Tubin Trio in Arizona

[TubeDude]

[cool][size 3][blue][font "Times New Roman"]It has been too many years since I got to fish with my son Steve (TubeN2). And, I had never been fishing with my 15 year old grandson, Sean (TubeNtoo). The game plan was for their whole family to spend several days with us for Thanksgiving to include some fishing, of course. [/font]

[font "Times New Roman"]First, my daughter and her family had to cancel their trip from Sandy. Then, at the last minute, Steve's wife and daughter had to cancel their trip, because of work conflicts. I suspect that they were bumped to accommodate the tubes and fishing gear. The guys arrived in a full car Tuesday.[/font]

[font "Times New Roman"]Troopers that we males of the family are, we decided to make the best of it. Of course, we invited TubeBabe along as an assistant photographer. Wednesday found myself, TubeBabe, TubeN2 and Toobie at Saguaro Lake a little before 7 AM. The air temp was a below normal 34 degrees, but no wind. Water temps ranged from 44 degrees in the shallows out to 66 degrees in the fishing zone.[/font]

[font "Times New Roman"]TubeBabe scored first, with a feisty leaping ll inch largie at about 745. A few minutes later, I felt the solid thump and heavy surge of a chunky channel cat munching my Roadrunner jig. On 4 pound line, I needed about fifteen minutes to bring in the fish, which later measured out at 27 inches and weighed 7.2 pounds. (Pic included)[/font]

[font "Times New Roman"]I thought it was going to be a gangbuster day. But, like so many days that start out good , that was the last fish any of us caught. We covered a lot of water and fished every lure in our combined arsenals, to get only a few more light taps.[/font]

[font "Times New Roman"]We posed for some pics and were off the water before noon, and the air temp had risen to almost 70 ¦although the water hadn't changed,¦still 66. Notice the green leaves on the trees in the park area. Dined regally on milk and cookies before heading home.[/font]

[font "Times New Roman"]Filleted the guest of honor, cut it into finger strips and deep-fried it into kitty krispies. The 2 1/2 pounds of fillets from the fish stuffed the four of us the night before T-Day.[/font]

[font "Times New Roman"]I believe in heredity. As soon as we got home from fishing or shopping, my son and grandson headed out to fish one of the trout lakes stocked for the winter in Phoenix. They couldn't get enough fishing in. And, they showed the locals how to exercise those little hatchery pets pretty good.[/font]

[font "Times New Roman"]Had a good-sized gathering with other members of the family on Thanksgiving and tried out my new turkey fryer. The bird turned out great and we didn't have to have the fire department join us for dinner. Life is good. After dinner, the boys headed for some trout molesting again.[/font]

[font "Times New Roman"]Friday we decided to try an afternoon tubing assault on Saguaro...thinking that maybe the water would warm a little and the fishies might be more cooperative. No luck. A cool offshore breeze was blowing when we got there and only got worse through the afternoon. Instead of being warmer, the water temp had dropped two degrees¦to 64.6 at the warmest. [/font]

[font "Times New Roman"]We all had several light inquirers, but I brought in the only fish of the day,¦a 14" bluegill. Actually it was more like 6", but when I laid it on my marked apron, the head was on the 14" mark. (See the pic)[/font]

[font "Times New Roman"]Headed home into a classic Arizona sunset. I stopped a couple of times to burn a pic. The bright colors kept constantly changing and it lasted the full 35 minutes of the final trip home.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][/font][/blue][/size]
[blue][size 3][blue][font "Times New Roman"]My tubin progeny headed home Saturday morning, even more loaded up than they arrived. My tackletorium is now lighter by several rods and reels, a bunch of fishing books and magazines, some BFT shirts, hats and stickers…and of course a goodly quantity of TubeDudes jigs.[/font]

[font "Times New Roman"]We have all decided that our next fishing get together will not be so delayed as this one was. Really makes you realize what is truly important in life…and thankful all year for your family and all that it means. Even though all of us deal daily with our own demons and distractions, in the final analysis if you have family and friends that care about you, you have it all.[/font][/blue][/size] [/blue]
[signature]

[Dryrod]

[cool][size 1]Hi there Tubing family,[/size]

[size 1]Looks like you all had a great time. Thanks for sharing your pics with us. Was wondering if tubeN2 had to call in a plumber to do all that hook up for his FF or what ever![/size]

[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][size 2]Hey Dryrod, the lad is a licensed contractor...for plumbing, electrical and brain surgery...in addition to being a busy member of the LA county EMT team. He knows vastly more than myself in matters of PVC. I'm only kinda half vast.[/size]

