How do you do it?  I see these tube jig heads with the fiber brush guards but I don't see how you can put that inside the tube. 

My dilemma is that I have really good success with tube jigs but the lakes I fish in are really rocky and I end up getting them wedged in the rocks eventually.  Last trip I lost 3 jigs on 3 casts and I decided there had to be a better way.  Please enlighten me with ideas.

Texas rigged with an Extra Wide Gap(EWG) hook.

How do you get the hook to stay in the tube?  I tried that and it kept falling out.

How do you get the hook to stay in the tube? I tried that and it kept falling out.

I don't follow. Are you rigging it like shown in the diagram?

http://www.***.com/guides/texasrig.html

Another thing you could look into is maybe upsizing your line if you're breaking off tube jigs so easily. They generally have light wire hooks that are easy to straighten out when snagged if your line is strong enough.

Also, do you use the "bowstring technique" to try to free your snagged lures? Tube jigs are really easy to free from rocks and crevices with this little trick, maybe the easiest lure. To do it, you put your rod down and hold the snagged line tight with one hand while pulling on the line with the other, drawing it back like a bowstring and releasing it, trying to throw slack in the line after the release to allow the lure to back out of the snag. It might take 5 or 10 snaps, but it works great on rocky snags for the most part.  With braided line, it's not quite as effective because there's no line stretch.

Tube jigs are one of my favorite lures, and I saved countless jigs like this. Just remember to keep your hooks sharp, because they will get dull by doing this, especially if you have to tug on them to straighten the hook.

How do you get the hook to stay in the tube? I tried that and it kept falling out.

I don't follow. Are you rigging it like shown in the diagram?

http://www.***.com/guides/texasrig.html

Yes but I'm talking about hollow tubes and there's no meat to stick the hook into and the tube slides over the hook eye.

Another thing you could look into is maybe upsizing your line if you're breaking off tube jigs so easily. They generally have light wire hooks that are easy to straighten out when snagged if your line is strong enough.

I was using 8lb diameter braid with 8lb flouro for a leader so you may be right.

Also, do you use the "bowstring technique" to try to free your snagged lures? Tube jigs are really easy to free from rocks and crevices with this little trick, maybe the easiest lure. To do it, you put your rod down and hold the snagged line tight with one hand while pulling on the line with the other, drawing it back like a bowstring and releasing it, trying to throw slack in the line after the release to allow the lure to back out of the snag. It might take 5 or 10 snaps, but it works great on rocky snags for the most part. With braided line, it's not quite as effective because there's no line stretch.

Never tried that but I will in the future for sure.

Eagle Claw Shaw Grigsby HP Hook

Try rigging your tubes texas style with an internal weight. This will aid in keeping your tube on the hook. Simple to use and weights are available from 1/16 oz. up to 1/4 oz. or more. Here's what I'm talking about:

And they also sell pre-rigged internally weighted tube weights already on the hooks, should you want to go that way instead:

I'm with Crestliner2008. Once I discovered

the internal weights, they are all I use.

8-)

Tube baits is one of those lures that I have dozens of but seldom use; I think it's time I rediscover them. Back in the mid-80s tube baits were smoking hot on Toledo Bend but cooled quickly because of rigging problems and grass.

I like the internal weight idea

Those inserts look like the answer to my dilemma.  Planning on hitting the lake this weekend, hopefully I can find some of them locally before I go. 

Hollow heads were designed for use with a jig head. For weedguard jigheads I insert the point 1/4 back from the head of the tube, thread the hook into proper position. Push the lead head inside the tube -don't worry about the hole it makes. Then push the leadhead forward and pop the eye out the nose of the tube. Will take a few to get the line-up right.

Gotta play with heads as weedless hooks are usually 30degree or less eye which can cause the tube to spiral on retrieve. 90deg head solves this, and gives best action, but isn't as weedless. I like the STF weedguard head, a 90deg, for lighter cover. http://sfttackle.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=93

I like the Owner Bullet head in 1/8 for tubes too, which ends up pretty weedless and nice stable action.

You can adapt other things to hollow tubes too:

-Internal weights as mentioned. You can make your own -a small (1/8) bell sinker to slide over the point and to the goose-neck. I found that these spiral (rotate) on retrieve so I gave up on 'em -but I probably haven't given them a fair shake. Maybe I need a heavier hook. I hate that rotating action.

-For T-rigging, stuff a chunk of plastic up into the tube head, (a little water will help it squeeze up there). Shank-weighted goose-neck hooks are available too.

I would avoid those Owner Phantom weighted hooks. They make it difficult to pin the fish on a hook set and result in a lot of missed fish.

I like these weights. Less damage to the hook point.

http://www.***.com/Gamakatsu_Wacky_Head_4pk/descpage-GWH.html

Agrree totally with Dan about the Owner Phantom tube hooks. The only thing from Owner I don't care for.

For tubes, the Owner Rig'n hook is the best I've used. For the same gap, they are a bit shorter than EWGs. When rigging smaller tubes, it can be difficult to find a hook that fits. The Rig'n hook solves the problem. I carry 2/0, 3/0 and 4/0 sizes.

You can also try just t-rigging the tubes with a pegged weight. I catch as many fish with a t-rigged tube as I do with an internally weighted tube.

I use ALOT of tubes and use a bunch of different hooks for different tubes/applications/days/water.

Weedless: Owner phantom tube hooks Pic 1

Weedless: Gamagatsu 4/0 EWG with 1/16 - 1/8 tungsten weight t-rig

Weedless: Gamagatsu 4/0 EWG with ez tube internal tube weights 1/16 - 1/8 PIC 2

Not weedless but these hooks can be inserted with the head in and then the hook through the tube so its exposed but for light weeds it works great and hook up ratio is 100%!!! Pic 3

Also the VMC dominator tube hooks look awesome and i cant wait to try them Pic 4

Texas rigged tubes and tube jigs have a drastically different action. The jigs are much more erratic and give you a nicer spiral on the fall than any T rig tube I've used. In open water and around rocks, I've had much, much better luck with the jigs, but they sure find a way to get snagged, that's for sure.

I need to check out those internal weights to see how they compare. They look easy to skip.

Texas rigged tubes and tube jigs have a drastically different action. The jigs are much more erratic and give you a nicer spiral on the fall than any T rig tube I've used. In open water and around rocks, I've had much, much better luck with the jigs, but they sure find a way to get snagged, that's for sure.

I need to check out those internal weights to see how they compare. They look easy to skip.

I use the same weedless rig that is shown in the youtube video on page 1. WalleyWorld sells the weights for $1.50 per pack.

I haven't noticed a difference in the fall, but the hookups aren't as good. :-/  I prefer an exposed hook, but sometimes it's self defeating.

This is how I usually rig my tubes:

http://tackle.redshad.com/tips/PekTube1.php

All you need is a jighead with a weedguard and a coctail straw

This is how I usually rig my tubes:

http://tackle.redshad.com/tips/PekTube1.php

All you need is a jighead with a weedguard and a coctail straw

That Lil Pek is a great head.

I use a weighted Eagle Claw offset hook and Carolina or Texas rig the tube. I also sometimes put 1/2 of an Alkaseltzer tablet in the tube to make a trail of fizzing bubbles trailing the bait.