Fishing Tubes For Lmb

[PennBass]

Hey guys,

 

Do any of you have experience fishing tubes for Largemouth Bass? I fish two spots: one is a ~2 acre pond with a soft mud bottom and lots of sub-surface weeds. The second is a ~30 acre reservoir with some riprap and also a soft mud bottom. Would tubes be effective in these situations? Average visibility is around 3 feet, and other soft plastics like flukes and worms have worked well. 

 

What techniques should I use while fishing a tube, and what are your favorite colors/brands? 

 

PennBass

[papajoe222]

Texas rigging a tube would be my choice for the pond as an internal jig gives the tube a spiraling fall and between that and the location of the line tie, you'll be bringing back weeds more often than not.

On the other hand, the internal jig is a great option for the reservoir as that spiral action is what makes tubes a great choice for a soft plastic.

[bassguytom]

I found a pattern this summer using tubes for largemouth that lasted for about 5 weeks. All internal tube jigs with exposed hook. When fishing around weeds I tried to t-rig but did not catch anything. Using a light jig head and braided line I could snap off weeds and landed a lot of bass this way.

[BaitMonkey1984]

Tubes are extremely versatile. Can be used just around everywhere with only a slight modification. I generally use two retrieves- dragging on the bottoming or hopping of the bottom. Slow dragging is a great way to figure out bottom contour. Hopping the lure off the bottom with an internal tube jig head is great, it has an awesome spiral motion on the way down.

 

My favorite tubes are the Berkley Havoc Smash Tubes. They are in fact "smashed" which means their is less plastic for the hook to go through, better hooksetts. 

 

For moe fish, put in a rattle and some scent inside the tube. 

[fishballer06]

 

My favorite tubes are the Berkley Havoc Smash Tubes. They are in fact "smashed" which means their is less plastic for the hook to go through, better hooksetts. 

 

To further comment on the Smash Tubes, the sides are more flat, rather than perfectly round like a typical tube. Gives them a slightly different fall. 

[Fishes in trees]

A number of years ago, I had a great season - post span to fall turnover fishing tubes.  Tx rigged with a 1/4 or 3/16 internal weight, thrown on 14 lb. fluorocarbon, they were my first choice for tx rigged plastic.  The next season they weren't nearly as effective and since then I've struggled to get a bite on them.  For the most part I've stopped carrying them in the soft plastic bag, although I have many in storage in my fishing shed.  Can't explain it - no clue as to how they worked good one year and not so well since then.

[the reel ess]

I tried the tube several times in 2 bodies of water. I found they got a lot fewer bites than the Chigger Craw. Just my $.02. If it ain't broken...

[Senko lover]

I tried the tube several times in 2 bodies of water. I found they got a lot fewer bites than the Chigger Craw. Just my $.02. If it ain't broken...

 

Uh the chigger craws get broken quite a bit!

[bigbill]

I notice some fishermen fall a sleep at the controls or distracted when tube fishing. The bass take the tube in too deep. I try to focus harder when fishing plastics. When there lip hooked I'm on my game.

[the reel ess]

Uh the chigger craws get broken quite a bit!

That's because they're getting bitten. My tubes look brand new when I go home.

[Siebert Outdoors]

I would texas rig it.

[Montanaro]

Tubes are a tool like everything else.

Great way to mimic baitfish.

[BaitMonkey1984]

Uh the chigger craws get broken quite a bit!

The crazy legs chigger craw are absolutely the best crawfish lure I have ever used to date. I have tried almost all brands, styles, as my home lake has a healthy crawfish population. I finally bout he dahlberg clacking crawfish, so will see how that holds up. But after 100's of crawfish the chigger craws are beyond a doubt the best for my clear water, shallow (12 ft avg) natural lake. 

[roadwarrior]

BPS Tender Tube #71 rigged on an internal weight, weedless.

[Bluebasser86]

I like the Strike King Flipping Tubes T rigged. They're also very effective if you T rig them with no weight and twitch them like a fluke. 

[MickD]

Tubes are great lmb lures, the lightest tube jig you can use depending on depth is usually the way to go.  Vary the retrieve, but if you have the pattern right, they will hit on the fall.

 

 

I like Mizmo tubes, haven't tried some of the others mentioned.  i'Ve never found "shiney" tubes to be very effective, the dull, softer, "hand poured" ones are more effective. I'm talking about the texture, not the flakes.  It seems the more primitive and irregular the tubes are, the better.   Most often shades of dark green with sparkly flakes of different colors on different days work the best for me.

[Bluebasser86]

A couple tube caught largemouth from a year or two ago. The first one was a little over 6 pounds.

 

I also caught one of the biggest fish I've caught from a local lake on a tube. One thing I will add is I find the lighter weight I can use with a tube, the better when it comes to fishing them for largemouth. I usually start with a 1/4oz.

[scaleface]

I went fishing earlier this year and forgot my soft platics bag . Its one of those cloth grocery sacks that I throw packs of worms , craws .... into  Searching through my gear I found a bag of black FatzGizits , that I then t-rigged .  Had a good day casting them into laydowns . i dont use tubes enough but when I do they work well .

[whitwolf]

Blue, scale, or anyone else, If y'all have the time can you post a picture or two of different ways to rig a tube. I know there are pictures elsewhere on the site but for convenience sake post a few for those of us that have never fished a tube. Thanks!

[Bluebasser86]

Blue, scale, or anyone else, If y'all have the time can you post a picture or two of different ways to rig a tube. I know there are pictures elsewhere on the site but for convenience sake post a few for those of us that have never fished a tube. Thanks!

I'll try to remember to post a couple pictures of the few different ways I rig mine. 

[scaleface]

Blue, scale, or anyone else, If y'all have the time can you post a picture or two of different ways to rig a tube. I know there are pictures elsewhere on the site but for convenience sake post a few for those of us that have never fished a tube. Thanks!

I like to use either Parasite weights or clips when T-rigging tubes . Here is one rigged with the  weight  .

 

 

[chadmack282]

Blue, scale, or anyone else, If y'all have the time can you post a picture or two of different ways to rig a tube. I know there are pictures elsewhere on the site but for convenience sake post a few for those of us that have never fished a tube. Thanks!

Glenn has a video on multiple ways to rig and fish tubes in the fishing videos/article section of this sight.

it may be called "5 different ways to rig a tube" if memory is correct but my memory is very good a lot of the time!

[NorcalBassin]

Small tubes on a 1/16-1/4 oz jig head are my go to bait for LMB (spots and SM too) when the bite is slow with "funner" things. In the clear water lakes I typically fish they'll literally hit small tubes year round and the big girls will also inhale them if you drop it on their noses.

[Ski213]

A tube is one of my confidence baits. Always t rigged for me. I'll throw them on rocks and steep banks primarily. Not saying they don't work elsewhere though.

We had a local manufacturer and those seemed to work the best. They held up terribly. Maybe 1 or two fish to a tube but I've not found a tube that caught more fish.

[imagine29028]

Tubes are great for LMB.....if you know your bass History, the Hibdon family made a ton of money and success fishing tubes. Great around rocks, docks, points, and even pitched into laydowns. Instead of flipping a jig and craw...try a tube!