Problems with tubes
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 6:28 am
OK Fish-Hawkers......I have a problem.
I like to fish tubes & I use them a lot. However this year I am having serious hook-up problems with smallies. Normally I fish the tube tex-posed. Typically a 1/0, 2/0 or 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook and a 1/16 or 1/8th oz. Bass Pro Shops XPS tube weight. Not a problem on largemouth, but this has been an issue on smallies. I've gone as far as tweaking the hook a bit. I take a pair of pliers and give the hook a little itty-bitty twist at the start of the bend in the shank and another 3/4 of the way into the bend. The end result is a hook point that is a few degrees higher and a bit more "grabby". This did seem to improve hook-ups somewhat on Charleston . I was using that set up with a 1/8 oz tube weight on the St Lawrence. I was working a bank with willows and missing smallie after smallie . Quite frustrating to say the least.
The kicker was Tuesday on the Rideau River. I put on a Bass Pro Shops 1/8oz. tube jig head, comes with a Gamakatsu hook w/60 degree eye. I thought wow, now that IS an exposed hook, how can I not catch fish with this set-up . Sure enough I had strike after strike but only get the fish half way up to the boat and boom, nothing....fish gone .
The only similarity of any sort between the incidents I can see is that they were river fish. Maybe they were starting to key on crayfish and I needed to give the fish a second or two to "kill" the bait then set the hook.
Any suggestions or tips will be greatly appreciated . This one has me really confused
DropShot'r
I like to fish tubes & I use them a lot. However this year I am having serious hook-up problems with smallies. Normally I fish the tube tex-posed. Typically a 1/0, 2/0 or 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook and a 1/16 or 1/8th oz. Bass Pro Shops XPS tube weight. Not a problem on largemouth, but this has been an issue on smallies. I've gone as far as tweaking the hook a bit. I take a pair of pliers and give the hook a little itty-bitty twist at the start of the bend in the shank and another 3/4 of the way into the bend. The end result is a hook point that is a few degrees higher and a bit more "grabby". This did seem to improve hook-ups somewhat on Charleston . I was using that set up with a 1/8 oz tube weight on the St Lawrence. I was working a bank with willows and missing smallie after smallie . Quite frustrating to say the least.
The kicker was Tuesday on the Rideau River. I put on a Bass Pro Shops 1/8oz. tube jig head, comes with a Gamakatsu hook w/60 degree eye. I thought wow, now that IS an exposed hook, how can I not catch fish with this set-up . Sure enough I had strike after strike but only get the fish half way up to the boat and boom, nothing....fish gone .
The only similarity of any sort between the incidents I can see is that they were river fish. Maybe they were starting to key on crayfish and I needed to give the fish a second or two to "kill" the bait then set the hook.
Any suggestions or tips will be greatly appreciated . This one has me really confused
DropShot'r