Newb with a tube

Good evening all. I am a novice tuber, with a Cumberland that I have outfitted with ABS pipe-type rod holder. am looking for idea(s) as to how to add a watertight storage "locker" to the rear area of the tube. something that can hold drinks/lunch and/or clothing, etc. DIY is what i am hoping for, but store-bought is okay, too.

i have only used my tube once with a maiden trip to SARL. i am outfitted for ultralight freshwater, but would like to venture into light saltwater action. to that end, am looking for advice as to outfitting for rod/reel/line weight, lures, etc.

am looking forward to your replies.

thank you.

Welcome to the site
Tweaking your ride is part of the addiction

Decathalon makes a tube storage solution or you can look diy some ideas from kayak milk crate storage or just a harbor freight bucket w lid and bungies

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SteelersFan4Life wrote:Good evening all. I am a novice tuber, with a Cumberland that I have outfitted with ABS pipe-type rod holder. am looking for idea(s) as to how to add a watertight storage "locker" to the rear area of the tube. something that can hold drinks/lunch and/or clothing, etc. DIY is what i am hoping for, but store-bought is okay, too.

i have only used my tube once with a maiden trip to SARL. i am outfitted for ultralight freshwater, but would like to venture into light saltwater action. to that end, am looking for advice as to outfitting for rod/reel/line weight, lures, etc.

am looking forward to your replies.

thank you.

Welcome to the site!

I keep it simple when it comes to fishing line, 10lb mono on both of my rods, this has treated me well thus far.

My rods are cheapo spinning combo rods from Big 5 and Dick's Sporting Goods, again, they have treated me well. Just gently rinse them off after you get home and you should be good to go. Literally paid $17 for my Daiwa combo from Big 5, 7' pole with a 3000 reel. I think the one from Dicks was $40'ish? Daiwa Samurai with a 4000 spinning reel, that reel did bite the dust though because I accidentally dunked it. Now that I am hooked on fishing, I'll probably upgrade my rod sometime down the line.

Regarding baits/lures. I started out with 1/4oz Jig Heads attached to various 3" Big Hammer swim baits. I then took a stab with 1/4oz Hook Up Baits (Chovy, Red Crab, Sardine Green and most recently Mint). All have proven to be very successful in their own ways and time. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] gave me the heads up about creature baits and grubs. Naturally I went to my local tackle shop and picked up a few different ones, and again, have had success with them (Kalin Lunker Grub in Pumpkin Salt & Pepper and Chartrueuse Hologram). Also like using the Green Pumpkin Powerbait grub. My latest go-to on at least one rod if I'm not using a grub has been using a Gulp! Swim Mullet, particularly in Nuclear Chicken. I've mounted those to 1/4oz Ned Heads (kind of unconventional) and also 1/8oz Darter Heads. Nearly every Spottie I've landed with the Nuclear Chicken has choked it, something bout the scent and the color must make them crave those things.

Take a look at the "Western Region Fishing Report" forum for our Fish Reports. I usually mention what I used during that session, and what success or lack of success I have had with them.

Hope to hit some salt with ya soon. Myself and a few others are usually going out at least one day on the weekend.

jmytuna wrote:Welcome to the site
Tweaking your ride is part of the addiction

Decathalon makes a tube storage solution or you can look diy some ideas from kayak milk crate storage or just a harbor freight bucket w lid and bungies

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

SteelersFan4Life wrote:Good evening all. I am a novice tuber, with a Cumberland that I have outfitted with ABS pipe-type rod holder. am looking for idea(s) as to how to add a watertight storage "locker" to the rear area of the tube. something that can hold drinks/lunch and/or clothing, etc. DIY is what i am hoping for, but store-bought is okay, too.

i have only used my tube once with a maiden trip to SARL. i am outfitted for ultralight freshwater, but would like to venture into light saltwater action. to that end, am looking for advice as to outfitting for rod/reel/line weight, lures, etc.

am looking forward to your replies.

thank you.

This was great advice, doc!
This suggestion should work fine for you on your new ride.

Welcome to our FTFF site and I look forward to reading many fish reports from your adventures, both fresh and salt.

SP Dan <“))><

Welcome to the Forum.  I agree with JMYTUNA  the mods are fun and can be addicting.  I too have a Cumberland and built an ABS rod holder setup. it works perfectly.

Dry storage:   I just use a 5gal bucket from lowes or home depot and have a dry pack bag from Amazon.  My daughter has the FLTB5 from Decathlon and has the triangle shaped bag shown above and works great.  

