The wife surprised me on Christmas and got me a Colorado XT. I have never used anything like this before and I am open to suggestions or better yet the essentials of what is needed to get started. Waders.....Flippers......Fish finder....ect. Also is there anyone out there that has one of thess? If so how do you like it? What do i need to know before i launch it? Do i need to register it with the TP&W? Thanks for any info fellas.

You wont need to register unless you put a trolling motor on it. I think you have the right ideas for what you might need, flippers and the dry suit.

I have only tubed in the summer and just went in with jeans and old shoes. There are some guys on here who know more than me about this, I am sure they will chime in.

Congrats on the cool gift, sure it will be fun!

If you plan on using it in the winter, waders are a must, I wear my neoprene waders on cold days. Some days in the winter, depending on if the sun is out in full force, ill wear shorts and shoes cause my feet wont be in the water much, just to kick around.

I personally bring my flippers with me, I may not use them all the time but they are good for kicking to and from near by stumps, brushpiles and whatnot. Majority of the time I will use my oars.

Get yourself a milk carrier or plastic box of somesort to rig on the back to carry extra stuff. I generally bring an emergency foot pump, extra rope, small cooler for drinks/fish.

You dont need to register it with TPWD unless you put a motor on it.

Heres a few pics of mine:




That rack is on the back and is where I generally strap my plastic bin on for storage

Currently I have a fishfinder hooked up to it and a dual rod holder. Debating whether or not to sell it since I dont have many people to go fishing with on my pontoon anymore

Nice looking set up. WAders area must for me in the cold. Ultralite09 what part of town are you from. Maybe after I get this thing set up the way I want we could hit the water. That is if you dont sell it by then.

I am very interested to see if you get more responses. I am interested in possibly getting one of these one man pontoons for myself. I used to kayak, but I have issues with my lower back that is making kayaking too uncomfortable. Plus I don't want to spend a grand on a kayak that has a good seat!! My funds a pretty tight!!

The only down side is the wind.

Anything that sits that far outa the water is going to get pushed around.

That is true, but I had the same complaint with my yak. Nothing an anchor and rope won't fix. May be a bit more difficult to paddle in to the wind.

I also got a toon recently and tried WRC a few times. Although I didn't get my feet wet, my legs still got cold. I'm looking at a wader and baselayer now.

im from the northern part of DFW. It is a bit difficult to paddle in the wind but most of the time I only fish creeks, bridges and coves in my pontoon. Anything else and ill either bank it or take the center console out

I have pontoons and a kayak. I mostly use my pontoons for clients but occasionally I will take one out solo. Pontoons are nice as you can motor them around with your feet (flippers) leaving your hands free to fish. They are easy to transport and store. You don't have to register them in Texas unless you add a motor. I have been known to put my fish finder on mine (there is a thread on here with pictures of rigged out toons and float tubes). They are not something you would want to take out onto the main part of a big lake but they will put you on fish. The Colorado is a nice boat. You'll like it. I recommend always wearing a PFD. I also recommend carrying a pump and patch kit with you (don't ask me why). Waders are a must in the colder months. Also, as far as flippers are concerned I use swim fins due to the fact that they are lighter than the kind you wear over shoes and at the end of a long day of fishing that does make a difference.

Hope this helps.

Jerry is right on with the waders in the cold and alway always wear a PFD. It is NEVER too uncomfortable. I don't have a pontoon, but personally, if I did, I would want to add a trolling motor to it. So I'd go ahead and register it while I knew exactly where all the paperwork is and had a good contact for the mfr/sales outlet.The only thing I don't like about that is that I prefer the tmotor in front of me. I like to face the wind. And the wind will not be your friend a high percentage of the time. And, I like being on the main lake. I'll go as far as my feet will take me. (which is not nearly as far as it used to be) I don't like anchoring, or tying up.

Which is why I also do not have a yak. I know I can go further, but I have grown accustomed to fishing a certain way. I need both hands free, and I don't want to have to be anchored or tied up.

I'm lookin at alot of options for this coming year. Learned alot this past year.

Good advice from last 2 posters. Some things I do differently that work better for me.

First concern is getting pontoon air pressure correct. I use a 20# low pressure tire guage adapted to my valves, until I have learned to feel correct pressure by using fingers. Your pontoons can explode if you go from cold water to letting them sit for 30 minutes on the bank or strapped to the top of you vehicle in the sun. Conversely they can shrink enough to throw your balance point off and partially swamp you when you go from being well inflated on the bank to cold water. Do not assume anything even with a new tube/toon. Inflate a few days before to check for leaks and have all fittings needed packed for your outing, practice using them. I carry a small pump with me and can adjust pressure on the fly since my valves are easily reached. Just about any kind of flexible waterproof tape works for small holes, big rips are rare but mean trouble. I never go out in cold wind and water temperature doesn't matter if your feet are out of water, so no waders hassle for me, EVER! Texas is a BIG state with warmer areas. I was out on Dec. 30th with open sandals using a motor when the temperature here was mid 70's and sun was shining in SATX. I use what working commercial fishermen prefer- an inflatable PFD because you don't even know it's there! An inflatable can be set to auto/manual pull and you can also inflate by mouth. If I am expecting hazards like rapids, etc, I wear the PFD partially inflated by mouth, just enough to keep my head above water if I go over, and yet be comfortable.

Toons/tubes are specifically designed for fishing and will excel any other craft for that purpose if conditions are not too rough. Their drawback is being hard to paddle.

Hope this helps.

Porta

Wylie Crappieman can walk on water with his fins. I would learn from him if I fish from a tube.