Just got a float tube. What are the best places for floating?

K
Kellyannam
0
I just got my first float tube (White River Fly Shop - Lost Lake Open Front). I've fished from the bank and boats, but this will be my first time in a tube. So my questions are:

Where are some good places for floating? I was going to fish Crane Prairie this weekend for opener, but I had sprained my knee last weekend and on the drive over, I knew I wouldn't last long kicking, but I decided to check out the lake anyways. The lake seemed a little rough for a float tube. Has anyone floated it? Did you get tossed around much?

I tend to over-pack, but it doesn't seem like I am going to be able to do that with a tube. Are there any essentials or helpful items that I should bring that are unique to floating? If I caught a really big fish and was struggling to net it, would I tip over? :(

Thanks for any help, I'm kind of nervous going out for the first time because I don't really know what to expect. 🙏
 
I fell in love with fishing from my belly boat. Its the total way to 'feel' the environment. My only pointers are neoprene waders if the waters cold, and make sure that it has seperate air compartments. Usually the second is the back to the seat. If not make sure you have a pdf. Most importantly prepare for flipper blisters cause you'll be cruising everywhere! Im not from that neck of the woods so Im sorry but I have no tips on location. If you ever make it to the metro area, Trillium and Lost Lake are Wonderfull! Tight Lines- TM
 
Crane in a Tube...

Crane in a Tube...

Crane is a great place to experience the freedom of a magic carpet. Put in at Rock Creek boat ramp and head to the left and that very large lagoon is full of CraneBows and Brookies. One hint is the hidden stumps on this lake, they can scare the daylights out of you the first time you bump one :doh:. The trip back to the ramp is twice as long as the trip that got you out on the water :confused:.
Tight lines and have a blast!

Chuck
 
Tip over? Not an issue.
I'm an over packer as weel. Mine has a storage space behind me and I use a 5 gal. bucket for storing items and keping them from getting wet.
Make sure you have a signaling device such as a whistle in the event you run into trouble ane it's required.
I don't recommend tubes for larger lakes unless you're going to stay in coves where the waves would be at a minimum.
A good investment are scuba jey flippers - you get around faster.
 
i have a sospenender wading belt i wear in my tube, just in case. I swim well, but I could see myself trying to save gear before me. also a dry bag for essentials is a good investment. But i treat my lake fishing like steelhead now in the tube. I bring a coffee, a box of flies, some tippet in 3 sizes, an extra leader, 2 rods, water, and lunch, thats usually about it. oh a raincoat too of course. you can leave things in your car and paddle back if you are a heavy packer. Tubes are the best way to fish lakes, hands down. you notice so much more and feel like a part of it all. you will become a better fisherman because of it. you have no other choice.
 
Welcome to OFF.

I'm in full agreement, with all of the advice above. As my dad put it, when we first got ours some 28 years ago...tubing is "like fishin' from an easy chair"!

If you haven't yet heard this...always walk slowly backwards into the water. Then if you should slip; you just sit down and you're good.

95% of my tubing, has been with a spinning rod and reel. But, I NEVER leave home without black and olive green Woolly Buggers (plus, green, black, and brown Teeney Nymphs). I use those with a torpedo bobber, 4 - 5 feet of leader, and a small (BB) sized split shot about 18" above the fly. I've landed literally hundreds of trout, with such gear (by going VERY SLOWLY/SLIGHTLY KICKING). Your main line attaches on the larger end of the bobber--with your leader, tied to the smaller end. Here's a pic of the bobber:

torpedo bobber.jpeg

Good luck and enjoy. We'll look forward, to your reports.

P.S. Don't just limit yourself to Crane. Heck, you live in our very own tubing Shangri-La! There are LOTS of lakes to fish.
 
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troutdude said:
Welcome to OFF.


If you haven't yet heard this...always walk slowly backwards into the water. Then if you should slip; you just sit down and you're good.
Click to expand...

Clutch
 
Don't do what Eamon did!
 
Thanks for the advice everyone, it makes me feel a lot better about going out for my first time. I'll update everyone as to how it went.
 
Well, I feel like I have to give an update. The sprained knee won out last weekend. Actually, I would have just fished off the bank or used a paddle (I was just going to saw one down really short) but the painkillers for my knee kept making me go to sleep. Feeling better now, seeing specialist tomorrow. They think I might have some notable tearing of the ligament but I hope not.

On a positive note, I've been wanting to start working with concrete so I made a stool with some galvanized pipe in between naps because I thought that would be an easy and cheap first project to start with. It came out with some air pockets (I think that's what you call them in the concrete world) but I kind of like it because it makes it look more rustic (which is why I also didn't sand the bottom smooth either, because I liked that look). Although I think if I do want to avoid the pockets, my best bet would be to probably buy counter top concrete because it's finer, or strain out the bigger chunks of gravel.

ConcreteStool_zpsa1adc1ae.jpg
 
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I'm sorry you sprained your knee Kellyann. Hope it's much better soon.

Your stool looks fine to me with the holes in it......:D:cool:
 
You're stool, is too cool for school.
 
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