fish keeper/cvrawdad catcher

[fishboy2]

hey guys just thought i might tell you all i built myself a fishkeeper/crawdad catcher. it was really easy, just took a lot of wire work. it is okay for my tube because of an attachment tubedude made for me, but if you do not have a hard attachment that will keep it off and away from your tube this idea is not the best out there. i will have some pictures up soon for you guys to see it. hey tube dude how should i get rid of some of the wires poking out on the edges? i thought i might weld it but it is only chickin wire.
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool]Hey, FB2, without seeing it, I can only offer general info. You are smart enough to know that sharp wires and inflated air chambers should not be introduced to each other. If you have some wire ends, I might suggest using longnose pliers and sidecutters to wrap the wires as well as possible and then to cut them as flush as possible to the basket. You can also be sure that all protruding wires go toward the inside, rather than the outside of the basket, where they can sink into FB2 flesh or your tube.

There are a lot of different types of wire and nylon mesh that have been successfully used as a live basket for fish...for a float tube. Regardless of how it looks, you only need to be concerned about how it works.

You might want to think about adding a ring of that foam stuff they call "noodles", and sell for kids to play in the pools. I have started using that on my fish baskets, and it not only floats the top of the basket, but acts as a "bumper", to keep the basket from actually coming into contact with my craft. See the pic below.



TubeDude
[signature]

[leaky]

Hey guys,

I know my thing isn't as "professional" as yours but just an easy thing to do. I've been using a home made ditty bag made from a towel and draw strings hung over the side attached to my tube ring, easy to carry and when out of the water the water evaporation from the towel keeps the fish cool and wet. Can't be use for crawdad catching though, I don't think. What do you guys think? Be polite now!

[crazy][crazy]Leaky

[TubeDude]

[cool]Whatever floats your donut, Leaky. If it works...it works.

My personal preference, especially in the warm waters of Arizona, is to have a wire basket. The fish can stay alive and swimming, and do not die and begin to degrade in the warm waters. When I hit the beach, they are still flopping...until I dump them into my ice chest. Then they thump and bump all the way home.

I have used different mesh bags. But unless I put in a spreader ring (more weight) the fish cannot swim and usually expire before I am ready to go ashore. However, if you are only going to keep a few for the next meal, and will not be staying long, then there should be no reason why it can't work just fine. I often only keep a few of the last fish I catch, for just that reason.

If you wanna catch crawdads with your bag, leave a couple of fish in it, tie on a rope and drop it to the bottom in a few feet of water. AFter a few minutes, you should be able to have several 'dads clinging to the bag, trying to share your fish with you. Put a net under the bag and you can scoop the bugs as they let go and head back down.

Just wonderin' Leaky. Do you use a nice white towel...or a bright beach towel...or one that Bud has used for a quilt? Might make a difference.

TubeDude
[signature]

[leaky]

Dude,

Interesting. My fish stay alive all day, must be the cooler water. I've even removed a few caught in the am and released them in the evening and they swam off happy as little ---? They are still gasping after walking a mile back to the truck, a little worse for wear though. Bass seem to be pretty hardy, not like trout. Good idea for crawdads. My towel is black and dark brown. Bud is still using his quilt. Wouldn't dare use his "thing".

Leaky

[Hellsangler69]

I like that live well so much I finally got around to making one . Got me one of those funnoodle at wally world and now look out panfish !! Now I need to work on that rod holder .and a cooler and more storage and ...........
[signature]

[Phoenix1172]

Hi guys and thanks for the input. I’m getting closer to getting out on the water to fish in my tube (Fish Cat 4) for the first time (first time in a tube also), but I’m still putting together some of my gear. I’m thinking about a Memorial Day trip to Southern Utah, so that my wife and I can try everything out on a lake I’m very familiar with. I can’t wait!

Anyway, I had a question about what to use for a live basket to keep my fish in while out on the tube. I’ve seen a few pictures of the setup TubeDude has, but was not sure what I needed to use in order to hook everything to my tube (do you have a close up pic of your setup TubeDude?).

