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[cool][size 2]Here we are...smack spang in the middle of the cold months. Ain't many places in the country where a float tuber can still launch their craft and count on some action. As I write these words, my mind returns to some great winter fishing down below New Orleans, for winter redfish and sea trout.[/size]
[size 2]But, if time and finances do not allow us to go where there is winter tubin', we have to find something else to occupy ourselves...and to keep from going crazy waiting for spring.[/size]
[size 2]Of course, most of us are not too proud to walk the shore, fish from a boat or drill holes in the ice...if that is what's available. I kinda enjoy all of the above, myself. I just have a special attraction for tubin' when I can and it works.[/size]
[size 2]This is the season for thinking about new years resolutions...and for planning our fishing for next year. I like to make a list every year of the new things I want to try and/or the techniques I want to work on...or maybe a new species or two I'd like to target. Maybe I don't get it all done, but I find that I get farther if I set a goal than if I don't.[/size]
[size 2]My biggest target for next year is to get moved back up to Utah...not only for the fishing but for reconnecting with family and friends in the state. Much of that will depend on how healthy my mother is, and whether she can make the move with us.[/size]
[size 2]Next, I plan to keep experimenting with new designs for rod racks and sonar mounting. I have a couple of new plans in mind, with the goal of developing a system that is easy to attach to the craft, is light and holds the rods securely...along with the sonar transducer mount.[/size]
[size 2]I would also like to field (water) test at least two new sonar systems during the coming year. Most manufacturers are introducing new models this year, and some of them look to be ideal for flotation fishing rigs. What I look for is a reasonable price, and good quality. It is more important that the sonar works well than what it looks like...or what the price is. There are some "low-end" units that work better for float tubing than some of the more pricey systems.[/size]
[size 2]This will probably also be the year I graduate from "breathable" lightweight waders to some neoprenes. I am looking for something that will accomodate my large frame, without being either too tight or too bulky.[/size]
[size 2]I plan to work more with topwater lures this spring...including some new buzzbaits I have been toying with. I will also be experimenting with making more bunny fur jigs...both for deep jigging and buzzbaits.[/size]
[size 2]How about it, folks? Anybody else been doin' any creative codger-tatin'? Any dreams, wishes or goals you'd like to share?[/size]
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Projects??? I always have some scheme in mind. Problem is either knowhow, time, or equipment with time being the largest factor.
I am going to try my hand at making some hand carved wood lures this year.
I will catch a largemouth bass and white bass this year out of Utah Lake on the fly-rod.
I will get out on the bigger water this year and really test out my Cuda on something deeper than 4'.
Finally, I would like to get out for at least a couple of hours once a month.
ES
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[cool][size 2]Hey, Nate, I would imagine that since you are all moved into your new house that you would have nothing but extra time to devote to the REALLY IMPORTANT things.[/size]
[size 2]Sounds like you DO have some specific goals. I hope you are able to get all those out of the way early, and can upgrade to some even loftier ideals.[/size]
[size 2]That working with wooden lures thing is a great project. I have been whittling and sanding on wooden lures for years. I am attaching a pic of some of my stuff...mostly patterned after shad, rather than some of the other exotic colors other guys turn out.[/size]
[size 2]Interestingly, I just finished cutting some wood blanks for making large trout-imitating lures. In California and Arizona, as well as other states, big stripers and largemouths learn to follow the hatchery trucks and dine on the unsophisticated rainbows they dump in. Guys using big trout colored swimbaits and plugs get some big fish on them.[/size]
[size 2]I have cut several lengths...from about 7 inches to about 10 inches. I am still toying with how I want to attach the big hooks, so that a big fish cannot break the lure or tear the hook out of the wood. Big screw eyes work for most applications, but when the fish you are after may exceed 20 pounds, you can't be too careful in the construction.[/size]
[size 2]What sizes and patterns are you going to start with? And, have you found the wood you want to use yet? PM me and I can let you know what I have found out in my experiments. In short, most of the serious luremakers advise using basswood. It is more expensive than pine, and heavier than balsa. For many of my lures I simply cut lengths of pine dowels and sand to shape...after drilling for the eyes and hooks.[/size]
[size 2]Also, have you studied up on paints? A lot of new stuff on the market. And, if you wanna get serious, you can get into airbrushing and scale masks, etc.[/size]
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I have a bunch of pine 2x4 scrap and a dremel that needs a work out. Beyond thinking about it, I haven't done any research yet. Do you by chance have one of your famous "write-ups"?
