summer tubing/tooning without waders

[wagdog]

I launched at 6 am this morning to harass Utah Lake once again. The water temp was a nice 77 degrees. I needed to break in the new breathable waders that I had gotten from Cabelas yesterday. Big mistake.
It was hot and kinda muggy today. Not East Texas/West Lousiana muggy but muggy for Utah. I should have just gone out wearing swimming trunks instead. As I kicked back into the harbor covered in sweat, I started wondering what water temp would be good to just go out in trunks instead of waders.
Do yall have a preference? I'm thinking 70 degrees and warmer ought to be okay but since I'm a newbie, I'm not positive. I'm also well insulated so that will probably be a factor. It may be one of those things I just need to go out and try.
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[pontoonman]

Don't use waders even during winter, but I live in Tx. All my boats, even the smallest ODC 420 are rigged with foot rest bars and troll motors, so my feet don't have to be in water, unless I want to cool down in the summer. I have done water temperatures down to the mid 40's with waterproof socks/booties or even in sandals since my exposure can be limited to seconds on launch/retrieve. I only go out during ideal wind and air temperature conditions though. With the sun shining and no wind, the effective air temperatures are often in the 80's during the Winter, and the water temperature doesn't matter.

Pon

[quote wagdog]I launched at 6 am this morning to harass Utah Lake once again. The water temp was a nice 77 degrees. I needed to break in the new breathable waders that I had gotten from Cabelas yesterday. Big mistake.
It was hot and kinda muggy today. Not East Texas/West Lousiana muggy but muggy for Utah. I should have just gone out wearing swimming trunks instead. As I kicked back into the harbor covered in sweat, I started wondering what water temp would be good to just go out in trunks instead of waders.
Do yall have a preference? I'm thinking 70 degrees and warmer ought to be okay but since I'm a newbie, I'm not positive. I'm also well insulated so that will probably be a factor. It may be one of those things I just need to go out and try.[/quote]
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[flygoddess]

I don't think I will ever go in any lake or reservoir without waders of some kind.
I don't need any help getting wrinkled...LOL Plus can you say SUN BURN!!![shocked]

Not to mention the critters in the water:



BUT, I never wear cotton under my breathables. Cotton is what causes sweating. Nice polyester blend and comfy in 90 degrees, however, not the best time to fish if you practice C&R.[]
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[wagdog]

Yeah, I can imagine if I ever float tube when I'm visiting my folks in Texas, I'll just hit the water with swim trunks. You have hit on one of the perks of fishing in Texas. I'd say another is that there are lakes all over the place AND you can use live minnows. There are other perks but those two have just been on my mind lately as I have watched some videos from the arklatex area where these fellows are killing big slab crappie with minnows. Oh well...back to Utah. [][]
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[wagdog]

Well you have mentioned a few of my concerns. I don't tan. I burn. I never leave home without spf 75 or higher. I apply and reapply often. Water critters...yeah. I don't want to kick back in with any friendly leeches attached to my nether-regions.

Ah ha. You may have stumbled on my problem. I was wearing all cotton clothing today. I was sweatin' buckets. Good thing I had drinks on board. I will definitely try different clothes next time. I know I have some cotton poly blends somewhere...
Thanks!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Sixty five degree water temps is about the point where I leave the waders home. I wear full length poly "coaches' pants". They protect my legs against scratches and sunburn but are light and dry quickly when I get out of the water. However, I always bring a change of clothes and generally wear shorts or similar for the return trip.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As the goddess lady points out, there are some waters where you want to wear waders even in warm weather. If you are tubing shallow and there are leeches you might lose some weight. Okay for some of us but kinda gross. In other waters there are the "swimmers' itch" organisms that can give you that itchy twitchy feelin' if you tube without your skin being protected from the water. The only two I know of in Utah are Mantua and Pelican Lake.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you check out the discount places and some military surplus outlets that sell inexpensive stuff you can find pants with zip off legs. I had a pair of those for a while that were light nylon and worked well both for tubing and driving home.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have fished "wet" in water below 60 degrees...but did not like it. This time of year the water feels great when the sun beats down and you ain't wearing a big rubber sweatsuit.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Labor Day is kinda the general time when summer temps begin to drop and you wanna be watchin' the water temps again. Once it heads south of the magic 65 degree mark...for me...I am wearing rubber again. I practice safe fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[wagdog]

[#0000ff]

Once it heads south of the magic 65 degree mark...for me...I am wearing rubber again. I practice safe fishing.

