Options for fishing skinny water?

As most of you know, I moved from Cedar Creek Lake to Oklahoma recently. I've been fishing Lake Texoma exclusively since the move and with the lake about 5' low, I'm finding some really good looking areas I'd love to fish but, can't get my Lund launched to get into them. Plus, I understand these areas are the most productive places to fish in the winter and spring. Having said all that, I'm now looking for the best way to get next to the crappie short of a wet suit and speargun!

Big Pappa uses a float tube, standard issue canvas covered truck inner tube. Jiggen El uses the latest bigger tube and loves it. But, searching around the web I find inflatable one man pontoons, canoes, kayaks and a bunch of different tubes. All have their pluses and minuses. Any of them could work but, which is the best way to go and why?

I hear from several folks that the 5 mm neoprene waders will definitely keep you dry and fairly warm in cold water so they are on my 'to buy' list. I'm confused about which way to go beyond that.
I prefer to stay dry, warm and safe and what ever I get has to be a one old man lift and carry! I'm thinking sitting up higher out of the water is good but, feel I would be blown around in high winds. Lower in the water doesn't sound very warm or necessarily dry.
LF25 took me up a creek last spring in his little two man fiberglass boat with trolling motor and locator that was nice.
I'm not sure there is a single best solution but, that is what I'm hoping to find.
Any help or comments????

http://www.ultraskiff.com/

Check this site out. I haven't fished in one but they look like they would be easy to handle for 1 man. I fish out of a two-man and it takes TWO men to get it in the water. Hope this helps and BOOMER SOONER.

-Dan

Talk to David at Shut-Up-And-Fish. He fishes out of a kayak at some of his local waters and is very successful at doing it.

Bobby,

I used one of these for many many years and found it to be a great option for skinny waters. Very stable, durable, reliable and comfortable. I only used a 12 volt transom hand control trolling motor (I used on the bow), 12v battery. I had mine on a small trailer I configured from an old flat bottom boat trailer. Yes as Guy mentioned I am currently using a kayak in smaller waters but it can be a booger on your back after a couple hours.

http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/pr...JOIWRoCOO_w_wcB

How is your back?

Years ago I used a small rubber raft to fish the mountain lakes in New Mexico for rainbow trout. I had a small trolling motor for power, which would run all day off the battery. It was easy to get into position as the heaviest component was the battery.

But I would be unable to use that now, with my back. I think the tube that jiggen el uses would be the most usable for me, with my age and physical condition.

You looked quite healthy the one time I met you but I learnt years ago you can not tell a person's physical condition just by looking at him.

get ya an old welded aluminum 10 to 12 footer .....
2 can go that way ....
lots of advantages in an old john boat in my opinion

I really like my kayak! And there's one out there for everyone!

I'll give you my 2 cents regarding kayak fishing. I have one that I use in the winter months for creek fishing. It will never take the place of my Basscat, but I hate having to idle long distances to get to the creek in the big boat.

I enjoy fishing out of my yak, but it is not for everyone. A big boat will spoil you. They are not light, mine weights 55# unloaded. They are a b***h to push back to the truck going up hill in the creek bottoms. The wind will really mess with you, so always take a small anchor or loose rope to tie to a stump. You can get wet when paddling or boat traffic. They make my butt go to sleep after about 5 hrs of sitting in it. Fishing out of it takes some getting use to.

Other than this, it's better than fishing from the bank.

Kayak is the only way to go. Waders or not I don't think I want the "boys" in 40 deg water all day....

Hire a Guide!

MAY CAUSE: hearing loss, dizziness, vomiting, suicide, anger increase, high blood pressure, risk of a heart attack.....Sign me up Scotty..

LOL, that's a good way to put it too.

I just got a Caddis Pro 200 (I think) from BPS for $160.00. I had the neoprene waders and flippers from my Dad so was a limited investment (air pump, fish basket, need a little landing net, etc.). Tuesday night was my second outing with the tube and I really enjoyed the quietness and ease of it all. I had to park about 200 yards from the water so I put my waders and boots on, shouldered the tube (it has backpack straps built into it) and made the easy stroll to the water with no problem.

I also have degenitive disk disease in L3, L4 and L5 and am currently dealing with a bulging disk that is flaring up pretty bad (getting tested for surgery as soon as I can get some time off). I tried to sit in a yak (not a cheap one either) and after five/ten minutes, I almost couldn't stand up. The two times in the tube and my back hasn't flared up yet. It actually relaxes my back to some degree but getting in and out does take a little coordination. It may also take a little conditioning on the leg muscles but no soreness yet.

Will it replace my bassboat? No but it does give me options if I don't want to get it out of the garage or if I want to visit a far away lake/creek without the boat. So far I am very happy with the tube with what the limited use I have planned for it.

Did u visit that website I gave u ????
Creekcompany.com ...u won't be sorry... On sale NOW

It is good to have a second option ready so when all the boat ramps around here are closed we can still fish to some degree.....

I love my Native Ultimate pedal kayak. The pedal drive is very good for keeping yourself over crappie.

I have a house on Rayburn and I have a canoe, float tube and a two man Twin Troller X10. I also have a lund.

I like the ease of launching and fishing out of the backyard. Of all those I like the Lund of course, but next is the Twin Troller. That thing is sweet to fish out of. You can go to the website and watch videos etc. just expensive. The trailer is very easy to pull the boat weighs 130#, you can push it off no problem, you can't carry it around though.

