Tubes for smalles?

[Muad Dib]

I just got into fishing tubes. what size tubes do u recommend with hook size. i fish mine texas rigged and the stinking hook is wrong its like a pretty large tube. and do you fish it carolina rigged cause mine always floats. lil help would be appreciated with recommened tube size for smalles and hook combos ;D

trav

[roadwarrior]

Generally, 3 1/2" Mizmo, Kent's Classic (squash green) on a 1/8 oz jig head. For particularly snarley conditions, same tube, 3/0 EWG Gamakatsu Offset Worm Hook, T-rigged, unpegged.

8-)

[HPBB]

I use a 3 1/2 inche BPS tender tube in mellon Pepper (#13) with a 1/8 to 3/8 oz jig head, depending on how deep and how windy it is.

if its weedy or alot of wood I will use same tube T-rigged with a 3/0 lite wire Gamy hook and 1/16 to 1/4 oz weight

Up on Erie its 4 inch BPS Flippin tubes (same color) with 3/8oz jig heads with 4/0 or 5/0 hooks

[SissySticks]

4" zoom small tube, usually either electric grape or green pumpkin, 1/8 oz. gami jighead.  If it's really snarly I'm usually throwing something else.

[Muad Dib]

what do u mean by snarly windy? or weedy

[basser89]

I use BPS Magnum flippin tubes and Mizmo Big Boy tubes for smallies on the Potomac. I fish mine texas rigged on a 4/0 Gammy with the lightest weight I can get away with. Watermelon/chart tail, Roadkill and green pumpkin/red flake are my top producers in the two tubes I listed above. I've also had a lot of luck recently on an off brand 4" tube with the same profile as the two above in Junebug.

[Dan:]

For open areas:

OR

For brushy, snaggy areas:

[Muad Dib]

those phantom hooks with the texas rig look nice. thanks for the pictures. do u just stuff that weight into the head of the tube and itll stay on good?

[Dan:]

[MNGeorge]

We use BPS 3 1/2" Tender Tubes in Black Neon (#14) in dirty water and Puke (#22) when the water clears up some.  We rig them with the internal rattling weight on an offset fine wire wide gap worm hook.  This set up is very snag resistant.  The weights and how to rig them are shown on page 351 of the 2008 BPS Master Catalog.

[streamer]

I pretty much agree with the guys above. My go to is a jig head and tube. You can vary sizes on both the jigs and tubesbased on conditions, sometimes i'll stuff the jig inside the tube. You can buy special sinkers that go inside the tube but IMHO an appropriately sized split shot stuffed in there with a large enough hook to go around and hold it all together works pretty well.

[bigfruits]

i have a question about those Owner Phantom Weighted Tube Hooks. for 3.5 inch tubes would i want the 3/0 hook?

[Garnet]

Mostly size of fish is my starting piont. If theres lots of 1.5-2lb then go smaller.

In my area most lakes are 3.5-7 lbs so lots of 3.5-5 inch tubes.

Then it's depth 0 - 1/2 oz depending on lake.

So make your tube or any bait do what you need.

Garnet

[Jig Man]

I fish 4" tubes with 1/8 and 1/4 oz jig inserts.  Most of the time I use a weed guard that I attach to the jig head.

[thetr20one]

I generally use BPS magnum flippin tubes with an open hook jighead. T-rigged tubes to me have a really mushy feel. I check my line and retie or replace the rig often. Getting hung up is a given but once you get the feel of the exposed hook it reduces hang ups. I feel personally the hook up ratio is greater than with a t-rigged tube.

[MaineBassMan]

I like the Bass pro mega flipping tube they are eith 3 1/2 or 4 - 4 1/2 inches I can't remember. I get the larger size, they work great have plenty of salt and are affordable.

[Stevie b]

I'm a huge fan of the Yum Vibrax tubes in the 3.5" size, white mainly.  Beginning to mid season I will rig them weightless with a 3/0 Mustad offset wide gap worm hook.  Mid to late season I will change it up to a 1/8oz shaky head jig head or a 1/8 or 1/4oz tube jig.

[ldogg]

I have very good luck with the BPS' 3 1/2" Tender Tube (smokey shiner) with a Tender Tube 1/8 -1/4 oz lead head.  A buddy turned me on to this particular tube 2 years ago after out-fishing me on my water.  Since then I've added it to my arsenal and it has not failed me.  

[MJEFF]

Generally, I use almost anyones tubes as long as they are soft. Green watermellon, pumpkin, craw colored  coffee tubes. Usually with light heads(1/8 3/16) if fishing shallow, 12ft or less. If the smallies are down deep 1/4 to 3/8 , I often carry about 4-5 different colors as there are some days where a new color is just the right thing.

Whacky senko style in the same colors too, in less than 12 ft.

[bassin46lbsmallies]

Hey guys if you are looking for some great tubes check out getbitbaits.com the 2 3/4 are the shiznit up on green bay

[iceintheveins]

My favorite smallie tube is the 2.5" gitzit in motoroil color, rigged on a 1/8 ounce head. I like pretty much any tube in natural crawdad or baitfish colors in the 2.5" to 3.5" range for smallies. I think gitzit makes the best tube, but I like BPS tender tubes, strike kings, and power tubes too.

[TonyD2001]

I absolutely suck at fishing tubes. And the river I fish at is probably great with tubes because it's so rocky and there are lots of crawfish.

Plus I ALWAYS snagged with tubes so that is another reason I hate using them. Every other cast I'm hung up on something.

I know it's all about confidence and the confidence level is low with tubes.

[roadwarrior]

I absolutely suck at fishing tubes. And the river I fish at is probably great with tubes because it's so rocky and there are lots of crawfish.

Plus I ALWAYS snagged with tubes so that is another reason I hate using them. Every other cast I'm hung up on something.

I know it's all about confidence and the confidence level is low with tubes.

Rather than using an inserted jig head, T-rig the tube weedless and

unpegged. Start with a very light weight and move up if you cannot

tick the bottom. Your hang-ups will drop dramatically.

The presentation can be dragging the bottom; gentle, occasional lifts

or extended lift and drop. Just experiment and see what works. The

only technique that I don't like is swimming the tube. That works

sometimes in grass, but I have never had any luck with it open water

or on my river.

8-)

[cbrashear]

give the bps teaser tubes a try they're 2 3/4" , i rig them on a small jighead with single wire weedguard. i think the heads i got now are arkie heads i got at wal-mart 1/8 oz.

I recently read a small article in field and stream that followed some study about bass and crayfish they prefer.

smaller ones are easier and faster to turn into protien, with less effort, but in extremely rocky areas the little ones can get back in the rocks faster and are harder to catch, so then the fish switched to larger craws.

[iceintheveins]

give the bps teaser tubes a try they're 2 3/4" , i rig them on a small jighead with single wire weedguard. i think the heads i got now are arkie heads i got at wal-mart 1/8 oz.

I recently read a small article in field and stream that followed some study about bass and crayfish they prefer.

smaller ones are easier and faster to turn into protien, with less effort, but in extremely rocky areas the little ones can get back in the rocks faster and are harder to catch, so then the fish switched to larger craws.

I like the teaser tubes too. I use those, strike king's bitzy tubes, or gitzit's 2.5" models.