones come up all the time. Personally I would rather have a used Outcast tube than a brand new cheap tube.

In fact I DID buy a used Outcast Fat Cat from a guy here and it was pretty much new. He had bought it for his girlfriend to use, and she didn't use it, so I was able to buy it for a great price. I have since sold it for about what I paid for it too. The quality, name brand boats have decent resale value.
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[tubekid101cj]

I will keep my eye out for a used tube here on the forum. If anyone has a used one shoot me a pm I might be interested.
Thanks,
Tubekid101cj
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[flygoddess]

Absolutely, I just sold a Freestyle H3 for $150.
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[idahoron]

I wish we could have hoooked you guys up. See there are deals to be found. Get a good used one. Ron
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[idahopanfish]

Yes I have a FC4 that is not comfortable for me. It needs to be bigger since I am already over it's suggested weight limit. Can't afford one really but if I found the right deal where I could trade or something I would consider getting a bigger float tube so I would have something to get into the more areas where I would need to carry things to.
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[tubekid101cj]

I found a Creek Company 2000 u boat used on craigslist would you recommend this tube?
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[cpierce]

It isn't much different than what you were looking at. The U tubes and the round tubes both push a lot of water in front of you as you kick. Look for a "V" tube --- shaped like this one
http://creekcompany.com/product.php?prod...262&page=1

Griggs and Creek make some that are less expensive than the Fish Cat.
They are lighter nylon cover, but if you take care of what you go over they should last ok.
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[albinotrout]

There are lots of used tubes out there. I just picked up a Grigg V6000 for my nephew and a Caddis u boat both for $50 each.

The makers of the V boats that they are talking about are:

Outcast: FC4 and Fat Cat
Caddis: Pro 2000
Creek Company: ODC 420
and there are a few more out there as well.
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[michaelnel]

Just so happens I got an email last night from the woman who bought my Outcast Fat Cat back in October. She's delighted with it and sent me this picture:



So that's one example of a used tube... this one is on its third owner.
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