Tubes vs. Skirted Jigs 2024
Heron reply :
Are there any specific circumstances when you would choose a jig instead of a tube for smallmouth?
or vice versa?
thx
A-Jay reply :
For smallies, a tube seems considerably more effective for me than a jig.
I'll fish a jig in deep wood quite a bit and there are times when a football jig is pretty killer.
But my confidence in the tube has me reaching for one more times than not.
A-Jay
desmobob reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 10:24 PM, A-Jay said:For smallies, a tube seems considerably more effective for me than a jig.
I'll fish a jig in deep wood quite a bit and there are times when a football jig is pretty killer.
But my confidence in the tube has me reaching for one more times than not.
A-Jay
+1
As crayfish-eaters, I had figured that a 1/4 oz. skirted jig with a craw trailer would clean up on smallies but, in my experience, they definitely seem to prefer tubes.
Tight lines,
Bob
Heron reply :
Makes sense
I wasnt really seeing much sense in throwing a jig instead of a tube, unless circumstances demanded it. Guess I'll find out when I get on the water.
In the meantime, when bank fishing for smallmouth....Im finding the Fat Ika, and the 3 inch Senko have been the most productive for me so far.
mattkenzer reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 10:24 PM, A-Jay said:For smallies, a tube seems considerably more effective for me than a jig.
I'll fish a jig in deep wood quite a bit and there are times when a football jig is pretty killer.
But my confidence in the tube has me reaching for one more times than not.
A-Jay
On 3/15/2018 at 10:35 PM, desmobob said:
+1
As crayfish-eaters, I had figured that a 1/4 oz. skirted jig with a craw trailer would clean up on smallies but, in my experience, they definitely seem to prefer tubes.
Tight lines,
Bob
I agree with A-Jay and desmobob on skirted jigs vs. a tube.
I rarely use a skirted jig on smallmouth unless i am swimming it.
I do however, use a non-skirted jig and craw more often than not.
Choporoz reply :
I've only limited experience fishing for lake smallmouth, but a bit more in rivers.
In swift smallmouth rivers, I can clean up with jigs, but can't buy a bite with a tube. I readily admit that lack of success leads to lack of confidence and a lot less usage, but I like to think that I've given tubes a fair chance on multiple occasions.
mattkenzer reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 11:31 PM, Choporoz said:I've only limited experience fishing for lake smallmouth, but a bit more in rivers.
In swift smallmouth rivers, I can clean up with jigs, but can't buy a bite with a tube. I readily admit that lack of success leads to lack of confidence and a lot less usage, but I like to think that I've given tubes a fair chance on multiple occasions.
Interesting .... Are you using a skirted Jig? What size?
Choporoz reply :
Almost always 'finesse jigs' - both because of the weight and the flared/front skirt. I have mostly Sieberts, but I've used others like Buckeye. The lightest ones I want the current to take and bounce down river through the rocks -- a bit heavier, not more than 1/2oz to stay closer to the bottom and move a bit subtler
Bluebasser86 reply :
I seem to catch more numbers of smallmouth on a tube, but bigger ones on a jig. I like a 1/2oz football jig for them if I can get away with it.
OkobojiEagle reply :
My success with a tube over a skirted jig is a direct correlation to carrying no skirted jigs in my tackle bag... I catch more smallmouth with a jighead/curly tail grub than a tube if that matters to you.
oe
WI_Angler1989 reply :
I fish both a LOT. Probably 70% tubes 30% finesse jigs. There are times when one is the better choice and gets hit more, but usually if one works for me the other does too.
I will say that I catch a lot of fish and sizes on a tube, but the average size on a jig tends to be bigger.
mattkenzer reply :
I am going to give the skirted jig (bottom contact) an honest effort on the Smallies this year .... Thanks.
PS: Many years ago, i thought the only thing to catch smallmouth was an Avocado Color Tube.
NYWayfarer reply :
Tubes are the clear winner in this fight for me. River Smallies love a Zoom Salty Super Tube!
PatrickKnight reply :
I prefer tubes to skirted jigs but in the river I fish I will take a jig head tipped with a grub or swim bait over them both.
