Tubes in clear water

[Stuckinthetrees]

What is everyones thoughts on tubes for largemouth and spotted bass in gin clear water? What color tubes?

[A-Jay]

I fish a ton of very clear water lakes here.

The PROvider Tackle tubes are the only ones I fish.

http://www.providertackle.com/store/index.php?route=product/category&path=66

 They offer Several Killer Colors/Patterns and the bait pictured below (BBQ Melon) is Very Good.

A-Jay

[BaitMonkey1984]

I struggle and my water is clear but I would not say gin clear. Right now it is about 7ft of visibility, during the summer and after invasive species treatment it is about 5 ft of visibility. I really like fishing with tubes too, but in the clear water of my lake they really struggle. I have downsized to the small Berkley PowerBait in green pumpkin and just dragging them across the bottom, Only thing I have found to work. Good luck. 

[Fishin' Fool]

Natural color tubes. Greens, browns, smoke. They work!

[burrows]

I do some spotted bass fishing in some   pretty clear water and I use solid green pumkin no flake  and I also like the orange brown color or brown and even like a rootbeer color are effective, IMO.

[detroit1]

Milky white with black flake.

[IDUTBass]

I like watermelon with red flake and green pumpkin. I mainly use Zoom and Strike king.

[papajoe222]

Tubes are my go to bait in gin clear water. On one small lake I fish, I can see bottom in 17ft. if water.

I stick with either translucent colors like smoke, or attempt to match the bottom color as close as I can. I use an internal jig and either drag it, or stroke it.

Sometimes I'll drop shot a smaller, nose hooked tube, but only if I see suspended fish on my sonar. I'll stick with pumpkinseed or watermelon seed then. 

[A-Jay]

32 minutes ago, papajoe222 said:

Tubes are my go to bait in gin clear water. On one small lake I fish, I can see bottom in 17ft. if water.

I stick with either translucent colors like smoke, or attempt to match the bottom color as close as I can. I use an internal jig and either drag it, or stroke it.

Sometimes I'll drop shot a smaller, nose hooked tube, but only if I see suspended fish on my sonar. I'll stick with pumpkinseed or watermelon seed then. 

~ X2 ~

IMO, One of if not The Most important factors when choosing a bottom contact bait for presentations in very clear water.

A-Jay

[Fishin' Fool]

Have you guys ever tried a 1/16th ounce jighead with a tube? It gives a real enticing fall like a dying bait fish. I like fishing that way near deep lily pads and the breaklines near weed edges.

[Airman4754]

1 hour ago, Fishin' Fool said:

Have you guys ever tried a 1/16th ounce jighead with a tube? It gives a real enticing fall like a dying bait fish. I like fishing that way near deep lily pads and the breaklines near weed edges.

Yes. I fish them like a Fluke in the summer with that size internal head for smallies.

[mrmacwvu1]

Cabin Creek Tubes smoked purple

[roadwarrior]

One of my "Best Ever" trips was fishing for smallmouth at Bull Shoals with Tim "Hotdawg" Curtis. Over a three day period we never went 15 minutes without Fish On!  We fished "Baby Diaper" yellow Gitzits exclusively.

http://hotdawgguideservice.com/

 

[Stuckinthetrees]

This is very good info guys. I like to match my bait color to the bottom especially when using trick worms!

[*Hootie]

On 4/8/2016 at 0:29 PM, A-Jay said:

I fish a ton of very clear water lakes here.

The PROvider Tackle tubes are the only ones I fish.

http://www.providertackle.com/store/index.php?route=product/category&path=66

 They offer Several Killer Colors/Patterns and the bait pictured below (BBQ Melon) is Very Good.

A-Jay

I just took a look at those. I think I like that "Fiesta Melon" color. Tubes were probably 30% of my fishing last year. 

Hootie

 

[Bankbeater]

I try and use natural colors, and keep the bait on the bottom.

[N Florida Mike]

What's a good hook size for them? The ones I have are 2 inch.Can't ever seem to find the right size.

[papajoe222]

If you want to get the most action out of a tube, go with an internal tube jig. BP TenderTube jig heads should work well on a 2in. tube.  The hook's bend will likely be into the skirt area, but I've done that before on 3in. tubes and it didn't seem to have any negative effects.

[N Florida Mike]

I have trouble keeping the hook in it which is important for the weedy lakes I fish

 

[*Hootie]

I always Texas rig my tubes with a 4/0 or a5/0 EWG hook. I might add, I typically only use 4" tubes.

A tube bass. For perspective, the boat seat is 16 1/2" wide.

Hootie

 

 

[spartyon8]

On ‎4‎/‎9‎/‎2016 at 7:57 PM, Fishin' Fool said:

Have you guys ever tried a 1/16th ounce jighead with a tube? It gives a real enticing fall like a dying bait fish. I like fishing that way near deep lily pads and the breaklines near weed edges.

You can achieve this with a texas rigged tube as well. If you nose hook like normal and then bury the hook on the outside of the tube, it will spiral/flutter down. I love this but am learning quickly why I get major line twist every time I fish a tube!

[papajoe222]

15 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

I have trouble keeping the hook in it which is important for the weedy lakes I fish

 

You can use a plain ball jig and 'stupid' rig it.  It'll still have that enticing fall and it's just as weedless as T-rigging.  It's actually better in weeds because the weight is part of the jig and doesn't separate from the tube and wrap line around the weeds.