Tubes

[fishincop640]

Hello everyone.  Just the last couple days I have run into a problem and I don't know if it is just the fish biting lightly or if I am doing something wrong.  

I was using a 3" tube texas rigged with a 1/16oz bullet sinker and a 3/0 gammy ewg hook.  It seems with when I use the 4 inch tubes I can get good hook sets with the 3/0 hook but when I downsized to the 3in tube I wasn't getting good hook sets.  I either hammered the hook home or missed them all together.   Had 3 large mouths to the boat when the spit the hook.   When I would look at my bait, the tube (which was skin hooked to be weedless) the hook wouldn't even be exposed.  

Was thinking they maybe just grabbed the tail of the bait but thought it may be a hook problem.  I changed hooks and also sharpened them to make sure that wasnt the problem.  

Has anyone had the same problem or possibly a solution for this?

[basser89]

I use 4" tubes all but exclusively and fish them t-rigged 99% of the time. The tubes I use are BPS Magnum Flippin tubes, Mizmo Big Boy tubes and Venom 4" tubes. I use a 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG and have no problems getting a good hookset on them. I did have the same problem a couple years back with 3/0 Gammies. I don't think you get enough bite with a 3/0 hook on a 4" tube. The majority of the time I'm throwing tubes, I'm also using a flippin stick (7'6" HF) but I have thrown them on a 7' MHF and a 6'6" MHF rod as well. When you set the hook, make sure you're reeling down without putting any slack in the line and get a good snap hookset. Hope this helps!

[Chris]

the fish are carrying the tube off the bed and not trying to eat it so they don't have it deep in the mouth.

[Tim Ford]

I don't understand how you could have set the hook hard, reeled the fish all the way to the boat, and not have exposed the hook.  It doesn't make sense.  Are you sure it wasn't a bream hitting the smaller tube?  Maybe, just stick with the 4" tube.  

[fishincop640]

They were definetly largemouth.   I have always used the 4" YUM tubes and really didn't have much of a problem.  I had ordered a bunch of tubes off of ebay that said they were 4" and ended up being 3".  There were some good colors which is why I kept them and tried them.  Maybe I will just use them when fishing in open water with a jig head.  I just don't want this pattern to continue into tournament season.....although the spawn is completely over before bass season comes in here in PA.  

Thanks for your help everyone.

[roadwarrior]

I keep this in my "Favorites":

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1167358924

8-)

[fishincop640]

thanks a lot everyone......Was planning on going out today but mother nature had other plans.......don't mind the rain but when the lightning is coming straight to the ground things get a little crazy.....

fishing tomorrow at Raystown now instead of today!

Be safe everyone