I was looking at a medium sized wire fish basket at Sportsman’s Warehouse, but wasn’t sure if this would work. Sorry I don’t have any pictures, but it seems to look similar to the basket I’ve seen in some of TubeDude’s pictures. Also, does the foam “noodle” that I see wrapped around the basket work? What is the best way to attach this to the basket? Is the tube safe using a wire basket?

Sorry about all of the questions, but I’m trying to make sure I’m as educated as I can be before setting out the first time. TubeDude has sent some information from his book that will help a lot to get adjusted fishing from a tube so I appreciate that. I’ll be sure to take a few pictures of my final setup once I have everything together (both on and off the lake).

Thanks again for the great input and advice I continue to receive from everyone.

Frank
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I have tried a lot of different methods of keeping fish alive and well while tubing. I found the mesh bags to restrict the swimming of the fish and to cause mortality in warmer waters, when the fish stress more. Stringers also harm the fish and can be a "navigation hazard" if they wrap around your legs. That has happened with big cats a couple of times, when they were too big to put in the basket.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I recommend the 19" X 30" wire baskets sold by Bass Pro and available at Sportsmans for a lot less. I think Sportsmans sells them for under $10, and they will last for several seasons if you do not drag them through stickups too often.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have bought the ones with the floating lid, but find that it gets in the way and makes you have to use a two handed dunk whenever you put a fish in them. If I am in a hot bite with perch or white bass, and I want to just do a quick slam dunk, with one hand, I actually disconnect the tension spring on the lid to make it easier. Once in awhile a wascally fish will spot the opening and leap back out, but not often enough to worry about.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The foam noodle thing helps hold the basket upright in the water and keeps the opening at water level. Otherwise the basket sinks. I simply run a length of nylon rope through one of those swimming floaters and then tie it off. It will not stay round, but that's not necessary. I leave a length of the rope to tie onto a plastic clip, and then clip that to one of the D rings on the outside of the tube. I bring the wire carrying handles around on the outside and prop them inside the edge of the noodle and that also helps keep the basket open for business. You fold it up and collapse the basket when you are through.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are several sized baskets on the market. Get the biggest one...the 19X30. That seems big, but it is not. It will hold a lot of fish, and keep them healthier, but it is really not unhandy. In the pic below, you can see that even the big basket will not always work...like when you hang a 24# flathead catfish.[/#0000ff]


[#0000ff]But, the baskets will hold a surprising number of larger fish. I have brought in several cats, all over 5#, at one time, and still had space in the basket.[/#0000ff]


[#0000ff]One of the pictorial threads I will be adding to the picture board will include baskets, nets, stringers and other fish controlling devices.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Let me know if you need any more info on setting up the basket.[/#0000ff]
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I got out on the water for awhile last night, and got a walleye. Decided to shoot a couple more pics to help give you a better look at the basket and noodle setup.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]By the way, the wire basket is safe with tubes, unless you break a wire somehow and it is protruding. Watch for those. That usually happens near the bottom, from dragging your basket through snags and only affects the tube if you set the basket on it.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]And, if you rig the noodle right, it acts as a bumper that keeps the basket from actually touching the tube.[/#0000ff]


The large basket is big enough to hold big fish, and several of them.


Semi side view, including a view of the blue cord I have used to better secure the noodle to the basket. This also helps keep the noodle more "round", instead of the oval shape it wants to assume.


Shows the length of rope and the plastic snap used to attach the basket to an outsided D ring on the tube.
[signature]

[Phoenix1172]

Thanks for getting back to me and for posting the pictures. I finally have had time to check everything out more thoroughly without work or school keeping me busy this weekend. Everything looks great and should be easy enough for me to duplicate.

One question I had after looking at the pictures was about the wire basket creating any kind of drag problems with the tube (especially with fish in it). Does the wire fish basket create any types of drag or balance problems in the water that I should be aware of?