Fishing gear for the bays and harbors is simple bass gear.  Spinning or baitcaster rigs with 10-15 pound test is more than enough for spotted bay bass.  The chance at a halibut with 10lb is a little scary but can be done and would be super fun.  Lures can vary depending on season. hookup baits are hot.(colors change with the water temp) .  I use a lot of Ned Rigs with grubs bouncing off the bottom.  Beedee uses the Berkeley Gulp mullet a lot with huge success.. There are several swim baits that will work great .  I like the Warbaits stuff , especially the neck breaker and the underspins. Jbros is a sponsor of the site and I try to support them and their grubs and tube jigs work good.  

Hope that helps and any time you want to venture out to Huntington Harbor or Alamitos Bay let us know. There's a couple of that are out there every weekend or every other .

Anytime to fish with a fellow Steelers fan is good day.

I agree with all the above and wanted to share some images of some of the lures I use.
Big Hammer 3" is a must have in my book. Colors galore.
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Hookup Baits always seem to work and I will have some ready to go.  Kind of pricey but worth it in my book 
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Next I always have fluke style baits like this.
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And Yes I love using J Bro's Lures, a newer company with some unique ideas.  [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

That is my 2 cents.  There are some many other options you can go with but for me I will always have these ready to go.

Thank you all for the welcome and hints. I will be working to update my tackle. have there been previous posts that provide launch spots for Newport, Alamitos Bay, etc., or are the boat launch areas used by most? are there preferred gathering/launch areas for group members when outings are undertaken?

SteelersFan4Life wrote:Thank you all for the welcome and hints. I will be working to update my tackle. have there been previous posts that provide launch spots for Newport, Alamitos Bay, etc., or are the boat launch areas used by most? are there preferred gathering/launch areas for group members when outings are undertaken?

Each harbor has a handful of launch locations, most of which aren’t actual boat ramps.

Alamitos Bay: 69th place on the Peninsula, Mothers Beach, and the bay proper, I think it’s 51st place?

Huntington Harbor: Seabridge Park is a popular launch spot, Davenport is another one, as well as the little beach next to OEX and Cobra Kayaks right off PCH in Sunset too.

Newport Harbor: Coast Guard Station Beach is probably the most popular launch location. There are a few other places to launch from along the peninsula. I’ve only launched from CGSB though.

Keep your eyes peeled to the forum for upcoming fishing invite threads. I won’t be able to get out until Sunday this weekend and will post an invite thread if it doesn’t rain.

SteelersFan4Life wrote:Thank you all for the welcome and hints. I will be working to update my tackle. have there been previous posts that provide launch spots for Newport, Alamitos Bay, etc., or are the boat launch areas used by most? are there preferred gathering/launch areas for group members when outings are undertaken?

Check out Onerybob on YouTube .   Was an OG member here on the forum but has since passed.   He has tutorials on all the SoCal harbors with launch sites.  

And beedee is spot on with his post.

thanks, again y'all. how is the parking for launch spots? i have seen videos where locals get angry when fishermen park all day on a public street. have any of you had such issues?

I haven’t run into that at all. Seabridge is a park in Huntington so no issues there, so are the “baby beaches” like Davenport and Humboldt. Where I park by 69th place for Alamitos is street parking but near beach access so I think the locals expect it . If you’re courteous and friendly you won’t have any problems. We park ther all the time and they’ve been good. A lot will ask you how you did fishing and say hi.

I agree with BigMaxFloats and I have never really had any issue.  Only issue was near 69th place and that was because a guy that was with us was loud and rude.  Needless to say we did not invite him back LOL.

Same, I'm always quiet and conscious of my surroundings when arriving to the spots early in the morning. When I/we are done and shooting the sh!t at the vehicles after the session it is usually at least 10am or later, so I'm talking at regular volume. Then again, I'm not one of those loud and inconsiderate type of people.

Good evening, all. i hope you don't mind the questions.

I got Dryft Primo chest waders for Christmas. these things are supposed to be IT for fishing ice cold ES waters. have any of you used them while fishing the bay? is it overkill? what are you guys using, and how do you prep for a day on the water from season to season? is there a concensus as to which type of footwear that is used while in the tube? how about fins? i have only those that came with my Cumberland. a buddy of mine recommended Force fins. i'm tempted but don't want to bust my budget if the return won't be much more than what i get with my current fins.

on another note, I stopped by Fisherman's Access in Brea. that place is a superstore and the guys there were very helpful. are you guys familiar with them?

I have always used force fins - excellent propulsion with reasonable effort, more maneuverable than float tube or scuba fins, and last forever. The sink, so tether them to your ankles. Expensive new but usually available on craigslist or offer up. I wear scuba booties and find them perfect. Float tube booties are also available and are a better design, but more expensive. Recommend Hodgeman and Frog Toggs

I’ve heard good things about force fins but they’re spendy. I use the turbo Thruster fins from classic accessories. They’re $45 on Amazon and work great. There’s a set on eBay right now for $12.

