pins and balloons

[davetclown]

pins and balloons,

this gives me the willies, sitting in a water balloon and fishing with neadle sharp hooks.

what is the chance of poping the air cell with a dare devil or a salmon fly?
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[TubeDude]

[cool] Dave, you ask all the same "what if..." questions most people ask...if they have never tried float tubing. The short answer is that YES, it is possible to sustain a hole in your donut...other than the one in the middle. This can come from careless handling of a hook or lure, spines from a fish bouncing off your craft, setting your tube down on a sticker or piece of glass during launching or beaching or any one of a dozen other ways in which a sharp point can find your air chamber.

Reality is that if you exercise caution about where you plop your craft down, keep all loose hooks in protective containers and maintain control of the hook or lure on your line, you will be unlikely to create any leaks. If you do get a leak, it is usually a pinhole leak that results in a slow loss of air. You will notice it before you have to "get out and walk" back to shore.

During my many years on the water in a donut dinghy, I have never had my craft sink out from under me. I have never even come close to being in trouble due to lost air. That doesn't mean I have never developed a leak in my craft. Anyone who catches fish with spines will inevitably get dinged. Even little bluegill can drop off the hook on the way aboard and leave a spine puncture in an air chamber if they bounce off at the wrong angle.

Part of safe float tubing is maintaining "system checks" while afloat. A full bladder needs no system check. But, if you periodically check to see if you are floating high and that your air chambers are tight and fully inflated, you are less likely to do a "Poseidon Adventure" rollover.

It is not unusual to notice some deflation of your craft shortly after launching...especially in cold water. When the air in your tube chills, it contracts. Go to chore and air it back up firm, and then monitor it. Chances are that it will hold shape. If it continues to lose air, you can assume you do have a leak. Either stay close to shore, for repeated air-ups, or go home and strip your craft down to the air chamber to effect a repair.

There is one thing that WILL seriously impact your flotation...IMMEDIATELY. That is cutting into it with a knife blade. Had a buddy trying to cut some strips of a small fish to decorate his jigs, and his knife cut through the tube cover and into the tube. Luckily, he was in fairly shallow water, because he did have to walk back to shore. WHOOSH is a sound you do not want to hear when you are flotation fishing. That's why you should always wear your vest.

FISH SAFE, HAVE FUN AND DO IT AGAIN SOME MORE.
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[JapanRon]

Hey TubeDude,

I did what you mentioned and put a protectors against punctures i.e. covering both the bottom and sides (two lengths of car innertube) between my Stealthrider main bladder and the nylon cover.

I hope that eliminates everything but a sculpin herd stampede.

JapanRon
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[davetclown]

well TubeDude you copy me just right, the only tube I have ever seen is the old car and truck tire tubes that holds up just fine time wise, most of our tubs hold up all sumer long.

what I was hoping to hear was the the design of the tub was the same as that of the inner tube only with a heavy duty material like those new camping chairs out on the market.

being an animal of the non swiming verity I like to know that there is a little beaf between me and my aqua buble.

I was wondering if the tube could be filled with a non deflateable material like styrophoam, and/or is there a nondeflatable tube available on the market.
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[TubeDude]

[cool] Hey J.R., sounds like you broke the code. Murphy's law being what it is, you still have to exercise basic caution. As many police officers find out the hard way, protective armor over the most vital areas doesn't totally preclude potential damage. Some fish are smart. Others are lucky...making you unlucky. They always seem to be able to find that little unprotected spot you never thought would be vulerable.

I have also used extra pieces of inner tube...between the cover and the air bladder, with good success. The only downside is that it adds weight. Not a problem if you aren't trudging your craft long distances to the water, but not something you would want to include on a hike into a remote launch site.

I have been using naugahyde exterior "aprons" for quite a few years. I go to a fabric store and buy a couple of yards for very little outlay. Then I wrap it around the area I want to protect and mark it up...allowing for extra around the edges to sew in tie cords. You also have to plan to make a couple of "tucks" wherever it wraps around, or you get protruding wrinkles. My wife helps both with the measuring and the cutting.

When I get the aprons sewn (with heavy commercial nylon thread), I remeasure the cords and attach quick clips to the ends at the right lengths. I attach the quick clips to the D rings when I am fishing for spiny fishes, and leave the apron off when troutin'...or some other less dangerous fishing.

These aprons are lightweight and I have never had a spine penetrate one. If you rinse them and don't store them in heat or sunlight, they hold up for one to two years. There's gotta be other materials out there that are inexpensive and work just as well. I just haven't experimented much, since I started using the naugahyde.

I have never tried inserting the naugahyde between the cover and the bladder, but I suspect it would work just as well, and would be out of the way. I will probably experiment with that on my next craft.

