Tube Fishing

[trupp30]

     I usually use tubes when I am fishing for small mouth, but I am wondering do a lot of you guys use tubes for large mouth, as well? And if so, are they a time specific(ie summer/fall) soft plastic or are they effective anytime of year? Thanks for your help.

[Felix77]

Tubes seem effective year round IMO.  Finesse tubes under those highly pressured conditions in particular.  Flipping tubes I generally don't do so I can't speak to them.

[NebraskaBasser]

I use floating tubes (in lieu of frogs) in the heavily weeded farm ponds that I fish.  LMB love 'em! 

[Bobby Uhrig]

Tubes are one of those baits that really get overlooked for largemouth. I have caught so many largemouth bass on tubes.We as anglers often find other baits/(confidence baits) that we have caught largemouth on such as worms -jigs-creature baits etc. Next time you go out fishing-just bring a bag of tubes with you and leave everything else home. Start catching bass with them and believe me you will add them to your arsenal very quickly.

[roadwarrior]

Wow!

 

It's like the "Wake Up!" light just went off. For a long time the Gitzit was my go-to bait,

but over the years I rarely fish a tube anymore. Year's ago I started collecting Mizmo

3.5" Small Jaws and the 5.5" Grandes. Time to get them back in play!

 

 

[AndyTN]

For almost thirty years of fishing in S. FL I never even tried a tube. Once I got to TN everything I thought I knew about fishing changed.  Fortunately I was introduced to the tender tube by my fishing buddy. When I asked about what color I was told "anything you got". I have brought in more large mouth on that bait then any other around here. I have also landed small mouth, catfish, and a carp out of Lake Norris that had it been a LM would easily have been my personal best. I T-rig when fishing around submerged logs/rocks, but I prefer a simple inserted tube jig for better hookups when I can. I cleaned out several colors on the opening day of the BPS Spring sale.

[BassinBoy]

I have caught an overwhelming majority of my largemouth on tubes.

I can say that whenever I have no idea what the fish are doing, I will tie on a tube and have confidence that it will produce.

It is a phenomenal bait that can be fished a lot of ways to catch a lot of largemouth.

[MSAJAA]

Finesse tubes are a staple in the 3 rivers / Pittsburgh (I spend a ton of time on the river every year) for smallmouth, therefor I have a ton of confidence in throwing tubes in any environment.

[Siebert Outdoors]

Tubes are one of my favorite baits that just flat catches fish.  Its a simple great bait.

[ww2farmer]

I still use tubes for smallmouth, but over the years, and for no good reason because they worked, and worked well, they kept getting pushed further and further back in the rotation for largemouth. Every once in a while when I do fish them, I usually have a good day and find myself wondering why I don't fish them more.

[ColdSVT]

I fish tubes all the time... I usually have a texas rigged one or a jig head rigged one tied on one of my rigs all the time.

I do best with them in late spring and early summer but they produce all season, especially on pr, pressured fish. lastly if I miss one on structure with a spinnerbait, square bill, or creature I will almost always toss a tube right back in there. more often than not ill hook up on that return cast with the tube

[flippin and pitchin]

I don't think there is a better bait for skipping under docks or over hanging trees. Back in the 80's it was the hot flippin bait. It still works but lost it's popularity to the fancy creature baits.  My buddy uses a tube as a pitchin bait and uses a technique that amazed me. I just put my rod down and watched. No one can deny tubes are a smallmouth staple. Like they say, find em' with a crankbait and clean up with a tube.

[ColdSVT]

^ fact!!!!!

[kylek]

This will be my first year giving tubes a try.  I picked up a couple packs of the 4.5"  strike king coffee tubes.  Is it better to fish these weightless or would pegging a weight be preferred?  I plan on fishing standing timber laydowns... mostly shallow cover.

 

Thanks!! 

[Zeeso]

My buddy turned me onto tubes. I absolutely love them for larrgemouth. I fish flippin tubes with a pegged bullet weight. I also leave it unpegged sometimes it offers up a little different action. However I prefer to peg it as I am more accurate casting and usually throwing them into tight quarters.

[catchnm]

http://search.espn.go.com/s/404/?ref=http%3A%2F%2Fsports.espn.go.com%2Foutdoors%2Fbassmaster%2Ffishingtips%2Fnews%2Fstory%3Fpage%3Db_FT_MS_Iaconelli_Finesse12&404=true

 

http://www.thebassholes.com/bassin-forums/index.php?topic=25399.0

 

http://www.thebassholes.com/bassin-forums/index.php?topic=30829.0

 

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/tubes.html

[PABASS]

I use tubes allot more recently for SMB and LMB, so far they haven't been the biggest fish but a small fish is better then no fish.  I am trying to find my favorite OME, Gitiz, Cabin Creek, Havoc, are three I am working with and I don't like the Cabin Creek brand because the tentacles are not cut and clump but the fish like them lol..  I want to try some from Confidence Baits but I need to stop buying and start fishing lol..

[kadas]

Wow!

 

It's like the "Wake Up!" light just went off. For a long time the Gitzit was my go-to bait,

but over the years I rarely fish a tube anymore. Year's ago I started collecting Mizmo

3.5" Small Jaws and the 5.5" Grandes. Time to get them back in play!

 

 

same here--am amazed that I over time went away from certain lures that caught lots of fish and do not even give them a thought---why do we do that?--getting tubes and a couple of other old faithfuls back out and ready for spring

[Blues19]

i have a few packs of tubes but have never used any. How do you all work them? When pitching and flipping is it just like a jig? When casting do you immitate a craw?

[J.Bass]

I use tubes on rivers, canal, lakes, and ponds. I put jig head inserted into head. I also fish it T rigged weedless when I'm fishing heavy weeds and timber. Though the bass short strike on t rig. Overall tubes produce. There are days the bass want different lures. You have to find out what will be the best producing lure that day.

[*Hootie]

Wow!

It's like the "Wake Up!" light just went off. For a long time the Gitzit was my go-to bait,

but over the years I rarely fish a tube anymore. Year's ago I started collecting Mizmo

3.5" Small Jaws and the 5.5" Grandes. Time to get them back in play!

And a Happy Easter to you sir!!

Hootie

[Bobby Uhrig]

I used to Texas rigg them now all on the Shak-E2 Heads Perfect match

[Bobby Uhrig]

This is it rigged -Notice the hook fits in the little slot between the segmented shell-Its buried for weedless applications but as soon as the fish strikes-the hook is exposed with very little effort.

 

Uncle B Bobby B Makes a killa tube

[papajoe222]

They're my #2 confidence bait and seeing as I am the consummate purveyor of big baits at my club, I like the big ones. NetBait offers their BK Tube in a 5.25in. version that you can fish weightless like a fluke and can still skip it under docks. Rig one with an internal weight and give 'em something different when flippin', especially if you're looking for a slow falling  presentation.

Love the action of those Shak-e jigs when rocked bck and forth.  Never thought of using a tube with them.  Thanks Bobby. Something different for me to try.

[DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only]

IMO dont peg the hook, and give your line a lot of slack on the fall.  The weight will dart to the bottom and your tube will flutter behind it ever so slow.  Its a killer  around cover, give it a try you wont be dissappointed but remember to watch your line on the fall 75% of the time they will hit it on the fall.

 

 

Jay-

This will be my first year giving tubes a try.  I picked up a couple packs of the 4.5"  strike king coffee tubes.  Is it better to fish these weightless or would pegging a weight be preferred?  I plan on fishing standing timber laydowns... mostly shallow cover.

 

Thanks!!