First Tubin' Trip of 2010

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I was gonna do a "drive and dunk" around Utah Lake today...to get my tube wet for the first time this year. First stop was Lindon. Lookin' good. Wide open as far out as I could see, in all directions, and the surface was glass. A glass with no ice.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got set up and launched just inside the harbor entrance about 8 am. Fished plastics along the rocks and off both points. A couple of good stone bites but I couldn't land either one of them. Donated a favorite jig to one. That's okay. I know the guy who makes them. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]No fishies wanted to play. Water was 41 at launch and a dirty greenish brown color. Not looking good.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Moved away from the dikes into about 6 feet of water and put out two bait rigs...one with crawler and one with a left-handed blue-eyed minnow. I figured something would want one or both. I figured wrong. Covered a lot of bottom moving zig zag toward the mouth of Battle Creek. In spite of my high degree of expectation neither rod nodded even a teensy bit.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When I reached the inlet zone, I put up the bait rods and started pitchin' plastic again. Found one little channel in the reeds that had something in it. Got a couple of whacks on a 3" plastic. Felt small. Figured it was white bass. Figured right. When I picked up my double drop shot rig...with my hotsy flies...I brought in two small whities in two casts. Both together would barely make one keeper. Didn't waste the time or the bytes on my camera to take a picture. No more "bites" either. I guess I caught the only two dumb ones.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Worked the reeds a while longer with plastics and then moved back out to deeper water to drag bait some more. I thought my sonar was broken. Nothing on TV today. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I finally noticed my crawler rod give a twitch. Fed the line a little bit and hoped for a walleye as I set the hook...into a little mudder. Yugly. Again, not worthy of a pic.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Suddenly an onshore breeze started picking up. I noticed it first in my hands, which got cold in the wind blowing in off the ice. Then I noticed that I was being pushed deceptively fast toward the reeds. Not a strong wind, but it did have pushing power. Boy, did it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have a couple of "nearly almost" ice sheet stories from my past adventures. Instinctively I looked out into the open lake to see if maybe there might be some ice chunks on the move. Yep. I could see a big wide sickly green area in the water between me and the white snow covered ice further to the west. And, it looked like it had water on the other side. I said to myself "Self, you better get yore sorry butt back inside the harbor before that there sheet of ice cuts you off."[/#0000ff][#0000ff] No sheet.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It was my first trip of the year and my tubing legs ain't as tough as they will be later in the year. But, I still got enough horsepower to motate when I gotta motate. The big sheet of rotten ice was racing me to the harbor entrance but I won. I paused to take a picture of the loser before going inside the harbor. The ice rammed the end of the north dike. It would have cut me off from the harbor (and my vehicle) if I had not boogied in time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Now I decided to check out the inside of the harbor, just in case that is where all the fish were hiding. NOT. An occasional mark on the sonar but nothing that wanted either bait or plastic in almost an hour of diligent searching. When I finally decided I had EEENUFFF I kicked over to the launch ramp to take my tube out of the water. I had to walk out to the point to get my vehicle but the take out point was more tuber friendly than where I had launched.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The water temp inside the harbor was 43. That is in the temp range that walleye usually like for a prespawn munch session. But, someone forgot to invite the walleyes...or they had a better invitation somewhere else on the lake. They tend to do things for their own reasons and don't pay much attention to what fishermen expect them to do.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I WAS surprised that I did not get even one good chomp from a kitty fish. They usually move into this area quickly after ice out and I have done well at this time in years past.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Maybe I just got mooned. [/#0000ff]
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[idahopanfish]

That was a close one with the moving ice.
Saturday last, was a slow day for a friend and mine in his boat, although he said he got some bumps. We nearly found one of the ice sheets with the boat.

A sonar question. What settings are you using on yours. I havve the same model and am wondering what you are finding works for you.
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[sumo]

that first pic is amazing. nothing like that where i live. keep them coming.
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[TubeDude]

"A sonar question. What settings are you using on yours. I havve the same model and am wondering what you are finding works for you."

[cool][#0000ff]Yesterday I was fishing shallow water...7 feet at the deepest. Even the 565 does not do a really good job of finding fish in shallow water. The "footprint" of the sonar cone on the bottom is only about 2 feet so you can go by a lot of fish without knowing they are there...even with the wider beam secondary. I get much better fish readings at depths over 10-12 feet. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I use the sonar mainly to know the depth and the bottom structure when fishing shallow water. If I see a few fishies go through, so much the better.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I leave the Fish ID function on and drop the sensitivity down below 50%. That helps reduce surface clutter and false signals from algae or other non-fish items in the water column in shallow water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have continued to fiddle with the different settings on different trips. My conclusion is that there is a lot of potential fine tuning options that are really not necessary for "average" float tube fishing. As long as I get a good read on the bottom, the structure and enough fishy pics to keep me interested I am good to go. Foo foo is wasted on me.[/#0000ff]
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[michaelnel]

[quote TubeDude]Yesterday I was fishing shallow water...7 feet at the deepest. Even the 565 does not do a really good job of finding fish in shallow water. The "footprint" of the sonar cone on the bottom is only about 2 feet so you can go by a lot of fish without knowing they are there...even with the wider beam secondary. I get much better fish readings at depths over 10-12 feet. [/quote]

In shallow water even if you do mark fish with it, they will have scooted by the time your gear gets over them.

