​This is part #2 of a series of posts about tube and worming for summer "slob" striped bass. Click here to check out part #1 about tackle.
This past week was hot and humid, and during this particular trip the wind was howling at 30 mph. The time was 1:15PM and the sun was beating down onto the surface of the ocean.
Generally speaking mid-afternoon during the middle of the summer is not the best time to be targeting big striped bass. However just as the thought passed through my mind the port side rod doubled over and line began ripping from the reel.
Fish on!​
More...
In about 5 seconds the bass stripped all the leadcore from my reel almost down to the backing. The 30 mph relentless wind was pushing my boat away from the bass, which added more tension and pressure to the system.
My Dad began to back down on the bass as waves began splashing over the transom. "Are we fishing for marlin?" is what I recall thinking to myself. It's not often we have to back down on stripers but with the wind it was the only way I was able to gain back line on the fish.​
Finally after a great battle I landed the fish. What a beauty - especially for the middle of the day!​
In this post I will explain a simple strategy for trolling tubes which I feel can help you experience similar results, even during mid-afternoon.
Check it out by reading below, let me know what you think and post any questions you may have at the bottom of this post. ​
"Elephants Eat Peanuts"
The old "big bait = big fish" philosophy is definitely true in many instances. However with the tube and worm I do the exact the opposite.
When I troll tubes I approach the method in a very tactical way. I make very small and subtle adjustments and ​the size of my tubes and the worms I use may surprise you.
Elephants certainly do eat peanuts! Plus my hookup ratio has gone way up since adopting the tips which I am about to share with you in the below video.
In this video I am going to show you the #1 tube which has caught 90% of the stripers aboard my boat while tubing this season. I am also going to show you the size seaworms which have been resulting in far better hookups and more landings.
MFCC members can click play below to watch.​
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Trolling Depth
One of the most important factors to tube and worm success is the depth at which you troll your tubes. The difference of 1 or 2 feet of depth is all it takes to be catching (or not catching) striped bass, especially during the middle of the day.
​Most folks think you need to troll your tubes along the bottom of the sea floor. While this is sound advice for some areas of Cape Cod and in some situations, it is very poor advice for other spots, and other situations.
Instead of always trying to troll your tubes on the bottom, I think it can pay to think about trolling depth in a completely different way. I have been tinkering with this specific "trolling depth philosophy" since I was 14 years old and I am excited to share this strategy with you here today.
Click play below to listen to me explain this super simple and highly effective theory.​
Location
I am not a huge fan of putting lines in the water and hoping for the best. Instead I like to first find some life before starting the troll.
Here are some things to keep in mind with regards to location:​
- I like to first mark schools of bass on my sonar before starting to troll
- If I can't find any schools, then marking at least 1 or 2 fish here and there is good enough to convince me to start trolling
- I like to troll in areas where there are "resident" prey items such as lobsters and crabs. Often these areas will be rocky. It can pay to check your charts for structure which might hold crabs and lobsters.
- Trolling around schools of bait fish such as mackerel, herring and squid can be smart...even if I am not marking striped bass.
- Trolling inlets and harbor channels is a sure-fire way to pick up at least a few small fish. Bays and estuaries almost always have at least some striped bass present.
- When all else fails blind trolling through an area where I've caught fish before can be good enough to scrounge up 1 or 2 bites to save the day. Fish often return to the same spots year after year.
I try to remain pretty mobile when trolling tubes. If I don't get a bite or mark anything after 15 minutes of trolling I will often move around a bit and see if I can find some life elsewhere.
Of course there are those days when I just say screw it and troll for hours on end without moving locations. Sometimes the best part of trolling is you get to kick back and relax, and just wait for a rod to bend!​
The Details
We'll dive into even more details in part #3 of this series but for now I would like to close out this post by sharing with you the following tips.
​I think it can pay to keep the following in mind:
- Thread as much of the seaworm onto the hook of the tube as you can. If you leave too much of the worm dangling off the hook, stripers will nip away at the worm and you won't get as many good solid hook sets.
- It's best to keep your trolling speed at 2.5mph or less. If your engine won't idle this low then drag some 5 gallon buckets off the stern of your boat to slow you down.
- The tube and worm also works well at night. Consider trying black tubes once the sun goes down.
