The Tube Rig Nobody Is Using (But Should)

Hey, Bassresource fans, Mike Iaconelli to talk to you about fishing a tube in the summer, but I'm going to give you a little sneaky rigging method before we get into it.

Let's just talk about a tube guys. A tube is it's it's like a forgotten about lure, right? Today's age of minnows and these weird looking balls and dice. You know, people get on these new trends and they forget about some of the old staples and a tube for me. Is an old staple, but in the summer I want to talk to you about a rigging method. That is definitely catching me a lot more fish than some of the standard baits you would rig on a drop shot.

All right, before we get into it. I want to say that in the summer I typically especially if I'm in current or rivers or if I'm around small mouth. I like to downsize my tube, so going from that 4 or 4 1/2 inch tube that I used. In the spring, now I'm downsizing it in the summer and I'm using those 2 1/2 to 3 and 1/4 inch tubes.

This is the three inch Berkeley power tube. It's smaller, it's more compact, but it's still a tube guys, right? You know, look at it, it's got a little bit of a solid nose, about an eighth of an inch of that nose, a solid. We have that hollow core in the middle. And then of course we've got these tentacles and you know, you think about traditional. Think about internal jig head Texas style. But in the summer, I love this thing on a drop shot guys, and I'm literally just. Nose hooking it.

OK, so you know, here's a drop shot style, split shot style hook anywhere from a #1 all the way up to a 2/0, but this is the 1/0. It's my favorite size drop shot style hook. This is just a Berkeley Fusion hook. And then I'm going to get that smaller tube and I'm going to nose hook it. In that solid nose, remember those tubes have a little 8th of an inch. Of solid plastic and I'm just going to nose hook it on there.

We're going to use drop shot style weight. I really like these teardrop style weights. And depending on the depth, I'm going to use from 1/8 ounce all the way up to a 3/8 weight. But a three sixteenths and 1/4 ounce drop shot weight is really what I like, you know, next thing is remember this is a style where the hook is in line above the weight.

And on that length of downshot of that down leader, for me, it really depends on a couple scenarios and I'm going to give them to you. So dirtier water, heavier cover. If you're in dirtier water and have heavier cover, guys, I prefer a really short leader, anywhere from 6 to 8 inches that weights going to be below that nose hook tube, but the opposite is true. Cleaner water, less cover, right? Moderate to no cover. Sparse cover, cleaner water, sparser cover. I'm going to increase. The length of that lead now I'm going to go to 11:50 to 14 inches. Below the bait, right?

So dirtier water, heavy cover, shorter leader, Cleaner water, less cover, longer leader. And again, 3 sixteenths quarter oz great all around size.

But what this tube does and you you you can almost see it with me just holding the bait in my hand is those tentacles will come alive and that thing will just breathe without you ever moving your rod tip. So you know, if you think about what most guys are drop shooting in the summer. They're drop shooting 4 inch worms. Flatworm style baits, you know, skinny, slender profile worms, and this is totally different.

Look look at the shape of that bait, right shorter, more compact, a little bit fatter body. But guys, it flows and it breathes. Unlike a straight tail worm. This is a great mimic if you're fishing in a place that has gobies. Sculpin. Crawfish, smaller crawfish, smaller bluegill, mud minnows, you know, look at that great imitation of that style bait fish. But the real magic is that skirt.

So when I let it hit the bottom on a traditional drop shot, guys, you're doing a lot of shaking to make that bait move. When I'm fishing a drop shot tube in the summer, especially that 3 inch size, I throw it out there. I maintain the bottom contact and guys, I just hold it in place. And your body movement, the boat movement, the current, whether it's a river or wind generated current, will just make those tentacles breathe and it's in place, right? Drop shot weights on the bottom, baits up top, and those tentacles are just breathing.

It's a great alternative to some other traditional drop shop methods. And for sure it's a little bit of a sleeper way to rig a tube. Especially in the summer.

Guys, give this a try. Rig up a drop shot tube in the summer. And I promise you, even though it's an old school technique, I promise you, you're going to catch a lot of bass.