First tubing trip this year

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Wanted to launch my tube for the first time this year on the south marina at Willard Bay. No go. It had been open but NW winds blew ice into the channel and closed it up again. Still quite a bit of ice in the boat launch area but doesn't look good enough for ice fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Headed to the north marina. Everything open and a calm flat lake. Air temp 23 and water temp 35 at launch. Set up my newest design motor mount for my tube and did a triple klutz on the slickery algae on the launch ramp. Sheesh.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Started by dragging a minnow down the channel into the open lake, while pitching a tandem plastic rig for crappies, a walleye...or? Nada on neither.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Started fishing at 8 AM. Sun peeked over the mountain about 8:30 and I had my first bite at 9...in 20 feet of water. My first cookie cutter kitty of the year. Small but welcome. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got my second and last bite about an hour later. Another cookie from about 13 feet of water right off Eagle Beach. The eagle was watching. I took his picture before I left.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fished another couple of hours in water from 8' to 20' deep...from the channel mouth to the campgrounds. Saw almost nothing on sonar at any depth. Didn't get another sniff, either on bait or plastic. Tough.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]About noon I motored back into the marina to see if anything might be hanging out inside. Nope. More of the same ol' nada. Talked with some dock dunkers and they admitted they had not seen or caught anything inside. Ditto for a bank tangler.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water temp had warmed to 37 and air temp to 45 when I hit the ramp about 1. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]No skunk. At least I had a couple of cookies to convert into scampi kitties on noodles. That'll work.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also loved the way the new motor mount performed. The tube tracked straight, was easy to steer with fins and everything was rock solid. At one point I stepped back to observe how level the boat bumpers floated the tube with a series27 battery and motor in the front end. As the picture shows, it is just about level.[/#0000ff]
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[SanDiegoBassin]

Your tube is tricked out man it looks like a limo. Cool report and pics, but that water looked way too cold for me to tube in!

I got a rookie question or two.

Do use or find that you need a keel to keep your tube straight when using the tm?
I also noticed that throttle extension in your photo im having trouble visualizing how you'd use it. Im guessing rather than hold your right arm up to steer. You hold the extension in front of your chest in a more comfortable manner?

I haven't used a tm on a tube or toon, so I have no experience .
Thanks in advance.
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[cpierce]

What a great day to be out on the water, even if the catching was slower.

The new motor mount is awesome! It kind of looks like a couple of nitro bottles -- all set to blast you across the lake! [shocked]

Nice to be able to change it out quickly for those times you don't want the motor on. Good work.

The eagle looks like he isn't doing much better at fishing today either.
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[idahopanfish]

Awesome day and work TD, love the new motor mount setup, looks very solid. If I put a motor on mine I will need to do the same setup. Great day for playing on the water!!
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[albinotrout]

Very interesting new motor mount. I need to get mamatrouts out again and see how it works. She said she had a problem the last time she used it and I need to find out what.

I was hoping to have my toons ready to go by this week but with the cold weather the last two weeks as well as a cash flow problem I had a little set back. Well back to work on the trailer and toons tomorrow.
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[TubeDude]

"Do use or find that you need a keel to keep your tube straight when using the tm?
I also noticed that throttle extension in your photo im having trouble visualizing how you'd use it. Im guessing rather than hold your right arm up to steer. You hold the extension in front of your chest in a more comfortable manner?"

[cool][#0000ff]1. No need for a keel. The motor pulls the tube backwards and serves as a directional rudder. But, whatever you have hanging in the water...legs, fish basket, sonar transducer, etc...create drag and will affect the direction of pull. You can counter this by raising up anything that drags whenever you need to move any distance at all. And you learn to raise your legs and extend your fins to reduce drag. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]2. When I lower the motor into the water, after launching, I lock it firmly into a straight and centered position with the set screw knob. It will pull the tube straight backward only. Steering is easily accomplished by changing the angle of your fins in the water. Almost automatic. The extension handle is only for changing speeds and I seldom use that. I usually keep it set on high speed...and use the motor mainly for moving from place to place...not trolling. I have added a "T" to the end and loop a short bungee cord through it and over my head to keep it resting on my shoulder for the few times I want to change speeds. Otherwise it flops down and out of reach.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You will also notice in the pics that I fashioned "knuckle joints" from PVC to allow easy positioning and control from odd angles.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In the attached pics you will also note that I have an on and off switch for the motor. I can pull up the little lever to lock the switch on, for an extended run. Or, I can just lean my elbow on it for a quick burst to run back to free a snag or whatever. Again, no need to operate the handle controls. The only downside is that if I absentmindedly rest my elbow on that switch the motor jumps to life and scares the stuff out of me.[/#0000ff]
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[SanDiegoBassin]

Yep definitely a rookie question after I looked at the photo again I realized the tm pulls you not pushes you.
Thanks for all the insight !
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[flygoddess]

Always! Plus less strain on battery by pulling and not trying to push which they are not designed to do. You will want to loosen the head on you motor and turn it so the prop and head handle are facing same direction. This gives you all your forward controls to pull you with the couple of reverse to maybe aid or push into shore.
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