lMaking Plastics Totally weedless???

[LOWinEYEin]

I have seen alot of pictures and played with the plastics to get them totally weedless. Worms are easy but tubes?

Maybe I am not using the right hook with the Tube. Any help guys? Pics?

[BigMike]

Whatt,
I love using tubes and you can rig them entirely weedless. Here is a trick that I learned from the imfamous Ebass; use the gremlin crimp/peg weights (cone/bullet weights that you crimp on to your line like a splitshot). Tie a EWG (extra wide gap) hook on and crimp the bullet weight right in front. I use Gama EWG hooks 3/0 & 4/0.

For rigging the tube, do a basic texas rig (pull the tube head up to the hook eye and out - then push the hook through the end of the tube so that the barbed shank of the EWG lays flat on the back of the tube. Bury the tip of the hook in the tube and whoala - weedless tubes!

I'm sure Dan Wood has some pictures that could help. This is the same setup I use for senkos (only without the weight).

[Deitz Dittrich]

Here is a picture of what big mike is talking about....This pict does not use the water grem "BULL SHOT" but you still get the picture... (I too use the bull shot, they work great and are very easy to change weights if needed without cutting your line!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Should have added. I have not found an effective way of rigging a ball head jig inside a tube weedless... You can get jig heads that have a weed guard, but its just not the same... With that being said.. fishing it texas rigged like the picture shows the tube just does not have the same action that you get from a jighead rigged tube...

[Dan Wood]

If you have trouble with the tube sliding in real heavy cover or heavy action, put a drop of fishing glue or super glue on where the eyelet comes out of the tube and another where your hook shank comes back out. I use an unpegged weight when cover allows, but for lighter weights and/or heavier cover I like the bull shot as well.

[locolocal]

Tubes are one of my favorite weedless lures...here's how I rig them.

Instead of a bullet weight, try inserting a tube weight (found at most local outdoor stores) and run an Offset Worm hook through the weight and tube just as you would a normal tex rig. Be sure to bury the eye of the hook inside the tube. As someone stated previous, lay the point of the hook, flat up against the side of the tube. Be sure to match the hook size appropriately, as you can't really use a 5/0 hook with 3" tube.

Isn't the term of this hooking technique called "Texoposed"?

If you do decide to use bullet weights, I'd recommend getting the ones with the screw-in holders on them. Their a bit more expensive, but well worth it.

[Dan Wood]

TexExposed

[LOWinEYEin]

I haven't used Tube in heavy cover yet, but since the hook is exposed, I can see it grabbin weeds, even if it is just a little.

[BigMike]

Just like any other bait out there, there are going to be times that you hang up or something snags a weed. Even with worms, I've had plenty of times where I jerk it through weeds and the wook becomse exposed a little and I pull up weeds.

One thing about tubes & structure - I really like them around brush, timber, & rocky bottoms/shoreline. Tubes are not a very good search bait (unlike a crank, spinnerbait, etc...) but if you are fishing tight structure mentioned above, a tube is a good go to bait and very easy to work through brush, over timber, and bounce on and through rocks. As for fishing tubes in weeds, I would consider tubes in weeds as a follow up bait to a missed strike or once you've isolated a good piece of structure holding fish to probe it more thoroughly with a tube.

And as mentioned above, a jigged tube is a great weapon in the arsenal and I would whip that out when working deeper weedlines or rocky bottoms (jigged tubes are great on Mille Lacs - at least from what I've heard )

[LOWinEYEin]

Any pics.....Dan, come on I know you got some

[BigMike]

Dan, great picture. Exactly what I was trying to explain... a picture says a thousand words!

I also forgot to mention (as someone already beat me to it) the internal tube weights & rattles. I bought a couple packs from BassPro Shops this winter and I haven't really been too impressed. They are really cool in concept, but take a bit of work to rig and tie. If I was fishing a tourney I may have a couple rigged and ready to tie on, but even then the eye of the hook sometimes gets pulled back into the tube and difficult to tie on when it's already rigged.

[LOWinEYEin]

The pic won't come up.

I can get pics from The Brag board, but not this one?

[BigMike]

it works for me. Try refreshing your web browser and see if it works.

[Mark Christianson]

Last spring I was big into the Berkeley Bubble Up Power Tube.
http://www.berkley-fishing.com/products/PreDetail.cfm?PassPrevious=1111&PassCategoryStructureId=1452&PassLevel=3

I worked that thing in the slop and weeds with no problems. Just bury the point of the hook back into the body a little and you are good to go.
I love these tubes. I went through a ton of them last year, and even made a late season big purchase at Gander to stock up on them in case they decided to stop making them for some reason.

[Dan Wood]

Here is a close-up of what was already posted. Texexposed - add a worm weight (pegged if heavy cover) or bull shot. You can also rig with an internal weight, as in the illustration, but I prefer the weight up above on the line.

[Mark Christianson]

That is it! Great pic.

Go get some tubes and get ready!

[LOWinEYEin]

Still not coming up, guess I'll have to bring it up at home.

Is it the Green tube?
I think I've seen it before.