you guys just made me change gears!!!

first off i would like to say WORD!!.. am a 2 day veteran on this forum.. haha



and now the real reason you all have started making me wonder!..
i have been fishing all my life basically.. and being that i have mostly favored the saltwater scene have had to deal with very seasonal action since i do not own my own vessel.. i mean i have slayed DFG stockings in many inner city lakes as well... but am getting tired of leaving my passion for RiPPiN' LIPPS on the shelf waiting to ride a WORTHY cattle boat for 3 quarter or overnighters...
WHICH ALL OF A SUDDEN LEAD TO THIS!!! whaaat.. a PERSONAL VESSEL... EFF YEAH!!!!!!

so i start digging and have studied the field for about a month and a half STRONGLY!!.. i have run across EVERY DAMN REVIEW possible.. so i know about most products and total vote!

i got the force fins..(today actually)
the simms are on the way..(pretty decent deal on the Blackfoot)
and had kind of been waiting for the Gran Finale...
the Outcast Super Fat Cat.. in willow... haha i think that is an insane colorway!!...

OHH AND .:LOLLY:.... i WANT ONE OF THOSE RACKS!!!!

but i landed here while doing that strong research i mentioned earlier... AND ALL OF YOU (or MOST) seem to be on that Cumberland tip!!

Now i want an EFFIN' CUMBERLAND!! i have also read about the deal Cover Bonanza is offering to the forum here..
VERY DECENT...

now not to say i am going full on salty (if at all) ... i actually started thinking of getting a tube BECAUSE I LOVE ALL BASS PERIOD!! and was planning on hitting the Wonderful Gems California holds inland...

i kind of wanted your help figuring out which would be the best tube for me as most of you seem to be SEASONED!! (experienced)

i mean i am about 250lbs and think i would stay affloat on either or....

am kind of concerned more about durability and comfort of the product..

do any of you have to patch either often or deal with leaks..??
..stability...etc...

any insight would be great! as i would rather spend more if necessary to prevent the BS on the field...

thanks in advance!!
also i am HOOKED... you guys are all pretty SMOOTH and seem to help one another be more effective out on that water!!

-alfred

Welcome Alfred glad you found us and ya it sounds like you did your research. I ride an ODC 420 myself right now but the Super Cat you are getting will do the trick I am sure. But the Cumberland I feel is the top notch tube to date in my opinion. There will be more guys posting up for you very soon, but I will say this what you are getting is great quality you wont be disappointed. And if you are a hard core fisherman like you seem to be, then I am sure once you get out on the water you will find the reason to invest in another tube or two. You know a back up and maybe a back up to the back up.

jeffcpr wrote:Welcome Alfred glad you found us and ya it sounds like you did your research. I ride an ODC 420 myself right now but the Super Cat you are getting will do the trick I am sure. But the Cumberland I feel is the top notch tube to date in my opinion. There will be more guys posting up for you very soon, but I will say this what you are getting is great quality you wont be disappointed. And if you are a hard core fisherman like you seem to be, then I am sure once you get out on the water you will find the reason to invest in another tube or two. You know a back up and maybe a back up to the back up.

you are RIGHT Jeff!! was already thinking about a backup!!! so are you saying i should go with the Cumberland..

I would if it were me and I know most everyone here will say the same.

jeffcpr wrote:I would if it were me and I know most everyone here will say the same.

Yup the Cumberland is a pretty good ill be getting one sooner or later welcome to the forum btw ... Always inflate my tube then I'll chill for a lil bit just to see if it leaks before I put it in the water I also carry a pump on my tube just incase I need to add some air

Thanks for the tip Chomp!

Welcome to the boards, you will be at home here. I too have a cumberland and it is a great tube. I upgraded from a caddis so I don't really have much to compare it to. Although, I can say that I do not have any complaints about the cumberland. I have punctured my bladder a couple times but that wasn't the tubes fault. I decided to bounce a pig rockfish onto my lap and the dorsal founds its way into my tube... Nothing major though, still fished on for the rest of the day!

Thanks for the interest on my racks. Come talk to me whenever you are ready. You can check out my personal one, before hand, to make sure it is what you want.

Welcome to the forum. I'm a newbie myself. I'm 6'2" 230lbs and I bought the ODC 420 as it holds up to 300lbs and it has a thick pvc bottom, which will help prevent tears. I have not been on the tube yet as I still need to buy some fins and a life vest.

thanks .:LOLLY:. and will do.. i will let you know once i get settled so we can work on a little blueprint!

and Jmericle.. thanks.. for the info.. had wondered about those ODC's as well!