[size 2]Here's another pic. I will let him post and describe what went into it. Is a simple "modular" design which holds both the display on top and the transducer on the bottom. By using easy to attach small bungee cords it can be added to almost any vertical tube rack. The cross piece that sits on top of the air chamber is secured by a velcro strip. His unit is a Bottomline system he got "right"...but when he tested out one of my Eagles on TubeBabe's craft on Friday, he started some creative negotiations for a system swap with TubeBabe. It's good for her that she knows him well.[/size]
[signature]

[tubeN2]

Hey there Dryrod, That is just a prelim design. I just got it set up 2 days before and plan to make some more improvements to incorporate rod holder, fish finder, net and other accessories into one modular unit.

Just wait till you see what TD and I came up with. We are just about ready to build our prototype version of a mobile tubin assault vehicle or MTAV which will be followed up by our very own MOAT mother of all tubes.

will have pics later.[]
[signature]

[Dryrod]

[cool][size 1]Hi there tubeN2,[/size]

[size 1]This is fun. Looking forward to seeing your pics. People might think that we are nuts, but that is what fishing is all about[/size]. [size 1]If you ever get lazy might want to try this backup system. Just drive in the water and starting casting[/size].[]

[signature]

[tubeN2]

[cool] Hey Dryrod, that looks like a fun alternative and it looks like it would leave one extra parking space nearby at least for a towtruck.[]
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][size 2]Hey, Dryrod, we see guys like that on the news whenever we have one of our rare "frog-stranglers" here in the desert. They go around the barricades and get swept away in normally dry washes. Then, they get big fines under our "Stupid Motorist Laws"[/size]

[size 2]When Xman was down here last year, we fished an area on the upper part of Lake Pleasant. It was flat and sandy...and the water was rising quickly in the lake. Those who launched a cartop and left their vehicles too close to the edge found them right down to the frame in quick sand when they came back in. [/size]

[size 2]We helped a couple of them out, but had to abandon one young man who tried to drive back across an arm of a lake he had traversed earlier in the day. With the lake at least a foot higher, he flooded out his engine and we could almost see the water rising on the door. The really bad news is that he had his boss' pickup and he had called in sick at work that day...to run around the back roads with his girlfriend. I'm guessing that his job security was not enhanced by that.[/size]
[signature]

[OneWhoFishes]

How was it competing with all the weeds out in Butcher Jones?
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][size 2]Hey, Eric, you must have ventured down there for a looksee. Yes there was a heavy weed growth again during the summer months. Usually it begins to thin out about mid October and is pretty well gone by mid November...just in time for the dumping of the hatchery pet rainbows. [/size]

[size 2]This year, however, we had a record hot October and up until mid November there were still thick weeds. Only in the last week or so, since that cold snap, have the weeds been thinning out. [/size]

[size 2]I have a Super Fat Cat tube, which keeps me mostly above the waterline, so it is not as hard to plow through the weeds. When they are the thickest, we can usually work along the west shoreline until we come to more open water. For some reason the weeds are not as bad near that shore.[/size]

[size 2]Those long stringy weeds make it hard to fish in there...especially when the coots are pulling them up and eating on them. Every cast results in bringing in the salad. You have to use a vertical presentation in deeper water to avoid the vegetation.[/size]

[size 2]The good news is that as the weeds die out for the winter, there is less and less cover for the crawdads and this attracts largemouth and catfish. They both enjoy the occasional trout souffle, but crawdads are a mainstay in their diets, and any that you keep for the table this time of year almost always have remnants of the little crustaceans in their gut.[/size]

[size 2]Any chance you can get over in April or May of next year? I will give you a class on Saguaro Lake 101...from a tricked out tube.[/size]
[signature]

[TubeBabe]

The usual farewells 'til next time were quickly followed up with a check on the "fishing corner" of the garage to be sure that my fishing rig was still there! I had to do some quick talking to convince him that I knew what he was up to and I was not going to go for a "swap". Loved having them ... am looking forward to the next time!
[signature]

[tubeN2]

[cool] I almost had me a fat cat but had to mind my Ps and Qs. I did settle though for a fish cat 4 on the way home. I am getting it tricked out and ready for the upcoming Derby on this Saturday Dec 6th. It is just about ready.

After I get out and ride in it I will give the full comparison report on it with some pics.

I did have a good time even though I got mostly salad fish.[]
[signature]