Float tube vs U-boat vs pontoon

[Desil]

I've had my eye on the "trade / sale" section looking for a flaot tube for sale cheap, and I was wondering what these different things are best for. My intent is primarily to float down the hootch and spinner fish (I know, when I figure out how to do that right I'll learn how to fly fish) but in the mean time - spin casting. No lakes. Just rivers. Here's my questions-

-what is best out of a flost tube or U-boat or pontoon for the hootch

-do they tear up your waders

-what are things to look for (name brand, price, ect.)

I'm going low budjet, but would like to be educated either way. I am not good with the lingo yet, especially on this subject.

Thanks,

Desil

[mmarkey]

Desil

i got no experience with any kind of belly boat. But I have a Pontoon boat Creek Co. Sport It's yellow you may have seen one. The problem I'm haveing with them is if you want to stop some where you better throw an anchor well before or you'll pass it. They are not as maneuverable as you would think.

I think most of the guys that use tube craft wade/float. This may get you more places but the personal risk is also higher.

Personally i prefer to wade most of the time.

[streamKAT]

Those Browns are elusive but I hardly think it sporting to use a U-Boat....

plus you have to beware of mines & depth charges .


Sorry, I couldn't resist !

[B Kar Ma]

I have both round float tube and pontoon. They have distinct advantages. I use the float tube for the hooch. It's lightweight, economical ($50-60) and I've only flipped it in shallow water, so far........
I use the pontoon for pond/lake fishing. Best investment I made. Prices range from $199 to over $1,000. I'm cheap, so guess which one I got......In addition to ponds, I'm told that the Toccoa was made for a pontoon. Hope this helps.

[FlygURL]

My opinion differs from B Kar Ma.

I used a float tube on the hooch for a few years. Now, I only use my pontoon. Why? The pontoon was made to handle the riffles and mild rapids. While I never fliped my belly boad, I just feel safer about manuvering in fast water in the pontoon. I like not being attached to a vessel in fast water.

However, for pond and lake fishing, I think a belly boat or U boat is better - one word to describe why - WIND.

If you do tube in moving water, heck, in any water, make sure to have a knife very handy in case you do flip.

[streamKAT]

Both are quite effective for fishing and are economical.
regarding kayaks, I'm talking about the wide stable sit on top types , of which there are many on the market nowadays ; they generally do NOT capsize easily at all and are easy on the waders.

I have fished on the hooch from both and always had quite a bit of fun...
and my waders are in great shape....

with a canoe or yak I often cruise and then stop to wade at the good spots;however,i recently got one of those small kayak anchor systems and am going to give that a go....

It's a safe bet that you will have alot of fun with whatever craft you choose !

[Trout8myfly]

I've used a pontoon for two seasons on the 'Hooch and it has served me very well. 'Toons are very stable and easy to manuver. That said, sometimes the oars are a nuisance when trying to cast and simultaneously avoid obstacles like falldown.

The main reason I'm starting to contemplate a kayak is speed...there are some sections of the 'Hooch that require long float times and a kayak is much speedier than a 'toon.

Maybe for Xmas....

[Desil]

Most of the time I see people the are in a float tube. Is that because they are the cheapest option? I don't know if I could do much manuvering while fishing on a pontoon (sometimes I still have trouble on land) would y'all say a flaot tube is the choice for beginers?

Desil

[FlygURL]

I started on a tube because I'd not seen a pontoon before.

[docfarmer]

Float tubes are only marginally maneuverable, like, you can spin and cast to a new spot easily. As for when the current is pucing you, you haven't much of a say as to where you want to go, unless you get fins of kickers, but those both scare me. I have littel short legs and I don't need anything else hampering my balance while thousands of gallons of water are pushing against me. If you do get a tube though, get suspenders, so that when you do stop to fish, you can stand up and the tube wont be in the water. That makes all the difference.

[flytier495]

Like most of the individuals who have replied, I am partial to the pontoon. I have done most of my fishing in Tn, on the Hiwassee river, so I can not speak for which is better in GA. I can tell you, that the pontoon in my opinion is better than a belly boat on the HI. I have taken mine down it several times and outside of the little issue of stopping (the anchors are cumbersome at best) have enjoyed my time using my pontoon. Although, since my friend bought his drift boat, I have been ruined.

[Philbert]

I have a toon, tube, canoe,and yak, they all have different advantages. as far as the fishing platform itself. I prefure the pontoon. It sits higher than a tube, and you can see in the water alot better, its easy to manuver, and rapids are a peice of cake in them! I like the tube when I dont feel like hauling heavy stuff to, and from the river bank. I like the yak when I want something easy to haul on and off the river, and when I want to take longer floats. you can cover water fast in a yak. as far as what I think the best hooch craft is. If you dont mind carrying gear, and you always go with someone that can help you carry it. I would choose a toon. the yak would come in second, just because I can carry it by myself.

[Franko]

I like my sit-in kayak, cause when the fish aren't biting I can still explore and have a blast.

[Desil]

So I've been looking at pontoons - pretty heavy huh? The only thing that is stopping me is being able to stnd up and wade around when I find the good spots.

Desil

[JD Squire]

Pontoon!!!!!!Pontoon!!!!!!Pontoon!!!!!!Pontoon!!!! !!
They are not that heavy, I can stand mine on the back end, climb under it and carry it on bmy back 70 or 80 yards without stopping. But then again I do toss phone poles for fun.....;).

