Untitled Document
In
the last decade, no lure has had as much impact on the sport of fishing
as the hollowed
cylinder of soft plastic called the tube lure. Originally developed
in the late 70s/early 80's
era as a finesse alternative for the west coast's hard-to-catch clearwater-deep
impoundment
largemouth at such now-revered fisheries as Mead and Castaic, actual
origination of the bait
is generally attributed to Bobby Garland. In intentional deference
or not, many anglers still
identify the bait as a " Gitzit", irregardless of actual
manufacturer. This was what Bobby
originally called his bait upon its initial distribution.
On a more local level, Ohio bass tourney veterans still fondly recall
the "Superdoo". The
Superdoo, which first acquired Buckeye state notoriety in the mid-80's
as a smallmouth
slayer on the Ohio River, was essentially a solid tube lure with which
conventional leadheads
were compatible. With several companies eventually involved in producing
these productive
lures, their popularity faded in almost literal proportion to the
hollowed tubebaits encroachment
eastward. I still have a few myself and find them still a valuable
option at times, especially
when short of tubeheads.
Tube lures are versatile and best fished on spinning gear. Too many
fishermen confine their
tube fishing to the bottom of the water where the tube lure's appeal
to crawfish-crazy bass is
undeniable. What is overlooked is the tubes appeal higher up in the
water column. When
pitched under docks or swam higher towards the surface these tubes
do a fair imitation of a
crippled minnow.
Savvy anglers know to use less weight with their tubes when utilizing
them in this manner as
the heavier weights generally preerable when plumbing the depths make
realistic presentation
of minnow imitation difficult indeed. This is another reason, along
with skipping docks, why
spinning gear better facilitates the productive use of these lures-for
both largemouth and smallies.
For using the tube for bigmouths, I much prefer the 4'' versions,
regardless of manufacturer, to
the 3'' or 31/2'' lengths used most effectively for smallmouth. In
addition, I opt for a hook size
that's bigger for largemouth, too. Whereas I like a 1/0 or 2/0 hook
for bronzebacks, I prefer a
2/0-4/0 for Mr.Bigmouth, whether using a tubehead (as at relatively
snag-free Lake Erie) or a
weedless attachment, absolutely essential on our local favorite, the
bountiful but hazardous-to-
all-tackle Cuyahoga River.
An exposed hook is a handicap fishing tubes on many lakes and all
rivers.The Texas rig, a
familiar and venerable set-up for largemouth with plastic worms, is
a questionable alternative
at beat when tubing, as this rig imparts an anything but realistic
action to a tubebait, whether
s hallow or deep in the water.
Not one person I've ever shown my favored method for snag-free tubin'
to has ever, to my
knowledge, returned to previous methodology. Try it; tie on your favorite
bass hook and then
stick a tube weight-a cylindrical lead piece with a brass loop affixed
at the end you first wet
and then drop loop-tie first into the hollow tube of choice. Holding
the tube up to the light, you
should be able to see the weight within - the more translucent and
thin a tube the better for
prepping and attraction. Now take the business end of your hook and
run it at once both
through the tube and the brass line-tie of the weight within. Now
run the hook entirely through
on up the shank of the hook, turn it around,and bury the hook point
into the other side of the
hollow tube. Slick, huh?
As an added bonus, new tubes can be changed to without cutting off
your line, not so with
conventional tubeheads of any brand. If you can't immediately find
insert tubeweights - Bass
Pro Shops makes dandies - try a bass casting sinker, sometimes called
a "bell" sinker, and
used most often by bottom fishermen, tightliners. Remember, as always
in fishing, to use the
lightest weight you can possibly get away with. These weights, often
marketed in dial-style
boxes, are not as worthwhile as the tube-insert weights - the action
is not as good - but they'll
do in a pinch.
Any time you're rigging soft plastics "weedless" you're
best off with a stiffer, graphite rod. The
quality graphite stick will best telegraph the often subtle bite and
the at-least medium power
rod will set the hook through the plastic light years better than
a flimsier version that will bend
before properly driving your hook into a bass' maw.
When smallies go deeper in warming water, a disconcerting number of
anglers throw in the
towel at a time when a more bottom-oriented approach can provide many
a productive day.
Similarly, dog-days largemouth become famously fond of deeper and/or
brush-strewn
sanctuaries anathema to less adventurous and less productive fishermen.
Tie on a tube and
tie into more bass. |
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Buckeye Angler ** Buckeye Angler ** Buckeye Angler ** Buckeye Angler
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For
Buckeye Angler.com,
- Jack Kiser
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