If anyone is a tube fisherman (bellyboats) and you have any problems with anything associated with them, ask me. I consider myself quite an expert. (pat on back)

I have been fishing in them for 40 years. I learned from the best. Bob Brown who owned "fishmaster" out in Oklahoma City. He was the inventer back about the time I was born. Gary.

This is really great to know if I ever decide to buy one.

I'm a tuber now. (Gee, sounds like a song title!). I sold my boat a while back and now live surrounded by small waters. So, a tube works for me. I do miss the speed though. But, I've adjusted and simply need to think ahead a bit more, fish more thoroughly, and sometimes just kick like hell!

No questions right now, but would love to talk tubes. Not that many of us on here it seems.

Great to have your expertise on board.

I'm a tuber now. (Gee, sounds like a song title!). I sold my boat a while back and now live surrounded by small waters. So, a tube works for me. I do miss the speed though. But, I've adjusted and simply need to think ahead a bit more, fish more thoroughly, and sometimes just kick like hell!

No questions right now, but would love to talk tubes. Not that many of us on here it seems.

Great to have your expertise on board.

Yes, take your time and enjoy it. You'll find that the wildlife are not as afraid of you, and you get to see some spectacular sites. I noticed you said you kick like hell. So my next question is what exactly are you using to propell yourself along? If its what they call "kickers" (or the little plastic side paddles that come out when you move your legs) Then I understand why. I dropped those a long time ago and went to divers fins. Yes, when you start out across a cove, you are moving backwards, but you'll get there in 1/5 the time. What I love about fins is the fact that once you start fishing, you can move your float 360 degrees in any direction. But the kickers limit you to forward motion only.

Pick your area wisely when you head to the lake, don't waste your time in unproductive waters. Find a place that holds fish like creek beds, standing and laying timber, etc. All the forementioned would be ideal. I better shut up now, I could write a book on this subject lol. Hope that helped. Gary.

This is really great to know if I ever decide to buy one.

BUY ONE

I just got one last week....the flippers are really hard for me for some reason... :-[

I noticed you said you kick like hell. So my next question is what exactly are you using to propell yourself along?

I'm using long (divers) fins, and my boats FAST -in a relative way LOL. And yes they are very maneuverable.

I just got one last week....the flippers are really hard for me for some reason... :-[

Stay with it. It'll get easier. When I first put mine in the water I couldn't do a thing! Felt very strange. But you'll get the hang of it.

I began learning to turn by leaning off to one side, but eventually discovered I simply need to just take a swipe to one side to spin like a top. I can make subtle adjustments by rotating my leg in a circular way. Pretty soon you pretty much become part of the water and subtle motions will move you.

A couple things might help. Fold your legs beneath, not just splayed out in front of you. And I remember early on it helped to look and slightly turn your shoulders in the direction you want to go; You then tilt a bit and your legs are pointed in the right way to move you to where you're looking.

Anyway, play around some more. You'll get it, and develop excellent control.

I have been fishing from a tube for years too. I do I perfer the side kick fins over the scuba type. I feeel moving forward,allows you to move into pockets easier to allow for better angles for more target casting. You will lose some speed but your not going backwards all day and fishing over your shoulder. That being said I will throw on some scuba fins on windy days they do put out a bit more power.

This is really great to know if I ever decide to buy one.

BUY ONE

Don't have enough small water near me to invest in one.

Snakes, Gators, & Alligator Gars... No Thanks I'll Stay in the Boat!

But to each his own... ;D

I feeel moving forward,allows you to move into pockets easier to allow for better angles for more target casting. You will lose some speed but your not going backwards all day and fishing over your shoulder.

I have wondered how those type of fins work. Yes, I do have to spin and then kick backwards to re-position, and it is a bit of a pain. But only a small bit. I can creep forward by pushing back, then very slowly bringing my fins up and forward and pushing again. It's very slow though; sometimes just enough, other times I have to just spin and kick like a crawdad to my next position LOL.

