tube vs toon

[rvanman2000]

With all this talk of tubing on Saturday, got me wondering.....what do you guys like better, Float tubes or Pontoons. I am looking to invest in one once I get back from Alaska.[cool] So let me know which you prefer and why. Any brands particularly outstanding? Also, have you had any bad experiences with one or the other. [pirate] Help me figure out this dilemma!!![crazy]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Welcome to BFT. Just for your info, we have a lot of different boards...including the Float Tubing boards...the regular one and the new picture board. If you follow the two links below, that should keep you off the streets and out of trouble for awhile. There are quite a few threads there asking your same questions and the input from many different members.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=184642;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread"]FLOAT TUBING "BEST OF THE BEST"[/url][/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?forum=130;"]FLOAT TUBING PICTURE BOARD[/url][/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Once you soak up some of the basic background info, we will want to know what kind of fishing you will be doing...on what kinds of water, etc. Also, need to know your size and physical condition and how much of a masochist you might be.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lots of good new gear available on both sides of the tube and toon fence. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck in Alaska, and come on back in when you return. We will try to help you get set up right. It is a long term thing, once you get the hang of it and learn to appreciate all the benefits.[/#0000ff]
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[Tincanfsh]

I fish from Malibu Pro Explorer Sit on top fishing Kayak. I perfer fishing Kayak's to Tube's and toon's for a number of Reason's. Your out of the water, You can Troll, cast, and Drift. They float in about 4" of water. There's no air needed. They are plastic so they can alot of abuse. They are really stable. If the wind pick's up there's no need to worry because they are self bailing. Easy to paddle. Most come with bulit in Pole holders. There's alot of room for gear in side the yak. Can put on more rod holders, fish fisnders and such.

There's a few drawbacks too. Weight. Most are round 45 -50lbs. Length .They range from 8ft and up. Cost. They cost any where from $200 up to 2,000.

I float tubed for years, but I just couldn't do the fishing that I wanted. Spend a few hours kicking in a tube and your wiped out. I can spend all day in the yak paddling and still feel great.

I have 2 if you or any body else would like to try them out.Just let me know.

Tincanfsh
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[aquaman]

hey billy long time no "yak" at LOL if you need another body to take out yaking drop me a line i'd like to give it a try
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[mateo]

I haven't used my tube since I got my toon. I would under certain circumstances though. The major drawback to a toon is weight, so if you have to carry it 3 miles into the mountains, a tube would be better. The major drawback to a tube are mobility, and that annoying strap that always seems to scrunch "the jewels". I never could get that adjusted right apparently. Both are better than bank fishing, usually, but I'd say that neither is as good as a boat, usually.
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[Fishhound]

Howdy rvanman,

I have both. I have used the pontoon mostly as an oar rigged river raft for fishing. It has had stillwater use, and now, it has been motorized. It has seen most of the waters in Utah and has performed admirably in all conditions.

I have used my tube in the Unitas, Boulder Mtn, and Skyline Drive remote lakes. It's advantages have mainly been; it's portability and the ability to "get in just the right spot and to do it with stealth.

Anyway, the bottom line should be - what are your plans for the watercraft ? What kind of fishing ? Where will you use it mostly, and how likely is that to remain the case ?

Here's some tedious details explaining some of the above.

I bought a pontoon first then after using it for a for a while, I realized some of it's limitations. So, I upgraded to another pontoon. I have had it several years now and have used it for rivers(up to class III rapids), had it in deep water(as deep as it gets in Utah), and used it in the shallows(without motor, it draws about 3 inches of water). With the motor, I can troll and cover alot of water,plus I have a free hand to fish. However, I have found that it is not efficient in some places - If I use a motor(Minnkota 30 lb), I have a lot of wieght and I draw more water. If I use oars(7.5 foot) - I have a very wide boat and I am limited in what I can do while rowing. As I experienced it, I found that I couldn't fish effectively in a few of my favorite environments because of the physical limitations(or my lack of enough imagination) of the craft.

So, a few years ago, I bought a float tube. Although I've had it for a while, I've only used it maybe half a dozen times. I have not made the opportunities to use it more because I have other fishing craft as well, and I needed some technique and operational pointers from someone in the know to make it all work - BTW, I found that info here at BFT and the person you want to talk to is TubeDude - go to his tube board. Also, you might want to check with the "Yak" folks - I was treated to a ton of information from the BFT members Kayote and Tincanfish while I looked into kayaks.
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[FlyFishingMoose]

First of all, "Welcome Aboard"!

