float tubin'

[firetiger]

Has anyone ever tried to put in a float tube to make some of the popular drifts that only drift boats make? I got some new fins and am thinking about trying to go from moonshine down to twin bridges. Any pointers? My float tube is made of very durable rubber so it shouldn't pop. I am trying to rig something up to hold my rods. Maybe someone knows something about setting up my tube for this type of fishing.

[Jellyhead]

I'd be very careful if you decide to give this a try. In my opinion, I wouldn't use my tube anywhere but a calm lake, or a slow moving river. I think whitewater or rapids would be suicide this time of year. 40 Degree water spells hypothermia really quick. I'd save my money and buy a cat if you really want to drift.

Good Luck

Aaron

[Osprey]

Last thing a Redneck says before he dies...Hey yall watch this....Bad idea Dude.
get a real boat and keep the tubes on the lake where they belong.....Os

[firetiger]

I just talked to another friend and he said the same thing. He said that float tubes don't work in running water. Oh well.

[PeterMac]

I used a float tube once to access water on the other side of the descuttes. It was not even close to a rapid, but water was moving at Steelhead holding water speed (fast pace walk). Bottom line, scared the crap out of me, took allot longer to get to the otherside than I expected. No control. Bad idea.

I would not do it again.....

My .02

PeterMac

[Kwiky]

Hey Firetiger-

Judging from this and your other posts, I'd say quit the chain-yanking! Please find a new board to annoy people.

Kwiky


[This message has been edited by Kwiky (edited 02-12-2001).]

[chuck 'n' duck]

I know this is a bullsh*t post, but I have honestly seen this a couple of times. Once was this past december on the Wilson River. Two guys rode their float tubes down to Josie's. I have also seen this done on the lower Deschutes. Guys hike up above the Blackberry hole and cruise down to the campground.

CnD

[This message has been edited by chuck 'n' duck (edited 02-12-2001).]

[scales]

I don't know, I think he should go for it. You will need an anchor though to stop and fish those good holes. Trying tieing a large cement block to your foot. That ought to slow you down. Hey watch this?

[Jeremy]

Me and a friend floated the siletz last winter in float tubes heres what you will need. Dry Suit, Scuba Gear, Harpoon Gun, As soon as the current hits your fins it will flip you over, once you are flipped over you will be able to see most of the fish since your head will be underwater. Use your harpoon to shoot the big ones. You have to wait for the water to get pretty deep before you go though so you dont hit your head on any rocks. Also have a couple of boats waiting down at the mouth to drag the bottom for you when you make it down that far.

[firetiger]

It wasn't a bogus post. I was really going to try it. By the sounds of it, I wouldn't be the first person to try it. If someone took a float tube on the deschutes, then I am sure that I can take it on the Siltez. I might have to take some small oars with me.

[BUGLEMAN]

Can you say pinned? Sounds like a sure way to die.

[Mr. Fisherman]

FT,

Sounds like a great idea.... If yer name ends in "Darwin".

Seriously, This is a very risky thing to try.
Get a boat or a friend with a boat. Don't wind up feeding the fish! It will make them taste funny .

Tight lines, and keep yer sunny side up,

Mr. F.

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Live to Fish
Fish to Live

[Kwiky]

Firetiger-
What kind of gear do you fish with - anything of any value? If so, let me know when you are planning to try this out from Moonshine to Twin and I'll bat "clean up", if you know what I mean. You won't need the stuff, unless you have it willed to somebody.

[Tanner]

FT,
Your right, you would not be the first person to try this. In John Schewey's book Flyfishing Trout and Beyond. He tells about how he float tubed a small section of the Umpqua for smallmouth. It is actually a pretty humorous read. I would definitely have to say though "Not a good idea dude". Very Dangerous!!!! You can get a small pontoon boat for around three to four hundred dollars that would handle the Siletz no problem. Save your money and get one. Don't endanger your life for a fish or two. Not worth it.


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Work is for people who have an expensive fishing habit to support.

[hookem]

My wife got me a floot tube for xmas.
She told me to have fun on the river.
should I be asking questions about the
river or my marrage?

[RC]

How about tubing on the Kenai? Saw a guy a few years back around Soldotna. You shoulda seen the idiot! Through all the boats and everything. We were looking for the cops to go save the dummy. End of July when it is really busy there.

[firetiger]

If you guys want to call "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" and get the crew there, I will do it tomorrow. That's a promise.

[4u2fish]

Well here is the deal: Read the dang manual that comes with the float tube it states in there that the flotation device was NOT manufactured to be used in current. You should take some of the good advice that you have received here. If you feel that you can't get into fish any other way than floating I am sure that someone would be willing to give you a ride in there boat just to keep us from posting the "FT drowned his self" thread Don't be a MoMo!! Live to fish another day..

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AKC H2O-K9

[4u2fish]

I just read your latest post OMG man do you realy hate life that much?? let me rephrase this whole thread.. YOUR PLAN SUCKS!! and you will be fortunite not to kill yourself..

PLEASE PLEASE do not try this!!

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AKC H2O-K9

[rob]

Sounds like a suicide mission. Get a pontoon boat. They're much more comfortable anyway.