[FlygURL]

How to wade when using a pontoon... A great friend taught me this... (Are you out there?)... Hook a bungee cord on the hooks at the end of the pontoon. Just jump out of the toon but stay within it. BTW, this friend of mine does not use the foot rests. Using the bungee cords without the footrests makes this configuration easier.

And, without the footrests, that is one less thing for your line to get hung up on.

I, myself, use the footrests because I have such short legs.

[FlygURL]

My pontoon is steel, but another friend has one made of aluminum. I like hers - it is so light! If I had it to do over again, I'd prefer the lighter one.

[mmarkey]

FlygURL
I've got a question about getting back in after you jump out.

Do you ever have any trouble getting back on after? Is there a maximum depth of water you will do this in? And the Big question is how do you judge the depth? With my luck I'd say the water is only 2 feet and then kerplunk I'm in 5' of water and my waders are full.... of water. :yikes:

More details please. This method sounds interesting. :rolleyes: :confused:

[FlygURL]

You can easily use your oars or fly/line to determine depth. If the oars don't reach, my feet won't either!

At first, you easily misjudge the depth to be shallower that it is if it is clear. It becomes easier with practice. Long legged folks can just put a leg in to determine depth.

[FlygURL]

Oh, and to get back in, generally speaking, my butt has to be near seat height to get back on.

[JD Squire]

If I find a good section I will ease out of the seat like I am testing pool water, holding myself up with my hands, the oar thing works good too (if you are vertically challenged). Then I just drop anchor and wade around as far as I want. I usually anchor up toward the bottom of a run and work back upstream. To get back in just kinda hop in and you are off again.

[FlygURL]

It's been a while - I forgot about the anchor trick.

[Bob M]

Time and time again I've seen too many folks in pontoons spending inordinate amouts of time 'not fishing'. Plus, the aren't very friendly for moving around a shallow shoal, where a lot of good fishing is located. It looks like the pontoon'ers are having a fun boat ride. If that's the object of the exercise, then go for it. Otherwise it makes sense to get a float tube or get a better boat than a pontoon.

...wait a second. I take that back. Get a pontoon! ....and leave that good water to me :-)

[JD Squire]

Did a pontooner steal your wife or what? you got a grudge! :);)

[Bob M]

Not at all. I like working lightly-fished productive water.

Seriously though, they aren't as good as a tube for fishing the Hooch. They are 'popular' though.

[JD Squire]

Popular is all that matters isn't it??:);)I will take your word for it since I don't fish the hooch much. I can tell you a tube sucks on the lower Toccoa IMO. There are just too many shallow areas to waddle over with a tube on for me.
I don't fish from my toon much unless It is too deep to wade. I usually anchor up, get out, and really work an area.

[lead head]

A kick boat such as Water Skeeter's Backpacker is an option that I haven't seen mentioned. The size and weight (about 20lbs) makes it portable enough to carry assembled on my sholders on most trails along the Hooch. It has no oars to manage, sits you higher than a tube but not as high as the larger pontoons (this is actually good in wind-on-a-pond scenario). Steering in current and propulsion is accomplished with fins that fit over the toes of your boots. This is definately not as fast a means of propulsion as the oars on a pontoon, but your hands are free to manage line. The fins come in handy to back up while stripping in line when a fish runs toward me.

If you go this route I recommend "Amphibifins" which are available from Orvis or from Water Skeeter distributors. These have short wide fins and felt bottoms to make up for the felt they cover on the front half of your wading boots. Of course you have to get use to managing the fins in the current if you are wading (even though they are short they do amplify the effects of current on your feet).

It is pretty easy on the Hooch to stop and wade when you feel or see the river bottom; you simply stand up and let the boat swing down-stream (a stripping apron on bungie keeps the boat from floating away). I have been able to hoist myself back into the kickboat from chest deep water using the aluminum frame. The foot rests on my boat do not interfere with wading and have keep the boat from getting away at least once when I had the stripping apron loose on one side; I actually find them more useful as handles when carrying the boat on my sholders than for resting my feet.

[Bob M]

Waddling is a major problem if you aren't using suspenders. ok, so suspenders make a belly-boat look like a rubber tu-tu, but it ain't a fashion show. When you get to a shallow riffle, just stand up and the tube is out of the way and isn't a tripping hazard. ...you don't even have to fish around a 'toon that is dead in the middle of your down stream drift, which is a pretty effective place to fish.

The 'suspenders' are handy as backback straps too. It's useful if you want to climb in/out of the river around the hatchery, GA20, Settles Bridge, McGinnis Ferry. Last time on the Hooch I parked at the hatchery, walked the quarter mile to Bowman's island, waded up the Gwinnett side of the Island and floasted down the Forsyth of the Island.

I suppose I should give more consideration to buying fishing gear to be 'popular'. :-)

[FlygURL]

I had suspenders and used them with my tube. Please do not float with your suspenders on - a definate safety hazard.

[JD Squire]

This is getting nowhere! Hey Bob let's agree to disagree OK. I will make sure not to buy you pontoon for christmas if you promise not to get me a float tube! :);)

[Bob M]

Deal. However, I have two 'guest tubes' available if you want a little nolstalgia. ....with suspenders. They are safer that way.

[Desil]

O.K. I think I got a handle on it. Hey Bob - if you ever have a garage sale that includes those guest tubes let me know.

Desil