Freedom Electric

Here is mine on the Lawn Tractor:



And I have a Creek Company tube this one:

Creek Company

Super well made super lightweight. I have some SImms waders for $300 to go with them, $50 wading shoes. Not cheap. Works great, cold water is a booger.

The canoe is a Old Town Saranac 146, it is light 70#, sort of. I made a cart to pull it down to the lake. When I am looking for a quick jump on the lake no batteries to charge. The canoe is nice and gets the job done, just need a paddle.

Old Town canoe

Also ... while I was sitting in my Creek Company tube (it took most of the day to freeze my legs) but this guy was rowing all over the lake catching fish, sitting high and dry. I noticed he could pick it up (50#) and put it in the back of the truck ... I may have to buy one of these:

Creek Company pontoon

Nice!

JE, I did and I like them. Just want to check out all options before I
do anything.
Went outside this morning and a north wind is blowing a bit and temp has dropped
quite a bit. Sitting there thinking, 'do I really want to get in the lake when
it gets even colder?' I can handle fishing from my Lund in the coldest of weather
but, now I wondering how I would handle being in the water!!!! Guess old age is catching up with me when reality sets in.

Karpbuster, the Freedom Electric looks nice but, comes with a pretty hefty price tag. I don't think I'm ready to write that check! The Creek Company pontoon and others like it do look good and not too pricey. Saw one similar at Cabela's the other day by Cumberlin. This may be the way I go as you do sit a lot higher out of the water and I'm thinking I'd stay a lot warmer than in a tube.
Right now, I'm still looking at options.

Okiebob I gotta piggyback what ketchn said about a small aluminum. They'll float in an inch of water you can throw them around just like a kayak but they offer a boat layout with WAY better seating. Heck I fish out of a 1967 14' lonestar mod vee with a 15hp Johnson exclusively. I'm out on the main lake every week no matter what and I even take my brush out on it. When no one else could launch I was out fishin and my trolling lock on my motor gets my lower unit down about 2 or 3 inches of water with me in it. They're probably cheaper even with a trailer than kayaks too and capabilities are endless. I've got a bow mounted TM with lowrance electronics and my 68 year old man fishes with me out of it every week too. It scoots us about 20mph with 2 ppl.

Just giving another option for you to consider. People talk to me about my boat and take more pics of it than a 70k ranger boat.

The Heritage Featherlite sit in kayak in theory is only about 39 pounds and it's fairly cheap. I plan to pick one up tomorrow after fishing out of my buddies for some time both in small creeks and big lakes. If you need to cover more than a few hundred yards a kayak is the way to go in my opinion as it is much less effort than any sort of inflatable craft other than maybe an inflatable kayak. However, you don't need a big kayak for the creeks A sit in kayak is warmer in the winter too.

Yes OkiBob the pontoon sounds like the right deal for you. The Twin Troller is expensive, some day they will come down to Earth, I got mine off TFF Classifieds for cheap. The Creek Company tubes are well made, easy to inflate, deflate. I saw a pontoon that was a hard plastic pontoon, but more heavy, can't remember the name. I have fished three times with my creek company tube and it is solid and everything fits in a duffle bag, light weight. I am too old for sitting in cold water I found out last Saturday, plus I can row all day but kicking my legs is tough, I have a hard time going in the right direction in wind. I am going to sell the tube, I am also too big for it. I end up laying flat on my back after a while, the back doesn't come up high enough on me, but I am 6'3" 250#. My son-in-law uses it with no troubles, he loves it, he is 5'10" and 25 years old.

Spend yesterday afternoon being shown by Big Pappa, areas that can only be accessed by something light and small. He uses a tube in some of them and a small jon boat on others. Looks like more places than I'll ever be able to cover in a lifetime of fishing but, they are all now on my bucket list. I'm thinking I may need both a tube and something else. But, for now, I'll just use what I have.

Neoprenes and long johns will keep you toasty warm, fly fish in lakes In a float tube in colorado... Stay close to shore at first, wet and cold and a long way from the truck are not very good options. I always kept a towel and long johns in an air tight containers i lashed to my headrest, just in case...large seal a meal bag works as well for emergency clothing. Used my tube a few times here for crappie, almost got made into hamburger at 2 mile one morning?€%# bass boat passed two columns over and never saw me frantically waving. After that, I added a neon orange flag on a pole

The orange flag probably won't help much.

[ ] Some of them are convinced they have their "right" to do whatever they please on the water and don't care about the impact of their actions on other people.

This summer I saw two different bass boats running wide open 100' from the shoreline at Joe Pool, passing swimmers and kids playing in the water with flotation devices. I saw parents screaming at them and waving their arms to try to get them to move farther out.

Both boats just ignored everybody and continued on their way, not caring what their wake was doing to those they passed who were playing in the water.

I saw one guy fishing in his pontoon knocked off his feet from the waves of a bass boat passing within 50' of him while running on plane. The pontoon was anchored about 150' from the shore, fishing the edge of a barrow pit that starts there. The bass boat went between the pontoon and the shore.

Too many in bass boats ignore facts and continue to insist their boats do not generate much wake when they pass close by you on plane and it is better for them to pass you on plane than to slow down before they get close to you and your boat.[/ ]