Tubes

[Missouribassman95]

I really want to try these out this spring and summer. But how do you rig/fish them?

P.S. I was looking at  theBass Pro Shops Magnum Flipping Tubes.

[WanderLust]

I really want to try these out this spring and summer. But how do you rig/fish them?

P.S. I was looking at theBass Pro Shops Magnum Flipping Tubes.

Tubes are extremely versatile.

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

In rocks I use a tube jig (3/16 - 1/4) normally. The fall is deadly, I use let it settle then lift rod tip and repeat.

In grass, jagged rocks and heavy weeds I texas rig them with an internal weight.

Some people like to put styrofoam in the tube to make it float, then use a carolina rig or similar setup for them.

IKE recently talked about tube fishing. KVD did a video on them as well.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/fishingtips/news/story?page=b_FT_MS_Iaconelli_Finesse12

[Missouribassman95]

That's really informative! Thanks!

[WanderLust]

You're welcome.

This site is awesome. So much good information and so many great anglers.

I like Yum, Strike King Coffee and GYCB tubes. I use the smaller size early in the year last year but pretty much use a 3.5" now.

[scrutch]

If you're gonna get into tube fishing, you should know how to rig a "stupid tube".  Google it for the instructions on rigging it.  It's pretty slick.

[WanderLust]

Re: How to rig a Stupid Tube.

http://bassinblog.richlindgren.com/2009/01/23/how-to-rig-a-stupid-tube.aspx

[Alpster]

I believe God made tubes for skipping under docks and low overhangs. The ultimate skipping bait. JMHO

Ronnie

[Missouribassman95]

Re: How to rig a Stupid Tube.

http://bassinblog.richlindgren.com/2009/01/23/how-to-rig-a-stupid-tube.aspx

That's pretty sweet. Can't wait to try it for myself.

[Josh Bassman]

I like to fish tubes with the smallest weight I can get away with. Also, I like put a little pro-cure up the tube. Most of my stikes come on the drop.

I will try the stupid tube rig next time I'm out, but I prefer an exposed hook.

[WanderLust]

I've also had better luck with an exposed hook. Tubes are cheap and they produce... That spiral fall is deadly.

Check out the IKE article on finesse tubing. 

In situations where I need totally weedless I will generally use a reverse t-rigged Fat Ika. (Thanks RW) They are pricey though. I stock piled over the winter though. 

[KYntucky Warmouth]

I fish a tube just about every time I go fishing. It's just one of those baits you can use to imitate anything. They are easy to rig and are very weedless and can be fished really anywhere. I like to texas rig them with the Lindy E-Z tube weights http://www.lindyfishingtackle.com/productdetail.aspx?id=eztubeweight

I like the BPS tender tubes and Cabin Creek Critter Gitter tubes, they have a smaller, slimmer profile but get big bites

Cabin Creek

Tender Tube

[Bankbeater]

Thanks for the link. I usually t-rig them or hook them through the nose on a drop shot. I'm definitely going to try this rig out.

[Jig Man]

I fish tubes a lot and mostly in rocks.  No matter how I rig them I lose a bunch as I never go after a hung up bait that costs less then $5.

I also provide them for 3 other members of my family.  So I got into making my own heads and tubes a long time ago.  I have a way I rig them weedless to save a few from the rocks and me from retying.  Here are some pics of the way I rig them most of the time.

[img width=350 height=262]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/JigMan/DSC02205-1.jpg

[img width=350 height=262]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/JigMan/DSC02206.jpg

[img width=350 height=262]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/JigMan/DSC02207.jpg

[WanderLust]

Nice post Jig Man... So many rigging tricks to make the tube do whatever you want.

When I am looking for a noisy bait I add a rattle to mine as well.

Gammy sells a 90 jig head that has the rattle but it barely fits into a 3.5 jumbo tube.

Anyone got any tips for making the eye easier to get too? Sometimes that makes me want to punch babies. 

jk but it is annoying.

[MNGeorge]

Matzuo makes a tube jig, comes with or without a rattle if I remember right, that has the eye of the hook extended out from the lead head a bit making it very easy to poke through the tube far enough to facilitate tying.  The only place I have ever seen them was at Dick's...since we moved a few years back, I don't get to Dick's very often so I can't say for sure if they still carry them.

[deep]

A crank imitates a single baitfish. When you're fishing a tube, you're trying to imitate a ball of baitfish. You want it to dart erratically with sudden jerks and pauses in between. With that said, sky is the limit. Try different retrieves and figure out. I've had great luck dragging an ika on the bottom or fishing it like a jig.

[bilgerat]

Don't forget about the 2 3/4" tubes. BPS has the Teaser Tube and Strike King's Bitsy Tube are examples. Sometimes the smaller ones are the ticket.

[Gone_Phishin]

I do most of my fishing off of our dock, so casting is the norm for me.  I T-rig my tubes with a 1/8-1/4oz tungsten bullet weight.

These are what I like to use:

http://store.ebait.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=isg&Product_Code=MinIntTube&Category_Code=isgbasslures

http://store.ebait.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=isg&Product_Code=int4tube&Category_Code=isgbasslures

[WanderLust]

Don't forget about the 2 3/4" tubes. BPS has the Teaser Tube and Strike King's Bitsy Tube are examples. Sometimes the smaller ones are the ticket.

Haven't had luck with the small ones yet. Its like a red eye magnet.

[Missouribassman95]

Look like it's pretty versatile! Can't wait to ry it out!

[Hooligan]

I had one day a couple years ago on the Chippewa that I couldn't get bit on anything but a SK Bitsy Tube.  Love the little ones early around here for pitching to brush and rock.

We fish a ton of tubes on a couple lakes, sometimes it seems like you can't buy a bite on anything but. 

One of the better ways we've found to rig them, for brush and rock, is on a Chompers head.  Other times straight Trig, sometimes I use Ike's Spike internally, and sometimes I just use a Venom 60 degree hook in as light a weight I can get away with.

[Bluebasser86]

I like to use a weightless tube just like a fluke. Twitch them and they glide back and forth just like a fluke and if you get the big flipping tubes they cast a mile with no weight. This works great vegetation because it comes across the weeds like a frog but you can drop it into the holes and then swim it after you get it into open water.

[TimJ]

Guido's weedless heads are excellent for the weedless aspect as well as skipping under docks and stuff. I like the really light wts...1/32, 1/16. Hardly any lead but a light wire and decent gap along with the nice sloooowwww fall.

If you're having problems getting a jig into a tube, a little spit will help, or maybe some scent to lube it up.

I prefer the thick plastic (triple-dipped?) for a couple of reasons: when dragging, the tube holds up longer, and, when I poke the jig eye through, it barely sticks out of the plastic after tying, causing less grass-catching IMO.

When tournament fishing, I generally have a small bag of favourite colours with jigs in the tubes but if I get onto something I don't have ready, or I run out (this happens often), I thread the tear-drop type tube heads from the front, through the eye hole. Definitely easier to change a tube if the line doesn't need retying at that moment. Might want to try this with some ragged old tubes first.

TJ

[Bobby Uhrig]

Tube!!

[Bobby Uhrig]

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