[earthworm77]

Tubes are very versatile. Some will argue that if they aren't biting tubes, they aren't biting at all. What is your favorite tube rig and where (type of situation do you throw it).

I rely on tubes heavily in the early season. I use them in the heaviest vegetation I can find. My rig is a modified Texas rig. I use a black brass weight, usually 1/8oz and a black faceted firepolished glass bead. I connect this to a 3/0 Hookerz EWG or TTi wide gap with a palomar knot. My tube of choice should be no surprise, Wicked tubes.

I use a 6-6 medium action Bionic Blade spinning rod with 8lb Yo- Zuri Hybrid and a Stradic 2000 series reel. Despite the cover, I really don't have too many break offs with this line. I do not go heavier with this brand because it will kill you as far as snarls and memory go. I can really lay into them on the hookset too. I also tried Berkley Vanish. It was great for the first day I used it but memory forced me to change to Hybrid after that.

I concentrate on any weedlines or edges I can find even though much of the weed growth is new....bass will key on it in this stage. I've used this method for about 5 years now and I'll honestly tell you, you don't feel the bass hit. You will either see the line move off or twitch or you will pick the bait up and there will be resistance. Now is the time to set. Like I said, I set the hook hard even though I Tex pose the hook.....with an EWG hook, the point lies flat against the tube and you aren't actually penetrating the bait while setting thus making for more efficient hooking percentages. I've noticed that with the salted/scented tubes I use, the fish seem to hold the bait until I'm ready to set...I don't recall a time when the fish actually dropped the bait.

This is a great technique for fish in the 2 to 4lb range.

 

[HugeFish4]

Early in the season or pre-season, I fish smaller Gitzit tubes t-rigged with a 1/16 oz bullet weight. I fish this on spinning 6' rod with 6 or 8lb test. In the warmer months I t-rig tubes on my baitcaster with 1/8 to 3/8 oz bullet. I fish these in open water and pitch in heavier cover. I have been using the Strike King tubes for these applications.

 

[HookUp]

Tubes

Possibly my favorite river big fish bait.

I fish 'em w/ internal jib head with out a weed guard 90% of the time. 1/16 - 1/4 oz, depending on river depth and flow.

When I loose to many, I then fish with a weed guard or t-rig them with a split shot shoved up the arse of the tube or go to a jig w/ a weed protector (not my favorite).

I scent all my tubes. Put a little stinky sauce in a bag and sit over night.

I want the fattest tubes I can get my hands on, none of these little things for me.

I use a M - MH rod, with 8.8 - 11# Tectan, and a 2000 or 2500 Shimano Symetry, Stradic, or equivalent Daiwa SS-II.

Mostly I fish them slow and low. Bottom draggin, keeping in constant contact with the bait. Lift the rod tip an inch or two, then let the tube sit for the count of 20 and lift tip up again. When the fish are agressive, I sloooooooooowly swim them along the contour of the bottom. I've only fished one other person who keeps tubes in the water between casts longer than I do.

For muddy waters, I use rattles. Will experiment making home made rattles this winter.

Nothing like to tap-tap-tap feel of a big bass sucking a tube into it's mouth.

For those with heavy hands (can't feel the bait), start with a braid, such as Power Pro, then when you got the feel of it, switch to a high quality mono or polymer.

Basically fish them the same as a j&p. Slooooooooow is the key.

 

[Gregg]

My favorite way to fish a tube is a internal head. Makes a good crayfish imitator, and give me rocks! Rocky shoreline. drop offs. flats. Rocks and tubes and bass, yes you get caught up some but losing a couple of jigs is part of the game. Had a day like that in a rocky cove on Cross River that got me hooked on bass fishing. Use to do well on Mahopac also, nice mid-depth on the bottom bite hummmm Not the only way to fish a tube by far, probably not the best just my favorite


Use a weed guard around lay downs

 

[MarkNJBass]

