Northwest Fishing Reports

Here is a new way to fish a tube that I came up with that turned into a killer technique, See below for the required parts. 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. I use clear silicone for this so the bait stays soft but air tight. 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. 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 SM on the Flats and for weeded up lakes it works great with a little longer line from the hook to the weight. I like the brass weights best for this rig as I think they put out the best sound. 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 baits ahead of time so when you need a new one it only takes a sec to rig up. You can use the backward bullet weight trick for this too for stirring up the bottom.

Here's another style of boob tube...

nice idea. I wonder though, rather than rely on the air pocket created (which may be ruined after catchign one fish), would inserting a piece of light floating foam packing in the tube be a good modification to this idea?

lolol i love crazy rigs like that.....i use a lot of foam ear plugs (or pieces) to help float things....u can get 'em in diff colors too....DOG

I have used this technique for years only difference is I insert a foam earplug that I soaked in shrimp or other scent. Still floats after several caught fish. Killer for walleye on Moses Lake!

Mike Carey wrote:nice idea. I wonder though, rather than rely on the air pocket created (which may be ruined after catchign one fish), would inserting a piece of light floating foam packing in the tube be a good modification to this idea?

The problem with foam is it would also leave a hard spot in the bait. I haven't had any problem so far with just air in the bait if it is sealed good and you need the plug anyway to hold the hook in the bait at the correct angle and make the bait tougher so it doesn't tear out. I don't think you could get a soft foam like an ear plug up inside the tube were you would need it to be. It would have to be at the very end of the tube to work and float correctly.

Nope works great just roll the ear plug like you would if your going to put it in your ear and slide it in the tube, no issues. And as far a being hard unless you have left in the sun for an extended period of time it stays very soft. And like I said it is a great way to carry scents.

lonnie197272 wrote:Nope works great just roll the ear plug like you would if your going to put it in your ear and slide it in the tube, no issues. And as far a being hard unless you have left in the sun for an extended period of time it stays very soft. And like I said it is a great way to carry scents.

yup foam is old school and works great.

Great idea. Another thing you can do (tho it would leave that hard spot) is slide a Lil' Corky on your hook and work it into the tube. Floats em real nice.

BassDood wrote:Great idea. Another thing you can do (tho it would leave that hard spot) is slide a Lil' Corky on your hook and work it into the tube. Floats em real nice.

I don't think a hard spot would be a major deal - crawfish have hardspots and this is an immitation. But anyway, it's a nice looking rig in any case.

Fish n Fool, I like the rig. (don't like ear plugs). I can fish the rig your way with more confidence than with foam or corkies?What I like most is the hook placement. I generally hook it up Texas style on the Carolina but your style to me looks like it will offer the fish an interesting presentation. :thumright

basser90 wrote:Fish n Fool, I like the rig. (don't like ear plugs). I can fish the rig your way with more confidence than with foam or corkies?What I like most is the hook placement. I generally hook it up Texas style on the Carolina but your style to me looks like it will offer the fish an interesting presentation. :thumright

Tnx basser, I think the hook placement is the key to why the bait works as it not only gives the fish something they have never seen before but it is a great imatation of a falling crawdad.

You know they make tubes out of the "floating plastic" ................. even if torn it floats.........I would guess that with a nice chunk of senko in the end it would float correctly..........and continue to until it is torn into little pieces. ..................

I like it. I,m going to try it. Thanks for the tip. Andy

fishnazzi wrote:You know they make tubes out of the "floating plastic" ................. even if torn it floats.........I would guess that with a nice chunk of senko in the end it would float correctly..........and continue to until it is torn into little pieces. ..................

All soft plastic baits float if they dont have any additives to make them sink. Some types of Plastic floats better then others like the new super stretch plastics. But without that trapped air pocket they would not float well enough to hold up the hook and swivel and pull line through the weight. For this to work properly they need to float like a cork. With the bait glued shut the bass can chew on it all day without poping it as it is flexable and will stay water tight as long as it stays sealed.

Fish-N-Fool wrote:

fishnazzi wrote:You know they make tubes out of the "floating plastic" ................. even if torn it floats.........I would guess that with a nice chunk of senko in the end it would float correctly..........and continue to until it is torn into little pieces. ..................

All soft plastic baits float if they dont have any additives to make them sink. Some types of Plastic floats better then others like the new super stretch plastics. But without that trapped air pocket they would not float well enough to hold up the hook and swivel and pull line through the weight. For this to work properly they need to float like a cork. With the bait glued shut the bass can chew on it all day without poping it as it is flexable and will stay water tight as long as it stays sealed.

nm

An old timer showd me a similar trick using tiny Wazp brand cork/balsa finesse bobbers inside of a tube bait to float it up off the bottom about 15 years ago. I used them with Jerry's lures Duzit tubes on Moses Lake at night for walleye and we killed them! The pre drilled hole in the bobber allowed me to insert and glue in a light wire straight shank # 1 Gamakatsu worm hook. An advantage I found was that the cork or balsa bobber fit perfectly inside the gitzit and allowed me to run the line through the rounded nose of the bait. The hook came up out the back, betwen the tenacles like an ordinary jighead. When you swam the tube this way, it would shimmy side to side on the retrieve. Another advantage was that you could add an small bead rattle inside the tube,. The added noise worked killer in murky water for smallies and walleye. Another killer big bass trick for inactive, cruising fish was to rig that same hook thru the nose of the tube and pull it all the way thru the hollow tubes body and out the back. Crimp a tiny spilt shot right where your line is tied to the hook then pull the hook back up into the bait. when you spot a cruising bass, Toss your tube out and it will float for several seconds. Then jerk the rod tip erratically and the tube will "hang" there almost like suspend in the face of the bass... They can't stand it and I've had uninterested bass just explode on this rig. Jiggy