# Float tube club/tournaments



## BASSandBASEBALL (May 23, 2006)

Been looking high and low on the web for any float tube clubs/tournaments in Ohio. Only thing I find are the clubs out west in California. Anyone familiar with any? I enjoy fishing from the boat, bank, wading the creek, you name it but my favorite is from the belly boat. I fish mostly south of Columbus.....Deer Creek, Hargus, Lake White, etc... and rarely see any other tubers on the water. With the exception of a few buddies I don't know anyone else who float tubes. Any enthusiats out there? Would like to hear from you.


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## bones (Dec 31, 2004)

i get out in the tube from time to time mostly north of columbus.i dont no of any clubs and such.


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## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

Alot of guys go float tubing down at AEP. Might wanna make a post in the southeast forum and see if they know of any.

Jake


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## leckig (May 11, 2005)

I got mine tube a month ago but have not used it yet because of my healing knee. I can wait to give it a try! I may be going to AEP this weekend but afraid it is probably too cold for belly boat.

It would be fun to have an informal club. Or rather a big outing - can you imagine a sight of 20 float tubes in a small pond?


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## TexasRigged (Feb 25, 2005)

I'm a tuber, just started this year. Float tubing rocks!


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## BASSandBASEBALL (May 23, 2006)

leckig........been wading the creek and tubing since first of april w/no waders. you'll be fine this weekend. the chilly water bothers some more than others and my buddies think i'm nuts cause they wear waders in the summer but i hate 'em. 

it would be cool to have a structured club w/ tourneys if the interest level was there.


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## luv2fishnhunt83 (Apr 26, 2006)

went out march 25th in my tube w/waders but not insalated and the water was fine. i make it out about every weekend in mine. i fish the darby.the most fun and relaxing way to fish.
troy


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## FishJunky (May 20, 2004)

Get ahold of people that go to AEP. Any weekend your planning on going down there will probley be someone down there from this website. I was just down there last weekend with 11 other guys float tubing. I'll be going back down June 9th and 10th.


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## leckig (May 11, 2005)

I will be going this Saturday - I have room in my car and anyone is very welcome to join. The thing is that my boss and his wife will go as well and they will nto want to do much hiking (neither will I because of my knee). So, if anyone would like to share the ride, thats great, just keep in mind the above. I will be coming the same day, evening, I do not care what time. The boss and wife will stay with us for porbably no more then 2-3 hours.

So, pm or email me if you are interested. And if you know the area, that is yet better!
Greg


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## rodwaver (Feb 9, 2006)

I got a new tube this spring and took it out for the first time last Monday to a private pond I know. Had a blast for the hour or so. I'm in for the floatarama. Just name the time and place.


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## BASSandBASEBALL (May 23, 2006)

aep would be sweet. always wanted to go there but just never made the time. i am in the process of getting a permit. i've got so many holes in my area i don't get away from my home area,south of columbus,often. deer creek is behind my house and got several places within 30 minutes that are usually productive but no real hawgs. deer creek for me is always good for small mouth/whites/saugeyes. usually snag no less than 10 or so in about 3-4 hours of time. that is the creek not the lake. i want to hit aep for bigger bass. would be nice to catch some 4 pounders for a change.


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## FishJunky (May 20, 2004)

Theres nothing like AEP....  :B


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## PoleSnatcher (Apr 6, 2004)

I got a tube and have only used it once


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## Steelwolve (Apr 18, 2006)

I also spent 80 bucks on a tube and the 1st time I used it I got bit by a snaping turtle (thankfully a small one) on my foot and havent used it since. Now im too chicken **** to try it again ive caught some big snappers and dont wanna lose my foot. Good luck to you guys and wear flippers or something to cover your feet.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

Steelwolve said:


> I also spent 80 bucks on a tube and the 1st time I used it I got bit by a snaping turtle (thankfully a small one) on my foot and havent used it since. Now im too chicken **** to try it again ive caught some big snappers and dont wanna lose my foot. Good luck to you guys and wear flippers or something to cover your feet.


i was just about to ask if anyone got attacked while tubing


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## BASSandBASEBALL (May 23, 2006)

LOL SteelWolve.............It's like anything else in life i guess. There's always a risk. I see water snakes and turtles all the time and I just don't think about it. I have waded creeks since I was a kid and been float tubing for years and have never been "attacked" by anything yet. I usually wear my flippers over a pair of old workboots so hopefully it won't hurt too bad if it does happen.