I have the 565 in my pram and don't really find it that useful for fly fishing. I mark fish I don't catch and catch fish I don't mark. Most of what I catch is within 5 feet of the surface and lots of it is either sight fishing or fishing known structure in known depths. If I was trolling deep in the summer or jigging vertically I can see the FF being much more useful, but for me, not so much.

Personally, I find the water temperature display more useful than the fish marks, but I don't think I will even try to rig it up on my Outlaw Rampage.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Right you are. I probably rely as much on the temp readings as the fish marks. As you suggest, the fish you mark are not the fish you will catch in most cases. They merely serve to let you know at which depth the fish are cruising.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One of the most difficult concepts to get across to sonar newbies is that the electronics are not just "fish finders". I have to laugh whenever the nonanglers argue that the use of sonar is unethical because it removes the element of chance from fishing. Yeah, right. If they were experienced fishermen they would know that you certainly don't catch everything you see on the display. In fact, there are days when you see a lot of fish but can't catch diddly. Sonar becomes a liability...to your sanity.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I must add that there are some kinds of fishing I do in which I rely heavily on the fish finding function. One good example is vertical jigging for bass, walleye, perch or trout when they are hugging the bottom or cruising just off the bottom. You cain't ketch 'em where they ain't and finding them is the first order of business. Then, once you find them you can observe their reactions to your presentations...or how they are orienting to different structure, etc.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]For some kinds of fishing you can get by with the most basic electronics. For others you really learn to appreciate the refinements and the fine tuning options. Diff'rnt strokes and all that.[/#0000ff]
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[idahopanfish]

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[#0000ff]I must add that there are some kinds of fishing I do in which I rely heavily on the fish finding function. One good example is vertical jigging for bass, walleye, perch or trout when they are hugging the bottom or cruising just off the bottom. You cain't ketch 'em where they ain't and finding them is the first order of business. Then, once you find them you can observe their reactions to your presentations...or how they are orienting to different structure, etc.[/#0000ff]
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So when you are after these fne morsels what have you found work better on the sensitivity etc. and have you tried the zoom for those bottom dwellers?
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]The zoom does work well...but better for ice fishing than "normal" fishing. I like to be able to see the whole water column...especially on lakes where different species might be cruising through at different levels.[/#0000ff]
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[albinotrout]

Sounds like when I make my first venture out with the new 565 I might take the fishin buddy with me. It has side finder capability that might just help me out.

Also got the toon with the hole in it in for repair today. Should be done in a couple of days. Got the frame in garage waiting to finish this years addition of the goodies.[cool] Bring it on!!!!!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Be sure to post some pics of the completed add-ons.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lo, I hear the sound of rushing wind. And a mighty rumble as the ice breaketh and is swept from the frozen lakes. And before me I see nothing but open water, full of a multitude of fishies that eagerly await my every cast.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]At least that is my recurring dream. Time for my meds.[/#0000ff]
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[flygoddess]

I love that dream!!!!![angelic][angelic]
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[albinotrout]

Aahhhh, the doctrine of TD!!![]
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[peter805]

Congrats on you first trip out this year. Slow fishing
is better then no fishing [].

Peter
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[TubeDude]

Slow fishing is better then no fishing [].

[cool][#0000ff]Well spoken. Words to live (and fish) by.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Our Antarctic ice pack is rapidly breaking up in the current warm weather and wind. We will probably be able to start some serious tubing and tooning by next week.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Stand clear...and don't get between me and the water if you don't wanna get hurt.[/#0000ff]
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[peter805]

Hahahaa.

Just please keep those reports coming. I just love
the way write.

Peter
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[dochess]

What is the size of your battery that you use on your 565 and how long does it last?
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]The battery I usually use is a 12V...4.4 Amp/hr. It is smaller than the 7 amp/hr batteries sold most often for powering sonars but I have never had it drop much in voltage even during about 6 hours of continuous operation...even on ice. I start out with 13 plus volts and it is usually still over 12.5 volts when I get back...and only takes an hour or so to charge back up on my little trickle charger.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]See attached pic.[/#0000ff]
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[dochess]

Do you know if there is a difference between color and black and white units in regards to the electrical draw on each unit?
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]It's all a matter of wattage. Mine is about 2000 watts. Most color units are higher wattage. But, the total juice consumed is the factor...not color.[/#0000ff]
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[flygoddess]

Interesting, I would think a color would draw more juice, but why, you just answered that.
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