I've owned both, and I prefer the toon. Although the toon is bulker to haul around with the toons and frame, life is more comfortable to me on the toon. I can take more gear with me, and have a generally happier day on the water than I did when I had a tube. Both are a lot of fun, but I prefer to be "out of the water". Now I know some will not agree, & Tubedude has a great setup on his tube and he can present a great arguement towards getting a tube. But I think you need to try both before deciding. Then decide for yourself, that is how I did it, and I think I made the best choice for me. Good luck with your choice!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey new tooner, you give good advice. Try before you buy, whenever possible.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have preferred fishing from tubes for many years, mainly because up until recently, there was not the choice of good quality fishin' toons. It was either tube, boat or bankin'. And, most of the spots I like to fish are easily reached and fished with tubes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]However, since moving back to Utah, where there are some larger waters than in southern Arizona, I can readily appreciate the advantages to be gained by using a toon...especially with an electric motor. A powered up toon affords you a lot more speed and range, and the added benefit of being able to troll without kicking yourself into a hernia.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I will soon join the ranks of the pontoon set. It will be an addition to my fishing options, not a complete replacement of the tube. There will always be the times and places where fishing will be better and less intense from a tube. But, I do anticipate enjoying all of the new benefits made possible with a powertoon.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am still working on designs for the Bimini top, the outriggers, the twin 150s and all that. Heck, if I am gonna make the leap, I might as well go all the way.[/#0000ff]
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[sliverslinger]

Rvanman, welcome to the Board! You have received a lot of good advise, but I think that the most important part Tubedue stated: "[#0000ff][size 1]I will soon join the ranks of the pontoon set. It will be an addition to my fishing options, not a complete replacement of the tube. There will always be the times and places where fishing will be better and less intense from a tube."[/size][/#0000ff]
There is a time and a place I think for both pontoons or float tubes. I generally prefer my pontoon, but because I mainly fly fish, when I am using sinking lines I feel I can present my fly the way I want to and not be pushed around as much by the wind in my float tube as I do in my pontoon. I love them both, Jake
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[PrinceFisher]

Isn't one of the signs of the Apocalypse that TubeDude will switch from a tube to a 'toon? I mean, I've never met Mr. Scouten personally (although I'd like to), but I doubt there are many who have ever lived who have heralded the benefits of fishing from a tube the way he has. Even with all the resources of the Internet at my fingertips, I've not run across a more ardent supporter of tubing for fish.

Thus, I ask the question, "Will the world end if THE TUBE-Dude abandons his tube and opts for a 'toon?" It's a scary thought. What's next, will the sky still be blue? Will water still be wet? Will our lives here at BFT ever be the same?

Here's the worst part: Will the illustrious TD have to change his name to "ToonDude" and be made to suffer with "New Member," "Bait," and other monikers until he can build up his number of posts again? Yes, these are the important questions.

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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Nay, Fisher of Princes, when the Dude of the Tube taketh up the pursuit of pontoonery, the world shall not end. Nor shall there be a shift in the force. For verily, tho he hath written much upon tubing, and tho he hath held forth mightily on the blessings of tubology, he hath lusted in his heart for the higher callings made possible by the acquisition of a toon.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]He shall take up the pontoon as a means of being a better and more mobile fisher...of fish, not of men. That be not his style. But lo, he shall not totally forsake the tubes of his early years, for they are as good friends, to be treated with honor and respect. He shall continue to float upon the waters in both manners of such craft, for added enjoyment in his advancing years.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Pretty heavy stuff for a RANK angler. Yeah verily and all that blather.[/#0000ff]
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[rvanman2000]

I do believe the Pontoon would work for me better in general. I don't want to limit myself in saying where I'll be fishing, or for what....Right now I am interested in all types of fish and want to fish lots of different waters. I have a cabin up Fairview Canyon and would use the resevoirs around there quite often in the summer, but I have just started on my quest for mastering the Legendary Walleyes and will be fishing at Utah Lake often because it is close to my home. I have never tried Fly Fishing and I'm not that interested in that at the moment. If I ever hike miles into a lake, I don't know that I'll carry a toon in that far, and might have to look at a tube at that point. But for now, I think a toon will get me started.

I like the sound of putting an electric trolling motor on also....I'll have to find out more info on that once I am the proud owner of a toon.

I also understand that when choosing a Pontoon, the cheapest isn't the best way to go, but I have seen some toon's that get up there quite abit. I'm not usually one to buy the best, but try to buy best for a somewhat moderate amount. Do you have any good insight on which toons might be a better choice for me to start with?
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[tuber]

Tubes are great and have their place. I have always used a float tube but my main problem was I would cramp up in cold water, especially in the Uintas. Whenever you need to walk a bit, a tube is great and relaxing. I just bought my first toon last week. After seeing MikeCromaine's pictures I ended up buying the same one. It is the Colorado 9 footer. You can get them at Sams Club for $320. I plan on breaking it out this week at either Lake X or the Berry. I will let you know what I think. I am going to buy a motor, but want to try once without it. Either way, you can't lose, you will be out FISHING.

One question to those TOONERS: Do you wear fins to kick around at all or not?

tuber (soon to be tooner)
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[Hellsangler69]

I always wore fins but I never had a motor . I sold my toon and bought a Fishcat now . I still like a tube over a pontoon , but I have to walk a ways to launch at some of my fishing holes .
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[Fishhound]

Wow ...

And a RANK angler. You never told me you knew how to fish for RANK. Would you recommend casting, jigging, or trolling for them ? Where would you recommend finding them - the Jordan River ? I've heard tell that there's exotics to be found in there.
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[Fishhound]

Ok, here's what I would recommend. Watch this board for a flotilla or hook up with some of those with pontoons and check them out. I'm not trying to weasel out of giving my opinion here(which, by the way, changes on occasion) about brands or types. I think though, you would get a better idea if you saw several different configurations and evaluate how you could incorporate those ideas into your particular application.

