How to rig Tube Baits

[corkvet]

What is the best hook to use in rigging Tube Baits? What is the best way to attach the Tube?

[Randy Walker]

Depends if your flippn tubes in cover or if your casting tubes in a lake/res...

Lake tube set up: you need to simply by some tube weights at your local takle shop in your desired size. You simply just insert the weighted hook into the tube, pushing the eye end all the wat to the head/nose of the tube... most of the time, the hook shank will shorter then the tube itself, so you will just need to pinch the top of the tube to allow extra space for the hook to enter the tube...that way when you push the hook point thru the tube, everything lines up properly. It's very easy to do and when you are holding the tube and weighted hook in your hands.. it will all make since.

Flippn tube set up: rig it exactly like you would a worm, beaver, brushhog.. whatever plastic you normally flip with Texas rigged of course...

I happen to use Daiichi and/or XPoint hooks...as they are SUPER sharp and come in any style you need.

Good Luck ~

[bayscotter]

As stated obove, this is the traditional way. I have recently been using tube weight inserts. this is a special weight that slides in the tube. the weight is cylinder in shape and has a whole in the top section as well as the side (some contain rattels). You insert the weight in the tube and then take the tied hook (#2 or#3) and Pierce the tube going into the top whole in the weight and continuing to the side whole with the hook. You can make the tube completly weedless and alomost snagproof. It's hard to explain what i'm talking about. Look for tube weights or tube inserts. Grip and rip

[Rich461]

For 3" tubes I use a Mustad Mega-Lite 4/0 hook with the tube sinker inside.
For 4" tubes I use a Mustad Mega-Lite 5/0 hook...
For big flippin' tubes I use the Mustad Big MouthTube hook or the Mega Bite in 5/0.

The real trick is to get the hook inserted correctly into the tube so that it lays flat against the tube body.
Using an old tube, lay the hook against the side of the tube and mark where the hook enters and exits the tube body.
Draw a straight line between these two points. Notice how the exit hole is ahead of the entry hole. Too many guys
put the hook point straight thru the tube body. This makes the hook point ride up. By angling the hook point forward,
the hook will lay straight on the top of the tube. Then just skin it a little, to make it weedless.
To make the tube drop with more spin to it, just put the exit site out the side of the tube. This action works great
on train trestles and standing timber. But it will kink up your line really bad, so I use a swivel when I do that.

If you are going to use a spinning reel to skip the bait under docks or trees, I recommend you doing this.
After every 4th or 5th cast, leave about 8-10 feet of line hanging down from the eye and let the tube spin the
curl out of the line. This will keep your line from twisting so bad and getting knots in it.
Also, after a few hours of casting this rig, cut the tube off and put the rod on the rear deck and let the line peel off into the water.
I usually do this when I am idling from one location to another. When you get to the backing, then point the rod tip toward the
line and reel it in kinda slow. This will respool your reel with uncoiled line again. Tie on your tube and you are ready to go.

When I fish a tube, I always have the exact same rig made up on two identical rods but, I usually have a black/red on one and a
green pumpkin/blue on the other. When a fish misses one, throw the other. Odds are it will hit the second one.

Learn to underhand skip the bait across the top of the water like skipping a rock. This keeps the bait low under docks and boat
house doors, and tree limbs. It also looks like a fleeing fish. Two of my larger fish have come off this technique. There are a
lot of guys who can skip a baitcaster, but I can skip a tube or senko 20 feet past them with a lubed up tube. I like to get to the
water behind the willows a lot.

Hope that gives you some ammo for catching those elusive boat house bass that won't come out for a bait.

[Schneider Fishing]

I know this is rather old school but I still like the Eagle Claw HP Hooks with the inserted weights.

[toddmc]

The tube has to be one of the most versatile lures on the planet. I don't know if there is a wrong way to fish it. I throw it Texas rigged for flipping and sight fishing. I use an interior clip weight to make it skip like a rock for docks. I rip it out of the grass with a lead head in the summer. It works well on a spit shot or a drop shot rig. I have even thrown it weightless around shallow grass beds.

[FinesseKid]

All of this info is great!

I would also add to add a drop of superglue where the hook enters and exits the tube. This will help seal up the tube and keep air in it as long as possible.

[DanWarme]

I must be even older school than Schneider!

I still like and use the jig head on an open hook method an awful lot.
Have a variety of heads I use including stand-up heads, finesse heads, ball heads, wobble heads, tube heads, weedless heads, spider heads, (combining a spider jig skirt with a tube gets you Bobby Garland's "Creature" bait)
Opps, said too much there.

Also fish them texas style, either on light line or flippin, and also use insert weights.
Usually use either Shaw Grigsby's old HP hooks and insert weights, or Worm hooks and gitzit glider weights.

Also use belly hooks, weightless rigs, drop shot, split shot, carolina rigs, Jigs with rattles, gitzits with spoons in them, aklaseltzer, wooden dowel, plastic worm pieces...

Opps, Let me rephrase and summarize.
Please direct your attention to this object I hold in my hand...
(activate deneuralizer)

...So I say again,
I never fish a tube. They don't work, don't waste your time.

[Rich461]

Here is a fun thing to do when fishing floating docks.
Take a tube, and insert a foam floater inside it. (Remove the sinker)
Put on a slip sinker and peg it about 2' in front of the tube.
Throw this to one side of the dock about 10 feet away from it.
Put the rod tip as far down in the water as you can, and open the bail.
Drive around the front of the dock, while letting out line and keeping the rod tip down.
When you get to the other side of the dock about 20' away. Close the bail and reel the
bait under the dock. Now let it sit for a while, but twitch it a little.
You can also not peg the sinker and by using a 1/2oz weight you can lift the rod up and
down and make the bait rise and fall under the dock. I used this technique to catch a wiley
old 6# lady one day. I could see her under the dock but she wasn't going after any bait that day.
Finally she had enough and bit me.
Now that was fun !

When I get ready to eat lunch when fun fishing this is what I will do, when the bass are on the docks.
Otherwise I use a Caroline rig when taking a break.

[FinesseKid]

When fishing shallow water structure I will often texas rig a tube and pitch it in, the slider will fall quickly and slide UP the line and the tube will flutter down slowly like a dying shad because of the air inside.....

BOOOOM.

One of my favorite ways to fish it