| What Water Craft is right for me? |
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| Written by Brian Frawley |
| Sunday, 03 May 2009 11:34 |
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I was fishing Lake Interstate in Michigan last summer and in the parking lot a gentleman who had been shore fishing asked me while looking at my float tube "hey where can I get one of those things?"
I thought about it, and told him where I thought locally he could pick one up. I was fishing on Lake Interstate moving all around the lake not hindered by thick brush that rings this lake or the fact that the railroad company owns a third of the shore line and will not let you trespass. I thought about it more after the salmon fishing season and determined that yes, for for lake interstate, a float tube is a great choice, but what about a bigger lake like Lake Ovid in Michigan at around 412 Acres? Or a lake that seems to have better fishing at the opposite end of the access point like Davidson? I currently own three float tubes and a 12.5 foot drift boat that a friend and I built. I don't currently own a canoe, kayak or pontoon but have used them to fish and have access to them. Some lakes I have fished I wished that I had taken a boat instead of my tube, but not too often. The lakes that are on this site are designated no motors, electric motors, or have no wake restrictions, and there are a few that have no restrictions but are floatable because of their size or low amount of homeowner activity or limited boat use on the lake. Some lakes you have to hike in to fish and some have great access and nice smooth concrete ramps. It's important to look at what some of the advantages and disadvantages are of each type of Stillwater craft. Then look at what types of water you plan to fish, so that you can make the best decision. Lets first look at the different Stillwater crafts. Float Tube: $100-$350USD
Pros: Low cost option Light weight Deflate it and pack it in your luggage for flights Easy to throw inflated into a van or truck and go fishing Wear waders or bathing suit option Portable and backpackable to hike in to remote lakes Relativly safe, as most if not all have a two separate air bladder system Propelled by feet (with fins) so casting is not restricted by having to paddle. Cons: Require fins: additional cost $15 -$190 Not an option for alligator county or lakes with underwater critters that might chomp on a leg. Wet floating (bathing suit no waders on) can get cold or feel waterlogged May need two kinds of fins: one pair for the boot foot one for stocking foot waders or wet floating (bathing suit). Some states (Colorado has some) have hand propulsion only rules, ie no float tube use Dangerous in moving water, so no rivers They don't store a lot of gear Stuff gets wet more easily Propelled backwards so you can't see where you're going very well Personal Pontoon Boat: $230-$1200USD
Pros: Lower cost option than kayak or boat You sit higher out of the water so you can leave the waders at home if you wanted Some are rated to class V water so you can fish moving and non-moving water Cover a lot of water Lots of available accessories (such as an anchor or trolling motor mounts) Capable of being propelled by electric trolling motor One person or multi-person models available More storage generally then a float tube Higher profile equals better site fishing Cons: You can't cast and move at the same time if using oars Not an option for alligator county or other dangerous wildlife lakes because anything that can pop or deflate and put you in the water is not an option Heaver so harder to pack into remote lakes More setup time if folded and pontoons are deflated Harder to transport Harder to stay in one place on a windy day (anchors help) Can't see very well where you're going Kayak: $400-$2000USD Pros: Fish moving and non-moving water Models built for fishing have lots of options Some are stable enough to stand up Paddling in the direction you are going Can Hold lots of gear depending on model Cons: Limited portage or hiking capability Harder to transport: Roof rack cost Can't cast and paddle at the same time. (Some fishing models have foot populsion options). Canoe: $600-$4000USD Pros: Fish moving and non-moving water Models built for fishing have lots of options Paddling in the direction you are going Holds lots of gear Cons: Limited portage or hiking Can't cast and paddle at the same time Trailer or roof rack cost Not as stable as other choices Small Boats (Drift etc.): $1500-5000+USD
Pros: Fish moving and non-moving water More stable Stand up fishing Holds lots of gear Cons: Limited portage or hiking Deeper draft depending on model Trailer hook up on your truck or car Need a ramp (mostly) Car consumes more gas to transport pulling trailer. Requires rower when moving down flowing water (hard for rower to fish) Summary The lakes and rivers you will fish should have a large impact in your watercraft decision. For example, if you want to float rivers you can leave your float tube at home. Can you fish a 412 acre lake like Ovid from a float tube? The answer is yes! Access to what bodies of water you plan to fish should play a large roll in any decision. Lake Ovid is entirely located in a state park with many access points to launch such as a beach, an actual launch, and a few picnic areas. When fishing a site like Lake Ovid, I pick an access point and fish around that access area only. If I want to fish a spot across the lake, I take out and drive to the other side of the lake and put in at the new access point. I also look and see where the calm water is based on the direction of the wind and that's important when your fly fishing. Some state park lakes have incredibly good access of the whole shore line; some have less access.The size of the lake you want to fish will impact your choice of watercraft. The species of fish you're fishing for could also play a part in your water craft decision. Summer time trout are not going to be in the shallows along the shore line, they are going to be deep, and deep water tends to be in the middle of the lake. Summer time bass fishing is best around shore line structure and does not require long paddles to deep water. If you are fishing in windy conditions often, then you want to take that into consideration when choosing a craft. Generally we find that a lake that is around 40 acres or smaller, and you have time and desire to really explore it, a float tube works fine. If you are fishing bigger water, or moving water, or if you like to really explore a lake, a bigger faster mode of transportation would be the better choice. Whatever type of stillwater fishing you do, take time to make a wise choice of watercraft and get out there and have fun!
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