need help on choosing right jig head for tube's

[Big-Dan]

hey guys im going to try to do some more tube fishing for river smallies this season. and i would like to know what type of jig head i should use for my 3 1/2" tubes. in the past i just used either color or just plain lead jig heads of various weights. i fish a rocky river so i dont know if that helps on choosing a certain model. oh forgot to mention i only used round lead jig heads before.

[roadwarrior]

It depends on the current, but a 1/8 or 1/4 oz inserted jig head is

what I would suggest.

8-)

[Raul]

Now if you fish where there 's heavy cover:

Owner Phantom Tube Hook

[KYntucky Warmouth]

I like the BPS weedless tube hooks.

[SimonSays]

I had the worst luck with the Owner phantom hooks, i'd get a bite and set the hook...I'd feel the fish on and fight it for about 3-5secs then nothing.  This happened about 3-4times before I said screw it to the owner hooks and just used a bullet weight and a 3/0 ewg.

[Micro]

A 5/0 Owner Phantom 1/16 oz hook and a Zoom Big Tube in green pumpkin.  I've caught a lot of fish flipping this combo.  

[Rich Tehan]

Bite-Me Tube heads are the best.  Use a heavier weight for deeper water, don't be afraid to go up to 1/2 oz or heavier.  You will feel the bottom better that way as well.  A pretty standard size is 1/4 oz though.  Are you talking St. Lawrence Rv by any chance?

[Big-Dan]

i mostly fish the Ottawa river, which type of jig head is better ? ill post 2 pics. is it better with the eye of the hook be slanted or straight up from the lead part? not sure if this is clear

[BUCKEYEone]

I like the 60 degree slant better personally, it just gives it a smoother action.

[.ghoti.]

That last one, on the right looks like the BPS jighead. i bought several packs of those a couple of years ago. I threw them all away after missing a least a dozen fish. There's something about the angle of that jighead/ hook that does not allow a good hookset.

Maybe I was rigging them incorrectly, but I don't know how I could have been. I simply inserted the jig, poked the eye through the plastic, and tied it on.

I got a lot of bites while using them, but never hooked a fish.

[roadwarrior]

This is a much better alternative, especially for big tubes.

These can be used in conjunction with a Gamakatsu EWG

Offset Worm Hook for a weedless presentation:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_44436____SearchResults

8-)

[Big-Dan]

thanks for the advice guys, and i think i might try out RW's idea since i do get snaged alot out here, ill try both the weedless one from RW and the regular tube jig with straight eye. thanks again all and happy fishing, i still got atleast a month before ice melts and the river opens up and even longer before bass season opens up.

[KYntucky Warmouth]

This is a much better alternative, especially for big tubes.

These can be used in conjunction with a Gamakatsu EWG

Offset Worm Hook for a weedless presentation:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_44436____SearchResults

8-)

I have used these many times...can't believe I forgot them...The tube inserts are great for bigger tubes. BPS tender tubes are alittle short for them but they are great.

[20psi]

I use these:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DAV=&indexId=&navCount=0&catalogCode=QX&id=0017573117605a&hasJS=true&rid=&podId=0017573&parentId=&parentType=&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=netcon&_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A

For some reason cabelas only has them in 1/8, but the ones I use are 1/4 and 3/8's with a 2/0 EWG Gammy. Really similar to what RW posted but they also have rattles. Then you just insert your normal ewg hooks and texas rig them like you would a worm. I just recently picked these up and was out here in Oklahoma and have caught a couple nice fish on this rig. Didnt have any problem with bad hooksets either, and I was getting funky hooksets with senkos all week. Missed a good 3-4 pounder today that I had hooked, surfaced, shook his head 10 feet in front of me and I literally saw him spit the worm back into the water. I was miffed to put it mildly.

[Gone_Phishin]

Northland makes a jig head for tubes.  Does anyone have any experience with this product?

[Rich Tehan]

Bite-me tube heads

[Paul Roberts]

I'm still experimenting, and it's been a bit of a pain. Here's what I'm coming down to, so far. Correct me if I'm missing something.

I love the spiral fall of a 90deg head. But I'm fishing in and around lots of vegetation, and the 90 hangs weeds.

I tried 0deg: EWGs and the internal weights of various types but lost that great slippery spiral fall. Instead a 0deg causes the bait to corkscrew around the anchor point (my knot) on the retrieve.

So, I'm using 60deg but need to have the eye come out on top of the tube head, not too far down on the nose. This gives a good stable gliding action, unless I retrieve too fast, then I get the corkscrewing again.

I have been using two heads primarily:

Luck-E-Strike G4 (w/weedguard). I like this, but, I've had periods where the oddball hook design doesn't always hold well. Not exactly sure why. I'm hoping to solve it.

Owner Bullet Head worm hook. I bend this head up to about ~40deg and insert it into the tube pushing the eye out at the topside of the tube nose. This is very stable and hooks and holds well. Problem is the hook is too small for larger tubes and the forward sitting weight needs a hollow tube head, so I use it with the Gitzit (great tube).

I'm going to try the Bite-Me and BPS (Gamakatsu) heads this year. Falcon also makes a decent looking design. I'll add my own mono weedguards.

Oh yes, the last way I rig tubes (with solid heads) is:

A shank-weighted EWG: BPS carries them. Lots of makers now too with the swimbait craze going on. This is a stable rig, but doesn't spiral on the fall. Seems a little bit of instability is needed for that.

-A Jewel Finesse jighead. This is a GREAT head. I also use it for my creatures and craws. It's a true functioning stand-up head that will put the tentacles and claws up when resting on bottom. Tubes do make good crayfish mimics.

That's where I'm at with tubes so far. It's still a work in progress.

[slomoe]

I know your asking about jig heads but, I just got some Yamamoto snag free tube weights. I haven't used them yet but they look great.