Big Tubes For Big Bass

[BassQualifier]

Hey anglers... I am interested in fishing monster tube baits for big fish in my neck of the woods. I have found some monster tube baits that are over 8 inches but don't really know how to rig them up for proper use. Since I will be chasing big bass with these big lures, is there a specific rig that might work best? Texas-rigged? Weightless? Hidden-weights? etc.

I read about them in the magazines and I think they would work great, but no one has really mentioned how they like to rig them with what terminal tackle. Would be interested in any suggestions you may have. Thanks.

[crankybait]

Texas. Fish them on beds. Atleast that is what Ish said...

[Big Mac]

Ish was fishing them on Lake Amistad in texas, he was using white so that he could see the bait and the fish. Basically he said that he was using a mega tube and a mega hook and real tough line (don't remember if it wa braid). He had the tube rigged texas style and the hook was skin hooked so that it was weedless. He was flippin or pitchin it to the bedding bass and targeting one or two big females that he had seen earlier that day. It worked for him. I have used the big tubes (5inch) on flipping rods and braid for bass in the coontails around the lake I finh with good results also. I would assume that pitching them into tree branches on blowdowns or weed lines would work the same.

........mac

[weaverml34]

I just rechecked my issue of Bassmaster that covered Monroe's win at Amistad. It says he was using a 5" green pumpkin/watermelon Boom Boom tube from Reaction Innovations. He used 30lb. Maxima flouro line. Doesn't mention hook size. Big Mac I know where you got your info from and your right. On ESPN's coverage of the tournament he was fishing a white tube for the reasons that you said. I could have swore that it was bigger than 5". I thought it was somewhere in the 8" range and it was made by someone other than Reaction Innovations. I checked his web site a couple of weeks ago to see if he had any information about that white tube that he used or if they were a sponsor of his. I couldn't find anything on it. Maybe someone else can remember more of the details than I can.

[crankybait]

On ESPN it was like a 7 incher made by canyon lures.

[Rebbasser]

Texas rig with a BIG EWG hook-5/0 or 6/0 at the bare minimum.

[jooleyen]

I remember him using a white 7" Tora Tube made by Canyon Plastics. He said it was rigged with a 12/0 EWG Gamakatsu hook.

[weaverml34]

Joolyen & Crankybait nailed it on the head. I knew somebody on here would remember.

[JB]

Around these lakes in the north a 3 or 3 1/2 is hard to beat, everyone I know has tried the 4 inch or bigger tubes like a Bleeding Tube, with little or no results, then switch back to the 3 1/2 half, same spot and nail the bass. just drag it along the bottom...
(your experience may differ in your neck of the woods) but theres tons of crawfish in oHIo waters.
Hard to beat a black powercraw in the dark, tube during the day.

[Mac1]

Rebbasser Nailed It....for oversize tubes. You may also wish to texpose the wide gap hook. I'd even open the hook a little (5 degrees or so) and while doing that, also bend the hook sideways as well a little. Opening and Kirbing the hook will in all probability give you better and more hooksets. I also go as far as mashing the barb on the hook, but just halfway down for better penetration.

For weight, I'd simply clamp on a splitshot under the tube on the bent belly of the hook. This catches on the bottom when slowly moved, making a ticking sound on rocks and a little sound on other bottoms.....when it catches on bottom and releases, it nods the nose and flails the tail tentacles too.

I'd tear out every third tail tentacle for better action.

[DadofJolly]

We use 4 in. tubes a bunch - especially in the prespawn. The oversized ones (like the Torra tubes) are used exclusively for the beds here. My favorite way to rig the huge ones is to poke a hole in the top with the hook, feed the line through it and out the bottom, then slide a 1/2 - 3/4 oz EGG shaped weight on the line then tie on a #8 Mustad Ultra Point hook. That way the weight is inside the tube . The larger faced EGG shaped weight will not push up through the hole in the head of the tube and it will last a whole lot longer. They are pricey. You need a large weight #1 so it won't push through like I said and #2 because the huge tubes are very bouyant. Very good bait for the bedders. We like brown pumpkin because they look like the large carp that the bass are always chasing off the beds.
God Bless.

[3dkicker]

For the most part I use the following

3" tubes - 2/0 EWG
4" tubes - 3/0 EWG
5" tubes - 4/0 EWG
6" tubes - 5/0 EWG

Depending on the # of times the baits are dipped will thicken the diameter of the bait (if they are dipped and not injected). A 4" or 5" tube might dipped multiple times to have multiple colors or designed to match the shape of a Gobie and need a wider gap hook. Ball jigs work well with 3 to 3.5" tubes. You can tear a little at the end of the 4" to rig it with a jig or poke the eye out part way down to head but this causes more of a spiral on the drop. Texas rig works fine with the larger baits. I havent spent much time using internal weights.

[Vabass22]

I very rarely throw tubes, but when I do, I usually use these
http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...=SearchResults

[cullin8s]

Bad news is the 12/0 hook that Ish used was a prototype, on his board he mentioned that he only had about a dozen of them for the tournament. The bigger the better on the hook for that much plastic. I recently bought some of the tora tubes and I am still searching around to find the largest hook that is out there by a quality maker (gammy, owner etc)
Does anyone know a good source for anything over 7/0 ?

[BassQualifier]

Boy, thanks a bunch for the great responses. I really appreciate it. I can't wait to get out there this spring and hit this one lake in particular that has some monsters in it with big tubes. I think it will be the ticket because it can resemble not only a big baitfish, but also a school of baitfish as well when jerked back to the boat.

I'd be interested in hearing any findings on the big 7/0+ hooks for these things.

[3dkicker]

YUM sells a 9/0 EWG with their Dingers. You might want to give them a call and see if they can get you some. Xcaliber hooks I believe.