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drrick
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03/14/2018 11:44AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Can someone tell me what brand and size Tube baits would be advised for a early June BWCA trip? Also is there a preferred Jig head ? Are colors important? Mostly looking at advice for SMB. And then is there any difference with a 6 ft 6 in pole vs. a 7 ft pole? Thanks in advance for the help. Rick
 
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Jackfish
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03/14/2018 11:58AM  
Can't answer your question on the brand of tube jigs, but if I'm jigging, I'm using a 6' rod. IMO, one gains no advantage when jigging with anything longer.
 
BnD
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03/14/2018 12:11PM  
Try these Dream Tube or these Big Bite Salt Tube 4" . Both are very good tubes and durable compared to some others that tear very easy or the skirts aren't cut completely. Lots of good tubes out there as long as there green pumpkin or smoke. As far as rod we use 7' Smimano Cumara xfast action rods for jigging in general (walleye and SMB). Compared to shorter rods they will cast farther with same effort (higher velocity with longer rod), better hook sets (simple math on rod arch.)Get high quality rods and the weight differential virtually disappears. These aren't ugly sticks. Put 10-15# braid (2-4# mono equiv.) with a 5-6' piece of 8-10# fluoro tippet and they're yours if they touch it. Tight Lines.
 
SammyN
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03/14/2018 12:13PM  
Subbed, and also interested.

Would like to see a pic of your tube setup (jig head weight, tube length, color) or even a link to something similar to what you use.

 
GeoFisher
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03/14/2018 12:47PM  
drrick: "Can someone tell me what brand and size Tube baits would be advised for a early June BWCA trip? Also is there a preferred Jig head ? Are colors important? Mostly looking at advice for SMB. And then is there any difference with a 6 ft 6 in pole vs. a 7 ft pole? Thanks in advance for the help. Rick"


BPS Tender Tubes. Amber red fleck, Smoke Red Fleck, Green pumpkin Red fleck.

I use 7'4 bronzebacks and 7'2 cumara rods.

MAGIC.
 
QueticoMike
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03/14/2018 01:42PM  
Berkley Powerbait Power Tubes in green pumpkin color. 3.5 inch is probably best that time of the year. Use 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4 oz Gamakatsu tube jigs. Use the smaller 6'6" rod for jigging.
 
carmike
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03/14/2018 03:30PM  
I use whatever brand is on sale. So long as it comes in green pumpkin!

I can't imagine the extra 6'' will make much of a difference, but I'm still recovering from that discussion with the Master, so I might not be thinking clearly. :)
 
drrick
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03/14/2018 04:01PM  
You folks are a great help. Just shopping for tackle for the spring trip and had such great time with tubes last fall. We were throwing mostly white tubes in 30 feet of water off of steep drop offs. Thanks for all the help.
 
QueticoMike
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03/14/2018 04:07PM  
carmike: "I use whatever brand is on sale. So long as it comes in green pumpkin!

I can't imagine the extra 6'' will make much of a difference, but I'm still recovering from that discussion with the Master, so I might not be thinking clearly. :) "


By having a shorter rod you are able to shorten the overall distance between the lure/bait and your hand, in turn allowing you to feel any strikes more quickly which lets you react faster. That is not to say a long rod won’t work, but the short sticks are most widely accepted and put into use for this presentation. Another bonus to a shorter rod is they are lighter. Having a light jigging setup is important as it reduces fatigue and helps transmit feel better.
 
BnD
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03/14/2018 07:38PM  
carmike: "I use whatever brand is on sale. So long as it comes in green pumpkin!

I can't imagine the extra 6'' will make much of a difference, but I'm still recovering from that discussion with the Master, so I might not be thinking clearly. :) "

I like your style. I would add this.... your fishing out of a canoe virtually sitting on the water not standing on a casting deck in a boat. The extra rod length and zero line stretch is a big deal. To each his own.
 
bassnet
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03/14/2018 08:14PM  
I use 4 inch MG Lures. Four inch because there are only adult minnows and craws, MG has a solid head, scent whatever you specify when ordering. I rig Texas style, using a Shaw Grigsby tube hook. Tungsten weights are stupid expensive, i use lead still. Brand of tube, hook, line, rod matters very little....you must make that lure become alive, and you must have confidence in Yourself!
 
03/14/2018 08:21PM  
Kalin in the 4" to 5" lengths. Colors depending on the water clarity and conditions.
 
carmike
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03/15/2018 01:15AM  
QueticoMike:" By having a shorter rod you are able to shorten the overall distance between the lure/bait and your hand, in turn allowing you to feel any strikes more quickly which lets you react faster. That is not to say a long rod won’t work, but the short sticks are most widely accepted and put into use for this presentation. Another bonus to a shorter rod is they are lighter. Having a light jigging setup is important as it reduces fatigue and helps transmit feel better."


