A float tube, also known as a belly boat or kick boat, is a flotation device which angler

Angler

Angler may refer to:* A fisherman who uses the fishing technique of angling*Angler * The angler, Lophius piscatorius, a monkfish* More generally, any anglerfish in the order Lophiiformes* Angler , a Marvel Comics supervillain...

s use to fish from. They were originally doughnut-shaped boats with an underwater seat in the "hole", but modern designs include a V-shape with pontoons

Pontoon (boat)

A pontoon is a flotation device with buoyancy sufficient to float itself as well as a heavy load. A pontoon boat is a flattish boat that relies on pontoons to float. Pontoons may be used on boats, rafts, barges, docks, floatplanes or seaplanes. Pontoons may support a platform, creating a raft. A...

 on either side and the seat raised above the water allowing the legs of the angler to be the only part of his body to be submerged. Float tubes are used for many aspects of fishing, such as flyfishing for trout or lure fishing

Fishing lure

A fishing lure is an object attached to the end of a fishing line which is designed to resemble and move like the prey of a fish. The purpose of the lure is to use movement, vibration, and colour to catch the fish's attention so it bites the hook...

 for bass, and enable the angler to fish areas otherwise not fishable from the bank.

Float tubes are either "U" or "V"-shaped, or circular. A standard float tube consists of an inflated bladder inside a sewn cover providing the seat, reserve air compartments, and tackle storage pockets. Many float tube anglers customize their crafts with rod holders, lights, and electronic fish finder

Fish finder

Fish finder may refer to:* an identification key used by fishers to identify the species of a caught fish; also known as a fish identifier....

s.

Details

The angler generally wears stocking foot chest waders

Hip boot

Hip boots, or waders as they are colloquially called, are a type of boot initially designed to be worn by river fishermen. Hip boots are typically made out of rubber, and completely cover the legs, up to the tops of the thighs or all the way up to the waist...

 and scuba diving flippers

Swimfin

Swimfins, swim fins, fins or flippers are worn on the foot or leg and made from finlike rubber or plastic, to aid movement through the water in water sports activities such as swimming, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, kneeboarding, riverboarding, and various types of underwater diving.Scuba divers use...

, so his legs remain dry. Seated in the float tube, he paddles across the water with a gentle movement of the flippers, then remains still over the chosen fishing ground. An alternative to diving flippers is the "paddle-pusher", or "duck fins." These fins strap onto the angler's feet and have paddles situated on the outsides of the ankles. The paddles fold back when the leg moves forward and open when the leg moves back, allowing anglers to move forward in a somewhat less efficient but more natural walking-type motion.

The competitive side of float tubing for bass is growing in the US with the Sonoma County Belly Boat Bass Club which was the first of its kind and is by far the largest in the world and in South Africa with The Bass Challenge which offers a tournament trail called the Kickboat Bass Challenge for bass anglers who compete from float tubes.

Safety

Anglers fishing from a float tube should wear a personal flotation device

Personal flotation device

A personal flotation device is a device designed to assist a wearer, either conscious or unconscious, to keep afloat.Devices designed and approved by authorities for use by...

(a requirement in some states), as float tubes are susceptible to punctures. Additionally, most manufacturers do not recommend using float tubes in moving waters, such as rivers or streams.