I did rather appreciate your goal of moving back to Utah as well.
ES
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[cool][size 2]Sorry, but that is one area of lurecraft that I have not yet reached a position of comfort in feeling qualified to "download" on others. No "writeups" yet.[/size]
[size 2]My advice is to follow the admonition of a famous sculptor. When asked how he managed to produce such beautiful carvings he simply replied: "If you want to carve a horse head, just cut away everything that doesn't look like a horse head."[/size]
[size 2]The gratifying thing about making wooden lures is that they do not have to be anatomically correct...or color perfect...to catch fish. As long as you can create something of the general size and shape to represent the fish food you have in mind, you can make up for the rest with presentation and lure working skills. And, as has been proven by millions of new lure designs, it is sometimes better to show the fish something radically different than what they are accustomed to seeing.[/size]
[size 2]I don't know if the 2X4 scrap will be your best choice in woods. If you know somebody with a table saw or band saw you might want to cut the larger pieces down into small chunks before plugging in your dremel. That is best for the fine work...and I use mine a lot.[/size]
[size 2]Then again, if you are going to make some musky plugs, you could start with a whole 2X4. But, you will need a baseball bat rod to cast them. Definitely not for your 3 weight.[/size]
[size 2]On a slightly different subject, have you ever made fly rod poppers? They are not only for sunfish and bass. You would be amazed at some of the terrestrial critters you can build around a little cork popper body. Great for casting to the overhanging grass along the banks for big bashful browns in the summer.[/size]
[size 2]You can buy preformed cork bodies, or you can shape them from cork or balsa. There are also some good bodies made of closed cell foam. These poppers also make good strike indicators while fishing a dropper with a nymph or wet fly below. You gotta have some of those before you go to Pelican. When the big 'gills are active just before dark they will smack a popper before it hits the water. And, every once in awhile a chunky largie joins the game too. I used to make big yellow streamers for Pelican, with a cork popper head and mono weed guards. Toss those back into the reeds and try to strip them back out to open water without being molested. Again, forget the 3 weight. Think a 7-8 system.[/size]
[size 2]Are we having fun yet?[/size]
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Hey TubeDad, We still have plenty of warm and wet here in SoCal. Don't know how long it will last before it becomes cold and wet. There is plenty of room for a tube or 2 here. Feb should be nice if you can make it.
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[cool][size 2]Let's see, do I kick down the Gila River to the Colorado and then turn right to Havasu? Riding the pipeline to Southern Cal? Or, do I go to the Sea of Cortez and around the tip of Baja back up to LA? Either way, it seems like a lot of work.[/size]
[size 2]We do wanna try a trip in February. Think Tommy will be feeling frisky by then?[/size]
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Hey TD, I'll go easy on the appetizers so that it won't spoil his main course. That way ole Tommy should be plenty hungry for a large meal.
We are going up there this Saturday. I wanted to check out the shelves and other things. Haven't been there with the sonar yet. Should be fun. I know where Tommy hangs out. I just want to find a location on Moby.
I found out that the lake is only 75' deep and people haven't been able to get to the kittys there. That may be our focus this weekend. I'll be sure to get some pics.[cool]
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Over Christmas break I plan on building myself my first set of rod holders for my tube. I'm going to put two on the left side, and one on the right side.
If you cut the sides to to be used for a flyrod, will it still hold spinning rods okay? I'd like to be able to put either a flyrod OR a spinning rod on the right side, and then be able to put either two spinning rods or a spinning and a flyrod on the right.
Total: 2 spinning rods and 1 flyrod on the craft. Will this work?
