The Dave Scadden Zonker build

Last year I ran in to Don Cheserek at San Luis reservoir launching his tricked out float tube and it inspired me to upgrade my 30 year old pontoon boat. I think Ive bought a new float tube every ten years, I remember my very first inner tube style float tube that I bought at the Millpond in the 70s made by Stream Designs. I used that float tube to fish the local lakes for bass and bluegill. Owning a boat was a pipe dream back then but owning a float tube opened up a whole new world to fish in. I still get a thrill every time I kick out on a float tube.

Several years ago , I spent three ice cold days kicking around in a float tube at Henderson Springs ponds. That evening after dinner, I had the worse leg cramps I have ever experienced. I later attributed that crippling experience to a potassium\magnesium deficiency and dehydration. When you are kicking around all day, you lose track of how hard you are constantly working. Fishing for 6 hours from a tube can be like running a marathon without even knowing it. Watching Don Cheserek load a full sized Minn Kota trolling motor on a 35 lb float tube inspired me to try to design and fabricate a light small jet motorized float tube that would run on a really small lithium battery.

I started out by purchasing a Dave Scadden Zonker which is a 22 lb 5 foot float tube with a built in motor mount. I wanted something small enough to put in my truck bed with a motor mount. Without the the motor, it only weighs 22 lbs. The next modification was to attach a Bixby Jet to the float tube motor mount and engineer a steering pole. The Bixby Jet is a perfectly sized remote control trolling motor and was exactly what I was looking for to power the small float tube.

I also needed some stable mounts to attach cameras and original design had an inflatable platform with a soft seat which I thought was not steady enough for camera mounts. I decided to build a plywood platform to attach a stadium seat , some GoPro mounts and a Scotty Rod Holder for a monopod. The Bixby motor is controlled by a remote control

The whole unit is very lite and the Jet mounts to the tube very easily and is locked in with pins, I cant wait to try it out at Henderson Springs or Baum Lake soon.