[#000000][size 2][font "Arial"]Well I'm glad some people still practice safe...fishing! LOL!

Would you wear those "coaches' pants" in Utah Lake or would you still break out the waders?
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[pontoonman]

Don't have to use swim trunks if your afraid of sunburn. I use long stretchy double knit jogging style pants, IF I will be in sun. These pants dry quickly without moisture creep and the evaporation cools your legs more than being in the water constantly- no wrinkles. The water gets so hot during the summer that dipping your legs doesn't give much comfort.

Most rivers here are lined with trees and there are sections of very dense shade-may not even need sunscreen. Sunburn is one reason I don't do lakes much, added to wind, reflected glare that gets your face and eyes (sunscreen in eyes is very painful), stinkpots, wakes, DUIs, boat ramp wait, distance to shore, etc.
That's just me and my take for this area. There are some great little lakes in the Sierras with unbelievable beauty that surpass any river experience.

Only creatures I've ever had on me were ticks that worked their way down to my underwear and that was while wearing waders in Florida! But, I thought leeches were good bait? Maybe I'm just repellant , even to bugs....[]

Pon

[quote wagdog]Yeah, I can imagine if I ever float tube when I'm visiting my folks in Texas, I'll just hit the water with swim trunks. You have hit on one of the perks of fishing in Texas. I'd say another is that there are lakes all over the place AND you can use live minnows. There are other perks but those two have just been on my mind lately as I have watched some videos from the arklatex area where these fellows are killing big slab crappie with minnows. Oh well...back to Utah. [][][/quote]
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[pontoonman]

Good post, came in before mine, TD. Gave me some more ideas of pants to use.

Now I'm wondering if it isn't the water flowing constantly in rivers and aeration that keeps the bug population down and off? Stagnant water is different and I would wear protection even though I would have essentially no water contact except for launch/retrieve.

Pon

[quote TubeDude][cool][#0000ff]Sixty five degree water temps is about the point where I leave the waders home. I wear full length poly "coaches' pants". They protect my legs against scratches and sunburn but are light and dry quickly when I get out of the water. However, I always bring a change of clothes and generally wear shorts or similar for the return trip.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]As the goddess lady points out, there are some waters where you want to wear waders even in warm weather. If you are tubing shallow and there are leeches you might lose some weight. Okay for some of us but kinda gross. In other waters there are the "swimmers' itch" organisms that can give you that itchy twitchy feelin' if you tube without your skin being protected from the water. The only two I know of in Utah are Mantua and Pelican Lake.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you check out the discount places and some military surplus outlets that sell inexpensive stuff you can find pants with zip off legs. I had a pair of those for a while that were light nylon and worked well both for tubing and driving home.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have fished "wet" in water below 60 degrees...but did not like it. This time of year the water feels great when the sun beats down and you ain't wearing a big rubber sweatsuit.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Labor Day is kinda the general time when summer temps begin to drop and you wanna be watchin' the water temps again. Once it heads south of the magic 65 degree mark...for me...I am wearing rubber again. I practice safe fishing.[/#0000ff][/quote]
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[flygoddess]

[quote pontoonman]Good post, came in before mine, TD. Gave me some more ideas of pants to use.

Now I'm wondering if it isn't the water flowing constantly in rivers and aeration that keeps the bug population down and off? Stagnant water is different and I would wear protection even though I would have essentially no water contact except for launch/retrieve.

Pon
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Sure of that. I wet wade rivers no problem. Wear SCRUBs too. Cheap and dry fast...love the color assortment as well...LOL
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]The black pants and a black BFT shirt are my "uniform" for summer fishing...especially in Utah Lake. However, I usually also wear my red SPF sun protection long sleeved shirt on most sunny days.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Check the pic below...taken on the west side of UL a ways before the Knolls.[/#0000ff]
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[peter805]

I live very close to Los Angeles and a lot of my
fishing is in LA reservoirs. There is NO WAY that
I will go into those waters without waders...........even
that I see people swimming in there [crazy].
Plus most of the time I fish ALL day. +/- 12 hours in the
water.
One thing that I do in hot weather is roll my chest waiders
down to my waist, it helps a lot. Also its very easy to
take a "brake" that way[]

Peter
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