We also find ourselves in floatation fishing conversations in many non-fishing situations. Besides the typical throng of curious kids there are frequently other fisherfolk with interested questions about our gear and our techniques. Still, it is not uncommon for us to draw a crowd as we return to our beaching site, especially if we have fish flopping in our baskets. Tubes and toons have been around for a long time now and the novelty has worn off. While in a floatation craft you are less likely to spook the fish than you would be in the quietest of boats…even while positioned directly over them in shallow water. Well-equipped floatation craft enable you to find fish more easily and to present the lures or bait differently than with most other fishing methods. Most of the credit for our floatation fishing success is attributable to the unique advantages afforded by this style of fishing.

What a girl! This double limit of “cookie cutter” channel cats, from Utah’s Willard Bay Reservoir, came on a day when boaters or bank tanglers did not do as well TubeBabe and TubeDude with a “double basket” ceremony…while fishing together on a wedding anniversary.

However, we have proven to ourselves that we do noticeably better from our tubes whenever we fish the same waters under similar conditions. We also catch plenty when we lower our standards and join friends in their boats. When we elect to fish from shore we usually catch lots of fish too. In fact, I can’t recall many (if any) times we did not catch more and bigger fish than virtually any and all other anglers on the same waters.įalse modesty aside, we are pretty fair fisherfolk. I can recall many trips in which we out-fished both boaters and “bank tanglers” by a wide margin.

For much of that time my wife has been my tubing companion on waters all across the country. I have been a serious float tube fisherman most of my life…over 60 years now. And, stay in shallow water until you are both comfortable and in control. It’s a good idea to practice a few times before risking anything more than your dignity. Falling or slipping out of your tube while launching or beaching is hilarious to onlookers, but can be potentially dangerous to newbie tubers. Obviously there will be exceptions but for the most part it is true. An angler with decent tackle and good fishing skills can reasonably expect to catch more fish from a floatation craft…on the same waters and under the same conditions. It is almost always better than bank tanglin’. I’m here to tell ya that fishing from a tube, toon or yak CAN be more effective than from a boat. You also have to do without all of the “enjoys” of backing the trailer while launching or loading your boat. Of course, by giving up the boat you ALSO have to give up the big down payment, monthly payments, insurance, gas and oil, costly repairs, etc. That just means that you fish less water…but you fish it more thoroughly. By choosing to fish from a tube or toon…or kayak…rather than a boat, you do have to give up a few things…such as speed and range. Just because you spend less doesn’t mean you won’t catch more fish. Modern models of some craft are getting ever more “spendy” but you can still get completely geared up for less than a monthly payment on a new bass sled. Tubes or ‘toons are not merely “a poor man’s bass boat”…cheap substitutes for “real” boats. The biggest “attitude adjustment” needs to be the realization that a good flotation system is not a just a toy or novelty. And, your family may have you declared mentally incompetent if you launch your craft in waters inhabited by snakes and gators…or in “shark-filled” ocean venues. They just shake their heads in disbelief. How can anyone take you seriously when you’re paddling around like a duck stuck in reverse? You don’t exactly inspire “shock and awe” in your silly craft.Įven worse is when “normal” people see you out there during the colder months with ice on the water and/or snow on the shoreline. We floataholics can be the objects of outrageous derision while fishing. Otherwise, the ordeal of carrying all of your gear to the water and getting it safely afloat can win a prize on a funniest videos show. For some new recruits their frustrating initiations are enough to send them whimpering back to their vehicles never to try again.Īs I often suggest, you should be properly coached and try a couple of practice dunks before your first serious solo fishing launch. There’s no denying that tubers and tooners look funny, especially during those first launching and beaching fiascoes. A major hurdle for many floatation fishing (tubes, toons & yaks) “wannabees” is that they are afraid of being laughed at.

Float tube flippers