Tubes?

[Trenton]

So I've been reading posts now for a little bit and found everyone takes with them is tubes. It's one of the few things I haven't really fished. So I just did a big tackle warehouse order and got a few tube jigs so I can start this year. So I was wondering what tubes have you found work the best. Manufacture, size, technique. I'm no greenhorn anymore I know how to pick my colors but just wondering what all works best for everyone else and just some advice for this coming season. Trying to make the jump from okay-so-so bass fisherman to where I want to be.

[KyAngler_1120]

I guess the answer to your question is dependent on exactly where you are fishing and what your target actually is. Personally I use a couple brands of tubes in various sizes with the 3.50 being the most common. 

 

The Strike King Coffee tubes in the 3.50 and 4.0 are my go to if I am flipping/pitching or just need a larger profile tube. Depending on the lake and the presentation needed I will fish my tube on a couple different hooks. I love fishing my tube on the inserted tube jigs if I am fishing in deeper water or in areas with less cover, or swimming the tube. In heavy cover condition I use the Eagle Claw Shaw Grigsby tube hook with a bullet weight of choice. Trokar has hook especially make for tubes also, but I have never used them. The only other larger tube that I use is a discontinued Cabin Creek craw tube in crawdad color...bought them during a going out of business sale in bulk and have about 150 of them. They are a great craw imitator, but the plastic is a bit heavy and difficult to t-rig.

 

My other go to tube bait is the Strike King Bitsy tube in 2.75 iches. This is the first tube that I ever fished and I still use it more than the larger larger tube baits. I only fish this one on insert jig because it is simply too small to rig tex style. This is a finesse tube and it is small presentation, but it catches fish in just about any water system. I originally started fishing the bitsy tube in the small streams and rivers around my home and they are killer on spotted bass and smallmouth. There a couple lakes where I also fish this smaller profile tube and have caught some quality largemouth.

 

My techniques for fishing a tube in my area are basic. First I drag the tube on the bottom and this produces fish in both lakes and small streams/river systems. Another technique is a basic ripping of the tube...let it settle on the bottom and rip the tube; produces a reaction bite on the fall. I also love fishing the tube it works well when the fish are active and more inclined to chase a moving bait. It is pretty rare if I flip/pitch a tube any more because it just seems that I have better luck with creature baits.      

[Ben Eipert]

I really like the Cabin Creek Salty Critter Gitters. I fish them on a shakey head, texas rigged, jighead, or carolina rigged. Use a weight as light as you can. If the fish are feeding on shad I go with a lighter weight and work it faster and let it glide around. If feeding on crawfish I go a heavier weight and crawl along the bottom. I have also started using the Bass Pro tender tubes and they seem to be pretty good looking also. There really isn't a wrong way to fish it, just some that work better than others.

[Trenton]

Texas rig was the first rig I ever started out using. I'm confident in it not and think I can use a tube on it. Now that I have some weighted tube insert jigs coming I'm really excited to use them this year in some of the lakes I fish for small mouth. Now flipping them is something I never thought of bc I mainly only flip and pitch with 1/2-3/4 ounce skirted jigs with trailers of choice depending on where I'm at. Swimming jigs or anything really is something I need to work on.

[smalljaw67]

I use tubes for smallmouth and largemouth but the way I present them is different for each one. For smallmouth I rig them with an inside jig head and I use 3.5" the most but if the water is gin clear and the fish are spooky or if there was a significant drop in water temp, then I'll drop to a 3" or sometimes a 2.75". For largemouth I'm using a 3.5" or 4" tube and I'm either rigging it with Texas style with a bullet weight in front or with an internal weight, if I'm in cover I'll use the internal weight. I'm a big believer in soft tubes, I've really saw how much of a difference they made when I found a really good tube, it is crazy how long the fish will hold on to a soft tube, the problem is they are hard to find but I found some and they have become the only tube I use. River Rock Baits, they are a small manufacturer out of Virginia I found by accident, I use just about all of their stuff now but they make the best tubes I ever used period and fishing the Susquehanna river for smallmouth since the late 80s I can tell you that I have used a lot of different tubes. Cabin Creek use to be really good and they had the best tubes but then they changed their plastic and now they are too hard, so I go with what works. If you want to step up your game, try those River Rock Tubes, you won't be sorry.

[Trenton]

Glad you said that I've been working on a Tackle warehouse order and had some cabin creek tubes in my cart. Going take your advice on that.

[roadwarrior]

Two different presentations were KILLER for me last year:

 

Smallmouth: BPS Tender Tube #71 (Green Pumpkin Pepper) rigged with an internal weight.

                     http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Tender-Tube/product/15639/

 

Largemouth:  MegaStrike MegaTube Craw (Crawdad) rigged on a ShakE2

                      http://www.megastrikefishingproducts.com/shop/mega-tube-soft-plastic/

 

 

 

[F14A-B]

I still prefer berkley power tubes, my favorite color was new penny, can't find that color anymore..

Most any tube, whether it be havoc or poor boys, even elaztech are going to have that great spiraling drop/erratic action. That's the real beauty of the Tube baits

[Trenton]

Good to hear BPS plastics are showing up not just specific manufactures. But I'm also thankful for the links. What for weighted inserts have you found to be good quality as well? I've seen a lot of people say they like the 90 degree bent eyelets.