But, if you are into ecology (Greenpeace, tree huggers, PETA, etc), just be mindful of how many "naugas" must die to protect your craft. (NAUGA HIDE)
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[TubeDude]

[cool] Not being an accomplished floatation fisherman does not make you a bad person...just deprived, rather than depraved.

Yes, Virginia, there are "NON-INFLATED" craft available. My first "store bought" craft...around the mid '70's, was a molded plastic "donut", with a semi-comfortable hard seat, a molded-in rod tube and a depression to hold a small tackle box. It worked fine, as a novelty and semi-fishable craft. But, I found that for comfort, stability and floatation, I still preferred my truck tube dinghys.

I guess the hardsided tube sensed my dislike of it. On one spring crappie excursion, it succumbed to years of banging around and the degradation of heat, sunshine and atmospheric polution. Shortly after launching, it began to settle into the water and a large stream of bubbles issued from a cracked seam where the top and bottom halves were joined. I kicked quickly back to shore, but made it only to about four feet of water when it left me standing. I lost my dignity, and blew off the fishing trip, but suffered no major damage to myself or my tackle.

A couple of manufacturers have recognized the sensitivity of some who are reluctant to trust their safety to a thinly stretched piece of rubber or plastic. There are a couple of models of donuts available with closed cell foam as flotation. There are also some really good pontoon craft with solid foam construction. These are big favorites with the river running crowd, since you have to be less mindful of snags and rocks. They provide no insurance against stupidity, however, and you must still pay attention to the basic rules of safety and sensible operation.

If you would like to further investigate this awesome pursuit, but with non sinkable equipment, I will be happy to research out some models for you to check out.
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[davetclown]

I was having thoughts of giving 3 different bodies of water a try with a tube (trying to justify buying a tube)
First one is the lake I live on with its 12 miles of shoreline
The second is a trout stream (a mile hike back in to the woods but a 3 1/2 winding mile ride back to the parking lot)

And the third is a 100-acre pond 80 feet deep with Lakers in it. (No gas motors allowed on the lake)

Each of the waters has it’s own unique advantages and divantages.

The river although it is a mile hike back has about 5000 trout planted in it every spring from 1/2 pound up to 6 pound breeders.
Being three miles of river depending how fast you want to get back you could throw a small sea horse in to tow you back with out much effort.

I am beginning to see many applications where a tube could surpass a rowboat or canoe. Especially when fishing alone. And you have to get across about a 100 yards of ground to get to your water.

Before a disabling car accident, a hundred yards was nothing for me to carry my canoe. Even our rowboat we would carry down to my lake (a 100 yard tote)

I have long since not needed my tackle box and the gear in it has been reduced to the bare minimum. My 3 rods and reels fit in to my box as a result plus my first aid kit fits in as well. All of my terminal gear fits in to a pocket box.

I could easily move in to a tube and not be crowded.

I saw some one post a question about a worn out tube and it made me wonder about filling it with Styrofoam. We did that to our 55-gallon drums to make floatation for our rafts we anchored on the drop off on the lake.

I was thinking of the house insulation foam from a can, removing the valve stem (if indeed there is one) using the straw that comes with the can and sticking in the valve and filling the tube.
Can I assume that the bladder inside the tube is the same material as that of an inner tube?

I don’t have the car tubes any more but I could experiment with a bicycle tire inner tube.
The stuff I used to fill some cracks on my house not only filled the crack but also continued to expand for about an hour after I placed it in to the crack. End result was that I had to cut off the excess with a dry wall saw. Any way if the material were the same I would do the experiment to see what the results would render.

I appreciate the offer of you doing the search for an unsinkable tube; it will be quite some time before I am ready to make a perches of a tube.

I want to get all the information I can before I make that leap so when I go out I can make the best impression I can to those on lookers who may decide to give up motor boating for float tubing.

[TubeDude]

Aha! I think we have piqued the interest of the distinguished gentleman from the north country. I can see a new float tuber emerging from the shadows.

As I think you know, Dave, I have an unpublished book languishing on my hard drive. All of the questions and possibilities you have expressed are contained within specific chapters. Here is a list: DO IT IN A DONUT

FLOAT TUBES, KICK BOATS & PONTOONS CHAPTER HEADINGS· INTRODUCTION·ABOUT THE PHOTOS·A SERIOUS FISHING SYSTEM·SYSTEMS, OPTIONS & ACCESSORIES·FLOATABLE WATERS – FRESH AND SALT·SEASONAL FLOATING·TACKLE, TECHNIQUES & SPECIES·TRANSPORTING, LAUNCHING AND BEACHING·PROBLEMS AFLOAT·ADD-ONS (TRICKING OUT YOUR CRAFT) I make an offer to anyone who is seeking assistance in any area. I will be happy to forward any chapters on any subject, in Word format, to anyone who either sends me a personal message through the BFT system...or you can email me at "mailto:pscouten@qwest.net"]pscouten@qwest.net . As far as using the liquid expanding foam, I don't know why it would not work, but I would be concerned about the chemicals and the weight. Even though that stuff is a foam, it is heavier than pure styrofoam...unless you have a different type than I have been exposed to. I will send you a couple of chapters, free gratis, and you can do a review. That is, if you are masochistic enough to want to wade your way through all of that heavy rhetoric.