Spankey reply :
On 3/16/2018 at 12:33 AM, OkobojiEagle said:My success with a tube over a skirted jig is a direct correlation to carrying no skirted jigs in my tackle bag... I catch more smallmouth with a jighead/curly tail grub than a tube if that matters to you.
oe
On 3/16/2018 at 3:30 AM, PatrickKnight said:I prefer tubes to skirted jigs but in the river I fish I will take a jig head tipped with a grub or swim bait over them both.
I love a Roadkill tube, but I'd like $.10 for every Smallie I've caught on a 3" Power, Mr. T or Kalins Grub since the 1970's
desmobob reply :
On 3/16/2018 at 4:55 AM, Spankey said:
I love a Roadkill tube, but I'd like $.10 for every Smallie I've caught on a 3" Power, Mr. T or Kalins Grub since the 1970's
I think I have enough Kalins' grubs to last me the rest of my life. Fish catchers!
Tight lines,
Bob
WI_Angler1989 reply :
On 3/16/2018 at 6:03 AM, desmobob said:
I think I have enough Kalins' grubs to last me the rest of my life. Fish catchers!
Tight lines,
Bob
"Enough" Kalin's grubs? What's that?! I always have room for another pack of Lunker Grubs hahaha
PatrickKnight reply :
I used the heck out of a 3 inch Kalins for a while but my go to has changed to the 4 inch Yamamoto in green pumpkin. I do love that smoke hologram color Kalins has though.
Turkey sandwich reply :
I'm going to go a little against the grain here. I fish tubes and grubs quite a bit, and they're excellent numbers baits for me. They're both great producers in both lakes and rivers. Sometimes, smallies just want something drug across the bottom or something that I can work fast vertically, and jigs are the best option. If I need to pitch into small current breaks in fast current, into lay downs along banks, etc I'm almost definitely using an arky jig of some sort. Similarly, If I want to keep good bottom contact and swing something down and across or worked slowly across a run with small to medium sized rocks (not boulders) football heads are the only option and this is something I do quite a bit. Sometimes in or along faster current a reaction bit is the ticket. Other times, I've noticed that slower presentations worked along the tails of islands, weed edges, etc immediately adjacent to fast current can be money for larger fish. The only way I know to do this well without a whole lot of frustration is a 3/8-3/4oz football jig. I pretty much always keep all of the above tied up on a river and let the fish, the conditions, and what presents best where they're holding be what determine which options I favor.
On lakes, I'll use where fish are holding to determine which I'm going to throw first, but if I'm fishing for smallmouth, barring chocolate milk conditions, this is rarely ever a time when I don't have a tube and a jig rod on deck from March thru December. Tubes catch lots of fish. Jigs catch mostly big fish.
J.Vincent reply :
Here in Michigan I have a lot of confidence in tubes, they have great versatility and can mimic gobies or crawfish , and just seem to catch greater numbers of fish....However, my biggest Smallies have actually been caught on 1/2 oz BlackBlue Skirted Jigs, off shallow rock piles at night. So I think , low light situations are one circumstance when the bulkier skirted jig should be a better choice. Just my two cents : )
TOXIC reply :
On our annual trip to Lake St Clair those smallies see their fair share of tubes and to be honest in the early years that's the main bait I threw. As time went on, I found some alternative plastics that gave me 75+ fish days. Not suprisingly, the Yamamoto double tail Hula grub has been a top producer on a 1/4 oz gamakatsu football head jig. Likewise a 5" senko on the same jig head has been my secret bait for years. I rarely throw a tube anymore.
Heron reply :
On 3/20/2018 at 6:19 PM, TOXIC said:On our annual trip to Lake St Clair those smallies see their fair share of tubes and to be honest in the early years that's the main bait I threw. As time went on, I found some alternative plastics that gave me 75+ fish days. Not suprisingly, the Yamamoto double tail Hula grub has been a top producer on a 1/4 oz gamakatsu football head jig. Likewise a 5" senko on the same jig head has been my secret bait for years. I rarely throw a tube anymore.
What size hula grubs? 4” or 5”?
Heron reply :
On 3/20/2018 at 6:19 PM, TOXIC said:On our annual trip to Lake St Clair those smallies see their fair share of tubes and to be honest in the early years that's the main bait I threw. As time went on, I found some alternative plastics that gave me 75+ fish days. Not suprisingly, the Yamamoto double tail Hula grub has been a top producer on a 1/4 oz gamakatsu football head jig. Likewise a 5" senko on the same jig head has been my secret bait for years. I rarely throw a tube anymore.