Also, on another topic, do the adjustable Force Fin tubing fins float? I was wondering if they did or if I will have to buy some sort of leash to make sure the fins don't ever come off during a trip and sink to the bottom.
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]The basket creates a serious drag problem only when I try to tow a water skier. Makes it tough to get up on plane.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Seriously, during most of your casual kick-around fishing activities you never know the basket is there. However, if you need to haul out and fight against a wind or current, then it could be a potential problem. Under those circumstances you can lift it out of the water and set in in you lap. If there are spiny fish in it, don't set it in the hollow behind the seat, or you may get a fish spine in your air chamber.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I may be mistaken but I do not think the Force Fins float. You can get a tether for peace of mind. I have never lost a fin in almost 50 years of tubing. But, I know some people who have. Until you get the hang of proper strap adjustment, etc., the tethers might be a good idea.[/#0000ff]
[signature]

[JamisJockey]

When I did alot of float tubing in Arizona I used a floating basket with no problems for Largemouths, crappie, and bluegill. Also used a metal stringer with no problems.
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey Jason, welcome to the tubing forum. What part of Arizona did you fish, and what lakes?[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I just moved back up to Utah from Arizona (Chandler) a little less than a year ago. I fished all the lakes around Phoenix and a few south of Tucson.[/#0000ff]
[signature]

[JamisJockey]

[reply]
[cool][#0000ff]Hey Jason, welcome to the tubing forum. What part of Arizona did you fish, and what lakes?[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I just moved back up to Utah from Arizona (Chandler) a little less than a year ago. I fished all the lakes around Phoenix and a few south of Tucson.[/#0000ff] [/reply]
I was stationed in Yuma for 5 years. I float tubed along the lower Colorado, Lake Mittry, Martinez, and a couple small un-named ponds. I mostly targeted bass, but on occassion would fish for bluegill and crappie from it. I caught my biggest bass, 12lbs down there. Hooked more than my fair share of 4-8 pounders.
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey Jason, nice bass. There are a lot of good fish along the Colorado. I used to fish it a lot when I lived in Riverside California. Before the big floods (in the 80's) and the rechanneling there were a lot more backwaters and much more access. There used to be a big backwater below the PaloVerde Wier that was full of bass, crappies, bluegills, cats and stripers. I was often the only person fishing it, like some of the other little ponds up there.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]My parents lived in Yuma for several years after they retired, and I ran over there often, when I lived in Phoenix. Yuma has really grown over the past 20 years, as it has become a "snowbird" roosting spot.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Did you ever fish for any of the big flatheads in the river?[/#0000ff]
[signature]

[JamisJockey]

[reply]
[cool][#0000ff]Hey Jason, nice bass. .....[/#0000ff][#0000ff] Yuma has really grown over the past 20 years, as it has become a "snowbird" roosting spot.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Did you ever fish for any of the big flatheads in the river?[/#0000ff] [/reply]


Yuma only has two seasons: Summer and Snowbird.
I did some catfishing and caught a few flatheads in the 10-20lb range, but it wasn't my primary focus. Most the cats I caught were accidental when they took Bass rigs.
[signature]

[albinotrout]

How about a 5 gallone bucket in an innertube floating nearby attached by a rope? eh?
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Whatever floats your boat....errrr, bucket.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have seen fish holding devices built along that line. As long as you drill holes in the bucket to help with aeration and keep it from floating.[/#0000ff]
[signature]

[flygoddess]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]I seldom keep fish, but do on occassion and love crayfish. I use a big mesh bag )the ones for dirty laundry) and hang it off the side of my boat.[/size][/black][/font]
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]When we do our perchathon and fishfry you are going to have to catch and keep a few fish if you wanna participate in the eatin'. No free lunch.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Not sure I would wanna eat fish you kept in with the dirty laundry. Kinda kinky.[/#0000ff]
[signature]