Floatbtube help

[KFish93]

I have had a float tube for about one year now. I have only been in it two times. I didnt have much luck. I use jake's and other lures while in it. Is it better to cast out and kick around or cast out while kicking around? Any tips? I need help![fishon]
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[flygoddess]

Trolling is productive for sure. Always good to cover more water. But it can be taxing on your legs. I guess that is why I like Deep Nymphing.

Keep at it. you will find the trick to it.
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[pontoonman]

Hi, KFish:

The easiest way is to find where the fish are bunched up. Then throw your lures where they are bunched up. Sometimes they don't bite even when you throw right in the middle of the bunch. Fishing is not the same as catching fish which is more difficult. There are different ways to find where they are bunched up, trolling, casting and depth finders are 3. There are also a lot of other ways that take years to learn. When I was starting, it took a lot more than 2 times before I caught any. I didn't care because I was in shady comfort enjoying the scenery and very relaxed. Now I rarely get skunked, and I always pack my equipment but sometimes choose not to bring it out...

Hope this helps.

Pon


[quote KFish93]I have had a float tube for about one year now. I have only been in it two times. I didnt have much luck. I use jake's and other lures while in it. Is it better to cast out and kick around or cast out while kicking around? Any tips? I need help![/quote]
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[OldTroller]

Do both and keep track of what was/is working.

The biggest difference I can see that new guys could make is to count down. Throw your lure out and count down three seconds then reel it in. On the next cast count down six and repeat. Add three seconds every cast until you get a bump/bite or the weeds from the bottom.

After you hit the bottom either change lures or change locations. A location change can be as close as just 30' away. Keep at it you'll get it.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]How do you do when fishing from shore...or from a boat? If you already have good fishing skills you will do well from a tube. If you don't know how to find and catch fish otherwise you need to work on those issues first.

There are two rules I live by. 1. You can't catch fish where there are no fish. 2. Finding fish is no guarantee that they will bite.

It always helps to be familiar with the waters you are fishing...and the species you are after. Fishing conditions and species locations change often throughout the year. Where you caught fish last month often means nothing...if the fish have moved due to water conditions, spawning, annual migrations or whatever. And if the fish are in a neutral or negative mode you need to figure out a pattern that will produce a "reaction bite".

You have posed a very generalized question. The answers can (and do) fill many books and are the subject of innumerable websites. The answers are not just specific to float tubing but fishing in general.
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[pontoonman]

If a fishing guide is available where you want to go, they can put you on fish with a lot of certainty. Speaking only for myself, that would be more productive use of time and resources, and I get to use their clues, when I go out on my own. But I used to average half day trips at 2x per week, now about 1X per week. I can't justify keeping all my boats and equipment if it gets to 2x per year, so at that point, I would only take a guide...

That's just me, others probably have different opinions.

Pon
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[TroutMan93]

KFish93 does pretty good at both boat and shore. But with a float tube she struggles (I know because she's my girlfriend) and I dont know why. I do just fine on boat, shore and tubing, but I am more experienced, maybe I just need to teach more than just telling her what to do [crazy]
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Sounds like the biggest concern is getting used to fishing from the float tube then...not so much basic fishing. It does take some trips to get the feel of tubing and to then be able to focus more on fishing than on navigation and survival.

After that it really pays to know your waters and the species you are targeting. Then you have to plan your trip so that you can launch as close as possible to the spot(s) you want to fish. Pay attention to the weather and don't take unnecessary chances.

If you take a good assortment of lures and/or baits you should be prepared for whatever is needed on any given day. But also be prepared to do some searching and experimenting to find the fish and find a pattern.

If you don't already, start keeping a log. Record the weather conditions, water temperature, clarity, best lures and presentations, etc. These logs can really help on future trips.
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[futekisenshi]

Since from what your boyfriend said, it sounds like you can fish, so the biggest tip I could give is to get a simple fish finder. I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-Fishin-...n%27+buddy

Now the fish finder isn't made to use the fish finding capabilities of it. Using it will tell you water temperature and show you terrain and how deep the water is. If your fishing for warm water species (bass, panfish, etc.) know that even just 1 degree of temperature difference a lot of the time means the fish will be in that spot over the lesser 1 degree.

Also from above water you can easily assume that the water will drop as it gets out further from the shore, it's not true in all cases, so knowing what the terrain is like where you are fishing can make a big difference. Example, where I fished yesterday, there is a spot where you can be 200-300 feet out from shore, and it's only 4-5 feet deep, if I didn't have the finder, I wouldn't know this and would be casting much differently. In the same lake there's a place where you're 10 feet from shore and the water is 15 feet deep.

