Five Fabulous Fall Baits for Bass: Tube jigs

Terribly terrific tubes.

By Luigi  De Rose

Tubes are a favourite of northern anglers and for good reason – they catch a lot of fish. Dragged on the bottom or pitched into shallow weeds, the tube is very versatile.  

Tube jigs are amazing at catching smallmouth and largemouth
in the autumn. 

Fall triggers a migration for bass from summer shallows to deeper water. Anglers who follow them will be able to benefit when bass school on predictable pieces of structure. One of the best presentations for catching bass during this calendar period is a tube. Regardless if bass are munching on craws or minnows, there is a colour scheme that will match the local prey perfectly.

Key Factors:

• Water depth
• Jighead size
• Hook quality
• Colours

 The most versatile open water method of rigging a tube is slipping an exposed jighead into the hollow cavity. Spinning gear is most ideal but baitcast loves don’t have to sulk as long as they scale down and lighten up on gear and line choice. A selection of jig weights from 1/8oz to 5/8oz will work everywhere regardless of wind speed and water depth. Don’t cheap out when shopping for jigs. Search for extra sharp hooks with good wire. You won’t recall how much you saved when a monster bass pulls free. 

Most baits are 3” or 4” and that is fine. Name brand tubes have salt or scent or both. The real key is to have a large selection of colours. Bass can ignore one colour and gobble up another. Rotated between proven colours and don’t be stubborn to change.

Many pros favour a rattle on the jighead. Finding jigs with one can be difficult but a bag of rattles and some heat shrink tubing can convert any jighead quickly.  Worrying about the details can be madding but it is usually better to rotate between spots than trying to force feed fall bass.