Tubes, Tubes, Tubes Which Tube do you fish?

With each new fishing year in order to add new weapons to my fishing arsenal, I select a new tactic to concentrate on and learn to fish. This year I have decided to learn to fish tubes. I have made attempts in the past, but did not concentrate on it enough to really get proficient with it. I have fished plastic worms and grubs for years. My question for everyone is: With the staggering array of tubes on the market, which brand, model, length, color do your prefer? The next question is how do you prefer to fish the tube: texas rigged, ball head jib, tube jig inserted into the tube? I know I am asking an open ended question but these are the kinds of things that I have been kicking around in my head. Your input will greatly increase my success and enjoyment of fishing tubes.

Thanks…..

Chompers, Chompers, and more Chompers ( http://www.chompers.com/ ). I like them because they are really thick and soft. The garlic is intense and will keep your fingers smelling like an Italian kitchen for hours. They are heavily salted, and fish seldom let them go. I like to fish tubes in a couple different ways. First of all I always use the Eagle Claw Shaw Grigsby Tube Hook 4/0 ( http://www.staminainc.com/hooks/eagleclaw/ecshawgrigsby.html ) lets you get a lot more mileage out of each tube. For docks and boat lifts I usually peg a 1/16 oz or 1/8 oz depending on depth right to the nose of the tube, this is a great set-up for skipping with light to medium spinning tackle, the trick here is a slow fall. For heavy mats, I go with the same hook but will peg tungsten bullets up to an once. You need a really stout rod, almost like a broomstick, and heavy line. I use 20# Vanish on my Loomis Flippin Stick coupled with a Shimano Calcutta 250. All said and done, my favorite way to fish tubes is on deep weed lines with an improvised carolina rig. I use a medium light set-up with 2/10 PowerPro, and splice in 10-14lb Vanish with an improved blood knot. On the lead I peg a 1/16-1/8oz bullet anywhere from 8″-16″ above the tube on the Flouro. Cast it out and methodically work the sinker through the weeds, trying to keep the tube trailing just above the tips. D-E-A-D-L-Y!! Colors…. Black with Red Flek, Watermelon Red , Salt and Pepper, Root Beer Green, Dark Melon Pepper, Chartreuse Pepper.

I know lots of guys here will talk about Yum and Team Supreme, also a very good tubes. Everyone has their favorites I guess.

I don’t have a preferred tube right now. My favorite way to fish them is with a light-wire Gami wide-gap worm hook. It’s a really weedless method. Then I either peg a fairly small bullet sinker at the nose or use the “bull-shot” type sinkers (like a split-shot, only bullet shaped).

Dan, thanks for your opinions . You provided me a great deal of good information. That’s what I really like about this forum, you can put a question out their and viewers are not afraid to give you the straight story, unlike many of the competitive bass clubs.

Zoom, Mizmo, and ISG all make good tubes of various sizes, and as many color combinations as you could shake a flippin’ stick at . – hard to decide – love ’em all.

Ralph,

Thanks for this input…..

I agree with Dan. I throw alot of chompers, Stikeking and Rite-bite. Usually a 3/0 widegap Mustad Ulta-lock and 3/16-1/4 weight.Black-red fleck, Dark Melon Pepper,Black/blue.

i use isgs and mizmos with a 3 or 4/0 hook

Make doesn’t matter much for me as long as they are green, texas rigged, and 4.5 inches.

I am all over the board on tubes. I like Strike King bleeding series. Mostly sight fishing for me when I am throwing them so white is my color of choice. I am casting or pitching to the shady side of big shallow boulders.
I mainly use xps tube jigs. I also make my own variation of these. I can fish deep water or skip docks with both but than I change color to something in a watermelon color.
Any other questions send me a PM and I will get into more detail.

Ron