Has anyone ever fished a tube like a jerkbait, snapping and jerking it back? I was fishing the edge of some lilypads the other day hopping the internally rigged tube on a 3/8oz head along bottom as I usually do. Started to feel a snag so raised my rod tip and started snapping it up hard to get it over. All of a sudden: SMACK! Got a 4lb largemouth.

 

Thought that seemed pretty interesting so I replicated that same type of retrieve in some rip rap, pretty much constantly snapping the tube pretty hard and erratically with occasional short pauses of a few seconds. Ended up getting another 7 largemouth in the 3lb range, a dink smallie, and a few crappie. 

 

I'm sure I'm not the first to discover this. What are your thoughts?

 

 

'Lure action' is frequently more influential than 'lure shape'

What that shape & action might represent, is privy to the bass.

 

Roger

It's replicating a darting crawdad and that darting action triggers the bass to attack......just like a Jerkbait. 

 

Tubes, once a fad are under rated today with so many imitations to choose from. 

1 minute ago, RoLo said:

 

 

'Lure action' is frequently more influential than 'lure shape'

 

Roger

A very important lesson learned for sure.

A weightless flipping tube makes a great toad substitute. Pull it over grass and let it drop into holes. It's heavy enough to pull itself down a little bit and cast even on heavy gear needed to pull fish out of cover. Then when it hits open water, twitch it like a fluke and it darts around quite a bit too.

Felt like I was the only person that fished tubes like this. Amazing way to fish for smallmouth, especially in current. I think it works better with a lighter weight in the tube, gives it more of a gliding action. If you want a great little tube to use for this technique try the TRD tube on a 1/16 or 1/8th head. Has an incredible action, very small bait but I’ve got some really big smallmouth on it. Everyone overlooks small 2.5-3” tubes but I get my biggest smallmouth of the year every year on the 2.5” power tube.

25 minutes ago, Ogandrews said:

Felt like I was the only person that fished tubes like this. Amazing way to fish for smallmouth, especially in current

I've caught a pile of smallmouth out of my local river this way.

Fat Ike is like a solid tube and yes I fish in that manner.

 

from: https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/215968-fat-ika/?do=findComment&comment=2435731

 

"A person can also walk the dog at surface and subsurface with them that is good for hits throughout the year.

Great for tossing on weed mats as well."

6 hours ago, Uncle_MC said:

Has anyone ever fished a tube like a jerkbait, snapping and jerking it back? I was fishing the edge of some lilypads the other day hopping the internally rigged tube on a 3/8oz head along bottom as I usually do. Started to feel a snag so raised my rod tip and started snapping it up hard to get it over. All of a sudden: SMACK! Got a 4lb largemouth.

 

Thought that seemed pretty interesting so I replicated that same type of retrieve in some rip rap, pretty much constantly snapping the tube pretty hard and erratically with occasional short pauses of a few seconds. Ended up getting another 7 largemouth in the 3lb range, a dink smallie, and a few crappie. 

 

I'm sure I'm not the first to discover this. What are your thoughts?

It's an approach I am very familiar with . . .

Wrote this one a coupe of years ago . . .

 

"My standard 'way' to fish tubes is the same regardless of depth - I fish them like a jerkbait.

Meaning there's a couple of twitches & a pause.  How many twitches & how long a pause can be dictated by the water temp and the mood of the fish.  As mentioned previously, I believe smallies like to chase - so I like to offer them that opportunity - if they're willing.  I might keep a tube moving along with a series of twitches where the bait travels 2-3 inches, pauses for a split second and then moves another 2-3 inches - I may continue this for 4-5 feet and then pause . . . . . . for like 10 seconds . . . . . . and then do it again. One may need to 'practice' this in shallow water where you can watch your bait.  There's a tendency to 'move' it too far on each twitch, which seems to nullify its effectiveness.  So it's a good Idea to check first - it requires a small movement, especially with braid.  Using Fluorocarbon can make it a little easier to get the small movements, but I lose so much hook setting power on the long casts I like to make, that I don't use it; Zona swears by the Flouro for this - I can't do it.  So I stick mostly to the braid.

 So that's just an example of ONE way - there's no limit to the number of different ways to fish it - just like the jerkbait."

 

Came from Chapter X right here 

A-Jay

 

 

Good stuff A-jay, thanks for sharing