I have recently come in need of some type of watercraft to fish the shorelines of lakes. A float tube seemed like it might be the right fit for such use. I was wondering if anyone had any recomendations? Any help would be much appreciated.
I'll keep it simple. Buy an Outcast. Choose one that fits your needs and budget.
Fishcat 4 - Basic model with a foam seat. $169
Fishcat 4 dlx - A Fishcat 4 with an inflatable seat. The inflatable seat will keep you higher and drier than the foam seat. Also it insulates more efficiently. $199
Fatcat - Larger than the Fishcats. Foam seat. Better quality (stronger and lighter) bladder. More storage space. Velcro straps to secure a spare rod. $299
Super Fatcat - A Fat Cat with an inflatable seat. The inflatable seat will keep you higher and drier than the foam seat. Also it insulates more efficiently. $369
I own a Super Fatcat. It is very comfortable and stable. I sit high enough, so I rarely have a splash on my back cast using a 9 foot rod. The inflatable seat doesn't sag like the foam seat. When fishing cold alpine lakes, the seat insulates really well. The difference is noticable. I also like having the rod straps on it because I always have a spare rod rigged up with a different line and fly.
Go with outcast as abelboy stated. I own a fat cat and its a been great. It also inflates and deflates really quickly, easily in a min or two to fully inflate. The large compartments also work pretty good as a cooler. Spend the extra cash on an outcast product its worth it.
Yeah--Outcast! And buy from your local shop. Save you s&h and build a relationship with shop. I know someone who purchased a different tube for about the same cost as the Fish Cat from Cabela's, paid the s&h, used it about a season/maybe 10 times on the water before the denier/stitching tore. He borrowed my Super Fat Cat, noticed the big difference in comfort, higher seat, better tracking, and far more storage/pocket space. He didn't waste too much time -- went to his local shop and purchased one! Oh, and if he wants to return his defective tube to Cabelas, all the paper work was needed, including PO and an explanation for the return, not to mention the time spent packing, etc.
Any defective product I've returned to my local shop is just left and exchanged for a new one or a loaner until a new one arrives.
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There's no greater fan of fly fishing than the worm...
I forgot to add that Outcast's warranty service is top notch. I made a mistake of leaving my Super Fatcat out in the sun during lunchtime at Fuller Lake. I normally would have put it in the shade. The excess heat expanded the bladder to the point that a seam blew out. For those who understand physics: PV=nRT. An increase in temperature will increase pressure and volume.
I had the local fly shop send back my tube. Within a week and a half, I had my tube back. Outcast restiched the outer cover. All that was charged was a $20 handling fee.
Anybody have this problem when float tubing ? If i'm fishing in wind or current and am doing alot of kicking around the backsides of my knees really get sore from rubbing on the front edge of the seat, Thingk I need to glue some padding on that area. Maybe I need better fins so I don't need to kick as hard ?
Anybody have this problem when float tubing ? If i'm fishing in wind or current and am doing alot of kicking around the backsides of my knees really get sore from rubbing on the front edge of the seat, Thingk I need to glue some padding on that area. Maybe I need better fins so I don't need to kick as hard ?
This can probably be a new topic. Force Fins for float tubing - there is no substitute.
I was gonna ask about those force fin things. Thanks
Force Fins is a brand of fins that are made for anything from snorkeling to skin diving to fly fishing. The Force Fins made for fly fishing were designed to be kicked from a seated position as in being in a float tube or pontoon craft. With these fins, one can kick much more efficiently with these than other fins in the market.