[Kent]

I have a friend who was tubing for large tiger muskies. He hooked one on the bottom of the lake, and it wouldn't come from the depths, so he pulled as hard as he could. The fish came shooting up from the bottom and jumped out of the water. One of the barbs, on the large treble hook in it's mouth, sliced the side of his tube and also nearly hit him in the head. Needless to say, it was a mad dash to shore. I would love to have that on video.

Kent
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[TubeDude]

Welcome to our humble forum, my good friend from North Salt Lake. Have you given up on your cantankerous boat yet, or are you just slumming? I already know the answer to that one.
That scene with the tiger muskie would indeed be something for a funny videos program. However, like most humourous situations, it is a matter of perspective. What is funny to one person may be sheer terror for another. I know that is something I would rather watch from a distance than be a part of the program.

One thing I always preach is that sharp points and inflatable craft do not go together...the subject of this original thread. And, although I have successfully pursued pike, muskies and even nasty garfish, it has always been either from the bank or a boat. My mama didn't raise no fools. I have landed a couple of small northerns from my tube while fishing for other fish, but they aren't nearly as scary as a big mean musky.

Come on back anytime.

[lonehunter]

well the thought of being half submerged in fresh water doesn't seem to bother me any , except in florida . but out on the ocean ? you guys must be extremely dedicated . one single dorsal fin and i'd be running on top of that surf like a , a , well i can't think of anything that would out-do me in speed if that ever happened . you guy's don't have any police sharks out there do you ? ( i know another old cop/donut joke on it's last mile ) .
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[davetclown]

I hear what you are a sayin there, for a near sited Great White, a tuber must look like a hod dog in a bacon roll just a bouncing on top the watter lookin taisty.

gotta hand it to the guy who can go out, man against his prey manO a fishO and do mortal combat for his dinner.
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[TubeDude]

Welcome to the forum, Mr. Hunter, and congratulations (or commiserations) on your new job.

When people ask me "What about sharks?" I reply "Let them look out for themselves." It's not just crazy bravado, but there really isn't that much danger from sharks in most waters. The main exception is wherever you find bull sharks...mostly in the warm southeastern region. Bull sharks are plentiful, aggressive and forage into very shallow waters. They account for a high percentage of all shark attacks worldwide.

I have been fishing from a boat in Florida when we had to move several times, after bull sharks moved in to the area we were fishing. It became impossible to get a fish to the boat without it being either chopped up or ripped from our lines. That makes it tough for catch and release.

There is always a difference between theory and reality. I have logged countless hours tubing the salt...East coast, West coast, Gulf of Mexico and Sea of Cortez. I have never SEEN a large shark (thankfully). My worst potential encounter was when a school of small blacktips moved in to feed on the same corvina I was fishing, in the Sea of Cortez. I hooked several on lures and then got out of the water when they started to get too close to my dangling legs. When they moved on down the beach, I went out again and never saw another one.
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[lonehunter]

you my friend , are living life to it's fullest ! i couldn't immagine all the things you must have seen . my hats off to you ! i've seen a tube advertised here on the home page and have thought of getting one , but call me chicken , i'm gonna stay in the fresh watter puddels here . i just couldn't bare being the cause of my life insurance man going prematurley grey . musta been that jaws movie i guess .
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[TubeDude]

I think JAWS, and the reality programs about sharks...on the Discovery Channel...have probably kept a lot of "wimps" out of the water. I gotta admit, if I had been "preconditioned" a bit more, I may have been more reluctant to go afloat where monsters be.
One major difference between my float tubing experience and that of most other do-NUTS is that I actually began fishing from an inner tube in the salt water, as a kid, off Southern California beaches. I experimented with different seats until I came up with something that worked for me, long before commercially made tube covers were available. Only after I had learned to tube fish in the salt did I think of launching my toys on fresh water ponds and lakes. Most float tubers start by playing with trout, bluegills or bass, in fresh water, and then venturing into salt water only when they develop a death wish...or go through some kind of midlife macho crisis.

