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Muskie Fishing -> Lures,Tackle, and Equipment -> How to: Fishing a big tube
 
Message Subject: How to: Fishing a big tube
DR in VA
Posted 11/1/2010 5:03 PM (#465279)
Subject: How to: Fishing a big tube





Posts: 210


Location: VA
I've recently gotten my hands on a few big Musky tubes and have never fished one. Any tips for a rookie from you guys on fishing them?

DR
esoxaddict
Posted 11/1/2010 5:16 PM (#465283 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube





Posts: 8703


LOL. I won a few of the Red October tubes at one of our club meetings a while back. Brought them with the next time I went out, rigged one up, put it on my leader, and as the bait was flying through the air I thought:

"okay... NOW what??"

I counted it down , and sort of dinked it along slowly like a glider, tried twitching it and ripping it. I gave it about 3 casts before I decided that throwing a lure that I have no idea what to do with is only slightly better than not casting at all.

It will be interesting to see what others have to say about this subject!
momuskies
Posted 11/1/2010 5:30 PM (#465285 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube




Posts: 431


Lots of ways to fish it. cast it out and let it sink to the bottom and give hard pops off the bottom. fish it like a glide bait with short taps. long pulls like a bulldawg. you can fish them at any depth-count it down and start fishing it back by lifting your rod tip and letting it fall. Also, remember to do a good figure 8. Two weeks ago had one follow a big red october tube down and back pretty far, out of sight-as soon as I started the 8, the fish was on it.

Edited by momuskies 11/1/2010 5:31 PM
JimtenHaaf
Posted 11/1/2010 5:37 PM (#465286 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube





Posts: 717


Location: Grand Rapids, MI
I've done anything from popping it off the bottom like momuskies said, to a slower jigging presentation, to absolutely just ripping it as hard as I could during the hot summer months. I guess I was lucky to gain confidence in it quickly. Literally the first time mine hit the water 2 years ago, a hot fish came in on it snapping. It was November, and I was casting it out a ways, letting it sink to the bottom, and giving it 2-3' high hops all the way back to the boat in 25 FOW. Just be careful on your figure 8's, though. Sometimes, it can get so erratic in the 8 that the fish loses sight of it, then loses interest altogether.
Ryan_Cotter
Posted 11/1/2010 5:49 PM (#465289 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube




Posts: 182


Location: musky waters of SE, WI
Depends on which ones you use. Red Octobers with the rig out the front are more of a glider. Use short twitches just like you would use a regular glider and they'll go back and forth. IF you pump them too hard they pop out on the surface, which could be good in some situations. The jig rigged ones, use just like a bulldawg pumping them in. Pull reel in slack pull reel in slack, throw in a couple quick pulls. You can give them tons of action. Just throw one out close to the boat and try something till it looks good. For me i find more action on nose rigged ones in the spring and fall, fishing shallower weeds. In the summer ill use the jig rigged ones fishing deep edges and such. Did i mention Red Octobers are my favorite bait?
esox50
Posted 11/1/2010 6:31 PM (#465295 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube





Posts: 2024


Red Octobers are becoming some of my favorite baits as well! I haven't tried the jig heads made for deep water/heavy current fishing, but for fishing shallow weeds I used to make my own rigs for them (as per Gregg Thomas' spring muskie video) and have purchased a few of the RO through-the-nose rigs as well. I work mine like a Bulldawg - long sweeps or a couple medium sweeps and a pause. The bait slides forward and then glides on a very slight angled trajectory downward or off to one side. Personally, I've found the fish either try to rip the rod out of your hands, full bodied explosions out of the water or they just lazily follow it in. Either way, they've made the short list for sure.

