Rojos at Rock Cliffs 6-19-07

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]TubeBabe and I just got our red (rojo) H3 float tubes and wanted to take them on a shakedown cruise. Invited road along and we were all on the water at Rock Cliffs by 6:30. Air temp 43 and water temp 64. Lots of tiddlers (planters and chubs) popping the surface, with an occasional larger trout squirting into the air. Water is still way up.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]All three of us went different directions. TubeBabe tried the flats between the ramp and the south side. Road headed for the far SE corner and I wandered up the north bank to some structure that often holds fish this time of year. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe scored first, nailing a chub right off the ramp, before road or I even got launched. Yahoo. She got a lot more of them before we left at 2. So did I. They were playful.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I started by casting plastics along the steep banks and whacked a few small smallies. Biggest might have been 15". Nothing fast and nothing big. I decided to try for some perch. Found some fish on the bottom in 26 feet of water and sent down some small jigs tipped with worm. Turns out they were mixed perch and chubs. Got a lot more chubs than perch, but did get a few decent perchies. I did get one little planter rainbow too...about 10 inches. A "finless Freddie".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It was a busy morning at RC. Several tubers and tooners joined us, as well as several boats. A couple of the boats came and left WIDE OPEN...in flagrant violation of the no wake zone. Saw a few small trout taken but nothing outstanding by anybody on the water this morning.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The breeze started out from the east, as usual. And, as usual, it switched to te west wind about mid morning and got gusty at times. Had to work to maintain position when I found a few fish on sonar.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Just as I got into a good school, a large group of canoe fans hit the water. Most of them were kids and they really beat the sides of the canoes with their paddles...bangety, bangety bang. The fish marks disappeared from my sonar. Several of the canoes ran right over the top of where I was fishing. One even went between me and the bank to which I was casting. One of the kids inquired "Are you casting at us?"[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Game over for me. I fished for a while longer but because of a poorly adjusted seat on my new ride my back was bothering me. I need to rig up a PVC support like I have had on other tubes. They just don't make backrests for big guys like me.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Road and TubeBabe finished up along the south shoreline, each catching a few more perch. TubeBabe kept molesting the chubs with regularity too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]All in all, I was happy with the slightly larger size of the the H3, and the extra stability of the elongated design. It rides well, with little "rock and roll"...and tracks well in the breezes. My only complaint at this point is the lousy twist valves on the inflatable seats (not pressure activated) and a couple of other seat ralated issues. I will work on it.[/#0000ff]
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[basshog]

So that what's a chub looks like, is it a go eating fish
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[Out4aFloat]

If you were in your new red outfit I must have been crowding road. And in defense of the kids in the canoes. I think they were privledged out on a boating trip. They sure looked happy to be on the water.
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[ironworker]

great report and pictures as always TD. nice looking ride as well.
thanks for sharing. [cool]
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[basshog]

Nice report, wish I had as much time to go fishen as y'all do.
I just pickup a tube at Sportman on Sunday and dieing to try it out.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Yes, you were over near where road and TB were fishing. I was on the opposite side and up further toward the buoys. I saw you coming back across after the canoes hit.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I also understood about the special needs children, and I am truly happy that they have opportunities to get out and enjoy outdoor recreation. However, there were adult supervisors with them and they should have exercised better control of where the canoes went. Jordanelle is a big lake, but the canoes seemed to be pulled by gravity right to where the fishermen were trying to catch some fish. No need for that.[/#0000ff]
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[Flycasting]

Nice report. Too bad the kids in the canoe killed the perch school. I know how tough it can be to find them at Rock Cliff.

Nice new ride too. I am sure that you'll be able to work out the kinks in no time. [cool]
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[Majja]

I think it took me 2 or 3 trips of just a little pull here or a little pull there to get her dialed in. Let me know what you find out on the seat valve.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I will not be able to tell you definitively on the seat valves for about a year. That is about the amount of time those valves hold up before starting to leak or fall apart.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I did find that they can be easily aired with a two way pump and the little plastic tubing adaptor provided with the craft. See attached pic. Also, see the pic of the seat back extension I fabbed this morning. Will be trying it out at Lincoln Beach in the morning.[/#0000ff]
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]I'm looking forward to your Lincoln report, Pat. I'm deciding between there or Mantua (quite a contrast, I know) for my Saturday early a.m. tubing trip. My sonar transducer is jacked up (has been since ice season) so I figure those are the two best chances of doing well without a fishfinder while tubing (besides Pineview probably, but who wants to go out on that circus on a Saturday?).

Nice report on Lake X. Sorry to hear that it was a bit slow and that the "slow" kids killed the perchie action. Good luck tomorrow-hope you tangle back up with that monster that broke you off this Spring...
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks. I will be at Mantua Saturday morning. Meeting up with Lavaman for the first time. Hope the W monster stays in bed long enough for us to find a few fishies.[/#0000ff]
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[d-mack]

Pat,

I was looking at those H3's over at Dave Scaddens place in Ogden earlier this year. They look pretty sleek, like you could cover some serious water without putting out a serious effort. Compared to the FC4, how do you find them? Are they worth the price tag?

D-mack
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]That's a loaded question. If you had all the money in the world, and nothing to spend it on, then the H3s are great. If you don't tube much, and you have other places to put your money (food, gas, mortgage, medical bills, etc.) then you don't need to buy an H3 to have a good tube.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have fished for 4 years from a Super Fat Cat. The only thing I never liked about it was the inflated seat. So far, that is all I don't like about the H3. It is by far the best made tube on the market, and it really has a good stable ride...even for us big guys. But, until I get the seats so that they support me in the style I would like to become accustomed...I will say bad things about the seats.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]After a couple more trips (Saturday and next Tuesday), I will be doing a detailed description and evaluation of the H3 on the tubing board...with lots of pictures. In the meantime, if you have any specific personal questions, fire away...or send me a PM. [/#0000ff]
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[Majja]

D-mack I can not comment on the FC but I had an ODC420 that I was very happy with until the seam let go after only having it for 6 months. I had purchased it at Cabela's so I returned it, and had my tax return money so I upgraded to the H3. When I made the upgrade I looked at the SFC and the Outcast Discovery Trekker (small Pontoon) and with only a 25.00 dollar difference I went with the H3. I liked the higher weight rating. I have not had the same issues as TD has. With me it was I felt like I was falling forward the first 2 times I was out in it. Now I have it dialed in I love the thing. It floats me higher than the ODC has a 10yr warranty maneuvers easily and really is quite stable. I went out to Willard this Spring with Luke72 and we went out when we probably should not of and I did not ever feel uncomfortable with the rocking and rolling, however I am glad he towed me back in as I could not make any headway against the wind. I would say some of the swells that came through that morning were close to 2.5-3feet faces. So is it worth 400.00. At this point I am going to say if you have it yes. In 10years and I am still using the same tube I will tell you most defiantly. If you do not have it I would not hesitate with getting a FC or an ODC.

Majja
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