Great Tip For Tube Baits

[Fish24/7]

http://blogs.basspro.com/blog/bass-pro-shops-cincinnati-oh/an-inside-look-at-tube-baits

winter is a great time to fish a tube bait for bass , but I know guys who won't throw a tube for fear of losing them to snags,

this rig eliminates that problem

we called it the stupid rig 20 yrs ago ,lol

[Al Agnew]

I HATE having to use a rig where you have to rig the tube before tying it to your line. If you're using fairly soft tubes, you'll do a lot of re-rigging and re-tying as the tubes get torn up with a couple of fish caught. For a good, weedless tube rig, get some EWG worm hooks that are just barely shorter shanked from the eye to the outside of the bend than the body of the tubes you're using. Get some round split shot that are just big enough when clamped shut that they will fit very snugly into the hollow of your tubes. Jam a split shot up the tube as far as it will go, then hook the tube as you do with a texas rig, bringing the point up through both walls of the tube near the tails, and then skin-hooking it back into the tube. Simple, quick, and you don't have to re-tie anything when your tube gets torn. You can also move the split shot back toward the middle or even close to the rear of the tube body if you want a different type of fall. However, if your split shot is big enough that it really causes the tube to bulge, it may fill in too much of the hook gap and hinder getting a hook set when it's back near the rear of the tube. You want it to fit snugly but without stretching the tube body.

[Buzz]

I usually use weedless jigs for tube baits. You know, the Arkie jigs from Wally World with the wire weed guards. Bend the weed guard forward to the hook eye and run it up through the tube. When it gets to about 1/2 inch from the head of the tube, poke it through and pull on it until the eye is bulging, push on the tube until the eye pops out, fold the guard back and line it up with the hook then tie it on. It takes a few times to get used to doing it, but it works. One of the things I like about the Arkie jigs is that they are light wire hooks so if you do hang up you can usually bend the hook out enough to get it to come free, that is if you use stout enough line. I then bend the hook back into place and go back to fishing.

[moguy1973]

I've never been able to rig by tubes like they do in that link. They always end up getting torn to shreds and don't last much more than a couple fish. My buddy has a lot of success doing it that way though. Seems you really need the right combination of the right sized hook and right sized tube to make it work right.

[Gavin]

Looks like a stupid tube rig. I just use a weed guard jig head..Punch a hole in the tube...bend the weed guard forward and thread it through the hole. Usually have 3-4 extra rigged and ready if that is what they want. Usually catch better fish on top, or with a swim jig, spinner, or jerk bait though.

[Mitch f]

You can also rig a standard catfish bell weight sinker inside. The bell weights already have a line tie attached, push them inside like Al's split shot method and bring them forward until you can see the line tie of the sinker thru the plastic, just don't poke it thru the plastic. Then run your hook thru the line tie of the sinker and T-rig and skin hook as usual. This keeps the sinker in place, especially if it's smaller than the inside diameter of the tube.