Let me explain;

As I mentioned, I have a pontoon - it's my second one(it is 12 foot long and 5 foot wide, has 4 individual tubes). It's been through a dozen refits. It's been everything from a class III river raft, to a home base mother ship on a three week Dirty devil/Powell float, to a twin engine(15 lb gamefisher on front and 30 lb Minnkota on back) power troller with stacked lines on a downrigger - it's even had my 3 horse Yamaha kicker on it(it moves right along with that gas motor). Last week, I motored all the way across Rockport and beached my boat and took it apart entirely and then redesigned it and rebuilt it from scratch - I put both motors on the back, gave up trolling for the day and played power boat in 2 foot swells and whitecaps(only about a class II/II.5 rapid, if you were to convert it). No problem about the time spent doing it - I was fishing the whole while from the bank and doing quite well(the torrential rain and gale force wind not withstanding).

The point to my ramble is this; You can save yourself a lot of time and trial and error in the design or developement of your plan for the watercraft, if you can pin point more precisely your expected application and then look for those that may have already solved some of the common issues.

I have seen about a dozen of the BFT poster's watercrafts. Every one of them addresses their individual specific and particular needs or preferences differently. Some of them have already addressed what your conjuring up in your mind, hook up on a fishing outing(like a flotilla) and take some mental notes and look at the different brands, types and how they have been used.

OK - now my opinion on brands and types - I firmly believe that there are only three factories in the world that are responsible for making everything. One is in Mexico, One is in China, and the third is someplace written in some squiggly stuff I can't read. They all make the same number of "lemons"(they have a world wide quota), and customer service for all three has been outsourced to a place called Bombay.
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[PrinceFisher]

Tincan,

It sounds like you've got some good experience with different types of kayaks. Did you choose Malibu kayaks because you feel they're the best?

After you mentioned Malibu specifically, I went to malibukayaks.com, and the company looks like they offer some pretty functional kayaks for fishermen. Is there a reason you chose the Pro Explorer? Have you seen their new X-Factor?

I'm thinking about getting a pontoon or possibly a kayak, and I'm leaning towards a kayak because I'd like to take my young sons out with me occasionally.

One thing that interests me is that a kayak seems like it could go anywhere a tube or a 'tune could go, but if I had to get off the water in a hurry due to inclement weather or some other reason, it seems like I could paddle off the water pretty quickly in a kayak. True?

Another thing: I think I could use a kayak for a lot of fun family outings, since two or more people could paddle a kayak and enjoy it together.

What do you think?
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[FlyFishingMoose]

I can understand the need for a tube when hiking into the backcountry. I would not want to carry my toon (80lbs loaded), and just that reason makes a tube sound nice vs the toon. I've had both I liked the tube for size and ease, but was cramped, and I got cramps in my legs as well, and not being cold blooded didn't help much either. In other words I was miserable in the tube, so I started looking and planning last year for a toon. I was not too sure which brand to get and since money was a problem I opted for easy & cheap. I got my toon at the sportsmans show. $165 later it was in the car on the road home, the next week I saw the same toon at Garts after the show the sell for $350. I just picked the best time to get what I wanted. IF it works out, great, IF not I'm not out much.

Best of luck in your search.
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[DanL]

Maybe it is because I am already boat poor but for me the advantages of a tube are many. If I want to be out of the water, I will use one of my boats. I use the tubes where boats are not easily launched or in smaller waters like stock ponds. The other thing that I like about the tube is that when it is too hot to enjoy fishing in a bass boat the tube is COOLER. I carry it when I go bass fishing in the bass boat or as a fishing buddy on my 22 foot pontoon boat. In the end, I catch more and bigger fish when I use the tube because it slows me down and makes me fish an area thoroughly. I’ll drop it over my pedestal in the front of the bass boat and throw it in to fish the backs of small coves. In a place where I might would use a toon, I prefer a small jon boat or one of those little plastic pond boats. With my strap on wheels my pond hopper is easy to roll even over a pretty long distance. It is 9 foot and has just about everything my bass boat has. All said, I still spend more time and catch more fish in and with my toob than all my expensive boats put together.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks for the input Dan. You are saying exactly what I have been saying for many years. Tubes are not meant to replace boats, but can often outfish them in some fishing situations. There are lots of times and places where tubing makes more sense and is more effective.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Some folks just can't wrap around the idea that it is not a matter of "either-or" when it comes to water craft. It is both legal and recommended to have boat, tube AND toon, and to use them all. Having at least one of each greatly increases your options and gives you the choice of where you will fish...and how you will fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You also present the same point I have made many times. That is that fishing from a tube makes you to be a better fisherman at times, simply by slowing you down and forcing you to fish each spot more thoroughly and more carefully. When you are in boat the tendency is often to "run and gun". That's okay for scoring on the active fish, but on days when they are picky, and need a slower presentation, you will get more fish from a tube.[/#0000ff]
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