It seems that tubes are one of those staple big fish baits that I need to better acquaint myself with. My buddy says it’s very difficult to work them properly from a kayak, and that Ned would be a better option. Is this accurate?

What is his explanation for that claim?

 

Regardless of the technique it's all about current, cover, and lure weight. True Ned's at 1/16 oz and 3 inch plastic in a swift current river vs a 1/4 oz 4 inch tube in the same location... depends on how you like to fish.

It’s not accurate. It’s arbitrary and really kind of a silly blanket statement. Try both the next time you have your kayak out on the river and see which you prefer. But they’re definitely not the same technique 

I'd think.working jerkbaits and topwaters would be challenging while seated in a kayak cockpit, but not tubes.

Maybe your buddy means it's hard to fish them while the kayak is drifting along and changing angles in the current?  That situation can be difficult and irritating for me, too.  And in some spots under some conditions I don't feel like I'm fishing good unless the boat is stopped. 

3 hours ago, Jeff Zurawski said:

Maybe your buddy means it's hard to fish them while the kayak is drifting along and changing angles in the current?  That situation can be difficult and irritating for me, too.  And in some spots under some conditions I don't feel like I'm fishing good unless the boat is stopped. 

True but a ned rig wouldn’t be any easier. I personally don’t fish a ned rig anymore but I do fish tubes and fish them more aggressively so for how I fish it the tube would be easier actually.

I would want to know why your friend believes this, because it's not something I've experienced.  Though, I'm not a huge fan of tubes, so I don't throw them that often.  

16 minutes ago, Pogues2300 said:

True but a ned rig wouldn’t be any easier. I personally don’t fish a ned rig anymore but I do fish tubes and fish them more aggressively so for how I fish it the tube would be easier actually.

Why’d you stop throwing Ned?

If you are floating downstream between “prime” spots, you can bounce a tube along the bottom while drifting along. When you get to a good looking spot, anchor or pull the kayak on shore where you can work the tube from a stationary position. No more difficult than using any other bait

11 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Why’d you stop throwing Ned?

For one thing I fish with zero electronics, but more importantly I’ll die of boredom fishing that way. That’s no knock on its effectiveness. 

On 6/28/2023 at 10:07 PM, KP Duty said:

I'd think.working jerkbaits and topwaters would be challenging while seated in a kayak cockpit, but not tubes.

Word. I fish jerkbaits a lot out if a yak and you are constantly spinnning!

29 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Why’d you stop throwing Ned?

He got tired of only catching 1lb bass and Crappie? 

I love fishing with tubes in rivers. The best is hitting the riffle and eddy’s with them and bouncing the tube off the rocks. You’re not going to do very well with them if there’s a strong current, but I catch plenty floating down river with them. Also look into putting an anchor trolley on the kayak. I have the trolley and an anchor wizard.

2 hours ago, Pogues2300 said:

True but a ned rig wouldn’t be any easier. I personally don’t fish a ned rig anymore but I do fish tubes and fish them more aggressively so for how I fish it the tube would be easier actually.

You're right, a ned wouldn't be any easier, at least how I usually fish them, which is pretty much the same as how I work a tube -- always making some amount of bottom contact.  But I know hardcore ned heads that do something different with them that I don't fool with.  They set up their rig so it suspends and doesn't sink to bottom.  Kinda sorta like flinging a fluke out there not doing anything with it, but letting the current move the bait and watching your floating, slack line for signs of a bite.  If that's what Ohiodude's buddy is talking about, then I can see what he means because presenting a ned that way in a drifting yak that's spinning in current and wind seems like it'd be manageable.

Fishing from a kayak doesn't offer any different problems than other types of boapts in a river.  It is all about boat positioning and how you do that depends on the craft.  

I fish from a kayak and can fish pretty much any presentation I want, I just have to decide how i want to hold position.

Tube is wonderful from kayak. Less is more, no need to work them at all 

20 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Tube is wonderful from kayak. Less is more, no need to work them at all 

Just drag/hop?

22 hours ago, Jeff Zurawski said:

You're right, a ned wouldn't be any easier, at least how I usually fish them, which is pretty much the same as how I work a tube -- always making some amount of bottom contact.  But I know hardcore ned heads that do something different with them that I don't fool with.  They set up their rig so it suspends and doesn't sink to bottom.  Kinda sorta like flinging a fluke out there not doing anything with it, but letting the current move the bait and watching your floating, slack line for signs of a bite.  If that's what Ohiodude's buddy is talking about, then I can see what he means because presenting a ned that way in a drifting yak that's spinning in current and wind seems like it'd be manageable.

Yeah I like my Ned on the bottom where the fish are. Never understood the obsession with the “slow fall” everyone seems so fixated on, but who knows maybe they’re right and I’m missing all sorts of bites with my 3/16 block heads.

There are alot of ways to work a tube. Dont think a kayak would effect them, but I havent seen or tried everything yet.

3 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Just drag/hop?

Yeah I like my Ned on the bottom where the fish are. Never understood the obsession with the “slow fall” everyone seems so fixated on, but who knows maybe they’re right and I’m missing all sorts of bites with my 3/16 block heads.

More dragging less hopping. Dead stick, the river will do the rest 

i like to throw my tube up stream and let the river push it down stream while i take up slack. i want my weight just enough so that it the tube bounces along bottom and occasionally sticks. when it does i lift it and let it drift and bump some more. no problem from a kayak.

2 hours ago, padon said:

i like to throw my tube up stream and let the river push it down stream while i take up slack. i want my weight just enough so that it the tube bounces along bottom and occasionally sticks. when it does i lift it and let it drift and bump some more. no problem from a kayak.

What setup/weight do you use?

22 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

More dragging less hopping. Dead stick, the river will do the rest 

What setup do you recommend?

8 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

What setup/weight do you use?

What setup do you recommend?

Spinning rod, 6 lb line. 1/8 oz ball head jig inside the tube 

15 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

What setup/weight do you use?

What setup do you recommend?

usually a medium spinning rod. 15 pound braid 10 pound fluoro. locally made internal tube head with a wire weedgaurd. weight depends on current and river level could be a 1/16 up to a 1/4. i would say 1/8 is most common.

13 hours ago, padon said:

usually a medium spinning rod. 15 pound braid 10 pound fluoro. locally made internal tube head with a wire weedgaurd. weight depends on current and river level could be a 1/16 up to a 1/4. i would say 1/8 is most common.

What about stupid tube/texas rig?

i use a stupid tube sometimes. i dont texas rig for smallmouth . i want the spiraling glide fall that a internal weight gives the tube.

1 hour ago, padon said:

i use a stupid tube sometimes. i dont texas rig for smallmouth . i want the spiraling glide fall that a internal weight gives the tube.

I didn’t mean actual texas rig just that the hook was buried in the plastic.