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[cool][size 2]Sounds like a fun way to fill in some down time during the holidays.[/size]
[size 2]In the attached pic, you can see that a slot cut along the back surface of a tube will hold a fly reel, but the tube is still strong enough to use for spinning rigs too. That schedule 40 PVC is strong stuff.[/size]
[size 2]Depending on the outside diameter of the handle on your fly rod, you might also be able to use a "sleeve" of the next size smaller PVC, to fit inside the 1 1/4" size you use for spinning rods. There is an example of that in the pic. You can use a small machine screw to start into the smaller PVC to hold it in the grooves you cut for reel handles. This is a good way to rotate the fly rod from a "spare" tube to the "working tube" on the right side. Just be careful you don't get excited and lift it out all the way. PVC sinks.[/size]
[size 2]Dryrod recently posted some pics showing a "latch" type cut in the PVC, where the reel slides down a straight cut and then rotates to the left or right...kinda like the old screen door latches...or a rifle breech.[/size]
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[cool][size 1]Hi TubeDude,[/size]
[size 1]Long time no chat. Was wondering how you attach your rod rack configuration to your tube?[/size]
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[cool][size 2]Hey, Dryrod, I have experimented with a wide assortment of attachment methods. On my early round tubes, I used plastic coated clothesline to wrap around the tube and then air it up tight. As technology improved, the covers came with more D rings and made it easier to just hang the setup off the two outside D rings. [/size]
[size 2]At one point, mainly for salt water fishing, I made a rectangular frame, which I lashed to the tube, and then slipped the rod rack down inside the frame when I launched. More weight, but highly efficient.[/size]
[size 2]I am in the middle of scanning and organizing several hundred "pics from the past". I had planned to do a timeline pictorial on some of the contraptions I have used. I laugh when I look at some of them, but they all worked to some extent.[/size]
[size 2]My current system incorporates the use of a length of parachute cord...run through holes drilled at the approximate width of the two outside D rings. I use a snap hook on one end and a ring on the other. These are pushed through the D rings and snapped together. If you leave enough cord, you can adjust the tension to allow your rods to ride vertically...or slanting slightly outward.[/size]
[size 2]Oh, yeah, the final step in this setup is to have a piece of stretch cord attached to the bottom of the rack and which stretches around under the craft to hook on a D ring either underneath or on the inside. [/size]
[size 2]This rig snaps on and off your craft quickly, and holds firmly during use. I haven't shot pics yet, but will be glad to shoot pics and/or make one of my infamous diagrams.[/size]
[size 2]When TubeN2 and Tubentoo were over here, we rigged them up like that and it seems to work on almost any make and model. All you need to do is make final adjustments the first time on the water...or in your swimming pool beforehand...and you are good to go.[/size]
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Hey thanks for the info TD. And I still have the diagram you sent me before. I just took my last final this morning and I'm looking forward to 3 weeks of FREEDOM! [cool]
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[size 1][cool]Hi TubeDude,[/size]
[size 1]My next project will be fitting my tube to accommodate the Cuda 168EX that I am expecting for Xmas. Will see if whether or not if I can incorporate a rod holder to also hold my FF.[/size]
[size 1][/size]
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[cool][size 2]Hey Dryrod, hope Santa gets the order right. When you get the system, we can trade some PM's to help you through the setup process.[/size]
[size 2]I have taken quite a few pics of the setup on my Super Fat Cat. There are a lot of ways to set up both the display and the transducer, but the system I am using right now should be workable for you too. As you will see in the attached pics, I have made use of the open pocket at the front of the main pocket to hold the display. I mount the display on a piece of 2" PVC pipe...at a slight angle. Then I use the pipe to hold the coiled extra transducer cable so it doesn't get in the way.[/size]
[size 2]The whole system folds up and stores in the side pocket when you pack up to go home, and installs in a flash when you launch.[/size]
[size 2]I think you will enjoy the Cuda 168EX. That wider screen can make it easier to read what is going on down there. I think the next unit I test is going to be a wider screen model, with maybe a couple of extra bells and whistles. But, I have been quite happy with the standard 168.[/size]
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[cool] [size 1]Hi TubeDude,[/size]
[size 1]Thanks for the feedback. Your pics certainly stimulates ones creative juices. Now I have to work on my plans to build a better mouse trap.[ ][/size]
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Speaking of mouse traps, the M-O-A-T is almost finished. Just a couple of finishing touches to make and I will post it for all to see. It really looks good on the FishKitty but also fits the Caddis.
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[cool][size 2]Can't wait to see the prototype. Have you found a fabricator for mass production yet?[/size]
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We have two assemblers so far unless we can get the girls involved. They were going to help but one of them dropped the portable DVD player for the rig and now the surroundsound has a glich in it.
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Hey Cat_Man!
Down here right by where I work there is a pile of pvc where some construction has been done. Near as I can tell there are at least a couple of different sizes. I keep forgetting my saw to take some home for myself. It is all in a pile of dirt and they just haven't come back to clean it up yet.
Zip me a PM and I can give you more particulars. Congrats on getting through yet another semester!
ES
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