It sounds like we both checked out the same review sites. I bought the Cumberland last year, along with Force Fins, Simms waders (at the Fred Hall Show), and the awesome rod rack from .:Lolly. I am really happy with all of the purchases. The only addition I am thinking about is a Fish Finder.
I tried out the Fish Cat 4 Deluxe my first time out, along with a Cumberland, and ended up buying a Cumberland. I wish I had known about this site before I did. I could have saved some $$$$$. I spent 5 days up in the Mammoth Lakes area last July and fished from morning to night. The Cumberland rides really nicely. It keeps you up out of the water, and is really easy to maneuver. Some say to replace the seat with an inflatable seat, but I had no issues with comfort or support.
Anyway, welcome to the site. I have picked up some great information being a new "Tuber". I live in Paso Robles, and I know we have some great lakes to fish up here. Hopefully there are some other tubers I can meet up with, and learn the lakes.
Have fun with your new toys!
Mike

thanks Sheriff!.. i too have been thinking fish finder.. however i may have made my decision.. am thinking i will go with the fishin buddy 120.. now only because the FF's were one of the first things i looked into.. see i love the whole rig float tube fanatics offers.. however i think i would rather have a simpler set up as the fishin buddy only requires AA batteries.. i mean you can keep a years worth just in the stuff pouch behind the Cumberland seat!.. also a plus i found is that you really don't need to have the 30 ft. of wiring all tied up in front of the unit... and i'm sure LOLLY can make a perfect slot on one of his racks for a simple drop-in system..

SoCalFishKilla wrote:thanks Sheriff!.. i too have been thinking fish finder.. however i may have made my decision.. am thinking i will go with the fishin buddy 120.. now only because the FF's were one of the first things i looked into.. see i love the whole rig float tube fanatics offers.. however i think i would rather have a simpler set up as the fishin buddy only requires AA batteries.. i mean you can keep a years worth just in the stuff pouch behind the Cumberland seat!.. also a plus i found is that you really don't need to have the 30 ft. of wiring all tied up in front of the unit... and i'm sure LOLLY can make a perfect slot on one of his racks for a simple drop-in system..

Yup... I like the Cumberland.

I also have the Fishing Buddy unit, and am in the process of making a holder for it, with 2" ABS T, and a 3"-2" rubber reducer. I got the idea here on FTFF.. and it should be perfect. When I'm not using the FF, it can hold my beer securely.

Edit: here's the link to the FF/Beer holder by Gatorfan, on a LOLLY-style rod rack.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
I'll post pics of mine when it's done.

Docrunner wrote:

SoCalFishKilla wrote:thanks Sheriff!.. i too have been thinking fish finder.. however i may have made my decision.. am thinking i will go with the fishin buddy 120.. now only because the FF's were one of the first things i looked into.. see i love the whole rig float tube fanatics offers.. however i think i would rather have a simpler set up as the fishin buddy only requires AA batteries.. i mean you can keep a years worth just in the stuff pouch behind the Cumberland seat!.. also a plus i found is that you really don't need to have the 30 ft. of wiring all tied up in front of the unit... and i'm sure LOLLY can make a perfect slot on one of his racks for a simple drop-in system..

Yup... I like the Cumberland.

I also have the Fishing Buddy unit, and am in the process of making a holder for it, with 2" ABS T, and a 3"-2" rubber reducer. I got the idea here on FTFF.. and it should be perfect. When I'm not using the FF, it can hold my beer securely.

Another good reason to modify the rack----beer holder
Also, .:Lolly can easily modify his rod rack to accommodate a fish finder. I will be shopping at the Fred Hall show next month.

Yup... I like the Cumberland.

I also have the Fishing Buddy unit, and am in the process of making a holder for it, with 2" ABS T, and a 3"-2" rubber reducer. I got the idea here on FTFF.. and it should be perfect. When I'm not using the FF, it can hold my beer securely. [/quote]


Thanks DOC!!.. and BEER is always great!!
i hope that rig comes out AWESOME!
also.. what do YOU think about your Fishin Buddy?

Sheriff.. i too shall be at the Fred Hall show!!.. i hope there are tons of good CLOSEOUTS!!

SoCalFishKilla wrote:Thanks DOC!!.. and BEER is always great!!
i hope that rig comes out AWESOME!
also.. what do YOU think about your Fishin Buddy?

eh.. it's O-K..

It tells the water temp and depth just fine. I have yet to catch a fish in a location where the Fishing Buddy actually is "marking" fish... but I've only used it a few times. It's also probably more the "indian" not the "arrow" that's malfunctioning.

I don't plan on using it all the time.. which is why I like the idea of a dual purpose holder.

Docrunner wrote:

SoCalFishKilla wrote:Thanks DOC!!.. and BEER is always great!!
i hope that rig comes out AWESOME!
also.. what do YOU think about your Fishin Buddy?

eh.. it's O-K..

