Often times, especially during the heat of the summer, bass are reluctant to bite anything but the most perfectly trolled tube. When bass act like this, there are usually one or two fishermen catching fish, with many other crews watching in envy.
Sometimes bass are downright extremely difficult to catch. I hope the following tips help you put more big bass in your boat during these difficult times.
Keep in mind that I have absolutely no scientific evidence for the theories presented below. Nevertheless I have noticed that small adjustments in technique can have a major impact on the amount of fish caught. I also think that trying to figure out the reason why such a small adjustment in technique makes such a big difference will help me (and now you!) to become more adept striped bass fishermen.
Techniques I Use to Help Trigger a Bite
1) Troll the tube slightly above the bass
Aggressive bass will often crush a tube that is trolled anywhere in their vicinity. Resting, sluggish bass present a completely different predicament.
I’ve noticed that sometimes bass seem to prefer a tube that is trolled slightly above the level they are holding at. I think this could be because the prey items the bass are zoned in on are consistently appearing above the level at which the bass are holding. The fish are, at the moment, programmed into searching for food upwards, thus a tube presented slightly above the bass gets bit, while a tube slightly below or at the level of the bass goes unnoticed.
Even more important is the “silhouette factor”. A tube trolled above bass is much more visible to the fish than a tube trolled below the bass. This rings especially true after dark. Maximizing tube visibility at night by using a black tube, trolled slightly above the bass, will create a silhouette against the night sky that will not go unnoticed to striped bass in the area.
2) Change the direction of the troll
Striped bass are wacky creatures. I almost always troll with the wind and current, however when the bass are finicky, it can pay to experiment.
If you find bass holding on a piece of structure, but cannot get them to bite, try attacking them from a different angle.
3) Maximize the amount of time the tube is in front of the bass
The more time the tube is in front of a striped bass, the greater the odds are that it will get bit. Keeping this in mind, I will sometimes take the boat out of gear in order to slow the troll down and keep the tubes in the school of bass for a longer period of time.
Putting the engine in neutral will make the tubes slowly fall down through the school of fish. A falling tube is often enough to trigger a bite. There may also be bass at a lower level within the school that are more willing to bite than the bass at the level at which you were trolling.
For more insider tips and secrets on trolling the tube and worm for big striped bass, be sure to check out Tube and Worm Trolling-from the first knot to the gaff shot! Simply click here.
Tight lines and good luck!
Captain Ryan