Last Tubing for 2011

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Stick a fork in me...I'M DONE...at least for tubing this year. All my lowland lakes are froze over so I hadda settle for Deer Creek. Glad I did...sorta.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Air temp 21 and water temp 38 at launch...just before 8 am. Touchy getting launched without doing my famous triple klutz. There was a 2' wide band of SLICK ice between the water and the dry part of the ramp. Made it interesting getting the tube loaded and launched without damage to myself or my gear.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Started a slow cruise under electric motor power, watching the sonar for perchkind on the screen. Figured they would be out in at least 45 feet of water. But...HEY...they was some bottom blips in the 30 foot zone. Put on the brakes and dropped down a tandem jig rig. GAME ON. Funny looking perch though. Slimy silver things with spots on them. But they was fun. Got several before moving on to deeper water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Saw a few more blippers from 45 to 50 feet but still the only things that wanted to play were the widdle wainbows. Did get a few sixteen to 19 inchers. Kept a couple for my oven broiled trout specialty.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Started making big S turns... in water from 40 to 65 feet deep. Saw very few fish...no schools at all. Seems like the perch were all someplace else today. Worked over to the island and around the outside...out into the channel. Same story. Empty sonar screen. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Finally, about 11 am, I had resigned myself to going home perchless. Kicked the electric motor into high speed and started heading for the ramp. But HOLD ON...what were those marks on the screen out in about 50'? Apply brakes, send down a couple of high-low rigs on the two rods. YESSSSS. Jiggle jiggle, jerk jerk, set hook and reel in the first tiger fish of the day. Then do it again several more times in the next few minutes. Toss over a marker buoy to mark the area for close visual reference and keep working around it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There was not a big school but there were a few singles and doubles. And they decided to eat. I got fish on both rods when I went through a good spot. At one time I actually got a triple...one fish on the first rod and two fish on the second rod while I was landing the first one.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I was beginning to have hope for a basketful...when the dreaded W showed up. First a whisper and then quickly escalating into a bone-chilling cold breeze that made my style of touch fishing all but useless. I could not hold nor could I fish light jigs in the strengthening breeze.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Realizing that my game was over I pulled in the marker buoy and tried drifting a bit. Nada, zip, zilch. Just didn't work the same. Blown all over the place and could not keep the light jigs in the zone long enough to get any love. It was hard enough without the W. Poop.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Managed to keep about a dozen nice eater perch. The fish ranged from about 7" to almost 12". I released several that were all able to power back down to the bottom without floating.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Two boats out on the water with me today...both tin trout trollers. Both catching fish. Had to laugh. When one of the boats went by one of the guys in the boat hollered loud enough for me to hear..."Well we've caught five in less than an hour. That's pretty good." I had seen the finless Freddies they were pulling in. I would have been embarassed to admit I even caught one of those...but I guess they didn't think I was catching anything and wanted to give me a bad time. Oh yeah. I felt so bad.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I guess it is officially time to tuck my tube into its winter hibernation spot in the storage area and get out all the ice fishing gear. But if Deer Creek stays 38 degrees and we don't get some arctic blasts soon there ain't gonna be no hard deckin' on Deer Creek this year. It doesn't ALWAYS freeze over ya know.[/#0000ff]
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[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=80157"]COOL LAUNCH.jpg[/url] (147 KB)
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[idahopanfish]

Great job TD !!![cool]
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[cpierce]

I am in awe, TD! Maybe when I grow up I can be more like you, but you are a pretty tough act to follow.....

Congrats on the fishies. Those are some nice ones.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks C. But you really don't wanna be like me. One of us is bad enough.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Merry Christmas to ya...and all the other tubers and tooners too.[/#0000ff]
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[eagleflyfshr]

When one has to walk on ice to launch the tube, count me out! ......guess I'm a fair weather 'tooner. Mine got put away first of November and won't see water again until April. I sit in awe. Nice to see the fish pics from open water fishing this time of year! Merry Christmas.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I have been one of the first and last ones on open water almost every year. Last year I hit Willard Bay Reservoir twice in December. That lake is frozen now so I settled for Deer Creek.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here are links to the reports for those two trips last year. Enjoy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=628543;#628543"]12-8-10[/url][/#0000ff]

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=631399;#631399"][#0000ff]12-24-10[/#0000ff]
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[flygoddess]

Well, we will say with Proof....[]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Say what? Wrapped too tight? Not tight enough? Coming unraveled? All of the above?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Probably guilty of whatever. I don't remember.[/#0000ff]
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[albinotrout]

I still think you are nuts. But hey what can you say? You have a history of this. [cool] Glad you are still having fun!
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