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## leckig (May 11, 2005)

well, I just tested by U-Boat at AEP today!










it is sooo much fun to use it! The water is now just the right temperature down there. The place was however packed today with tents and with my knee still not healed completely, I could not hike at all, so I only got some bluegills. Also, I was using the tube for 20 minutes only, did not want to force the knee too much.

I saw some very nice bass i recon guarding their nests. Nice view! Oh, that is true - it is pretty dangerous - on the way to AEP I was almost hit by a deer on I-70. I was driving 65 and this damn thing jumped over my trunk (friend following me saw it well). It was very very scary....

Greg


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

i dont even know how u could touch those weeds. just the feel of them while standing in shallow water freek me out


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## leckig (May 11, 2005)

come on! just weeds... plus I did have some real trouble controling the tube with one leg


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

i freek out when i am wading and i have a nasty slimy weed brush my leg.


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## FishJunky (May 20, 2004)

When I was down at Aep the 19th thru the 21st, me and a couple of friends were out in a lake. When all of a sudden SMACK! SMACK! A huge beaver about 50 yards away protecting his territory. Not even 15secs later and probley 10yards behind us SMACK! SMACK! Scared us #@%^less. We grouped up the tubes after that and stayed a little closer after that. I've seen plenty of beavers down there but this one was the biggest beaver I've ever seen. Like my friend said it looked like a Lab. swimming through the water. It was huge. It patroled us for awhile. Those things make snapping turtles look like bunny wabbits.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

I have to admit that the thought of a snapping turtle taking a nibble out of my leg does cross my mind from time to time. I've had them take chunks out of a stringer full of crappie before, but it seems like it would just take some serious bad luck to get bit, so I put it out of my mind.

The beaver is another thing. If one of those is telling me to get away from his lodge while I'm in a tube or on land, I am going to listen! There was a story in my hometown paper a few years back about a guy getting seriously messed up by a beaver. I checked it out and there are also a few tales on the internet, including one that captured it on video!

http://www.idleriot.com/media/videos/Funny/1333/Canadian_Beaver_Attack.html


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## leckig (May 11, 2005)

His video reminds me "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" movie. They have a very dangerous rabbit there. FishJunky - see the movie and you will understand how wrong you are about those wabbits. A Holy Hand Granade is the only way to deal with them.

"And the Lord spake, saying, "First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it."

Probably the funniest movie out there.


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## FishJunky (May 20, 2004)

Now thats flipping funny. The video and the movie.


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## Aj Moran (May 31, 2017)

BASSandBASEBALL said:


> Been looking high and low on the web for any float tube clubs/tournaments in Ohio. Only thing I find are the clubs out west in California. Anyone familiar with any? I enjoy fishing from the boat, bank, wading the creek, you name it but my favorite is from the belly boat. I fish mostly south of Columbus.....Deer Creek, Hargus, Lake White, etc... and rarely see any other tubers on the water. With the exception of a few buddies I don't know anyone else who float tubes. Any enthusiats out there? Would like to hear from you.


I just got my first tube and I have been looking for a tournament. The belly boat is my favorite thing to fish out of I'm in Dayton and have only seen 1 or 2 people into them.


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## Govbarney (Jan 3, 2011)

streamstalker said:


> I have to admit that the thought of a snapping turtle taking a nibble out of my leg does cross my mind from time to time. I've had them take chunks out of a stringer full of crappie before, but it seems like it would just take some serious bad luck to get bit, so I put it out of my mind.
> 
> The beaver is another thing. If one of those is telling me to get away from his lodge while I'm in a tube or on land, I am going to listen! There was a story in my hometown paper a few years back about a guy getting seriously messed up by a beaver. I checked it out and there are also a few tales on the internet, including one that captured it on video!
> 
> http://www.idleriot.com/media/videos/Funny/1333/Canadian_Beaver_Attack.html


I have had more then a few run-ins with territorial beavers while yaking, its really the only thing that really gets my blood pressure up when fishing in Ohio. You can look up a few confirmed cases of Beavers biting through a unsuspecting fishereman's femoral artery's and killing them.


