tube fishing

[CrazedL.IFisherman]

this is one area i havent a clue to start besides the basics, my friend and his dad have used gitzits for years and have caught tons and tons of bass, for some reason im willing to use similar lures but not the same, might be stupid on my part or stubborn whatever u wanna call it, but anyhow i wanted to know the most common ways to use them with weights and which tubes are good? i was thinking of buying yum tubes, like the chrome flash color, i already have fat ikas and love them but want tubes with the open holes in them and want them rigged with weighted hooks, so basically any advice would be greatly appreciated ty  

[bassnleo]

Tubes are my go to bait, they are very versatile and bass just plain like em.

In an open water rocky type environment I rig mine with a open hook style jig. The head slides into the body of the tube and hook is exposed. I actually pour my own heads using 3/0 and 4/0 Mustad Ultra Point hooks. I generally fish the tube by dragging it or hoping it around the rocks. In river situations I alllow the current to wash the bait along the bottom.  In these situations it is important to choose the correct weight, my most common weights are 1/8, 3/16, 1/4. On Lake Erie I will go up to 3/8 if the wind is blowing and I need to stay in contact withe the bottom. I also sometimes use a ripping retreive letting the tube fall back to the bottom on a semi-slack line, this often triggers bites.

In a weedy or wood cover situation I usually rig the tube texas style and pitch or flip the tube to the cover.

For docks and skipping type presentation, I rig the tube texas style also but use an internal weight which I also pour coupled with an Eagle Claw HP hook. This style of hook has a clip on it that keeps the tube in place on the hook and makes a nice slim profile bait that skips great. I'm usually using a 1/16 oz weight for this style since it's usually fairly shallow and I want the bait to glide down rather that fall straight down or spiral down.

I sometimes rig tubes texas style w/ no weight and fish it on the surface like a jerk bait. Great presentation for open water when fish are chasing schools of bait in top.

I'm basic about colors. I use black in stained to muddy water, green pumpkin and some variations of in clear and lightly stained water. I also sometimes use a watermelon or variation, or plain brown, on Lake Erie.

As far as brands, I'm currently using only 1, Micro Munch Tackle. For open style jig fishing I use a 4" flare tail. For texas rigging I use the 4" flipping tube. For a tougher bite, 4" finesse tube.

I also like Mizmo's big boy tubes but really haven't used them much in the last year.

One more tip, I usually add some scent and prefer craw scent Smelly Jelly.

Hope this helps.

[Bionicman]

I tend to fish the tube texas rigged when fishing it in heavy cover, around grass, all vegetation, etc..

When using it in open water I use an internal weight because i believe it makes the tube more natural looking and the fall of an internal weighted tube is great!! In the case of what kind i actually use Yum or Strike King. The Yum mega tube is a great tube an is my go to tube.

[roadwarrior]

I am a Micro Munch Tackle El Gordo fan. I fish these and the 5 1/2" Mizmo Big Boys on a Gamakatsu 4/0 EWG Offset Worm Hook, 1/8 oz bullet or barrel weight, with a bead and unpegged. I use this rig when fishing for largemouth.

For smallmouth, I fish a 3 1/2" Mizmo, Kent's Classic (squash green) almost exclusively. I fish this on a traditional 1/8 oz inserted jig head.

[Deuceu72]

I use tubes probably 70% of the time fishing for smallmouth. I ALWAYS use a crooked creek 2 1/2 in tube in green pumpkin with balck and copper flake(or green pumpkin with black and purple flake) and use a 1/8 oz (sometimes depending on the wind I will also use a 1/16 oz) jighead inserted into the tube. When it comes to largemouth, I dont use them as much but when I do, I also use micro munch tubes texas rigged.(Got that from RW, thanks man!)

[phisher_d]

For smallies in clear water I use 3 1/2 inch BPS tender tubes with inserted jig heads. My most productive retrieve is to drag and crawl the tube along bottom. Use the lightest weight you can get away with, but it's important to stay in contact with the bottom. I use jig heads ranging from 1/16 oz all the way up to 3/4 oz. On windy days when you're fishing deep a drift sock is a big help. My favorite colors for clear water are greens, browns, smoke, and "puke."

When the water is murky I go to a black 4" inch BPS flippin tube and I use a rattle with it.

[SuthernProg]

I didn't start catching them on tubes till this year. Now it's my favorite plastic bait to use. I use Strike King Bleeding Bait tubes,4" Yum tubes, and Venom tubes. Usually stick to green pumpkin, watermelon seed w/ red flake and black and chartreuse. I also use 5/0 Owner Phantom Tube hooks after experimenting with just about every set up there is. Sometimes I'll t-rig a Gammy with a bullet weight if I need good penetration.

Prog

[Bankbeater]

I had good luck in clear water with Zoom tubes in pumpkin color.  I have had very good luck with the chart. crawfish color this year around weedy and mossy cover.

[bass109]

I mostly go tube fishing for trout.

[earthworm77]

CrazedLI- black neon on Forge, RoadKill on Swan and Ronk,  Pearl on Maratooka, Grn Pump on Millers and Blydenburgh, Black grape or junebug on Forge in the Summer and Upper Mills. Any yes, Micro Munch Tackle tubes are the ones I use.

[CrazedL.IFisherman]

thanks very much earthworm, your extremly kind sharing tips of what works, are you still living on the island, if so if you want maybe we'll do some fishing together next spring if your interested, thanks everyone for the types of tubes to try, im going to purchase a few of them soon

[earthworm77]

I've been in Florida for a year now. Might go back next summer for some smallmouth fishing in the Catskills.