What size hula grubs? 4” or 5”?
TOXIC reply :
Normally 4 inch because the gamakatsu football head jig is only a 2.0 hook.
FryDog62 reply :
A follow up to those that prefer jigs for bigger fish - has anyone used a “mop” jig with success for smallmouth? I’ve only used it for largemouth, but with its big profile would it work well for smb too or a bit overpowering?
FishDewd reply :
Haven't caught any bass on either one yet, but I've hooked quite a few catfish with tubes.
Brown Town reply :
I combine the best of both worlds and put a tube on a swing head jig. Works well on rock bottoms right before the spawn and before the weeds start to grow up. During summer I'm throwing tubes texas rigged and swim jigs with either Keitech swimbaits or Kalin's grubs as trailers. Not much success with skirted football head jigs or finesse jigs but those bites seem to always be bigger just too far in between for me.
Frenchman83 reply :
For LM skirted jigs dominated for me. I gave them a go for river SM with limited success but also probably didn't give them a great shot with everyone around me catching fish on a tube.
moguy1973 reply :
When I'm fishing a river I always have a 4" tube tied on. Catches way too many fish to not. I've never really had any luck with jig and trailers on rivers.
sully420 reply :
Its a 1 2 punch for me get some on a tube and follow up with a jig a big jig. Didnt Keith Combs win on Mille Lacs with a jig and full size craw at the aow tourney.
Mbirdsley reply :
On the small river that I fish all the time a 3.5-4 inch green pumpkin zoom tube gets hammered by the smallies. I usually only use a 1/16 or 1/8 tube jig on like 8 lbs Berkley xl line. Throw it out let it sink and slowly bring it back making sure it ticks the bottom. I think they think they are gobies. This also works for large mouths up shallow in lakes with sand and light vegetation bottoms. I need to learn t-rig those so they weed less
8pt172 reply :
On 3/20/2018 at 6:19 PM, TOXIC said:On our annual trip to Lake St Clair those smallies see their fair share of tubes and to be honest in the early years that's the main bait I threw. As time went on, I found some alternative plastics that gave me 75+ fish days. Not suprisingly, the Yamamoto double tail Hula grub has been a top producer on a 1/4 oz gamakatsu football head jig. Likewise a 5" senko on the same jig head has been my secret bait for years. I rarely throw a tube anymore.
I have used this grub before Gary Y bought out Triple S. My favorite color is 297 and I will put a little orange or Chartreuse when the water has color or the crayfish are in their molting colors. We killed the SMB and Walleye last summer on Mille Lacs. It was about 50-50 with the tube. But they definitely caught several more walleye.
What is your favorite color?
TOXIC reply :
On 4/3/2018 at 5:52 AM, 8pt172 said:I have used this grub before Gary Y bought out Triple S. My favorite color is 297 and I will put a little orange or Chartreuse when the water has color or the crayfish are in their molting colors. We killed the SMB and Walleye last summer on Mille Lacs. It was about 50-50 with the tube. But they definitely caught several more walleye.
What is your favorite color?
297 is always a favorite as is 305 Baby Bass. Yamamoto now has Perch and Goby colors as well. I stay with the natural colors except for the Yamamoto DShads. I throw those in Bubblegum. Smallmouth in the spring tear those up weightless dragged like a tube on a 4.0 Ewg Gamakatsu hook.
Abby reply :
That Yammamoto Hula Grub has caught some nice largemouths for me and I plan on trying them for smallies this year..
Bdnoble84 reply :
On 4/4/2018 at 2:15 AM, Abby said:That Yammamoto Hula Grub has caught some nice largemouths for me and I plan on trying them for smallies this year..
I’ve had really good success in the summer texas riging on a 3/0 ewg with a 1/8 bullet sinker in the little stream i fish. The key is to keep it moving just enough to constantly tick the rocks. Too slow and you hang up, too fast and you lose contact. Just right and you get hammered. The only gripe i have with a t-rig hula grub is they dont hold up very long when the fish are hitten em.
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