Tube as a jig trailer?

[Taylor Haberle]

I've been fishing mini jigs like the Strike King Bitsy Flip for river smallies forever and always have a tube tied on. Just hit me; has anyone ever used a tube as a jig trailer? The tubes I have are 3.5" and on the mini jigs, the body extends almost an inch past the skirt. Do they work better if the tube appendages are relatively even with the skirt?

thanks,

[Senko lover]

I put one on the other day just for the heck of it and didn't like it personally lol.

[Heron]

I've caught fish on it before, but was a swim jig.  Try a tube as a chatterbait trailer

[Bluebasser86]

5 hours ago, Senko lover said:

I put one on the other day just for the heck of it and didn't like it personally lol.

I did the same. It made sense in my head, but apparently not to the fish. 

[Fishes in trees]

Maybe it is just me, but given that I don't have unlimited fishing time, if I feel like I need a jig trailer I think that there are better options out there than a tube.   But really who knows.  Fish it for a while and find out for yourself.   Back in the day, a tube was considered strictly a finesse bait.   Then Denny Brauer won a Classic pitching a tube.  All of a sudden a tube is a heavy cover pitching bait.  That is mostly how I use a tube.  

[smalljaw67]

What makes a tube so deadly is the fall, and the profile, alter both of these things at once and it becomes less effective. While it will probably catch a few fish just as a skirted bass jig will without a trailer, I find there are better trailers to maximize the presentation. I also find that a tube is deadly enough all by itself and there are enough ways to rig it that you don't need to use it as a trailer. The same thing for the bitsy flip, I make my own jigs but I make one similar for river smallmouth, I use it in place of a tube when the water is high and the bass move up on the bank in flooded water willow, I make short pitches and a few quick hops like a craw scooting along and it works but I use a small chunk trailer because it offers a better profile than a tube would.

[BassThumb]

I've tried it and caught a few fish with it. Problem was that the tube is so flimsy that it barely stayed in place when unglued, and it tore easily when glued.

[WRB]

The first bass size tube was the Bobby Garlands Gitzit and it was fished with a  plain jig. Some anglers put a curl tail grub inside the Gitzit ( cap & gown) and used the combination with a skirted jig & trailer back in the early 80's.

Tom

 

 

[roadwarrior]

An internal jig head allows the tube to circle on the fall. When the fish are active this motion can be killer. However, for the most part a Gitzit was designed as a "do nothing" lure: cast it out, light a smoke and pop-a-top. So, using a tube for a jig trailer is not going to produce the "action" you are probably looking for.

 

 

[Paul Roberts]

On 5/8/2016 at 5:10 AM, smalljaw67 said:

What makes a tube so deadly is the fall, and the profile, alter both of these things at once and it becomes less effective. 

Ditto. And what RW said.

I've tried a tube as a trailer, just to alter fall rate and add bulk. But it didn't add much to either presentation type. Tubes fish best when they glide and corkscrew on the fall. For skirted jigs I like a trailer that has some action.