I'll have to try twitching it in as mentioned above.
T_Musky
Posted 11/1/2010 6:48 PM (#465300 - in reply to #465295)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube




Posts: 25


I’m totally hooked on the tubes!! I fish them exactly the way the Red October guys explain it in their video with Greg Thomas. We’ve had a great deal of success with the ninja tubes and two single hooks jigging them on the bottom in big river systems. However, fish sometimes eat them close to the boat too. I witnessed a 46 incher come charging straight up from the bottom and eat the bait right at the boat. It was crazy because we were in 25 ft of gin clear water with the motor running, I guess once they commit to the tube there’s no turning back. They are definitely BIG fish baits!
Good luck.
Ryan_Cotter
Posted 11/1/2010 6:50 PM (#465301 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube




Posts: 182


Location: musky waters of SE, WI
Also like to add that the older through the nose rigs kinda sucked for hook ups. The new rigs with the small treble up front, and big single hook in the middle have been awesome for me. And not to discourage, just like any glider these things sometimes get crushing hits and no hooks ups which i find amazing. But i keep throwing them!
cajun84
Posted 11/1/2010 11:21 PM (#465322 - in reply to #465301)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube




Posts: 196


I have to agree with esox and t muskie!! I just started muskie fishing this year and had a couple hits, but no catches for the first 4 months. Of course, we don't have many muskie around here to start with, so one in the boat is a major achievement. Anyway, I too saw the gregg thomas video and decided I had to have one. I got a hold of a 14 inch twisted red october ( I'm all about overkill ) and tried it out for the first time on our trip up to webster and the barbie chain. I caught my first muskie on it, a 44 inch within the first hour of throwing the tube!! Noone had been having any luck there for a couple of weeks, so I was really excited, the water temp was 75, so they will work in warm water. I was fishing it like you would often fish a tube or worm for largemouth, casting up near the bank and bouncing it down the drop to the deep. lol the funny part is, I was waiting for the one big hit, and he even ate the lure like a bass, tap, tap, boom. Of course the boom was about 200% heavier but I thought it was funny. I have full faith in them now and just bought about 10 off of the guys on here. Good luck !
cajun84
Posted 11/1/2010 11:30 PM (#465323 - in reply to #465322)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube




Posts: 196


also to add, I saw people were discussing the different rigs and some non hook ups. I don't know which rig mine had in it....but I do know that it was a red october rig with a large treble up front, a straight hook in the middle on the opposite side, and a large treble in the back. I haven't had enough bites on it to say whether or not it will always work, but I honestly don't see how a fish could miss the hooks on that rig, the thing looks like a cactus! It seemed to work quite well, so it might be worth looking at their website for rigging options! My only complaint is that the tube was new, and I had only fished it for an hour, and the first fish on basically ripped it beyond further use. I only had one, and I guess I'm just used to catching at least 2 or 3 fish on a tube type lure. ( especially a $15 tube ) So that is something you need to be prepared for, I know I was wishing I had a backup when I found out that they liked it. I also saw that tackle industries was advertising a tubby tube on here, and the muskie innovations tubes look promising as well. Those were both a little less expensive and look to be about as good.
TC24
Posted 11/2/2010 2:12 PM (#465398 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: RE: How to: Fishing a big tube




Posts: 175


Location: Tonka, MN
Have had action on many different types of retrieves mentioned above. Personally I like working the bait pretty slow but irratic. Have had some trouble with hook ups doing this cuz the fish seem to hit it super soft on the fall. Also had one of my most exciting action on this too....had the bait siting next to the boat after the retrieve and all the sudden my buddy was like FISH FISH FISH! Looked back to him and there she was just staring at my bait from 10 feet away. Gave it a quick twitch and she exploded on it!
DR in VA
Posted 11/2/2010 6:08 PM (#465409 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube





Posts: 210


Location: VA
Well,

Got one follow on the tube today....that's a good start.

DR
suskymusky50
Posted 11/3/2010 6:13 AM (#465434 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube




Posts: 9


In my experiance, there is no right or wrong way to fish a tube. The only thing that limits how you fish them is your own imagination!
Chasin50
Posted 11/3/2010 6:25 PM (#465491 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube




Posts: 380


Location: Michigan
With Red October's offerings, you can rig them as swim baits, jerk baits, or jigs. How you fish it depends on how you rig it. You can fish it any way you want. Let the situation drive how you rig/fish it. Its probably the most versatile bait out. Where i fish, i use mostly as jigs and fish them down breaks and edges. They definately move fish...
FYGR8
Posted 11/3/2010 7:33 PM (#465498 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: RE: How to: Fishing a big tube





Here is brief clip showing how a Tubby Tube by Tackle Industries looks underwater using quick rips and long pulls.

