So I just invested in a float tube. I’m excited to try it out. I plan on going to Deer Creek Saturday morning. Do any float tubers have any tips? I’ve been trying to search for posts about tubing but haven’t found that many. Could anyone also point me to where I should kick and what kind of baits or jigs I should use. I’ll probably launch from the Island but I’ve heard of people getting ticketed. Does anyone have advice for where to park around there also? Also, should I go early in the morning or does it really matter? If anyone is heading up Saturday morning go ahead and PM me!
You can launch at the Island Boat Ramp, by driving down and setting up your gear, but then you have to drive your vehicle back up and park in the lot. If you park down by the water you WILL get a ticket.
**You can also launch at the main launch ramp, near Walsburg Bay. That is not too tough, since the barrier gate is not far from the water’s edge. Good tubing in that area too, either along the shorelines or back up into what is left of the bay. **
**Best fishing in Deer Creek right now is for rainbows. Some early mornings and evenings they are on top and you can whack them with spinners or flies. When they go deep you will do better by bouncing jigs on the bottom, sweetened with a piece of crawler. Dragging a crawler or other baits in 20 to 30 feet of water will also get both trout and the occasional walleye. **
The perch and bass have mostly gone deep and are tough to find now. The walleye might be drifting deeper too, but a week ago they were still being taken by the pros in about 30 feet of water.
If you can pack your tube and gear a ways, you can park at the edge of the road, by the island, and walk all the way down to the water and launch closer to the island. That is a good place to fish this time of year, but a long kick from the ramp. Fish plastics or feather jigs in black, chartreuse or white all around the outside edges of the island…moving from shallow to deeper as you go. Having sonar will help a lot because the fish can be almost anywhere on any given day. Your best hope is to find some feeding shallow.
Welcome aboard.
Can’t add much to TD’s wisdom.
What kind of tube did you get?
You may also want to check out the float tube board! Tons of good info there!
I tired tubing in Utah for the first time last Saturday at Deer Creek. I did terrible. I left out of Rainbow Bay and saw some guys on the bank catching some trout on power bait. I on the other hand couldn’t get them to bite on the artificial’s. Was there from sun up to about ten. I suggest you make the run up to strawberry if you have the time and can brave the cold.
It sure was fun though. I used to tube Mission Bay and San Diego Bay and it brought back some great memories.
When TD said you WILL get a ticket, he is not kidding. My cousin and I launched from there 2 years back when it was really low and we left his truck down there even though others were parked there and when we returned we had a HEFTY FINE OF $250.00.
I used to have some good times in the San Diego inland waters my own self. Great bassin’ and some decent flatties and small seabass. Once in a while a big ol’ bat ray to tow you around.
Y’know, that might have been your problem on Deer Creek. The fish in there just don’t go much for those big swimbaits and jigs we fish in Mission Bay. (Sorry)
Seriously, this is a transition time for Deer Creek and it is usually not very friendly to most anglers…unless you wanna play with the hatchery pets with bottle baits. But, if you learn the lake, and happen to hit it right, there are some bodacious bows and big browns for late fall tubers. Not much chance of smallies but the wallies do cruise in and out for a while yet.
The extremely low water this fall has changed a lot of things. Most of the reliable spots are high and dry so we all have to use sonar and intuition to try to find the fish on any given day.
**“Y’know, that might have been your problem on Deer Creek. The fish in there just don’t go much for those big swimbaits and jigs we fish in Mission Bay. (Sorry)”
Ha, ha. No, I wasn’t fishing the swim baits. Just flys & spinners.
**
Like was mentioned earlier I would head to Strawberry and launch out of wither Chicken Springs, CS east or the ladders. And go play with the cuts.
I got a Bucks Bag round tube in pretty good condition although used. I know Strawberry is still good this time of year. I plan on “testing” out the tube on DC first tomorrow and then actually heading up to the Berry next week since I have time off. Tube Dude and others thanks for the advice. It always helps. What did you mean though by plastics or feather jigs? I have tube jigs and (Panther Martin) spinners mostly. I’m thinking of using bubble and fly too. I’ve read some different posts that recommend streamers mostly. Are there other flies that produce? Can I just use my spinning reel with the bubble and fly technique? Thanks again everyone for your help!
I floated Rainbow Bay a couple of weeks ago. Had a great day fishing. Worked hard and licked back and forth across the lake.
I used casting bubble and flies for the trout. Pounded the heck out of them for the 6 hours I was on the water. Most successful flies were white in color. I wish I knew their names, tied on #2 hooks w/sparkle in them. Some have tails, streamers some do not. Every fly I used that day got an inqury, large and small. But the white patterns were the hot color. (White Rainbow)
Also bottom bounced an experimental worm harness. If you want to call dragging it at nearly a dead stop speed bouncing. Did Ok with the eyes that day.
The above advice is most reliable. I used worms only on the harness and flies with casting bubble on my spinning outfit (poor mans fly rod). I had a blast.
Parking by the water WILL get you a ticket. I have one from my trip. But you can drive down unload your gear and drive back up to park. I myself would probably hit the island. Espically if I was using a donut tube again. Sonar will be most usefull right now. Good luck and let us know how ya did.
Sorry. I was a bit “generic”. Road has already provided some good input too.
Small tube jigs work well, especially if you “sweeten” them with a bit of worm. But, 2" and 3" twisters can be deadly too. Other effective jigs are little marabou jigs…black or white…on small 1/16 oz. heads. Cast them out, let them sink slowly, keeping your line tight, in case of a “pop on the drop” and then reel and jig slowly back in after they hit bottom.
Lots of fly patterns will work at times. And sometimes bigger is better. Other times they hit small patterns better. Can’t go wrong with some good old renegades in size 10 and 6. Or, some guys like big double renegades on size 2 hooks. Black wooly buggers are a standby on many trout lakes this time of year. Anything black or white, and wiggly, from 1 1/2" to 3" long can get action.
I fish flies behind a plastic bubble, on spinning gear, all the time. Easy and effective. I am attaching a short writeup I put together on some other ways to fish flies with a spinning rod.
Trout love spinners. When they are active, near the surface, you can have nonstop action with the right spinner and the right presentation. Panther Martins are good. Many of their colors are proven trout producers. Same with Rooster Tails, Blue Fox and other name brand stuff. Take an assortment in both gold and silver. Depending on water clarity and brightness one or the other may work better. I usually go with silver on bright clear days and clear water. Fishing deeper, or in stained water or under overcast skies, the gold/copper colors show up better.
Good luck and keep on keepin’ on.