I just use surf booties when walking around in my stockingfoot waders. Just to protect them from the rough ground going from the truck to the beach. Got that idea from Jeffcpr and that’s how he rolls. Beedee was going to glue some rubber/neoprene to the bottom of his waders for the same purpose as to protect the stockingfoot from being damaged walking around. I thought it was a good idea but I won’t do it to mine because I use them with full on waders boots in the streams and creeks and worry my boots won’t fit with added material.

The Dryft waders you have are awesome. They will serve you well in all SoCal bays . Never gets below 50 degrees water temp. I have some Dryft Pants and with some fleece pants as a liner I’m never cold . You can use those waders for falll, winter, and spring and trunk it in the summer.

I’ve never been to Fishermen’s Access but heard good things. I’m in the South Bay and have a few shops around here and will hit BigFish in Seal beach once in a while for bait ( mostly live ghost shrimp). [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

SteelersFan4Life wrote:Good evening all. I am a novice tuber, with a Cumberland that I have outfitted with ABS pipe-type rod holder. am looking for idea(s) as to how to add a watertight storage "locker" to the rear area of the tube. something that can hold drinks/lunch and/or clothing, etc. DIY is what i am hoping for, but store-bought is okay, too.

...

Honestly, I like to travel light and fish, so I rarely bring food with me and I expect everything to get wet, so I'm pleasantly surprised...I don't even like to bring much water unless it's really hot, because I don't like to pee once I put my waders on.

So putting something hard behind my seat is just one more complication to worry about and more weight.

If I ever were to want to keep something dry, I'd put it in a roll up dry bag...oh, and if you want to keep your phone functioning, if you put it in a ziplock bag, first but it in a waterproof phone container (you can get hard and soft versions at Walmart for cheap), or take the ziplock and put it in a dry bag...me? what do I know, I only killed 3 phones one July, death by water contact...just sayin'

OK I have been using Frogg Togg Waist High Waders for the last 6 or so years and love them. I wear neoprene boots over my stocking foot wader so I can walk the parking lots to and from the water. This help protect your waders. If you use wader boots you need to have fins that will fit your boots.
I use a set of fins called FLTB-FI+ unfortunate they are not sold in the US yet. They are much like dive fins with a ridged nose cup that fits my boots well. I know that force fins are very good fins, but I agree they are pricey.
My 2 cents on fins is this find what you like and use them often. You will build muscle memory and in time those fins will work great for you as your legs and muscles will know what to do.

If you are looking for a good set of waders at a reasonable price, these Frog Toggs are excellent and the price unbeatable

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This guy has a package deal for sale, might be able to see if he will split it up. I have a pair of the HOT SPOT fins that he is selling and they have been great. I made my own fin liner out of an old wetsuit that I cut and glued pieces of neoprene along inside of the fin, on the top of the foot pocket and overlapped out the opening and glued on top of the fin.

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jeffcpr wrote:OK I have been using Frogg Togg Waist High Waders for the last 6 or so years and love them.  I wear neoprene boots over my stocking foot wader so I can walk the parking lots to and from the water.  This help protect your waders.  If you use wader boots you need to have fins that will fit your boots.  
I use a set of fins called FLTB-FI+ unfortunate they are not sold in the US yet.  They are much like dive fins with a ridged nose cup that fits my boots well.   I know that force fins are very good fins, but I agree they are pricey.  
My 2 cents on fins is this find what you like and use them often.  You will build muscle memory and in time those fins will work great for you as your legs and muscles will know what to do.    

My hint is that if you have the fins that have an adjustable strap, that slides into a plastic clip/adjuster that mounts onto a post on your fin heel side (2 posts per fin, one on each side of the heel) and the straps slip, or you have to replace them, either tape the ends of the strap so they can't move or buy one of the non-adjustable replacement straps that replace your whole strap assembly and fit over the posts.

Mine were coiled metal springs, but I don't see that specific model available on Amazon right now so this should be similar but YMMV:

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My fins have a similar strap and I really like this.

I may try my luck at SARL this weekend. I have ordered a bunch of SS swimbaits and jigs and will give them a shot. Is anyone else going? if not, where are you going? Good luck!

SteelersFan4Life wrote:I may try my luck at SARL this weekend. I have ordered a bunch of SS swimbaits and jigs and will give them a shot. Is anyone else going? if not, where are you going? Good luck!

Good luck
2# test
Minijigs
Drop shot power worm
Carolina with powermouse/mice tail
Small kastmaster/thomas bouyant/roostertail
Bring a rubber net

SteelersFan4Life wrote:I may try my luck at SARL this weekend. I have ordered a bunch of SS swimbaits and jigs and will give them a shot. Is anyone else going? if not, where are you going? Good luck!

Good luck to you ley us know how you made out. I wish I could but I am short on funds, just enough to get back and forth to work for now.