- After a couple months of trolling your leadcore line might appear "fuzzy" and need to be changed. Inspect your leadcore and if it looks "fuzzy" then definitely swap it out with new stuff because the "fuzziness" is a sign that the leadcore is losing strength.
- If you make your own tubes I recommend using 9/0 Mustad offset hooks. The REF number for these hooks is 92671. I've experimented a lot with different hooks and I feel this particular hook results in more successfully landed fish.
- When trolling unweighted tubes on leadcore line, expect to achieve around 4-5 feet of depth for every color in the water. So if you troll 4 colors in the water you can expect your tube to be fishing between 18-20 feet beneath the surface of the water.
- While trolling keep your drags set tight enough to achieve a solid hook set. This is not live bait fishing and you do not want to let the fish run with the tube. You want the drag tight enough so that the hook instantly becomes embedded in the fish's jaw. However, keep the drag light enough so that the line does not break.
- It can pay to experiment but in general I troll with the breeze or current. This makes for an enjoyable, less bumpy trolling experience.
Stay tuned later this week for Part #3 Advanced Details which will publish to MFCC later this week!
What do you think? Let me know by commenting below.
Ryan
Get info. Thank-you for sharing. At the end of the Trolling Depth section you write click on play below to listen to you explain your theory. I can’t seem to find play anywhere?
Dave
Hey Dave, yes there should be a “play” button right below that sentence.
Here’s an image capture of what I see when I look at that area https://myfishingcapecod.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Click-Play-Below.png
Are you still not able to see the “play” button? If so then let me know the device you are using, and the internet browser you are using, and I”ll look into the issue.
Thanks Dave!
Hi Ryan great info on tube and worms fishing. I use a couple of penn reels with 40lb test on them, biggest difference is I was using weighted tubes!!! Definitely going to change it up and try off naushon tomorrow.
Sounds good Bob! Leadcore line + unweighted tubes is definitely a good combination.
Thanks Ryan,
I appreciate your advice. My tube and worm results have been so poor during late July and August that many times I switch to freshwater bass fishing just to catch fish. My tube and worm tactics were based on luck at best. You have convinced me to give it another go with a better understanding of tactical approach.
Sounds good! I think you’ll have a good chance with the tube this summer. Let us know when you get a big boy.
Instead of using lead core, and using the colors to determine depth, is it possible to use the downrigger, with sufficient line out past the ball, to drag the T&W around? That way, you could very accurately determine the depth, and wouldn’t have the expense of refitting the reels with lead core line. We’re experimenting with T&W, and if we don’t like it, we wouldn’t be out much $$ and the time spent refitting the reels. Please let me know if you think it wouldn’t work, and why. Thanx.
I think using down riggers would work just fine Keith. Many different ways to skin a cat. Let me know how it works out for you and gluck!
Excellent articles Ryan ( parts 1 & 2). I’ve had pretty good success over the years using T&W, and my set-ups are pretty similar; however, I have been sticking with the larger tubes, 24″, and my leader is about 1/2 the length of what you are using. I’m going to try adding more leader and a smaller tube to see if it increases hookups.
Anyway, great information. Curious as to how deep the water you were trolling was as the late morning early afternoon bite has been avoiding me lately. Great point about the drag set. Too soft and you won’t get a good hook set.
Glad you are enjoying the articles Joe! It definitely pays to experiment and by no means do I have it “all figured out” but adding a longer leader may result in a few more bites for you. Let me know!
Hi Ryan, Thanks to this advice, earlier articles on the site, and other advice shared on the forum I’ve had some success lately with the tube and worm. I caught my first keeper (38″) using that method last weekend; and then 3 in the following trip (38″, 37″, and 34″). I’ve usually found myself bored when trolling, but I suppose that’s because I wasn’t catching. It’s definitely a different fishing mode, very laid back at times, but sure is exciting the moment you get the hit!
Nice Jim! You are correct….the hits jolt you back to life. Just as I find myself on the verge of falling asleep is when I normally get a big bite. LOL
Thanks Ryan. I appreciate all the detail in this report. I have never fished the tube and worm, so this info helps out alot!
No problemo Darren, I think you’ll have a great chance with the tube n’ worm. Let me know when you get a nice one!
do you put any bends in the tube to give it a particular action in the water?
I do not. I normally make my own tubes and just start using them. Over time with fish caught the tubes take on a shape of their own. I do know some guys who swear by putting bends in their tubes, so there’s really no right or wrong way to go about it. Gluck!