I also use an anchor a lot. Don't know if others do. It helps keep position even in a breeze. Also, it's easy to lose position while fighting and unhooking fish. The anchor keeps me in place.

I have been fishing from a tube for years too. I do I perfer the side kick fins over the scuba type. I feeel moving forward,allows you to move into pockets easier to allow for better angles for more target casting. You will lose some speed but your not going backwards all day and fishing over your shoulder. That being said I will throw on some scuba fins on windy days they do put out a bit more power.

When I am wanting to move forward slowly to fish. I just bend my knees and move forward. The problem I have with kickers is when I set the hook on a good bass, forward is the only direction you can go. With fins I can propell myself backwards. Or I move my legs in either direction to move left or right. 360 degrees. Even if the wind isn't blowing, I can get across a cove in no time, or when I am ready to go home, I'm there in 1/5 the time it takes me with kickers.

  Why would you fish over your shoulder? Simply turn around in a fraction of a second and your fishing straight ahead.

   Want to make the longest cast you have ever made? Throw that worm out and slowly kick the fins backwards as you drag it slowly along with you through cover. You never have to reel it in until your ready.

This is really great to know if I ever decide to buy one.

BUY ONE

Don't have enough small water near me to invest in one.

I have fished texoma in one. Find a nice cover out of the wind and enjoy:)

landscp   I hear what your saying about fighting fish. But if you are moving forward you are already in position for you next cast. You don't have to spin and move and spin again. And you are right about draging worms scuba type are better for that. But most of the lakes I fish I'm casting to lillypads so if I'm going backwards before I know it I'm in the pads.

   

The problem I have with kickers is when I set the hook on a good bass, forward is the only direction you can go. With fins I can propell myself backwards.

Never thought of that. I have, with long fins, reacted on a small fish and sent it cartwheeling across the water. Guess I was a little "tense" ;D.

Sometimes I hate spinning around to move and fish. Especially when I really need to be quiet. Spinning in the tube will send a pressure wake. If I can I like to fish with the wind, but can't always do that of course.

Nothings perfect, especially in fishing. So many variables. Natures a BIG place.

Good stuff.

landscp I hear what your saying about fighting fish. But if you are moving forward you are already in position for you next cast. You don't have to spin and move and spin again. And you are right about draging worms scuba type are better for that. But most of the lakes I fish I'm casting to lillypads so if I'm going backwards before I know it I'm in the pads.

I guess we fish different lol.  I fish slowly and make several cast at each location. then I move on (backwards or sideways) and make several more cast. so I'm not spinning and casting. I would look like a top out there lol.

Another tip some of you might like to know. I don't use a stringer to hold my fish. I find that they get tangled arond your legs, or when you least expect it and your concentrating on your technique one will jump up out of the water and scare the hell out of you. Here's the best thing I have found to solve those problems. I attach an allagator clamp to one of the metal rings that holds my shoulder straps on. The clamp must be one of the bigger sizes. Now take a burlap sack and squeeze the clamp and attach it to the top of the sack. let the sack hang in the water. You can attach a longer cord to the clamp (six to eight inches) if you want it to hang further over your tube. The fish don't jump, and when your getting out of the water, its a lot easier to carry them.

Have problems getting holes in your wadders when fishing alot of stickups and logs? Bob Brown came up with this one. We wore what we call "cover pants" over the top of our wadders. I prefer plain old Sweat Pants. Comfortable and roomy. I guarantee, you can crawl over logs and never tear your wadders again. Gary.

Snakes, Gators, & Alligator Gars... No Thanks I'll Stay in the Boat!

But to each his own... ;D

I've never had a problem with snakes in the forty some odd years I have fished a tube. Yes, I have seen many out there for sure, but never a problem. I think its more fear factor for some than others.

Alligators? There is no way in hell I'm getting in any waters where those things exsist. I depend alot on my legs for getting around lol ;D

There's another smaller leg down there I'd like to keep also. Gary.