Tubes

I want to spend more time fishing tubes could someone recommend some colors
to start out with and also some brands?

"Pat_RI" wrote in message
news:gBXuf.30860$9G.22077@dukeread10...
I want to spend more time fishing tubes could someone recommend some
colors
to start out with and also some brands?



Wow, where to begin. Well, I'm just gonna throw out some basic advice that I
try to follow myself, I am not a pro, so take it with a grain of salt, it is
only *my personal opinion*:

Colors: depends on the forage available in the water body in question. Also
depends on the "color" of the water IMO. I try to match my tube (and other
softbaits) colors to forage in the lake, like shad, minnows, crawdads,
whatever they may be. And to use tubes (without any rattles especially) in
any sort of stained or naturally dark (tanic) water, is a toughy. Go bright
and hope is all I can suggest. IMO, and I am certainly open to correction,
tubes are more of a bait that fish need to see to go for, since by and
large, they don't make a ton of noise, even with a little rattle chamber
attached or imbedded in them.

All that said, my most productive colors this past year (and I was trying to
learn tube fishing myself this past year) were red shad, pumpkin seed, and
pumpkin seed with chartruese tentacles. I don't get the "red shad" being so
productive around here, but the "pumpkin seed" color is pretty close to the
crawdads that inhabit the lakes near me (lighter brown shades, with black
specks). For that matter, red shad worms seemed to draw a lot of strikes
again for me this year too, so maybe there is some forage near that color I
am unaware of, or "red" really does cause a reaction when other colors
won't. I tried "watermelon" as well and got bit, but it just seemed "too
green" for my local fish's preference. It seemed to be the young dumb little
12" dinks that bit the brighter shades for me this past year...I also gave
some dark blue ones a shot (they appeared black to me in the water) and
actually caught a few keeper sized fish on those too.

As for brands, your mileage will vary. I usually like something either made
of that 3X or super tough material (lasts a good long while on the hook,
though they can be tough to actually get onto the hook they're so stretchy
and tough to tear), and something either scent or salt impregnated. I am not
sold on any particular brand as of yet, but the super tough ones get bit as
much as the cheap ones (in my experience) and last much much longer,
especially if there's any abrasive cover in the equation.

Best of luck...

Brands won't matter much, but size & color will. Also technique is more
important than both ! A 3-4 inch watermellon tube with copper, red, or
black flake is probably the #1 choice in Mich. with many anglers. Also
try a white or pearl tube with nothing but a 3ought hook in dead calm
water & let it slow spiral downward. Fish with an exposed hook in
weedless conditions & an Owner bullit head hook if your comming through
weeds or wood. good luck

Ratman, we just gotta' get together one day.

"RATMAN" wrote in message
oups.com...
Brands won't matter much, but size & color will. Also technique is more
important than both ! A 3-4 inch watermellon tube with copper, red, or
black flake is probably the #1 choice in Mich. with many anglers. Also
try a white or pearl tube with nothing but a 3ought hook in dead calm
water & let it slow spiral downward. Fish with an exposed hook in
weedless conditions & an Owner bullit head hook if your comming through
weeds or wood. good luck

Brand name doesn't mean much....... how do you lie with a straight sentence
(we can't see you face). You know Crooked Creek Salt Tubes are #1. Dark
Melon/Copper Flake, Pumkin Pepper, Pearl White Silver Flake, Smoke with Blue
Flake are my favorites, but good old BLACK works in all conditions, and
anytime.

Brand Name doesn't matter.............Just for that, I'm going to have Seth
Pull your Order and no you cannot use Shuberts either - bad boy.

--
Craig Baugher

If there's a liar around here we all know who it is !!!!!

Another way to rig them weedless.
Place a casting sinker inside the tube with the eye of the sinker going
into the tube first. Then take a wide gap hook and texas/texpose rig it
making sure the hook runs through the eye of the sinker. This works
really well because the sinker keeps the hook from pulling out of the
tube and the hook keeps the sinker from pulling out.
If this doesn't make sense, maybe I can post a link to some pictures or
explain a little better.

Back to the original question. I like the Yum vibra tubes and Zoom,
although I picked up some Rattlesnake tubes for $0.62 that look pretty
good. White, pumpkin seed, and watermelon seed have been good to me,
but like Marty said I'm sure there are a million colors that work.

Now that is the truth!

--
Craig Baugher

I'm ready Jerry, as soon as the ice thaws !!!

'round here, you can fish just about any color tube as long as it's black.
(I like the blue tails though.)


"Pat_RI" wrote in message
news:gBXuf.30860$9G.22077@dukeread10...
I want to spend more time fishing tubes could someone recommend some colors
to start out with and also some brands?