I like Flippin' Tubes

The tube bite for me has slowed somewhat as the water has cooled but I'd rather catch them on a jig anyway. I fish 4-5 inch flipping tubes...you can use any tubes you like...on a flipping stick 7-7 and half inch MH or H. I use anywhere from 12-25lb test line depending on how thick/heavy the cover is. I usually use a 3/8 oz. bullet head weight (unpegged) with a 3/0 to 5/0 wide gap hook. I flip it on wood, weeds, docks, rocks...whatever. The colors I use the most are white, black neon, black/blue, and green pumpkin. But I often use colors I think look different...just to see how the bass react. This year I started using the blood red hooks and they work well too. Another way I used them this past summer in clear water especially...was using the Jobee rig. When I was fishing deep weedlines in clear water lakes in Vermont in August they killed the Jobee rigged tube. When I used it in NJ I had success fishing weeds on Monkville reservoir. So give it a try, it's a great bait when the jig bite is slow....good luck...Mark

 

[HugeFish4]

Jobee rig? Is that similar to a Slider head?

 

[MarkNJBass]

Hi Huge....well...not really

The Slider Head is a much smaller diameter hook than the Jobee hook which is a wide gap heavy hook. You can see them in either the BassPro or the Cabelas catalog. The slider is more of a fine wire hook although their new hook is much stronger. You can get Jobees up to 1/2 oz. while I think the largest slider head is 3/16 oz. The idea is basically the same thing....a weighted head on on the end of a hook....there's others too...I believe Owner makes one too. See ya...Mark

 

[joe p]

just like Mark

Flipping and Pitching- T-rigged, from 1/4 -1/2oz tungsten sinkers, 4 inch BPS Magnum Tubes. Gamakatsu Superline EWG, 15lb -20 lb P-line Floroclear, 6-10 MH Falcon Expert pitching rod, Shimano Curado

For finesse- I go to light T-rig from 1/16th to 1/8th, Venom Finesse tubes, BPS Tender tubes or the original Gitzit, P-line floroclear 6-8 lb , 6-2 Cara spinning rod and shimano 2000 Stradic

I gotta get into the internal weight thingie.....maybe next year...

 

[Blue Fleck\NJ]

This I what I do when the tube bite is ON and I want to upsize the fish. I poke a small hole into the head of the tube and insert a craw. Then trig through both baits. This creates a big profile and displaces a bunch of water.

Equipment:
Gambler screw-in rattlin weight 3/16-3/4 oz
Gammy 4/0 EWG
Powerpro 50lb
Cara 6' 10" H/Curado
Snoozer or BPS 5" tube
Strike King 3X or Gambler craw

When the fish are keying on baitfish, I downsize everything and use a glider weight in place of a bullet weight.

 

[yar]

tubes, tubes, i use the BPS tender tubes with the BPS tender tube jig head. anywere form 1/16 to 1/4 most of the time 1/16 in water less the 10ft. i use a daiwa TX SS 1300 spinning reel with 8-10lb XT. i also use the BPS magnum tubes with the shaw grisby HP hooks(the one with the clip) and the HP weights to. on 12lbXT TX-rigged for heavy weeds. but i never flipped tubes maybe next year i will try.

when you flip the tubes do you use tubes with the solid head? do you peg or screw your weights or let them slide free?

 

[Fish-Eye]

This is the first year that I really fished tubes.

I had some moderate success, but this wasn’t a particularly good season for me in general.

On a business trip to New Orleans last year, I was able to go out with a guide for one day.

He taught me how to rig & throw tubes.

He used an Eagle Claw H.P. hook (it’s the Shaw Grigbsy high performance hook with a little locking device).

We used Gitzit’s (in cammo & grasshopper) with pegged bullet sinkers.

We skin hooked the tubes.

I’ve been emulating this system here, but have tried a variety of tubes and sizes besides the Gitzit (Strike King, Yammi’s, Venom and Zoom).

From the other posts, it does not look like there is any consensus in brand, size, or color that you guys use.

I was hoping that this would help simplify my life.

I do like using them along drop-offs and standing timber, but they are very versatile.

I did notice that some of you like throwing them unpegged.

What’s the advantage to this? (I’m guessing noise???).

Lastly, my mantra for next season is "I must become a line watcher".

I think this is my biggest weakness.

