I was looking at another thread. And notice one question that kept coming up.

Is there any special tricks to landing bigger fish from the tube. I am getting better at crappie fishing from my tube. but everytime I sneak out to try to get a catfish or two in my tube. My luck is to hook into a nice size fish. Then I spend the next 30 minutes to an hour fighting it. Fun but dang there has to be a better way. Or a few tricks. just curious. Any advise would help.

Now this is just an opinion and you know what is said about opinions.Right? Opinions are just like A_ _ H_ _ _ s & everybody has one. You don`t go into a war with a fly swat unless you are going to fight flies.If you are going Crappie/Panfish fishing from a tube, chances are you are using light tackle anyways so If you are fortunate or unfortunate enough to hook into something of greater size, YOU are at the mercy of your own landing skills and the fish.This is just the crux of the situation or the hand that was dealt you.If I can`t put it in my basket he/she isn`t going home with me anyway.I can`t think of any tricks so it is what it is.I just Kick back and enjoy the ride

I've caught a 16.5# striper, a 17# blue cat and a 20+# carp from my tube using a fly rod. None of them took more than 15 minutes to land. I let them take line out until I can turn them around, then go around and around with them until I almost get dizzy, lol. I always have a trout net with me in my tube and am sometimes able to get the bigger fish into it. Other times I have to work them to shore so I can land them.

I've caught fish 20+ lbs on my tube. I normally put my fins at a 45 degree angle to give resistance and just let them run. After the initial run it is a matter of letting them take line when they want to and bringing line in when you can. Since the tube moves with them there isn't a lot of risk of breaking them off as long as they don't wrap up on something. One thing to watch is they can and will wrap around your legs when trying to land them. But if you watch for this you can avoid it by keeping the rod tip extended..