How Much Stuff?

Well.... 30 plus beers and we'll just call it a floating party raft and forget the fishing.
  

Jerdon got your PM.

In my opinion my tube has plenty of storage. It has a bunch of other compartments other than the two Large ones that hold my two 3600 tackle boxes. Only issue I'm worried about is the bottom of the tube is nylon as well so I have to be careful if I'm in the shallow with rocks. Other than that pretty comfortable and light weight.

Here's a link on YouTube someone doing a full review of it.

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Wyu Thanks,
I'm hoping to get a bunch a different tubes here so newbies and people shopping can compare. How does the scale on the stripping net work? The Cumberland's wants to bunch up once I'm sitting on it.

I have a Cumberland as you all are aware. So far I lug around three little Plano boxes with hooks, jigs, worms, etc. I have a little cheap rod holder. I'm pretty light with what I bring. Just the essentials. Gear, life vest, water, sun screen, etc. For now at least. This weekend I'm starting the adventure of building my own rod holder set up. Looking forward to the project.

Mike,
FYI
Check out Renegade from above, he just sets his spare rods in the storage area behind the seat, way too easy. Could be a cost saver.

Haha true. Saving money id always nice.

I just could not see putting my rods behind me in my 420 , you would have to fabricate something to hold the rods out of the water , if I am spending $200 on a rod I do not want it sitting in the water all day , even if its just the butt end ... just my 2 cents

WES

And definitely your choice. There was never that much water behind me on my SFC. I fish upper end Fly Rods so I understand the money involved as most my reels are in that $200+ range.
Got to feel comfortable about what you do though. I pack light

Hey Guys,
Tomorrow when you guys head out for the poker tournament can you get some shots of what everyone is doing? I'd love to see what the salt water gurus are doing for storage and organization.

New toy, anyone want to guess the stuff I can carry  
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Got the motor/battery figured out
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And Sonar
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Renegade!
That is awesome, are you going to write up a report for us?? I'm guessing you can bring whatever you like and your rods will stay dry now.  

Jerdon, I would love to do a write up. The weather has not been cooperating much, but it is getting better.
I have a glue on Scotty rod holder for it just waiting for the glue I ordered. I also have the three rod tree that fits the one Scotty mount, so I will be able to take up to four fly rods, or three and a Go Pro   Also have a trunk for it. I want to glue on a couple more D rings to attach that.
This being part SUP, I plan on standing, but the trunk will help steady me and also allow sitting up higher.
I wanted to point out that the battery I use is a wheel chair battery. I can get 5 hours out of a normal pontoon with mild use. It is 6W X 9L X 7H. Small. I wanted to through that out there to the tubers. And a motor mount can be made for any tube.

I'd love a standup paddle report!! I still surf and occasionally SUP. On a regular SUP you can keep up with kayakers no problem. Moto there and sit down to fish looks about right.

Renegade wrote:I wanted to point out that the battery I use is a wheel chair battery.

Man, that is genius! So is it as good as a 24/27?

It doesn't have the hours power of a 27. I have never used a 24 so can't comment. Pretty sure it last longer than a drill though. Mine is a few years old but I can definitely get 3 years of constant use on 1 & 2. #27 is for all day use and higher speeds.

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Horrible picture, I know...but I was in a rush to get into the water. That is a Caddis Pro 2000. Smaller side pockets and is relatively low to the water (pockets actually face inward instead of upwards). You can barely make it out, but in back as extra "dry" storage, I used a kitty litter box and attached a basic three rod holder with screws to the outside of it. It's secured to the back of the tube with a bungee cord around it and the back rest. I don't store anything too crazy in there, mainly a fish clip and an electric air pump (still a pain to turn your body around to dig through the bin so I try to keep everything I need in the side pockets). The original issue I had with the tube was the back didn't give enough support due to a lack of rigidity. Now, everything is fixed. The photo also has a net in the holder, I try to keep the net strapped into the rod holders/velcro straps that tube has along the side so I don't have to worry about reaching around for it when I need to net fish.

Even though the tube does have velcro meant to hold fishing rods while traveling, I don't like the thought of kicking backwards and potentially snapping a rod tip after colliding with something I didn't see.

The largest benefit of the cat litter storage? At the end of the day, I can toss wet waders/shoes/tackle into it then pack it into my car without causing a larger mess than I already did with the wet float tube.

Renegade wrote:New toy, anyone want to guess the stuff I can carry  
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Got the motor/battery figured out
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And Sonar
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That's an interesting design! Is the top pretty rigid?

Yes it is. It is a SUP. Most people are surprised to fin out they are inflatable. Plus you could put a plywood deck on this thing and add all sorts of things.
It is rockered on both ends and kind of a slight bowl shape in the middle.

Kin,
Perhaps a photo of the "kitty liter box" with the rod holder? Seems like a good idea. What kind of fins are those they look pretty long.

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And those fins are atomics...I got them from a friend of mine who spears. I think msrp is ~$200

Kin,
Thanks, I was picturing something else!
That's perfect for someone who wants a vertical mount or casting access to both sides.
Has you or anyone done a direct comparison between the Atomic Fins and the Force  Fins?

I have the Omega fins (flip fins)and there is big time difference between those and the FF. I quit using my FF 4 years ago because longer scuba fins are so much easier on the leg and knee.
Yea, I was trying to picture this set up as well. Didn't picture that. So simple, but effective. Nice job.

Thanks for the kind words. My wife was giving me strange looks when she saw me connecting them together. Originally, I wanted to have the rod holders inside the bucket, but it was much too wide for them. For the ODC 420, I have a crate that holds the rod holders in place without any screws.
I'm thinking of using wingnuts to secure the rod holder instead of wall anchors (I wrapped them in black electrical tape to reduce the chances of them ripping my waders). But currently, it's fastened extremely well.
The draw back is that when empty, it will be top heavy on the same side as the rod holder (given). You need to strap it down to the tube or else you run the risk of having it fall over and dunking all the rods as well as contents of the box (which is why I tend to keep the lid on the box).

I can't speak on FF vs Atomics, but I can speak on Atomics vs caddis "duck feet" fins vs cheap snorkel fins. Huge difference and different movement. With the Atomics, I can move by just fluttering my feet vs kicking motion of snorkel fins vs scooping of the duck feet. A lot less fatigue and taxing on your body. But once again, I haven't had a pair of FF to compare to.