04-09-2007, 01:28 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Welcome aboard. Love your handle and avatar pic. I guess you are wacko enough to become a tuber.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]You did well to choose the FC4 over the Togiak...especially if you want larger pockets. The Trout Unlimited craft all have wimpy pockets designed for lint flingers (fly fishing). No room for a respectable tackle box unless you take a blade and cut out the partitions between the pocket. shouldn't have to start cutting on a new tube just to make it work.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The pockets on the FCR ARE a bit smaller then the Fat Cats. But, they are large enough to hold some decent sized compartmented boxes. Forget the big tackle box for tubing. Much better to arrange just a few of what you think you will need in smaller boxes and then arrange them in the side pockets. We all take way more than we need anyway, and tubing forces us to think it over better.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]You also have the compartment behind the seat. You can store some extra stuff in there...but use a dry bag or a plastic storage bin. it is not waterproof.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]FC4s are being used by lots of guys over 200 pounds. You will float high enough, but you would enjoy the extra space and floatation of a Fat Cat. I am WELL over 200 pounds and have used the Super Fat Cat for about 4 years. That is 3 years longer than I have ever fished from any other tube in 50 years of tubing...which I started as a kid in Southern California.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Don't worry about the anchor. If the wind gets too strong to fish without one, get off the water. You can't fish well in the wind anyway. I have tried a lot of anchors, including a simple mesh bag with shoreline rocks. They work to hold you steady but they also get your legs (and fish) wrapped in the cord. Better to watch the weather and find somewhere else to be when the wind gets too strong.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Be patient and continue to do your homework. It won't be long until you can get out and become better acquainted with your new fishing buddy. As we usually advise, it is better to make your first splashdown without tackle, so you can get used to using the fins and maneuvering your tube.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Let us know when you "take the plunge". I think you will be pleased with how well your FC4 floats and handles. It really is a good tube...not just a price thing.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]You did well to choose the FC4 over the Togiak...especially if you want larger pockets. The Trout Unlimited craft all have wimpy pockets designed for lint flingers (fly fishing). No room for a respectable tackle box unless you take a blade and cut out the partitions between the pocket. shouldn't have to start cutting on a new tube just to make it work.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The pockets on the FCR ARE a bit smaller then the Fat Cats. But, they are large enough to hold some decent sized compartmented boxes. Forget the big tackle box for tubing. Much better to arrange just a few of what you think you will need in smaller boxes and then arrange them in the side pockets. We all take way more than we need anyway, and tubing forces us to think it over better.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]You also have the compartment behind the seat. You can store some extra stuff in there...but use a dry bag or a plastic storage bin. it is not waterproof.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]FC4s are being used by lots of guys over 200 pounds. You will float high enough, but you would enjoy the extra space and floatation of a Fat Cat. I am WELL over 200 pounds and have used the Super Fat Cat for about 4 years. That is 3 years longer than I have ever fished from any other tube in 50 years of tubing...which I started as a kid in Southern California.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Don't worry about the anchor. If the wind gets too strong to fish without one, get off the water. You can't fish well in the wind anyway. I have tried a lot of anchors, including a simple mesh bag with shoreline rocks. They work to hold you steady but they also get your legs (and fish) wrapped in the cord. Better to watch the weather and find somewhere else to be when the wind gets too strong.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Be patient and continue to do your homework. It won't be long until you can get out and become better acquainted with your new fishing buddy. As we usually advise, it is better to make your first splashdown without tackle, so you can get used to using the fins and maneuvering your tube.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Let us know when you "take the plunge". I think you will be pleased with how well your FC4 floats and handles. It really is a good tube...not just a price thing.[/#0000ff]
[signature]