Thanks, Fish-Eye <*))}}}}>><{{

 

[earthworm77]

Ray, even when I flip them, I do not peg them unless I'm trying to penetrate some really heavy gak, usually I'll throw a jig there.

 

[Steve_IA]

I'm an "inney" man myself using hook exposed inside tube jigs exclusively unless fishing reed beds that force me to Texas rig with an internal weight. The new Lindy tube weights are a novel inside weight that can be purchased with built in rattles. My favorite inside tube jig is the horizontal fall tube jig that Paul Jensen molds. He also makes a Bou-tube that I like to use in the cooler waters of Spring and Fall. It's an inside tube jig that he ties maraboo to. When the tube tenticals are removed and the maraboo is undulating behind, this becomes a pretty enticing package for smallies when slowly dragged across a rubble strewn bottom.

 

[yar]

one thing i didn't post. with the light line setup i use a daiwa tony bean smallmouth rod. they don't make this rod anymore. it's a light rod that's made for throwing smallie baits(tubes, grubs, finess worms). now i did say that i never flipped a tube . but with the magnum tube setup i used, i have skipped it into bushes and under docks and tree's. i only to this point used it with a daiwa TX SS 1600 spinning reel spooled with 12lb big game on a med/heavy rod. so i guess i can say i have done it in a way!

 

[earthworm77]

Steve, that Bou-tube is a cool little tube. It has the body of a tube and a maribou tail. It comes pre rigged on a jig head with a mustad blk nkl needle point hook.

 

[bass 64]

Keeping the sinker unpegged

When you use a tube with a bulletwieght sinker you can achieve a real nice fall using it this way. I like to use a similar rig as Earthys but I use a red bead(for that blood effect thing) or no bead at all. I use a brass 1/8 pr 1/16 oz sinkers depending on depth and speed of fall I'm looking for. I throw on a spinning rod and vary the pound test from 6 to 10. When you cast out your tube the weight has a tendency to separate and slide up the line in air on its way back down the weight moves faster than the tube in effect pulling the tube down horizontally with a erratic action. This fall really makes those tentacles move like crazy. The only tough thing about the rig is feeling the bite. Sometimes your line will move off but the sinker won't so you don't feel the bite that much other times they eill cream it and you'll know right away. When it hit bottom I like to shake it a little bit to get the brass and glass clacking. It is definitely a great way to fish a tube.

 

[Lpbassman]

I never had much faith in them until I was educated on their use by none other than "TUBEKING".
Big D rigs them a bit differently and I have found them to be most effective this way.

Take a 1/8oz "bass casting weight" (the little tear drop jobs with the wire eye at the top) and insert it all the way into the tube. Do not push the eye through the tube. Insert the hook through the eye, out the bottom of the tube and back into the tube body
"texposed". The I usually inject a secret mixture (my own concoction) into the tube for that yummy taste sensation. Thats the way I've been fishing them for the last year or so and it seem to work for me.

My preferance for manufacturer is BPS 4" Tender Tubes.

 

[Steve_IA]

EW... I had Paul tie me some of the marabou tube jigs sans tube. I add whatever tube I want to fish at the time I need them.

 

[yar]

lpbassman, that's the same thing as the shaw grisby HP hook and internal weight setup. the weight has a small ring at the top and its pushed up in the tube. not coming through, then you TX-rig the hook through the tube and ring and the hook has a clip to clip the weight on. this way if you rip off your tube you still have the hook and weight on your line.

 

[Jighead61]

One of the most versatile and effective baits ever !!! Regardless of the season or the lake, I always have a tube tied on.

The effectiveness of the tube is achieved when rigged properly so that it "spirals" on the fall. From my personal experience, that spiral will best be achieved when using internal weights....external weights tend to make the tube nose dive.

Equipment used for standard applications:
Team Daiwa - 6' LT Med/Hvy Spinning Rod
Team Daiwa - S2500iA Spinning Reel
Power Pro - 20/6 Braided Line
Gammy - 4/0 G-Lock Hooks
Lindy, Gitzit Glider & Custom Insider Heads
Snoozer, Yammi, Canyon Plastics & Zoom Tubes

With regards to color, I prefer variations of smoke and watermelon patterns.


Ronnie