Santa brought me my first float tube and I'm looking for advise on fishing out of a float. Is it best to cast sinking line or can you have success using floating line?? Besides Pass Lake, does anybody know of any other Western Wash. lakes open now and are desent float lakes? Any advise would be appreciated.
No reason why you shouldn't be able to use any technique from a float tube. Trolling leech patterns with floating or sinking lines is popular, casting to rising fish with dries can be very effective when the fish are up on Callibaetis mayflies or damselflies. Casting and retrieving damsel or dragonfly nymph imitations can work well around weed beds and along shorelines. Probably the single most popular stillwater technique is fishing an imitation of a chironomid pupa under a strike indicator.
Toward the south end of Whidbey Island is Lone Lake (found going north on Bayview Rd off the main hwy). It's a year-round lake. To further discover lakes on your own, I'd suggest first scouring the regs book for the fly fishing and selective gear lakes that are open. Second, hit the WDFW website to check which lakes were planted with Triploid or otherwise trophy sized fish. In this case, you have to check back with the regs to see if they're open. Next, check the DeLorme's Gazetteer to look for indications that a given lake is overly developed--that is, encircled with the kinds of roads that indicate tons of houses. If the lake is caged-up with streets, avoid it--it's probably been over-fished by the people living in those waterfront houses. If you notice that there is little to no development, have heart. And, above all, be sure to check <www.washingtonlakes.com>. That's a great resource that will help you find the lakes closest to home and then further away. WL.com has a clickable map that's divided up by county. Very useful! Good luck.
What I want to know is do you have to where chest high waders with those float tubes or can you get away with Guide pants? Steve
New River Mike In Mason County, about thirty minutes from Bremerton, is a year-round fly-fishing only lake called Cady Lake. I just did stumble onto it last weekend while hunting for a home or land out that way, since my wife and I just recently moved. I haven't fished it yet, but here's a link you can look at for further info: http://www.washingtonlakes.com/mason.htm And in my opinion, yes, you definitely need chest waders in a float tube! Good luck, wherever you go!
I have a pontoon boat and I can get away with wearing Guide pants with that but I have never owned a float tube before. I see people in them all of the time I just couldn't tell wear the water came up to. thanks for the info! Steve:7
Well unless you are real skinny it would work but if you are on the big side I would wear chest highs. I tried the guide pants and got a little wet and then traded off the float tube and went back to my pontoon boat. Stayed dry after that. Jim
On many of the new U-boat and pontoon style float tubes, they offer a higher ride than the old doughnut style tubes. In the summer, under calm conditions, guide pants would probably be fine with a higher riding model. But if you find yourself on lake Nunally around midnight on a cool spring night and white caps come smashing over the top of your tube - you'll be thankful for those chest waders!!
I use a multitip line. It gives you lots of choices and you can very everything by kicking in different speeds.
Cadylake.com Cady lake is where I first learned and used my float tube. Its an awesome lake, only 16 acres and an easy float with GIANT trout to match! Its a c.r lake with big rainbows,browns,triploids,tiger and Steelhead trout. Its owed and stocked privately and survives ONLY on donations,etc. so leave a couple bucks even if you don't catch anything. During the spring and cool summer months you can throw just about any dry fly to bank risers by the bushes and trees and see the trout just EXPLODE on them! I hear the majority of fish caught there is using chronimoids on indicators, too boring for me, I'd rather use dries and troll with #2 olive or black buggers just below the surface. Lately the trout are really stubborn due to the fishing pressure and is only less than an hour from Tacoma. My record trout out of there is 22", there is bigger up to 32 inches! Zero wading access and zero gas motor access. Perfect for tubes and pontoons. Good luck! My all time favorite lake is Lenice Lake though. I'm sure there is plenty info on Lenice on this site. Good luck! Peter ><> John 14:6