[primetime]

At one point about 15 years ago all I threw was tubes in Ny and then maybe a spinnerbait or power worm and I did well in college and I truly only used those 3 baits....

 

I recently started using tubes again after I realized very few people use them unless they are struggling with the standard soft baits-Worms and flukes and creatures..

 

My favorite way to use a tube is unweighted or a light weight (bullet weight unpegged 1/16-1/4) and I swim em slowly or use the 5" yum tubes they used to make that are long and thin instead of using a sluggo or fluke over weeds....

 

2 types of tubes....Flipping tubes which are double dipped, thick, and I rarely use them, I just do not get good hooksets with all the plastic for flipping, but I love a "Finesse tube"

 

I call finesse the Zoom style tubes, original Gitzit tubes, and any thinner tube..the Power team Food chain tubes are great for easy hooksets, I put some type of buoyant floating material in them so they float, stuff em full of megastrike and any and all scents, and fish em on a c-rig all year long, 3" tube, gamakatsu split shot hook through the front, thin tube, 1 foot leader, or split shot, and drag and pause....It works, so does using a tube instead of a fluke, Ika and Hydras are awesome and cast a mile....The Ika is just fantastic, I have not even tried to rig it backwards like everyone prefers, I do well just working them on the surface, or slow rolled ticking weeds...You can't fish a tube wrong, just make sure you leave enough hook point for hooksets.....Mustad and Eagle Claw have new Tube hooks that are Kahle shaped hooks that work well, Mr. Twister also makes a Kahle Hook that has the keeper barb, wide gap keeper hook in 5/0 hold most tubes in 3-4" well. Keeper hooks are good, just make sure you are not using heavy braid and horsing fish, they bend, they are not heavy cover hooks.

[F14A-B]

I like elaztech tubes with a small bell sinker pushed into the body.. Ultra steel has a feel similar to tungsten.. It's a good rig!

[gobig]

My favorite way to use a tube is unweighted or a light weight (bullet weight unpegged 1/16-1/4) and I swim em slowly or use the 5" yum tubes they used to make that are long and thin instead of using a sluggo or fluke over weeds....

 

 

 

Try shoving your used senkos in the body. I think you will like the result.

[BasshunterJGH]

You can't go wrong with a gitzit. They work great. I like dry creek too because of the wide variety of colors and sizes.

[Blaker87]

Tubes are a bait that I own a few bags of and have never used once! Like you though I bought some jigs from TW a few weeks ago and this year I plan on using them alot. I mostly have zoom so if I hit any bumps and am looking to try something different I will definitely try some of the brands mentioned above. Thanks

[gobig]

You can't go wrong with a gitzit. They work great. I like dry creek too because of the wide variety of colors and sizes.

 

 

I really like the drycreek tubes also.

[*Hootie]

I have a bunch of different brands, but my favorite is Venom.

Hootie

[Trenton]

Tubes are a bait that I own a few bags of and have never used once! Like you though I bought some jigs from TW a few weeks ago and this year I plan on using them alot. I mostly have zoom so if I hit any bumps and am looking to try something different I will definitely try some of the brands mentioned above. Thanks

Glad this thread could help the both of us. Last year I got really comfortable with wacky rig so now that I'm confident in that I'm gonna go to tubes and drop shot more this year. Just expanding my arsenal

[Blaker87]

That's what I'm trying to do as well. Slowly but surely. The only thing I've fished really is cranks. Occasionally I would throw a jig but I've always fished fast cuz it keeps me constantly thinking and moving so I don't get bored. Unfortunately I haven't caught much over the years. I don't get to go often either. This year though I'm going to hit finesse really hard

[roadwarrior]

Unfortunately I haven't caught much over the years.

 

Hmm...

 

Insanity: "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein

 

Here is a better plan: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/13845-guaranteed-to-catch-bass/

 

 

 

[Trenton]

Crankbaits are by far my favorite fishing. I'm really confident in rolling cranks over cover.

[Catch 22]

Push some cotton into your tubes and squirt your favorite scent into it. A flavor saver  of sorts.

 

Gitzits,Cabin Creek and Rite Bites are good by me.

 

C22

[Glenn]

Here are some great ways to rig and use tube baits!

 

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/rig-tube-bait.html

[Trenton]

Hey thanks Glenn that's a great video. Hope those insert jigs weren't lead since you were suckin on them and such. Lol but great knowledge. No wrong way to fish a tube!

[Cgolf]

I really havent seen a whole lot of difference in hits between the thin walled tubes and the thicker walled tubes over the years. What I have noticed is it all seems to be about color and how I present them.

One style I have found that may make a difference is the Trigger X flipping tube that has a ribbed body (sure lots of jokes here) and I just purchased a bunch of swing oil tubes with a similar design. Hoping they work as well as the trigger X tubes, they are a little bulkier so I shall see.

As for rigging have always gone with a slider jig, may do an insert head, but like the weedless nature of the slider head.

For scent tubes shine with gel scents. I use either atlas mikes or rage and put the scent in the body of the tube and it lasts many casts and multiple fish.

[Trenton]

Slider jig?