A Tube Bait Question

[Mobasser]

I plan on using some tube baits this spring for LM bass. Ive gotten away from using them for the past few years.                                     As of now, my tube bait collection is pretty slim. I've got a few old Hibdon G2 ( thin wall) tubes, some old Riverside( solid head) tubes, and one new pack of Zoom thick wall tube baits.                    We'll be casting them around docks, blowdowns, and other similar areas, water depth of ten feet or less.                                        I'll be getting some new tube baits soon. My question is, do you like a thin wall or thicker wall tube for LM bass?                                We'll start out fishing them with an open hook, tube jig head. As the weeds start to come in, we'll probably t rig them.                                                                What tube style do you prefer in this scenario for LM bass?

[OkobojiEagle]

Without a second thought... thin walled tubes, 3" - 4".  I often pull every 2nd tentacle off or pull all of the tentacles off and dress it on an exposed hook jighead I've tied some marabou to.  I'll try to give credit to the jig tier that turned me on to his "bou-tube" when my brain cycles through enough times to remember it.

 

oe

 

added:  Paul.Jensen of Wisconsin was the tier that inspired me with his bou-tube tie.

[BassinCNY]

Thin walled for me too. Texas rigged 3.5 to 4 inches. Power tubes or tender tubes.

[Jig Man]

I pour my own so they are mostly thin walled.  I believe color is more important than wall thickness.  Melon with black flakes, melon with purple flakes, melon with red, and green pumpkin with black flakes are my go to colors except in the winter.

[A-Jay]

The tubes linked below have been very good for me for a long time.

Both the 3.5 & the 4 inch -

 

http://www.providertackle.com/store/index.php?route=product/category&path=66_70

http://www.providertackle.com/store/index.php?route=product/category&path=66_69

 

A-Jay

 

[TOXIC]

My experience with tubes is mainly for smallmouth on Lake St Clair and mostly dragging or popping on the sandy bottom and in sand grass so triple dipped are what I use or I would be changing them out every 5 drifts.  I like Case or Lunch Money tubes.  

[diehardbassfishing]

Big Bite Baits Craw Tube.

 

Karl

 

 

[roadwarrior]

MegaStrike rigged on a Shak-E-2

 

https://www.megastrike.com/product-page/mega-tube-crawdad 

 

https://www.megastrike.com/shakey

[moguy1973]

All I use is 4" Bass Pro Magnum flipping tubes.  So I guess those are thicker tubes.

[gim]

I have 2 general types of tubes: ones that are 3 inches or smaller (for SMB) and some that are bigger than that (for LMB).  My favorite colors are green pumpkin and root beer.

 

I like the berkley power tubes because of their durability but I've been using the z man tubez on a mushroom head jig in a river that last couple seasons for brown bass with success too.  I was having trouble with the bigger tubes targeting smallmouth because I think the tube was too big for their mouth.  Downsizing to smaller tubes helped this issue.  Just remember to downsize the tube jig too.  A short shank is required when using a smaller tube otherwise it doesn't fit the tube very well.

 

I also have a skip gap hook by gamakatsu when I need to hook a tube weedless.

[detroit1]

Smallmouth can eat a 4" tube with no problem. I know most people think "downsize" for smallmouths, but in reality, you don't have to.    (IMHO...)

[MGF]

A small mouth can eat a 4" tube. It's just that they don't always want to. I've done pretty good on 3 1/2", 3.75" and 4" but I really cleaned up when I tried a 2 1/2". I wouldn't say to downsize for smallmouth. I'd say downsize when the smallmouth want something smaller...and it happens.

[Fishin' Fool]

Thin wall tubes. Before senkos took off i remember using tubes with either a 1/16 or 1/8 jighead and casting to targets. The light jighead encourages a spiral fall and to me represents a wounded baitfish. Used to do well fishing like that.

[TnRiver46]

I caught a 21” largemouth on a tube yesterday . Strike king bitsy tube with 1/8 oz ball head jig inside. That’s one of the best lures I’ve ever thrown . I don’t know what water temp was (definitely below 50) but the fish was darn near ON the bank and hit like a bluegill pecking. Jumped many times and didn’t come off, 6 lb line

shameless redundant picture post 

[papajoe222]

I prefer a thin wall when rigging with a jig internally, especially when stupid rigging as it's easier to turn it inside one.

I go to the thicker wall ones when fishing brush, or shell beds. They just hold up better.  I have a few bags of custom poured that are very supple, but thicker that I use when I'll be fishing different conditions.

[OnthePotomac]

Mizmo 4" tubes in green pumpkin gold flake and green pumpkin black flake, Texas rigged on a 3/0 EWG Gammie with a 3/16th slip sinker on 15lb Invizx line.  On a bait caster.

[Michigander]

We were catching 14-15" smallmouth on Kentucky Lake with the Venom 6.25" tube. They can basically eat whatever they want to, lol.

[Columbia Craw]

Dry Creek Outfitters is a super product 

[Michigander]

12 minutes ago, Columbia Craw said:

Dry Creek Outfitters is a super product 

They're on the list of tubes I want to try. I just don't get around to ordering new tubes because I'm so pleased with the Snack Daddy ones I use. Grabbed a pack of XZone to try out though

[Spankey]

Not a lot of talk about tubes these day. Got hooked on them many moons ago when I started taking river fishing serious. Other older river rats turned me on to them. Was reluctant to fish them for lake bass at first. Now days I’m always ready to tie one on 3”-4” for green fish. 

[Columbia Craw]

1 hour ago, Michigander said:

They're on the list of tubes I want to try. I just don't get around to ordering new tubes because I'm so pleased with the Snack Daddy ones I use. Grabbed a pack of XZone to try out though

They have a double dip color called Buzzard Snot that is really good on the upper Columbia River.