how to fish tubes for smallies

[timsford]

I use tubes quite a bit. I rig them with an internal jig head so they spiral on the fall and use smoke or pearl colors to imitate baitfish. Usually get bites on initial fall or stroked up off the bottom. Fish on stand up or football heads dragged on bottom to imitate craws. Texas rigged and flipped, pitched, or cast and shaking on bottom to imitate craws and bluegills. Fished without weight as a Jerkbait. Rigged on light split shot rig and dragged on or near bottom or on Carolina rig fished the same way. Fished on drop shot in shad colors to imitate baitfish. I catch a lot of smallies on tubes. The insert head with spiraling fall or dragged on bottom is how I catch most fish. I usually use tubes in clearer water when the fish don't want a lot of action from the bait. If they are more active I usually use craws, grubs,  swimbaits,  and worms more