Rigging Tubes

[Slyster]

I have always used those hooks with a built in thin weight on the top.. narrow enough to slip to tube over.. but I saw a show where they put a regular old jig head inside the tube, THEN tied it on the line.

But they certainly don't make many weighted hooks.. I have trouble finding them.. and regular jig heads have such small hooks... can't rig tubes weeedless than.

Then there's those great wide gap hooks I use for senkos.. but they have no weights to the tube floats! I tried a shot weight on the line but it snagged weeds so bad.

What do you do?

[senkoskipper]

Quote:

---

I have always used those hooks with a built in thin weight on the top.. narrow enough to slip to tube over.. but I saw a show where they put a regular old jig head inside the tube, THEN tied it on the line.

But they certainly don't make many weighted hooks.. I have trouble finding them.. and regular jig heads have such small hooks... can't rig tubes weeedless than.

Then there's those great wide gap hooks I use for senkos.. but they have no weights to the tube floats! I tried a shot weight on the line but it snagged weeds so bad.

What do you do?

---

1. You are a post whore

2. You can buy those EWG hooks that are weighted so you can still be weedless and have weight so your tube doesnt float. Or you can just use a regular wide gap hook and juse one of those cone weights. I know fleet farm down in lakeville sells the gamagatsu ewg weighted hooks but they are spendy.

[Slyster]

I'm bored. Don't get me wrong, I'm getting by ok with tubes.. just curious on what others do. Does anyone use regular jig heads? Yeah.. FF seems to have weighted hooks, but (Maplewood) Gander and Joe's doesn't have anything like them! Is hiding the weight even important? Or can there be a bullet weight or something showing and resting on top of the tube?

[OnTheWater]

sly-

For a weedless tube, use the ewg hooks that you are using for your senkos. For the weight, buy some Lindy tube weight; they are hidden completely. I use the the smallest weight they make, 1/16 oz I believe, and I love it. Otherwise, you could try pegging a small bullet weight; or use a small bull-shot right next to your knot.

[delmuts]

for more opem water, and the hollow body tubes; yes i slide a reg. jig inside them.( usually a 1/8 oz. and a wide gap gamagutu[ gees i can't spell this morning!] hook. if i need a lighter head, then i will trim off some of the lead.in the thicker stuff , then i use a solid body tube and rig it as a texas rig. i'm in the process of trying some of the jigs designed for tubes.( slimmer head,angled eye, and the one has a rattle) but still playing with them.

[Deitz Dittrich]

There are a ton of manufac. that make a jig head that is designed to go inside a tube(large hook) and your not supposed to rig it weedless in that situation. Its just like a jig/worm, its supposed to get a big hung up so that you can rip it out..... I rig them with a jig head quite a bit. Your second option is the insert weights. Again, quite a few companies make them, or you cen even make them yourself. The lindy tube weights are nice.. they even come with a rattle. If you want to make them yourself just buy some very small eyelet screws and screw them into a splitshot or mojo weight.(i'll add pictures after I wake up enough to get the camera)

Your third option is to texas rig it with a bullet weight in front.

[dan2957]

Venom make a great tube hook with a various weights. I buy tham at Cabelas. I believe they are on the end of the isle with the most of the Yum products. I dont like to fish tubes weedless because you need them to hang in to weeds a little. When you rip them from the weeds expect a strike. I prefer to use the lightest wieght possible when I fish tubes. 1/8 oz is my favorite. The light weight allows the tube to spiral to the bottom. It also allows the tube to act erratically when you twitch the tube. Bass tell me the tube is yummy

[ikeslayer]

this is one of those can of worms questions.

tubes and tails company makes a weedless tube hook that is pretty good. Pegging a sinker works. lindy is bomb. a jobee hook works well too. It is kind of your preference and conditions. You also can use a Jig like a jig and pig jig. just strip it of trailer and skirt and insert it weed gaurd first. If i remember correctly deitz has some fancy pictures of this that i have seen on here in the past. Maybe he would be so gracious and post them again. Also you can use those pinch on split shots and put it on the ewg hook but i would do that only as a last resort as it can be kind of sucky. ike

[Deitz Dittrich]

Not me ike.. I have never used a jig/pig jig with a tube... I have used a tube as a jig triler.. hmmmmm....

[Ole the Guide]

I just bought a pack of the Owner tube hooks with a built in weight for the tube. Very sharp 4/0 hook and a 1/8th weight. It's the best I've seen so far.

I used to use the Shaw Grigsby hook with their little in line weight but they're a hassle when you have to put on a new tube out in the boat. I'd hook up 2 rods with that setup as I'd always have to deal with putting on a new tube and it took too much time when you're league fishing.

Good Luck!

Ole

[DeathRoe]

The problem i have encountered with exposed weight on a tube is you can't skip them. If you must rig them weedless, Eagle Claw makes offset xtra wide gap hooks along with clip on weights that slide in the tube and are secured by the hook. I think lindy makes them as well. Gotta be able to skip.

[umsmallyz763]

I have found using a 1/8 or 1/16 walking sinker can be really good in a pinch for the insert weight. Just slide the weight inside the tube and use a 4/0 or 5/0 ewg hook, depending on the length of the tube body. Try to use the all molded sinker as the ones molded around an eyelet tend to be longer and can interfere w/ hook ups.