®
Summer 2019
W
hile a good jig bite can be a Godsend in a
tournament, there are times that an angler
focusing on fishing a jig will find bites few and far between. There can be a variety of reasons for a
tough bite; be it that the conditions are unfavorable for a
bulky lure, or the amount of fishing pressure on a lake.
Most anglers resort to smaller, finesse type applications
in these conditions; which is an appropriate response.
However, what if you still wanted to try and promote larger
bites? Indianapolis, Ind. FLW Tour pro Bill McDonald often
turns to a tube in those situations.
IT STARTED WITH BRONZEBACKS
Being from Indiana, the majority of McDonald’s “tube time” came when he was flippin’ and pitchin’ a Texas-rigged tube to cover. However, as be began to venture out onto the smallmouth waters of The Great Lakes, McDonald began to find out how much appeal a tube on a jighead and light line appealed to larger fish.
“The Strike King Coffee Tube on a Tour Grade Tube Head is a standard offering on The Great Lakes, and it gets some really big bites,” he said. “I’ve caught my biggest smallmouth on tubes, and some of those have been seven to eight pounds; it’s an amazing tool.”
While he was catching smallmouth on the rig, McDonald began to wonder what other situations that the jighead stuffed tube application might benefit him.
“I thought about some of the lakes that I fish on tour and decided that there might be an application for it elsewhere,” he said. “I’ve found that some of the more open water lakes we fish – Table Rock, Smith Lake and others – that a tube is a great presentation that can appeal to bass in a variety of conditions.”
A CROSSOVER BAIT
McDonald views the tube as a middle of the road application. “At its core, a tube is considered a finesse application,” he said. “But, what it does is provide is a stealthy lure that is essentially a finesse jig that can appeal to all kinds of bass in tough conditions.”
When rigged with an internal jighead, a tube presents a streamlined presence in the water, however, instead of being strictly a finesse worm type presentation, a tube is slightly more versatile. The thicker body and tentacles allow the lure it to present as a crayfish or a bluegill; which is precisely what a jig is supposed to represent.
Therefore, a tube will appeal to the average fish without sacrificing its appeal to larger fish.
TUBE JIG GEAR
When fishing a tube in this manner, McDonald said that he opts for spinning gear because he is going to throw it on light line with an open jighead. He typically selects a 6’10” Lew’s Mark Rose Ledge Series rod matched with a Team Lew’s Custom Pro size 2000 reel.
He fills the spool with 15- to 20-pound-test Seaguar Smackdown braided line and an 8- to 12-pound-test Tatsu Fluorocarbon Leader, depending on the conditions.
“If the water has some stain to it, I’ll use the Flash Green color Smackdown because it helps me see the bite,” he said. “But, if the water is really clear, or the fish are really spooky, then I’ll go with the Stealth Gray.”
RIGGING
He reported always choosing the 3.5-inch Coffee Tube; typically selecting his colors based on the water color and the forage base he is trying to represent.
He said that a standard Green Pumpkin or Goby Magic color are two of his favorites. He opts for a Rapid Fishing Solutions Scent Keeper jighead to rig his tubes. He said that he coats the Head and the Scent Collar in Strike King’s Coffee scent spray before inserting it into the tube.
“The spray on the head helps me insert the head into the tube a little easier, and the Scent Keeper holds the scent longer to help attract fish,” he said. “I’ve had this setup make a huge difference for me in time saved rigging, and with getting more bites.”
When selecting a jighead size, he said to factor a few things into the equation. “You really want to go with as light a jighead as possible, but not so light that the lure just
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