Tubes are Tops. Big summer bass snatch tubes up when they’re worked around structure like timber and docks. Simonson Photo.
By Nick Simonson
The bass tube is a versatile and effective lure for catching bass of both species, from largemouth locked up under the shade of lily pads, to smallmouth surveying a rocky hump for crayfish. The variety of prey it can be used to mimic runs the gamut from insects such as hellgrammites, crustaceans like crayfish, and even baitfish like minnows and small panfish. With a variety of ways to rig them, plastic tubes are the jack-of-all-trades when it comes to presenting a bait how bass want it to be, and ultimately, become one of the go-to options in summer when seeking these fish out.
Perhaps the biggest draw of tubes is that they can look like just about any edible item under the water. Smaller finesse models of two-and-a-half to three inches look like more modest prey items. Rigged on a 1/0 wide-gap worm hook, these compact offerings can be fished with finesse, and alternatively, when hooked through the nose on a drop shot rig, can really be placed where they need to be with the subtle shimmy of the bait’s tentacles sealing the deal on those post-frontal days, or in super clear water. While these smaller tubes don’t often make up the bulk of a bass angler’s bait bag, they’re a nice-to-have option when fishing is tougher, or bass are preying on something smaller.
When tubes are scaled up into the four- and five-inch range, anglers are giving bass something a bit bigger to bite on. These patterns link up with those lakes where larger prey items, such as bigger crayfish and good-sized baitfish like creek chubs and other chunkier minnow species give bass a bigger bite to eat. Texas rigged, pulled along on a Carolina rig, or even swam through the water on an insert jig head, these larger tubes help match the hatch when bass are looking to bulk up during the prime warmwater feeding season.
Learning all these rigs isn’t hard these days, as a variety of online tutorials help those new to bass fishing, and perhaps even utilizing tubes in that process. The insert jig head is self-explanatory, simply slide the elongated lead head into the tube and pop the eye out near the top and tie off. Some insert jigs even boast rattles to give the bait a bit extra while bopping around on the bottom, making a bit of attractive noise. Texas rigging and Carolina rigging involve a bit more movement of the bait around the hook, but once the pattern is learned, it’s easy to rig and re-rig after a bunch of fish are caught and a new plastic is required. For both, the tube can be rigged weedless, with a tuck of the hook point back into the plastic once set in place. The Texas rig is a direct tie to the line with a bullet weight in front, while the Carolina rig utilizes a leader and a weight-and-bead combination to get the offering down, and making a bit of clicking as it bounces along.
From there, it comes down to putting tubes where bass are. Skipping tubes under docks where largemouth hole up in summer is a fun and exciting experience. Probing timber with well-placed casts, or working tubes around rocky outcroppings along breaklines are key points to target with these baits when seeking smallmouth. Basically anywhere there’s structure is a starting point to employ tubes in bass angling efforts, swimming them along established summer weedlines, or jigging them or trolling them on that Carolina rig along the bass of those developed green walls at the edge of the shallows are all effective ways to explore vegetation holding bass of both species in summer.
This season, tap into tubes through a variety of models and sizes, along with a number of ways to use them to find more bass. By identifying prey items, prime locations, and the best way to toss a tube at them, you’ll likely catch more smallmouth and largemouth bass, all thanks to one of angling’s best baits.
Simonson is the lead writer and editor of Dakota Edge Outdoors.