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## fishwhacker (Jul 16, 2010)

Been a float tube enthusiast for about 8 to 10 years now although my trips are few and far between now with little ones. Spent a lot of those trips at AEP fishing for gills until they put the limit on them now I go to Brookville in Indiana and catch eyes, crappies and gills. Walleyes out of a tube is kick butt in my opinion


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## Andy130 (Jun 2, 2013)

I use a tube at AEP if I'm not in the kayak. Nothing like backpacking into a secluded pond that you know hasn't seen a person for weeks. I've been out in it right when the ice comes off. I just dress in a couple layers and wear neoprene waders. I have flippers, but I want to get the things that go on your legs and lets you fish forward instead of going backwards.


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## BuckeyeFishin07 (Apr 10, 2017)

Andy130 said:


> I use a tube at AEP if I'm not in the kayak. Nothing like backpacking into a secluded pond that you know hasn't seen a person for weeks. I've been out in it right when the ice comes off. I just dress in a couple layers and wear neoprene waders. I have flippers, but I want to get the things that go on your legs and lets you fish forward instead of going backwards.


What are these magical things you speak of that let you go forward instead of backwards in the tube? I also agree with you nothing like hiking into those secluded ponds down there knowing you may just catch the fish of a lifetime.


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## jrose (Jul 16, 2012)

Andy130 said:


> I use a tube at AEP if I'm not in the kayak. Nothing like backpacking into a secluded pond that you know hasn't seen a person for weeks. I've been out in it right when the ice comes off. I just dress in a couple layers and wear neoprene waders. I have flippers, but I want to get the things that go on your legs and lets you fish forward instead of going backwards.


You will never put the flippers back on! I can't stand to fish backwards. You will also be able to enter the water easier. Been using them for over thirty years. You can't go as fast, but it makes fishing more enjoyable for me.


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## jrose (Jul 16, 2012)

BuckeyeFishin07 said:


> What are these magical things you speak of that let you go forward instead of backwards in the tube? I also agree with you nothing like hiking into those secluded ponds down there knowing you may just catch the fish of a lifetime.


"Kickers or paddle pushers" That is what I have.


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## BuckeyeFishin07 (Apr 10, 2017)

I know I am probably asking a lot but do you have a picture or something?


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## jrose (Jul 16, 2012)

BuckeyeFishin07 said:


> I know I am probably asking a lot but do you have a picture or something?


Sorry, no pics. But I did look up Float tube "Kickers or Paddle pushers" and they show some pics. They are usually a green color.


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## BuckeyeFishin07 (Apr 10, 2017)

Yep I found them on the internet! Look cool, might check them out! Any other cool stuff for float tubing that I am not aware of? Only had mine for a little over a year so some of you guys know more of the stuff that goes with them!


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## jrose (Jul 16, 2012)

BuckeyeFishin07 said:


> Yep I found them on the internet! Look cool, might check them out! Any other cool stuff for float tubing that I am not aware of? Only had mine for a little over a year so some of you guys know more of the stuff that goes with them!


Extra tube, hooks are sharp! Portable air pump. If you are going an a several day trip, extra fins in case you lose one. (It happens!)


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## Andy130 (Jun 2, 2013)

You do move very slow, but not having to spin around and fight to go the direction you want to would be worth it. That's the only cool float tube stuff that I know of.


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## BuckeyeFishin07 (Apr 10, 2017)

All I know is I love fishing out of my float tube! So comfy to sit in all day, and so stable and easy to use! I even take it out on bigger lakes but stay in the back of bays and things!


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## sirsnagsalot (Jun 14, 2017)

Aj Moran said:


> I just got my first tube and I have been looking for a tournament. The belly boat is my favorite thing to fish out of I'm in Dayton and have only seen 1 or 2 people into them.


I drive from CBus to Kiser Lake near St. Paris OH whenever I have the time. Great lake with lily pads and distinct weed lines for topwater and plastics. Plus no electric or gas motors allowed. Kayak and tube heaven. Always have done well there. Never seen tourneys in OH, though.


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