flyeaglesfly5186

A normal old plastic divided container.

Geen pumpkin, brown, reddish brown. With the tubes it's all presentation.

Keep the rod tip up at about 2:30 at rest and when you twitch or pull raise to 12:00. Or try getting a jig head with an aberdeen hook, they're thinner and have less of a profile which is ok since the tube is such a soft body even if the hook gets burried the sharper and smaller profile of the aberdeen will still hook the fish.

Fish hooked myself through the cheek with a 3/0 hook about two months ago. Clipped the barb end and eye end, pushed it through. Good thing I have wire cutters in the vest while wading.

"Ditto" TUBES TUBES AND MORE TUBES! I guess the smallmouth in the Schuylkill river are ballsy. They literally swim right past me as I'm wading. And I've caught them as close as a few feet off the tip of my rod. We've had alot of low water conditions around here and it has made for some awesome holes to just stand next to and hit for hours at a time.

Here's a few replies of mine from another thread about tubes. I just didn't feel like writing it again. Both paragraphs have some info that would help you with tubes.

As an avid Philadelphia fan I'm supposed to dislike you with a passion. But since you're a fisherman I won't give you grief. Wlecome to the forums!

I only use 3.5 inch Fat Gitzits. I primarily fish for smallies in the river so tubes are my best and go-to tackle. I normally use 1/8 or 3/16 oz tube jig heads depending on depth and what types of terrain I'm attacking.

River tubes 3.5 to 4in tubes on 1/8oz-3/16 oz jig heads. The crappie tubes might hit on trout if they're in there.

Back a few posts to your earlier question which I completely ignored. The reason for the ligther jig is to allow the tube to "crawl" with the current, even lakes have a slight movement to the water. Craws drift slightly with the current and the lighter weight allows for a drift. Also, the lighter weight means that if you want to reel the tube in which works great as well to trigger that active attack. The lighter weight means play is more feasible . You can use 3/16 or even 1/4 heads as well but with the 3.5-4 in tubes the size matches almost perfectly with the jigs hook. 3.5-1/8, 4-3/16, 4.5-1/4. Just jamb that jig down the back end of the tube and run it to the front. The hook should just barely arch out where the skirt begins. To back smalljaw67 he's 100% right about smallies to buckets. Buckets hit baits that look "fishy", and typically from within hiding. Samllies tend to "search out" their meals, which is typically more "creature" like in appearance. Eg. Craws, Hellgrammites. I've hit smallies while reeling a tube on a quick retrieve only feet from where I'm standing. if they want the meal they'll earn it.

Tubes! Lots of tubes! On jig heads. Especially if the water is low and you can see the terrain. Skitter the tubes along cover and over rocks. Use natural colors.

Sorry, tube jig heads.

I'll eat largemouth bass any day but I can't bring myself to eat smallmouth. I have way too much respect for the bronzebacks and their lifestyles fighting their whole lives against the current. Dealing with dams and droughts. It's such a wondrous fish; I would almost say I revere the smallmouth bass.

I like to rig them internally. Just jam the jighead down the tube and pop the eyelet out the side of the tube. It also adds a bit of protection against getting the jighead jambed between rocks. Save the painted heads for the grubs.

I tried explaining my techniques for tubes the other day to a friend and the best description I could come up with is random spaz. Yes there is some finesse to the tube especially working rock outcroppings, trees, ledges etc. I like to work around the structures with randomness to the play. Remember crawfish, which the tube imitates, swim very erratically and in short bursts typically. The fish are watching for this behavior. And will either hit on the move or more often than not hit while at rest. On the other hand, I’ve rigged up a tube and skittered it over top the lily pads like a frog at a quick pace and invoke the hits. You can even rig a tube Carolina style and work the bottom. I’ve caught bass, and catfish with tubes on the bottom. I see you’re down in Philly, head up to the Schuylkill if you really want to have fun with the smallies.

Really the color depends on the local cusine but I almost always have a hit on dark brown in clear water and in darker or cloudier water. Any tube will do though, I just like the gitzits the best. What matters is the play.

Fat Gitzits 3 1/2 in, in brown or darker green based. rigged internally with a 1/8 oz jig head. Just play them, I use a medium/heavy 7' rod in the river and love the action I get with these off a twitch of the tip. I actually bought the rod I have for playing tubes in the river.

I'm jumping on this wagon, match the tubes to the color of the craws in the river, flip over a few rocks and watch what comes out. Skitter them across rocks, off the shore line, even slowly reel them across open water patches. I've had plenty of smallies nail a tube being slowly reeled in. I've used a fair amount of "realistic" craws and they're al a waste in my opinion. Opt for the tubes, they're also cheeper so losing a few tubes and jig heads ins't going to break the bank.

Tubes Tubes Tubes Tubes and oh yeah Tubes! Browns and greens on 1/8oz jig heads. Just play them around structures and across the rocky flats. The bronzebacks will come out of hiding for them.

Rebel poppers and rebel minnows. jerk, pop, drift, they all work. In two feet of water, or ten. And yes playing the opposite shoreline works great as Gall said. Upper or Lower Schuylkill? The upper anywhere north of birdsboro is my playground.

fat gitzits in browns and greens on 1/8 oz jig heads. THEY WORK EVERYWHERE! Seriosuly though, this guy never answered where he'd be...

I'll go one further and say that it's the fisherman. You can take two people with the same bait in the same location and the one who knows the tactics will catch the fish. I've caught smallies on two pieces of yarn tied to a hook just because I played it the right way. You don't need expensive gear or fancy baits. I've used a ten foot sapling with a hook tied to it to fish. All you need is patience, and skill. I won't deny a craw colored fat gitzit on a 1/8 jig head though. They're magical!

When I did search and rescue as a teen I was trained for murky/dark freshwater search diving. I sort of (ten years later) remember watching fish do all sorts of funny and crazy things. I'll teel you what though it's freaky swimming next to three and four foot muskies because the cloudy waters hide them until they're right on you.

Rebel minnows in tigerfire. Both the 2/12in and 31/2in. Crank, wait, crank, wait, crank, wait... Caught over ten in just 40 mins on the river in one spot the other day.

I believe he was talking in general. Smallies have tendencies no matter where they reside.