[Kwiky]

FT - If you are going to do it, at least let me film you going through the park. I bet you don't make it from the top of Moonshine to the bottom, if you start at the ramp and don't get out of the tube. Maybe I can sell the vid to "Real Video" or some show like that. At least you'll be famous (post mortem, that is).

Kwiky

BTW, I still think you're full of it.

[This message has been edited by Kwiky (edited 02-12-2001).]

[HOGTIDE]

Well. You asked for advice and 13 or 14 seasoned fishermen with a lot of on-the- water experience, just told you "DON'T DO IT".

Personally know a guy who died on the Sandy River trying the same thing, in relatively current-free water.

If you are that determined I wish you luck...and if you are not lucky, at least you've started your own personal 'carcass program' for the Siletz.

[firetiger]

If the Siltez is between 4.2 and 5 feet this Saturday you guys can meet me there and I will do it. The hardest part of the entire float is going to the spot right above the waterfall hole in the park. The rest will be gravy. I may end up walking the tube through a lot of it if the water stays low. I am going to bring my along my old gear just in case something goes wrong. I would rather lose a couple of Ugly Stiks rather than a couple of Loomis' I am pretty good on the fins so I should be able to make it.

[rob]

There's a difference between bravery and stupidity. You must be kidding.

[Salmonator]

I'm starting to think that this is the guy from the MTV show "*******". If you've seen it, you know that this would make the perfect episode... Joe

[willierower]

I see you are from Winston. This must explain why you are so set on dieing.
Sierously, Dont do it. You will be endangering your life and the lives of the people who are going to have to save your ass.

[backlash]

KNUCKLEHEAD

[Raptorwill]

Fire Tiger not a good idea to try---------have you been in a lake when a good wind comes up?----ive had to walk back -----the one post that sugests a dry suit is on par ----waders if escpesially neapream would fill up with water and push the air that was present down to your feet---that with the tube upside down would be hard to get upright --- this is not a light subject guys 10 yrs ago i would have tried it but my brain finally convinced me not to---after i floated a river in a 40 dallor k-mart special and smacked a submerged log when my plastic oars broke tryin to back paddle i figured it was worth the extra $ to get the right equip---

Fire Tiger I just bought a one man cat and had my first float -----was scared ******** but by the end of 14 hrs i became comfortable with it but still wouldnt try a white water stretch with it till ive got more hrs on it

ive had my 19' reneil in 30 mh gusts and it was no picnic but i know the boat---wouldnt do it on purpose but know the limits of it


there are many great and good peaple on this bb that would take you for a boat ride if youd like--escpecially if you can row i bet lol

well im ramblen just my 2cents

safe boaten----and tight lines

damn scarey thinken of hearin about a fellow fisherman that has went butterside up

[GoFish]

In case some of the other replys haven't already dissuaded you from trying this, ever heard of Jim Teeny? He fishes a lot, and sometimes uses a float tube. But he has a sad story to tell about how his dad drowned trying to use a float tube to cross the Sandy river below Marmot.

[Steelheader69]

I don't care who you are, even if you're King Neptune himself, but Moron comes to mind. I have alot of experience on water, especially with inflatables. I have a floattube. I have used it on a river, ONLY on a very flat almost calm stretch of water. I used it to get over to another bank to pull lures out of a rats nest. It was summer flows and almost stagnant water. I have seen a guy try doing this about 9 years ago on a river we just floated (the Satsop). A guy was floating just below the carbody hole to the S turns. Well, he came to a VERY sudden stop and was yelling in QUITE a bit of pain. Just to inform a bit better, opposed to all other floating devices, in a float tube your legs are dangling alot lower in the water, at times almost touching bottom. You do rock back at times, but legs are down quite a bit. Well, this moron came close to a log in the water. Guess what happened? There seemed to be alot of breakoffs on this log. Some actually had swivels I assume snagged into log. Well this guy snagged himself on a free floating hook. Then came the fun part. He was snagged a good 3 feet underwater. Being in the tube he had no way to reach the snag and he had a hook impaled past the barb in his shin. Took a few of us to get him free. I had to wade down near the S turns (back when it was only a couple feet deep near the corner) then follow the bushes along the river. We got him loose, but not without causing him alot of pain. So, water may look safe, but you have who knows what lurking under the water. Since we're all fishing and we all lose gear, you'll never know what is snapped off and what is waiting for your leg (or who knows what else) waiting to hook up with you.

If he does this, I want a copy of the video if someone tapes it. I want a copy to show my kids what NOT to do on a river.

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You haven't lived til you've rowed a cataraft. Friends don't let friends run Outcasts.

[firetiger]

It's not a funny matter to talk about when I hear about people dying. I think I will take the float tube back and just save my money for a real boat. I'm too young to die. I might mess around in some of the calmer water before I make any kind of long drifts.

[Osprey]

Wow after 15 posts I'm glad to see you say someting intelligent ..... ......Os

[FEAR NO FISH!]

Did anybody see the video of Babe Winkleman fighting a sturgeon on the Snake River, out of a floattube? It started out funny but you should have seen the look on his face when it started to pull him down the rapids.

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FEAR NO FISH!

[Mr. Fisherman]

Firetiger,

Congradufriginlations!

The Darwin Awards has enough candidates without having a contributor from this board added to the list.

I am delighted to hear that you saw the light!

Mr. F.

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Live to Fish
Fish to Live