In my twenties, I worked on some of the fishing boats in Southern Cal, and deadheaded as a fisherman when I wasn;t working. I got to know a lot of good spots and was always wondering what it would be like to work those areas from a donut dinghy. I didn't even think "bravery". I was consumed by fishing lust. And, whadda ya know! Wherever I could find a suitable spot to launch and beach my craft, I found fish waiting for me. And, many of them were in spots unfishable by all but the smaller boats with a long range gas tank. There's still some almost virgin fishing up and down the coast if you can find it and get to it.

By the way, lonehunter, PETA is funding a new movie to be shot up in your part of the country, to discourage fresh water fishermen too. It will be about a giant mutant carp...titled "LIPS". (better than SUCKER)
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[lonehunter]

yea . i know what you mean . up here in the sticks i've run into a few bears , quite a few . you get used to the idea of them being there . i'll try to post a pic of the little guy we had in the yard this fall .
PETA? can we use them for bait ? it's about the only good thing i can come up with as a usefull purpose for thoese misguided soles .
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[TubeDude]

[cool] Might be okay to use them as bear bait...if the bears would even eat them. I think there is a limit to what even bears might eat...although they do eat a lot of carrion.

Wouldn't suggest using PETA members for fish bait though. Then you'd have the other environmentalists getting on you for water pollution.

Like to see the pic of that bear. If you don't have the pic on a website yet, you can send a jpeg to me and I will edit it into your last post.

Down here in Arizona, with the ongoing drought, we have had a lot of bears coming down into population areas to get food and water. Officials have had to "relocate" quite a few the last three years.
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[davetclown]

wading on the lakes fishing I have been the targed of fish as a source of dinner, that is my hairs on my toes were mistaked for fish food by gills. although anoying they are relentless in their persute in pulling out them hairs, cant even kick them gills away once they take a notion that you are food.

every once in a while they would get a good hold and snatch one. and thus I am reminded of the monster I once saw that lives in the lake here out behind my house.

Gigantic in size dark in color and its steth is unmached by any thing in the water. Two huge black beady eyes bulging out of its almost a foot in diamiter head stared gloomingly at me on a worm summer nite with a cold and still hungry look after feasting upon about 80 some odd fish from my stringer with smoke blowing from his nostrils.

this was the case about 25 years ago when I first moved on to this lake. I have yet to see him again and not sure that I want to. when he turn to go away from me he made a swell about the size of a V.W. Beatle hood.

by now if you have not yet guessed what this sea monster was, it was the nemisest of the deap. it was the Aligater Snapping Turtle. I have seen them as big around as a 55 gallon drum but this one dwarft any turtle I have ever seen in fresh water.

the thought of him grabbing a hair on the end of my big toe would resulte in the loss of me and my tube. He could pull me and a tube streight down and hold me there for days before he decided to start chewing.

I have caught turtles on hook and line and they are a riot to catch. a fight unmached by any fish this critter will go streat down to the bottom of the lake and grab hold of any vegitation or debre and just walk with your line. Its all you can do to just hold on with your pole bent in half and your line shreeking in the wind and your reel smoking from the labor of trying to hold back these monsters.

I have seen the kids screaming and fleeing from the beaches in terror when these eating factories venture up to shore. In comparison to those actors of them Jaws movies, they were pailing in comparison to the terror I saw on the faces of those children. The 4-5 food carp scaired the children too.

There is still not much known about what is on the bottom of these deap fresh water lakes, or the caverns that run from lake to lake.

I still hear stories about divers that go down and never come back up. Last year we had a diver go down over on orchard lake about 8 miles from me. He is still missing. he wasnt alone when he went down he just disabeared from beside the other divers. the county mariner divers searched for weeks with no luck, they even attempted to drag the lake in hopes to hook in to the life line that was attached to him with no luck. the body was never recovered.

this story ran on the local news for about a month.

some times even the buddy system fales, but at least we know that he wasn't grabed by killer clones from outerspace.
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[lonehunter]

well i haven't figured out how to get these photos in right yet , but this is our little visitor last fall .

the year before last we had a rouge bear that was killing horses , cows , and sheep in the area and the d.n.r. brought in a profesional bear tracker to dispatch it . this year we have cougars doing the same thing .

thoes snappers , HUGE !

i saw your set-up on one of the other boards tube dude , that is awsome ! your fishing in C-O-M-F-O-R-T ! Iknow you must have designed that yourself , how much do you have wrapped up in it ?
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[TubeDude]

[cool] Approximate costs: Kennebec $139 Sonar $100 Fins $100 Waders $100 X-lg fish basket $15 landing net $15-$50 Rod Rack $10 materials and cheap labor (home made). All in all, less than the monthly payment on a big bass sled.

But, it won't tow water skiers and it don't get up on plane worth a hoot.
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