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the O Kind

the U kind

[Blackgivesway2blue]

what kind of float tube do you think would be good and SAFE for a beginner for fishing lakes, the Circle shaped ones or the U shaped ones???

[skaha]

--depends on make as many alternatives
--generally closed front you sit lower in the water... an advantage in small lakes as you are closer to the water and can see whats going on in the water.
--as more of your body in the water, especially in neoprene you will be floating in cooler water on a hot day and almost no pressure on your back.

--disadvantages.. as deeper in the water these boats are not made for speeding across the lake. can be more difficult to get in and out of on a slippery shore and need deeper water to launch.

--two types of V shape.. one with similar seat in the water as O tube, usually a re=moveable bar in front and spray skirt, depending on how far the sides extend may give feeling of falling forward.
--other type of V shape such as outcast has foam seat and smooth underbelly... this floats you out of the water a bit more and allows for greater speed crossing a small lake.
--both V shapes can launch in shallow water, feet tend to float up in front of you until you get used to it.
--I would not reccomend either boat for anynone not comfortable around the water, you will fall so practice an exit in shallow water (with trusted buddies close by)

--make sure whatever boat you get that you carry auxiliary flotation, signal device so boaters can see you especially in the evening and that the boat has enough flotation for your size.
--decide where you are going to fish the most and get the most suitable.
--a dealer should have some demo's for you to try before you buy.
--with younger person or poor swimmer ware life jacket or at least an inflatable and never fish alone

[Jamison Jay]

Neither are that great, theres a fellow on the FlyBC site who is selling a decent pontoon boat for $250, I would jump on that. Get's you up and out of the water. I would rather fish out of a candian tire raft than a float tube..............keep in mind thats just my opinion

[BNF861]

Pontoons are nice, but float tubes are cheaper, easier to carry, take upless space and can be deflated and inflated for hiking into lakes.

To answer your question, I have had both the O and U shape, and would recommend the U shape ones. They are so much easier to launch and to get in and out of while wearing flippers.

I always wear some kind of pfd while in a float tube incase something happens. I have used a tube before with a slow leak and it can take a long time to get to shore sometimes once you notice it getting low in air

[HOOK]

I have owned a float tube and while it was awesome at the time im very glad to be up out of the water in my pontoon. personally i would lean towards a pontoon. the best option would be to get a hybrid between the two, these are called V-boats and make by outcast. V-boats are in the $150 range brand new and can usually find alot cheaper used if you keep your eyes peeled. I have fished out of one of these and they are WAY better then a float tube because your out of the water almost entirely except your knees down.


this is the exact one im talking about.

http://www.outcastboats.com/outcast/products/default.aspx?id=22

[marmot]

I've had both the U and the O type, as well as a pontoon boat, 9 foot alum springbok.  Nothing gets you into small, tough access lakes as easily and efficiently as a float tube.  Pontoon boats do not come close to touching simplicity or portability of a float tube.

The U type is easy to get in and out of but I prefer the O style.  It's really nice to be able to lean on the front of it while you're retrieving, having your arms out front.  The O style has got me wet on a number of occasions getting in and out though....there is definitely something to be said for ease of entry/exit.  Try both if you can and see which you prefer.  The other nice thing about tubes over pontoons is price, especially used!!  Since it's usually just the bladder (or inner tube) that gets damaged you can usually buy used very confidently. 

[fishnjim]

i have had both u and o shaped and now that i have more experience, would much rather the u tube.  i am curious on the pontoon boats as well.  i have a small 9.5 foot duck punt that does me just fine most of the time.

[doja]

As far as safety the boat hook suggested has dual air chambers which can be good if you have some sort of an air leak or blow out... however it will still drop you in the water which could be near freezing and dangerous, but you can always prop your self up on the inflated side to keep the top of your waders out of the water and thus keep the cold water out of your warm waders and keep you warm while kicking back to shore, which could be a good distance away and even further from warmth.

Safety has more to do with YOU than the boat. You should learn the dangers of the water and the cold and more important...cold water.

And a wading belt would be a good idea in a tube in case you go down, they won't drown you but will keep water out of your waders. Again more important with a cold environment.