It tells the water temp and depth just fine. I have yet to catch a fish in a location where the Fishing Buddy actually is "marking" fish... but I've only used it a few times. It's also probably more the "indian" not the "arrow" that's malfunctioning.

I don't plan on using it all the time.. which is why I like the idea of a dual purpose holder.

yeah i get you.. i kind of just hope it helps me find drop offs.. change in water temps.. and so on.. but at the same time HOPEFULLY make me a bit more efficient.. i mean that is the idea..

I have had a couple of tubes on and off throughout the years but hadn't been out on one for a couple of years (until recently) I've only had "donut" tubes with the sling-type seat prior to purchasing my Cumberland last month. This thing is eff'n awesome! So much room and the pockets have double zippers which make getting boxes in and out amazingly easy! I also got the FB 120 and made the modification to a Lolly-type rack. I have always been a back seater on the boats that I fish out of so I have never had to learn to read a FF! lol So, I am not only learning to really appreciate the comfort of a new tube that keeps me out of the water (6' 230ish...), I am also learning how to read my new FF. I have two outings with it so far. One in the tube and the weekend before last I rented a boat and took my son on the bay. I'm pretty sure that the FF is working as it should because it would read drop-offs or rock piles and I confirmed it with losing a jig or two (in the bay) to the rocks lol. I think the temp works like it should. I fished Sunday and it started out reading 58° and went up to 60° by the time I left.

Welcome to the site and enjoy whichever tube you end up getting!

Gatorfan wrote:I have had a couple of tubes on and off throughout the years but hadn't been out on one for a couple of years (until recently) I've only had "donut" tubes with the sling-type seat prior to purchasing my Cumberland last month. This thing is eff'n awesome! So much room and the pockets have double zippers which make getting boxes in and out amazingly easy! I also got the FB 120 and made the modification to a Lolly-type rack. I have always been a back seater on the boats that I fish out of so I have never had to learn to read a FF! lol So, I am not only learning to really appreciate the comfort of a new tube that keeps me out of the water (6' 230ish...), I am also learning how to read my new FF. I have two outings with it so far. One in the tube and the weekend before last I rented a boat and took my son on the bay. I'm pretty sure that the FF is working as it should because it would read drop-offs or rock piles and I confirmed it with losing a jig or two (in the bay) to the rocks lol. I think the temp works like it should. I fished Sunday and it started out reading 58° and went up to 60° by the time I left.

Welcome to the site and enjoy whichever tube you end up getting!

Great input Gatorfan!!
as that is basically the setup i will be working with.. do you think there is much upside to spending more money on a "better" system??

also glad to hear that these Cumberlands seem to have awesome storage..
i have read that there are apparently two rod holders.. however i cannot spot them.. kinda thought they were maybe like the ones on Caddis navigator II and ran along the bladder...

They do have rod holders similar to the caddis navigator that run along the bladder. The only difference is, if I remember correctly, they run along the inside of the bladder (between you and the bladder). This is going off of memory since I have never actually used them.

I don't have any experience with a "better" system so I couldn't tell you the difference. I am suppose to fish with hobie278 this weekend and I know he has a different system so maybe he'll chime in. He did tell me that his has GPS. I could see where that might come in handy.
I do like the fact that I can easily take the FF off my tube and clamp it on a rental when I want.

LOL, the two "rod holders" that come with it are just velcro hold downs that run on the inside of the pontoons. It does, however, have two BEER holders... You lose a little space in the storage compartment when you put a can in the holder because it actually goes down into the pocket (in the back) but it's a small sacrifice for a cold handy beverage

.:LOLLY:. wrote:They do have rod holders similar to the caddis navigator that run along the bladder. The only difference is, if I remember correctly, they run along the inside of the bladder (between you and the bladder). This is going off of memory since I have never actually used them.

ahh.. i see!! thanks for letting me know Lolly! as i was somewhat breaking my head over tryin' to find them.

Gatorfan wrote:I don't have any experience with a "better" system so I couldn't tell you the difference. I am suppose to fish with hobie278 this weekend and I know he has a different system so maybe he'll chime in. He did tell me that his has GPS. I could see where that might come in handy.

LOL, the two "rod holders" that come with it are just velcro hold downs that run on the inside of the pontoons. It does, however, have two BEER holders... You lose a little space in the storage compartment when you put a can in the holder because it actually goes down into the pocket (in the back) but it's a small sacrifice for a cold handy beverage

GOOD EYE Gator!! Let me know how that trip goes.. Hope to see some nice snapshots! And yeah had a feeling they were those little velcro straps... And yeah.. I THINK I CAN SACRIFICE TACKLE STORAGE!!

The pockets are still plenty big with the cup holders in there. I have so much stuff in those pockets that it's ridiculous. I could only imagine how much more stuff I would have if I use the space where the cup holders are at LOL