New Technique For Tubes

[roadwarrior]

This was the featured article in this month's In-Fisherman

Magazine. Pick it up or check it out online in a few weeks.

Here is my summary:

The author is fishing deep for smallmouth on the Great Lakes.

He describes rigging a 3/4 oz jig head, inserted. The tube is

worked by aggressively lifting the tube high off the bottom,

then free-falling back. The tube is fished fast, VERY fast.

I don't think this fits me very well on the Tennessee River and

it seems to me you will lose a lot of baits, anywhere. On the

other hand, I'll probably give it a try!

8-)

[J Francho]

I've done this for years when dragging doesn't produce. I buddy of mine uses another, high speed, swimming retrieve on rocky flats with good success. I've never worked that one out.

What I have found when working these heavy tubes, is to use a moderate action rod, which helps absorb the smallie antics, and keeps them from throwing the heavy jig. Take a look at Bite Me Big Dudes tube jigheads.

[roadwarrior]

That is the jig head suggested in the article.

[Dwight Hottle]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who enjoyed that article. Sounds like a good idea to target deep areas on the great lakes.

[roadwarrior]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who enjoyed that article. Sounds like a good idea to target deep areas on the great lakes.

Although I have not fished a tube this way, it's exactly how 3/4 oz

and 1 oz Ledgebusters are fished. If you haven't given them a shot,

there's another tip!

8-)

[NewAngler]

how deep are we talking? 50'+?

[RandySBreth]

I'm a huge In-fisherman fan, but this isn't really new, just a wrinkle on the "one ton tubing" thing by Yamamoto.

The blurb from the 2004 Yamamoto lineup about tubes says: "Power fish deep using the latest one ton torpedo tubing tactics".

http://www.insideline.net/articles/product-line.htm

And article about it here:http://www.***/articles/tube-torpedo.shtml

The main thing is the bigger "Goby" head, and Blalog's knowledge of those huge Erie Smallmouths. I don't think anyone is ripping off someones idea or anything though-what probably happened is they both arrived at this point separately, but from looking at the presentation of tubes in the ways they both use them, and the fish they are targeting. Brilliant minds sometimes do think alike.

Oh- and In-Fisherman rules.

[J Francho]

I vaguely recall the earlier In-Fisherman story, but never would have made the connection.  That's an interesting history.

Hey RW, did your issue of IF have staples in it?

[roadwarrior]

Hey RW, did your issue of IF have staples in it?

I don't know, but I'll check. What's that about?

[J Francho]

Hey RW, did your issue of IF have staples in it?

I don't know, but I'll check. What's that about?

I let my subscription run out, and picked up a copy at the newsstand.  To my horror, it was staple bound!  I like the "perfect" style, glue binding with the spine.  Having a somewhat photographic memory, I can recall the month and year a particular article appeared, and the spine showed this clearly.

[J Francho]

Great Post!

This is how I was taught to fish tubes for LSC smallies and Detroit river smallies the first time on the lake from a guide. It works.........

Definately a different feel hurling a 3/4 to 1oz tube as opposed to a small 1/8 oz head. Casts a mile....or two... The Bite Me heads are NOT cheap though. Like $4 for 3 heads

Agreed. Definitely not new to the Great Lakes and I seldom use the Mite Me Big Dudes mostly because of cost and I have convinced myself that the bulge is not that important (read: I am cheap) especially when worked with the faster methods like in the IF article.

Venom makes a 3/4 oz tube jig that is $12.82 for 25 or $40.32 for 100. Lake Erie eats tube jigs and these seem to work just as well for me.

venom heads are great, too.  There is a way to get the bulge, without using the Big dude head.  Looks ugly, but its functional, too:

Tie the jig on, sans the tube.

I know this sounds "wrong" and that's why I call it "wrong way rig."

Measure where the hook will exit the tube, and note that position.

Thread the tube on by pushing the hook point into DEAD CENTER on the tip of the tube.

Feed the tube body onto the hook until you get to the point where the hook will exit the back of the tube.

Depending on the size of the tube, the hook might come out the side of the tube or just be out the skirt.

Lube up the lead head with Megastrike.

Push the tube over the lead, and massage the plastic so the hole you made makes up to the line tie, and covers the hook.

Its UGLY looking.

But, it has a goby bump, and your knot is protected by the plastic.

I'll try to get a pic of this, if I can remember.

[Crestliner2008]

I've never used the heavy 3/4 - 1 oz. heads inside a tube before. But the presentation technique is what I employ with 1/4 - 1/2 oz. jigs inside 3 1/2" Gitzits. I read a lot about dragging and slow hopping, but I've always found a very fast on/off bottom retrieve to be the most effective. As soon as it hits bottom, jerk it about 2' up and let her settle again. On one of the up-swings, a 3 lb. smallie will nail it!  

[roadwarrior]

I've never used the heavy 3/4 - 1 oz. heads inside a tube before. But the presentation technique is what I employ with 1/4 - 1/2 oz. jigs inside 3 1/2" Gitzits. I read a lot about dragging and slow hopping, but I've always found a very fast on/off bottom retrieve to be the most effective. As soon as it hits bottom, jerk it about 2' up and let her settle again. On one of the up-swings, a 3 lb. smallie will nail it!

Well then, forget about this technique.  I don't want

those little  "nuisance" fish bothering my bait!