I remember taking a dip in a kamloops lake in the middle of summer on a warm day, the clouds were over head and it was windy, I fell out of my boat doing something not so bright and even though I was back in my boat within 5 seconds I was soaked and the wind was chilling me off pretty quick...luckily it was summer and not cold out!

You do not want to be wet and in a cold environment! That is the real danger besides not wearing your pfd.

Most of the dangers I talked about involve the cold and in the warmer months are not a big issue, however some lakes are glacier fed and stay very, very cold year round not to mention they can be remote hike in and a good distance from your car(warmth).

And if you buy a used tube make sure to check it out, the inner tube I mean for damage, wear, or signs that could lead to problems before you head out. I'd probably even look at replacing the inner tube if it looked to be on the old side as a precaution. Kinda like changing the water pump in your car before it breaks. But it all depends on what you are doing with it I guess.

If I had a choice I'd go for the outcast boat hook recommenced hands down... well as far a float tubes go.

[HOOK]

the Vboat i suggested is very light and only weighs maybe a few lbs heavier then some float tubes. The float tube i had was a large one and actually weighed more because it had a true rubber inner tube which none have anymore. A suggestion i would make would be to replace the bladder inside the tube for a proper rubber inner tuber because they can handle alot more abuse.

like i said I have fished out of all 3 of these types and my pontoon. If i didnt have the pontoon i would be fishing out of a Vboat no question, they are also really nice cause they have a bit of storage behind you so it doesnt need to be packed in your side pockets however water does get back there so its best for "beverages" 

sometimes i wish i had my float tube for hike ins but honestly i dont do hike in lakes because i like the ease of pulling up to the lakeside dropping my pontoon down, inflating it and then out on the water to fish in comfort  Next for me is to buy a boat so i can take my son out with me on the water, thank god he is only 9months old so there is no rush on that one yet LOL

[marmot]

Hook's point about the inner tube being the truck tire and not a bladder is a very good one.  They are also very easy to repair if you have a leak.  They are quite a bit heavier than a bladder of the same size but unless you are trekking long distances it's a small price to pay.  If you purchase one with a bladder and replace it with a tube, you may want to keep the primary bladder rolled up and stashed in your backrest as a spare (they are very light). 

For anyone who has never tried float tube fishing, I would strongly suggest it.  Its a very low-effort way to get into places you wouldn't consider shore fishing or 'toon fishing.  Fun stuff

[Blackgivesway2blue]

thanks for the tips guys

[TrophyHunter]

I have a fish cat 4 and whie I rarely use it since I got the Sprately it is still very useful for hike in lakes and all the smaller lakes in general, the fishcat 4 is nice because it pretty much gets all of your body out of the water save for your lower legs.... my friend has a tube that he uses and it looks very awkward, not much range of movement from what I can see

Rick

[troutbreath]

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat21276-cat360011_TGP&id=0075445321415a&navCount=1&podId=0075445&parentId=cat360011&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IA&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true

best of both worlds. only 26 american pounds

[marmot]

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat21276-cat360011_TGP&id=0075445321415a&navCount=1&podId=0075445&parentId=cat360011&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IA&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true

best of both worlds. only 26 american pounds

Ya great recommendation tb... these look to be amazing... i was going to buy one but decided against it as I already have a pontoon and a tube... but still, if I was in the market for one small boat, this would be it.  Only downside is $$$$.  Quite expensive but the scadden stuff IS worth it.  Best made pontoons out there IMO after comparing my outcase pac900fs with my dads scadden skykomish.  All the outcast stuff is now made in China too (used to be made in US), whereas the scadden stuff is (at least last I looked) made in the states.

[fishstick]

-pontoons are usually far too heavy to hike any distance, esp. with a bunch of gear, but they are much better for spending a whole day on the water with, better range too, and it's much easier to cast farther with a fly rod
-nothing beats float tubes for ease, whatever type gets you the highest out of the water and allows you to get out quickest is the best eg. v types, it's tough to cast well on a windy day when you are low in the water

whatever you do it's good to have both a pontoon and a float tube
and ALWAYS wear a pfd