[Mac10]

a lot of the fellows stuff a tube with a piece of plastic worm rather than weighting normally with tungsten or lead, it reportedly gives the tube a gentle glide and makes it react differently with the weight distributed evenly. a couple of thoughts I'd like to share..... if you stuff your tubes, tinker a bit by leaving a little air pocket at the front end of the worm piece...by varying the size of the air pocket you can vary the action to some degree....and if left large enough, you make the tube float for c-rig and split shotting above the weed type presentation. The air chamber will survive for many casts even though the hook shank passes through....when filling up with water, just squeeze it out occasionally to maintain the buoyancy.

Something else....if you use, for example, a chartreuse worm in a black tube..... Before stuffing, use a hand held paper punch and punch a hole clean through the tube making a hole on each side about 3/4 inch or less back from the nose. Then, when stuffed, you will have a black tube with chartreuse "eyes". Can also be used with tube rattles to make eyes the color of the rattles.

[u63405]

fantastic ideas!

[Mac10]

If you stuff with a different colored worm, and punch the holes back toward the skirt, you are beginning to loosly imitate a craw. Or for brackish waters, a squid perhaps.

[bassnattractin]

one thing that u can do that will littearly catch double the fish you get on tubes is to put pop rocks in it

[brivera88]

yes, i have used pop-rocks and have caughten multiple bass using pop-rocks..thanks for the memory refresh bassnattractin

[bassnattractin]

its killer for small mouth too

[Holmer]

To make a tube float on a carolina rig, I stuff a piece of foam "backer rod" (used to partially fill large gaps before caulking) in it. It is available at any home store for a couple of bucks. I think I bought a 20' roll (3/8" dia.) several years ago for 2-something and have most of it left.

Anyway, it floats great and doesn't get waterlogged and sink like regular styrofoam will. You can adjust the length of the piece you use for the desired bouyancy.

[nova]

I finesse fish with tubes. I'll use a 2/0 EWG and put a split shot about 12" up the line. The fall is slow and gentle. Another way I fish them is without the split shot to make the tube float at first. I'll use this as a topwater around weeds and pads. You can useually get it to stay up for about 10 to 15 feet as you work it; then the air pocket will flood and the bait will sink a little. Then I'll bring it back as a jerkbait.

www.novalures.com

[willie525]

the poprocks works along with alkaseltzer, i cant use poprocks cause' id eat em lol

[Ohio Bass Man]

Many use glass or brass rattle purchased at their local bait shop, which tends to be expensive. Try going to a craft store and picking up some small brass bells (like Christmas jingle bells), you can get a bag of 100 cheaper than 1 pack of 5 from the bait shop. Stuff the bell up inside the tube. It creates a lot of noise, adds minimal weight.