So just knowing those two things will help know what to throw by what season the water temp is in/ how active the fish are to know what type of lure to be throwing (spinnerbait, crankbait, jig, etc.) and how deep of a lure you should be throwing.

And of course, as others said some days, they just don't want to eat as much as other days, or won't give a reaction bite, or just don't like the color or action that is thrown. And also vary the retrieve to see what the fish want.
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[KFish93]

Thank you all for your help. I will keep at it for sure.
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[cpierce]

I am not sure where you are saying the trouble is. Is it finding and catching fish from a tube? or Are you having trouble with moving the tube around? If the problem is moving around...What kind of tube is it, and what fins do you have?

A pair of light swim/dive fins can make all the difference in the world. Much easier to spend the day kicking in them. Something like these:


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q22...UTF8&psc=1
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[KFish93]

I get around on the float tube just fine. I just wanted to know if it is better to stay in one place and cast or cast and troll. Also I was just asking for any kind of advice.
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[cpierce]

My bad. That's okay.

Are you fishing mostly for trout?
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[KFish93]

It's all good.

Yes, trout is pretty much what I shoot for.
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[cpierce]

Trout in lakes go where the food, shelter, and comfort are. That was obvious wasn't it! [laugh] [laugh] But the buggers can be rather hard to find.

In my tube I will usually troll for a while to see if I can find where the fish are hanging. I usually start shallow and do a little casting to obvious structure. Then I will do some slow almost S sweeps parallel with the bank at different depths as I work my way out. It can really help to have some knowledge of the bottom structure of the lake you are fishing. I use a fish finder for the temperature, bottom structure, weed beds, and if I am lucky to actually spot some fish.

If you don't have a fish finder there are other ways to get some of the information that will help you. If it is a reservoir use Google Earth to look at it for years past when it was low. Even if it isn't a reservoir, looking at the sat pictures of any lake can help to show you where the deep areas, weed flats, and dropoffs are. Another way is to look at the surrounding landscape. Whatever is on the shore will generally continue into the water. Steep hillside = deeper water. Point on the land = point in the water.

Trout will generally cruise the shallows or weed flats in the morning and late in the evening. During the mid day they may leave the flats as the water heats up, and they are feeling exposed to predators. They may hang just on the edge of the flats close to deep water or they may move further into the depths to a comfortable temperature zone. If you can find those edge zones, you might pick up some good fish. They also like to hang off the sides of points.

Good food, and a close area of safety are important, but so is temperature. As the lake heats up, the trout need to move deeper to find oxygen and comfort. They may hang and cruise around at a very specific depth. If your lure is below them they won't see it, and usually won't go down after it. They will come up a bit though for an easy meal.

I start trolling my fly shallow, and work deeper. I use a sinking line that I cast out and start counting seconds before I start to either retrieve it or troll with it. Once I start it moving, it won't drop too much lower. Next cast I count more seconds so that I am covering a deeper area, and so on.

You can cover a lot of water trolling around in a float tube, but you need to vary your depth and speed to find where the fish are and what they want. I wouldn't worry half as much about the lure, use something that you know catches fish. Then when you get one take a guess on about how deep it was and try and get back to that depth zone. If it was an edge zone, try working along parallel to it.

Hope that this is somewhat helpful. Good luck and have fun!!
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[albinotrout]

When I go out after trout I usually end up all over the body of water I am at whether it is a small bay or small mountain lake. Then when I find the fish it is fish on unitl they move on. [cool]
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[dayhut]

Allow me to recommend a book. It is a must have on any anglers shelf....
"Finding Fish," by Cliff Hauptmann.
In it, he teaches you to think life a fish. The greatest challenge all anglers face is not catching fish, but FINDING them...fishing becomes both more fun and productive when you do.
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[Brookies]

KFish,

You mentioned using Jake's lures. When you cast heavier lures like this, you cannot kick fast enough to troll them and have the lure work properly. You will be better served getting into good fishing water, casting, then moving. People have responded to you with very good advice, but you can't effectively troll these heavier lures with the slow trolling speed of a tube.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Good advice. But tubes are ideal for slow trolling flies and some lighter lures...or for bottom bouncing.

I have installed an electric trolling motor on my tube. I almost always get comments from boater and from bank tanglers about my "fully fitted out" tube. One of my standard comments is "Well, I can't tow a water skier with it but I can fish pretty good with it."

By the way, being able to troll hardware from my tube has helped put a lot of fish in my basket. But the main reason I have it is for greater range and for being able to return quicker and more safely in the event of a sudden weather change.
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