Tubejigs For The Tough Ones

A couple of weeks ago, when I was fishing with my two youngest boys at Lake Pleasant, we ran into several bass on their beds. Most of them were smaller males, but it didn’t really matter. I wanted to teach them a little about sight-fishing. The excitement of being able to watch a bass react to your bait is hard to beat. We slipped on our polarized glasses and made our way into an area I had previously spotted numerous beds. We caught several bass by simply throwing a dropshot rig with a four- inch worm past the bed and dragging it back over the nest. Some took it right away, while others took a little work. A quick change of color would sometimes make a difference, while other times, simply letting the bait settle to the bottom would get the protective bass riled up. The boys were having a great time as we were catching every bass we set out to. It is important to note that we were releasing these fish to insure that their nests were not being left unattended. We then ran into one that seemed to making fun of us. Everytime we would throw our bait he would go and check it out, then he would almost come to the surface beside my boat with his head tilted, look at us, then circle around the nest again. I was getting frustrated and had thrown every colored worm in the box. I continued by chucking lizards, with the same result. It was then that I pulled out a box of tubejigs that had been gathering dust in the bottom of my boat for a long time. When I flipped a tube at the nest, this fish came alive. He did not like it one bit. I finally won the battle. I was quickly reminded that tubejigs are one of, if not the best, sight-fishing tools, especially in our clear-water lakes. You can bet I won’t let that box get dusty again.

Tubejigs are hollow bodied plastic lures that have 30-40 little strands that resemble tentacles on the back end. When the bait is floating or falling it resembles a minnow and once on the bottom, it mimics a crawfish. Accomplished western angler, Bobby Garland, first designed the tubejig in 1964. He called them Gitzits. Bobby was well-known on the circuit for his light-line, finesse fishing that he mastered on the clear lakes out west. But this bait would soon become widely used by the top pros all the way to the east coast. And everyone from Luck "E" Strike to Berkly now has a version of their own on the market.

Tubejigs are normally fished on medium to medium heavy rods with fairly fast tips and 6-14 lb. test line. I use a spinning reel that holds plenty of line since you can’t always get right on top of bass in clear water as you do when they are on their beds. Anglers who use the tube in dense cover may choose to use a flipping stick with, up to, 20 lb. line. They can be rigged in several manners: weedless with a bullet sinker and a texas rigged hook, on a jig head with the eye of the jig sticking out the side of the tube and an open hook, or with an internal weight that takes the place of a bullet sinker. When we were bed fishing, I fished it weightless to let it slowly fall right before his eyes. I have also heard of people who slip them on their jigging spoons. This I plan to try sometime. I have also read about people who insert everything from Alka-Seltzer to rattles in the hollow bodies. Each rig has its time and place where it works best. Though the tube is known as a deadly sight-fishing bait, it should not be limited to just that. You can catch fish anytime, anywhere with this bait. It is also great where the fish have been subject to a lot of fishing pressure. I like the jig head rig when throwing at canyon walls. This bait is often hit as it falls. The tentacles flare out and wiggle making it very attractive to the hungry bass. I don’t worry too much about the color of the tube, I usually spend more time varying the speed of the descent by changing sizes of my jig heads. Sometimes that will make the difference. I also like this bait rigged texas style around cover. Cast past your target, generally on the shady side, and drag your tube back to the target, drop your rod tip and let it fall. Whether I am fishing walls or cover, I don’t get in a hurry to reel the tube back in. Bass don’t always take the tube on the fall. Once the bait is on the bottom the tentacles float and wiggle about, which will often get the fish fired up. Just let it sit a while, occasionally give it a little twitch or move it slightly. Remember, once on the ground, this bait strongly resembles a crawfish. And we all know how bass love crawfish.

The tube is an extremely versatile bait that has proven itself over the years. I would be willing to bet that just about every serious pro has a box close by when he hits the water. If you have never fished the tubejig before, give it a try, you just may be surprised. Good Fishin’, KIP POLLAY (AZOD)