Guest
Posted 11/3/2010 9:51 PM (#465514 - in reply to #465491)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube


I fish tubes more than any other bait and they work great - fished an way as mentioned. Red October's rigs are by far the best there are IMO.
Landry
jakejusa
Posted 11/4/2010 12:39 PM (#465573 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: RE: How to: Fishing a big tube




Posts: 994


Location: Minnesota: where it's tough to be a sportsfan!
Tubes are awesome. Another thing that has worked for us is while working it like a glider about 1/2 ways throught the retrieve high stick it. Rod at about 10 o'clock and the bait will head for the surface with each pull. I have had low an aways move in tight on the bait by doing this. I also rigged a giant tube with little weight and popped it so the nose came out of the water then it would sink back under. Deadly above the cabbage beds.
kodiak
Posted 11/12/2010 3:16 PM (#466482 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube





Posts: 1224


Location: Okoboji
i swim the RO's like a squid, kinda jerk and swim em,,,they look good, but i havent caught anything on them...i also have a jimmy and i love the way it looks but no luck for me on it, not even a pike.
TC24
Posted 11/12/2010 11:47 PM (#466535 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: RE: How to: Fishing a big tube




Posts: 175


Location: Tonka, MN
Its kinda weird cuz I had some good action on a prototype Jimmy that my buddy got from MI. The two first sports I fished with it i had 3 up and one in the net. But the following years I havent seen anything on them. Regular tubes just have worked better for me than any jimmy style baits.
kodiak
Posted 11/15/2010 11:46 AM (#466785 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube





Posts: 1224


Location: Okoboji
yeah, i know, the jimmys look so #*^@ good in the water!?!? i just dont get why they arent just slamming the crap out of it?
MartinTD
Posted 11/16/2010 1:30 PM (#466985 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube





Posts: 1129


Location: NorthCentral WI
I gave my one Jimmy an honest shake this year, getting it wet quite a bit. I did manage to land a nice 21" largemouth on it earlier in the year. Since then I've had one hit on it, fish on, and lost it after about 5 seconds - never really got the hooks set decent. It did have some nice slices from teeth after that... I also added a large treble to the head/body section of the bait where the harness sticks out - push that through the rubber and add split ring and hook. (Although the additional hook did not help my hookups).

I like to work it with very aggressive rips, letting it flutter back down a second or two before popping it again. If done correctly, you can really get the Jimmy to WTD just like a glide bait. Looks great in the water. I'd like to get a couple of the smaller version to try out.
JimtenHaaf
Posted 11/16/2010 7:20 PM (#467036 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube





Posts: 717


Location: Grand Rapids, MI
DR in VA - Any luck yet? I keep checking this thread, hoping that you were the next poster stating you nailed a hawg!
momuskies
Posted 11/23/2010 2:44 PM (#467820 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube




Posts: 431


I fished a central Illinois lake on Saturday. Water temps were 50 degrees. Caught 2 fish-both on a 10" red october tube. I was fishing the tube with a lift and drop around 6 foot deep with a few pulls and jerks mixed in. First fish chomped it, second fish crushed it. Tube had one decent slice in it that I repaired, but otherwise is in good shape. My dad caught a nice bass on a 7.5" tube.
DR in VA
Posted 11/23/2010 2:48 PM (#467822 - in reply to #465279)
Subject: Re: How to: Fishing a big tube





Posts: 210


Location: VA
Jim,

I have not had any luck so far, I did get one nice follow a few weeks back. The tubes I have are the Red October Ninja ones. After seeing another fellows tubes today, I might need to go to the 10" one instead? Totally different profile. Anyway, one follow so far and definitely have NOT given up on them!

DR
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