Man, who knew threads on fishing rods could be so much fun. :)

No doubt you're right, in theory, but I still don't think it matters that much. I don't know the speed the impulse from a fish strike is transmitted from the end of my line to my hand, but I bet the difference in a 78'' rod vs. an 84'' rod is a few milliseconds...and I'd bet other factors like line choice, quality of fishing rod, wind conditions, length of cast/amount of line out, etc. make just as much of an impact on the ability to feel a strike -- if not more so.

And you lose some casting distance and a bit of arc length on the hook set.

So yes, all other things being equal, a shorter rod will be "more sensitive." If you've got a 6'6'', it'll work great. A 7' will work fine, too. And if all things being equal, the extra 6'' on the end of a fishing rod fatigues you at the end of the day, I am a little confused as to how you found the strength and energy to paddle all the way into the wilderness in the first place. ;)

(I should say that I'm probably a little more garrulous than normal because my now five-week old baby barely sleeps and keeps me awake reading message boards at 2:30 a.m. when I've had no more than three continuous hours of sleep since mid-February. :)
 
QueticoMike
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03/15/2018 04:52AM  
I don't get tired from jigging due to I don't jig that often. I do get tired after paddling from Prairie Portage to Kawnipi in one day. 25 miles or more of paddling and portaging is a long day. I'm not as young as I used to be. I was just saying those walleye guys who jig all day long might not get as tired with a shorter rod. Myself, I use a 6'6" rod all day and I use it for almost every lure and presentation in my arsenal.

The only time I jig is when it is the most productive way to produce smallmouth strikes. If I can catch them by any other means I will go there first and then if I have to I will resort to tube fishing.
 
mastertangler
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03/15/2018 07:12AM  
Jackfish: "Can't answer your question on the brand of tube jigs, but if I'm jigging, I'm using a 6' rod. IMO, one gains no advantage when jigging with anything longer."


I am with Jackfish here.......I do not like long rods for jigging and find them cumbersome unless I am fishing out of a bass boat and am propped up against a seat and then what Geo is using is fine if it is a high end light rod. Shorter is just easier with 6' being about perfect IMO and more effective out of a canoe. They are also lighter for all day use and more accurate if you want to toss your tube up near the bank in spring. I even have some 5ft jigging rods which I use for slipping (fishing vertically in current).

Having said that 6'6" would probably be better with braid giving a little extra flex.

As per brand? Not sure it makes lots of difference to be honest. They probably will all catch fish. I gravitate towards larger tubes and like the color "Baby Puke" which a lot of pros use.
 
03/15/2018 07:40AM  
Not sure you should take advice from me, but I like longer Rods like a seven footer when casting and jigging and shorter rod like around six feet when I am vertical jigging.

T
 
mastertangler
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03/15/2018 12:38PM  
timatkn: "Not sure you should take advice from me, but I like longer Rods like a seven footer when casting and jigging and shorter rod like around six feet when I am vertical jigging.


T"


Can I change my mind ;-)

I think monsieur Tim might be correct. When casting the longer rod will help facilitate being able to keep your tube off the bottom far more efficiently by raising your rod tip you will be able to better swim your tube along the bottom without getting it hung continuously as with a shorter rod. As per his observation shorter for more vertical jigging is what I was originally thinking about or perhaps short casts in deeper water.
 
Jackfish
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03/15/2018 02:14PM  
mastertangler: "Can I change my mind ;-) "

Nope. :)
 
manmountain8
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03/15/2018 06:07PM  
There is no doubt that tube jigs are the #1 must-have in the tackle box for smallmouth fishing, but they'll catch walleye and pike, too. I've used a variety of brands and sizes and only noticed subtle differences.

I use the lightest jig I can get away with because you want that erratic unpredictability when you pop it. Wind, depth, and castability are the only things that make me use more than 1/4 oz. Just be sure to buy jigs made for tubes and not a normal ball head. I use a variety of tube sizes. I like a larger tube with smaller jig for a slower drop and erratic pop. If conditions are tough, go with a shorter tube.

For me the magic color is white. Plain white, white with silver flake, white with red flake, anything as long as it's a white base. I use longer rods than most and I don't see any reason why you shouldn't use a long rod to jig. It's not like you need to keep a tube directly under you like walleye jigging and even if you did I just don't see any advantage for a shorter rod.

Don't be afraid to just let the tube sit there on the bottom then pop it intermittently. Bring lots of extra tubes and jigs because you will hang up in rocks. You can get em out by changing the angle of the line though.
 
BnD
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03/15/2018 08:02PM  
I highly recommend something. Wait a minute I’ve changed that to anything.
 
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