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TubeDude,
I was browsing through the picture section. The picture of you and your son and grandson brought home the more elevated seating position on the Outcast tubes. I flyfish from my Fat Cat and My Wood River GlideRider (not at the same time). I suspect that my seating position in the GlideRider is similar to that of the Caddis tubes your boys are using.
I guess you'll be riding even higher when you get that pontoon rigged. How much does that model weigh? Have you had it in the water yet to test how it rows and how it responds to fins. I would like to eventually invest in a pontoon but those two factors are really important to me. If I ended up with a relatively unresponsive toon that would work best with a motor I would be better served by continuing with my float tubes and kayak.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][black]smallmouth89, seeing how you posted this instead of PM Tube, I would like to take a stab.[/black][/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]You say you have a Kayak and a float tube, how do they differ in the water, other than flippers?[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]You don't sit that high in a pontoon. You will be in the water from mid calf down. Therefore flippers work. You have less water resistance in a pontoon than a float tube also (two paralelle tubes compared to on big V or U)[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]When I use my oars I fly. Wind will effect the pontoon a little more, but with wind is waves and I feel I get beat up more in a tube, plus you can row when legs get tired. I do feel I can move more easy in my pontoon even in a head wind.[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]You fly fish, the pontoon gets you up a little hire and your elbows aren't resting on anything, easier to strip.[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]I bet you fly in your Kayak, now ad the fact that you can move with flippers instead of HAVING to row and keep that line in the zone longer.[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Just my $0.02 worth and yes, I have a SFC also.[/size][/black][/font]
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[cool][#0000ff]I bought my SFC after riding around in a Trout Unlimited Kennebec for about a year. The Kennebec rode higher than sitting in a donut or in some of the Uboats, but I still sat partially in the water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The SFC carries the angler a few inches higher than most Uboats and Vboats, but the difference is noticeable and appreciated by those who want a bit higher ride. Still, as FG points out, you are "plowing" the water when you kick and it takes more expenditure of net energy to move around than in a pontoon.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The Outcast Cougar lists at 75 pounds, without all the goodies like sonar, rod holders, trolling motor, etc. Much bigger, heavier and bulkier than any tube. There are places for both. It is not a matter of one or the other.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The good news, as FG points out, is that very little of the air chambers are submerged and the efficiency of your propulsion is great. You can haul bass with oars, and you can also get surprising mobility with fins, while kicking around to maintain fishing position.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have tested the Cougar on the water (not mine yet) and read several reviews. The guy I bought mine from liked it, as do most others, for the stability and mobility.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Unlike some floatation fishermen, if I were limited to a choice of one, I would keep the float tube before I would a pontoon. Tubes provide the ultimate one-on-one fishing experience...lightweight, simple and handsfree. Pontoons are bigger and heavier, and you are limited in where you can take them, although they do let you go farther and fish in rougher conditions.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have never really fished from a kayak, but decided a long time ago that I prefer the handsfree fishing from a tube and would not enjoy having to keep working the paddles to stay in casting range without an anchor. On the other hand, they have proven themselves as great fishing platforms, and you can cover a lot of water with litte exertion if you are good with the paddles. No reason to give up kayaks if you still enjoy them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I will probably be getting my toon on the water within the next week or so. I need to complete a PVC cartop rack for it and get familiar with all the goodies before I dunk it. I already have the rod holder thing and a sonar setup ready to install. I'll do a report after the maiden voyage.[/#0000ff]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][red]Tube Dude, I felt the same about Kayaks as you do (key word felt). They have a new one out (Hobie I think) that has paddles. You sit in and ride a bike. They do look interesting and tough, you can slide them down a gravel ledge and not hurt them.[/red][/font]
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[cool][#0000ff]Sounds interesting, but I can't recall a single fishing trip in which my activities involved sliding down a gravel ledge...at least on purpose.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]With today's new materials, technologies and computer assisted designs, there are not many things we can think of that can't be designed and put on the market. I suspect that the model you admire will have a defined following, but it will likely never take over with the tube and toon crowd.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Have you seen a pic of it and if that is available how about a link or attaching the pic for us to look at. You don't need to post a pic of a gravel ledge, thanks.[/#0000ff]
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Goddess, Tube
The kayak is an awesome trolling platform and we all know how well it paddles. It doesn't get blown around a lot because of its low profile. The closest I ever get to hands free is cruising a shoreline and casting a fixed length of fly line with my rod hand (index finger clamped over the line) and paddling with believe it or not a ping pong paddle. The kayak doesn't come close to the efficiency of the tube for hands free positioning and fishing.
I know both of you will be using motors at times so I was pleased to hear FlyGoddess report that she can fly in her toon while leaning on the oars. I could have had a bad experience with the toon I borrowed not being very responsive to fin or oar. (at least not responsive enough to sway a Kayak/Tuber!) It was an Orvis labelled "Water Skeeter. It would have been tough to throw it on top of my vehicle by myself as it was rather awkward and heavy. (Not at all like tossing a canoe or kayak onto a roof rack.)
If you only rowed or motored your toons can you almost fish without waders in the warmer weather?
Having done a fair bit of canoeing and kayaking I am used to watching shoreline features go buy while paddling. My kayak goes almost as fast as my canoe under power (1 and a half horsepower Evinrude) at 3/4 throttle. Kicking along in my tube is probably somewhat slower than solo paddling in my canoe but not by much. With all that space behind me in the Fat Cat I have even wondered if I could do a short fishing camping excursion with just the tube. (probably a crazy idea but one that did occur to me.)
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]The Orvis boat is steel, not aluminum so I sympathize. On camping excursions, specially like the Uinta's I think a float tube is a good answer. I don't use my SFC anymore since I bought my Echo. Now when I still water I only need hip boots.[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Also on that Orvis, several of my friends bought them also and they do require those OAR RIGHTS. They keep the blades from turning.[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]I don't mind breezy days cause I can row to one spot and let the wind carry me.[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]But, as you said, I do have a motor. When camping out for a weekend however keep in mind that, that battery needs to be recharged so I do manual propelsion a lot and don't use my battery all that often. I also like to anchor down and deep nymph.[/size][/font]
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Fly Goddess,
You have explained a lot to help me understand why I developed such a negative opinion towards the "toon" after trying out the Orvis model. I was "bassin" (I'm a musician too!) all my conclusions on the rather poor experience with the Orvis toon.
Your "Echo" is the red one in your picture file ,right? Almost a hybrid Tube/toon? The pontoon boat with the yellow pontoons looks very streamlined. I can believe you can really "go" when you hit the oars with that. You mentioned "oar rights "in relation to that Orvis toon. I remember fighting the oars the whole time. That is probably why. Thanks!
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I tried that two summers ago while up Three Lakes in Wisconsin with my brother and it was a nice thing. Like riding a bike but little more work out for ya! I took a trip around the lake and it did give my legs out! I can do twenty miles on a bike but on the water it give u alot of workout.
A lady who's parents own the cottages had two of them and one day she took a long day trip around the chain. Those kayak have a hand lever to steer the craft.
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