by Rick Lawrence, May 07, 2018

Move over Alabama rig here is another innovation to bass fishing that could possibly change fishing forever. From the inventor of the Fish-N-Fool knot comes; "The Boob Tube rig".

Here is a new way to fish a tube that I came up with that has turned into a killer technique, See below for the required parts. Use any make of tube you like but larger tubes that will trap the most air work the best.. You cut a piece of old worm about a 1/2' long to make a plug you put into the back of the tube to form a air pocket inside the tube. For a loud rattle you can drop a glass rattle into the tube before gluing the plug in place. I have found for colder water the tube will collapse from the air shrinking, so I use an old earplug, just roll it up tight and slide it into the head of the bait. it will expand to make a tight fit. Then I use clear silicone seal it up or one of the worm glues, so the bait stays soft but air tight. A plug off a non-Salt would work best for this, like off a grub or something. It is stronger plastic to hold the hook better and it is lighter so it floats. I set up a standard Carolina rig and hook my boob tube with my gammy finesse hook into the part I put the plug into like in the 5th pixs, I go in the center of the plug that I put in and out the side of the tube making sure the hook does not go into the air chamber. This makes the tube float straight up giving it the best action. I like about 15" of line between the hook and the swivel. This makes the bait float up above the bottom of the lake. If you give the bait a little slack it pulls line through the weight and floats up, tightening up on it pulls the bait down and makes the beads clack on the weight and the skirt on the bait flares out give bass something they have never seen before. You can work this rig up and down clacking it and making the bait skirt flare, as you inch it across the bottom. Killer for Smallmouth on the flats and for weeded up lakes it works great with a little longer line from the hook to the weight. I use a large bead next to the swivel so it slides over the knot and does not rest on it, so it can't damage your knot. Then a smaller bead for more clack. I make up the plugged baits ahead of time so when you need a new one it only takes a few seconds to rig up.

Here is what you will need to make the Boob tube rig, first a tube you like, a scrap worm to make the plug out of ( a non-salt bait like a curly tail grub or worm works best for this as they float and have stronger plastic that holds the hook better), a casting weight with an swivel eye on one end, a hook (the gammy red finesse 1/0 hook works best), 2 beads one large and a smaller, and a barrel swivel.

Cut your plug about 1/2" long.

If you want put in a glass rattle and then glue the plug in place.

With the plug in place it will look like this.


The hook goes in from the center of the plug bottom and out the side of the tube.

That way when you fish it, it will look like this.

So this is how the rig works if you let line out, the tube will pull line through the weight and float up. I heavier weight and somewhat larger tubes works best for this like a 1 oz so the bait moves and not the weight when you pop it. Pull on the line and the tube will go back down and the skirt will flare out each time you pull. It looks a lot like a crawdad sinking in the water. When the swivel hits the beads against the weight it makes a loud clack. Plus you can pop the bait while it is floating up to make the rattle in the tube clack. The Smallies seem to love this rig over here. I think I'll call it the "Fish-N-Fool Boob Tube rig"

You need to be a line watcher with this rig as when a fish takes it the line will slip through the weight. So the fish will not feel the weight at all and you will just see the line going out, when that happens SET THE HOOOOK!!!! LOL
So, hope you will try my Boob tube rig.