Tube and Worming for Summer Slobs | Part #1 Tackle

Last week I was finally able to get out fishing with my Dad. The weather folks had predicted flat calm seas which would be ideal for a day of striped bass fishing.

Right now the bass are holding deep during the day in this summer heat. Our idea was to troll deep and cool water to see if we could entice a "slob" striper or two using the old reliable tube and worm.​

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The late July sunrise was spectacular!

Conditions could not of been any better. There was a slight breeze and chop but it was manageable. I felt like our odds of hooking at least one or two big fish were quite high.

​As is often the case during mid-summer, my Dad and I trolled for at least a couple of hours before our first bite of the day. I was nearly half asleep when all of a sudden the starboard side reel started singing, nearly giving me a heart attack!

This was a big fish, and it was my father's first of the entire season! I did not weigh the bass but I would estimate her to be around 30 pounds.​ Not bad for my Dad's first fish of 2015!​

We logged in a lot of time and miles during this trip, and I have to admit I dozed off a time or two, but we ended up boating 3 great fish in the 20-35 pound range.

Best of all my Dad successfully reeled in each one of them!​​

On this day I feel we would of gotten skunked had we decided to use another technique, such as casting plugs or speed trolling Sebiles. The fish were deep and they wanted the tube.

Are you looking for a simple and reliable way of catching a big fish right now during the middle of the summer?

If yes then the upcoming series of posts about tube and worm trolling may be right for you!​

I love trolling tubes because it's a simple technique to learn and use. Like other techniques it will take years to "master" but the basics can be picked up rather quickly.

I also love turning around to a doubled over rod while line screams from the reel! There is nothing better than a vicious hit after hours of nothing at all.

So as far as gear is concerned you'll need these basic items:​​

I've trolled the tube and worm from a 12 foot tin boat, a 19 foot Carolina Skiff and a 21 foot Hydra Sport.

I have also attempted to troll tubes from a 40 foot Sportfisher, however a boat that large may have trouble achieving a slow enough trolling speed for the tube.

​For example, while trolling from that big Sportfisher we were only able to slow down to 4 mph which is far too fast for the tube and worm. Whatever you troll from, try to keep your trolling speed between 1.5 and 2.5 mph. ​

Make sure you have some sturdy rod holders and make sure your rod and reel is leashed and secured to the boat. ​Tube hits can be vicious and you don't want your pricey rod and reel to get yanked from the boat.​

Back when I was a teenager I learned firsthand the importance of securely leashing rods and reels.

One day while trolling tubes with my Dad the starboard side rod received a bite that was so powerful that the rod holder broke, and the unleashed rod and reel sank to the bottom of the ocean.

I don't want that to happen to you!​​

I usually bring at least 4 dozen fresh live seaworms with me for a day of tube and worm trolling. On slow days I might only use a handful of the worms, but I never want to risk the chance of running out of bait when the bite is hot.

Some folks swear by the artificial scented plastic worms, but I prefer the real deal. I think live seaworms work better and result in a higher bite-to-hookup batting average.​

There are so many different types of tubes to choose from, so I am going to simplify the task for you and recommend you only use the 3 colors of tubes I reveal in the below video.

Remember to keep it simple!

Have these 3 colors of tubes on your boat at all times and you will be in very good shape.​

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I recommend using unweighted tubes. I avoid using the tubes that come with an egg sinker in the nose because it's easy for these tubes to foul on themselves if you're not careful.

I also feel that keeping the length and width of your tubes simple is really important. Again you can go crazy purchasing all different lengths of tubes, but I feel you really only need 3 different tube lengths.

Here are the 3 tube lengths which I highly recommend.​

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I recommend having all 3 lengths in each of the 3 colors.​ That equals a grand total of 9 weightless tubes to cover every tube and worm situation I can imagine.

The last piece of information you need regarding tubes is the proper tube width. I have seen tubes with widths larger than 1 inch in diameter and tubes as small as 1/4 inch in diamater.

I have done a fair amount of experimenting over the years and I believe the tube width depicted below to be the most productive.​

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I feel you will have terrific odds of success if you rig yourself up with the above mentioned types of tubes.​

I like the Penn 113HSP for trolling tubes. These are versatile reels which I can also use for trolling bunker spoons.

With regards to the rod I have decided (again after a lot of experimenting!) that the rod highlighted below is the best for trolling tubes (at least for me).

This particular rod has a strong back bone with a soft tip. The strong back bone helps me fight the fish while the soft tip helps to prevent popped hooks.​

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Don't forget to securely leash your rod!​

I would recommend first adding around 200 yards of 50 pound Dacron backing to your Penn 113HSP. Then tie a Slim Beauty knot to connect the Dacron to a 100 yard spool of 45 pound leadcore line.

Just make sure to first remove 24 inches of lead from the lead core line before you tie the knot. In other words, pull the strand of lead out of the 24 inch section of lead core line prior to using that section of lead core to tie the Slim Beauty knot.

Use another Slim Beauty to tie a 50 pound mono or fluorocarbon leader of at least 20 feet to the business end of the 45 pound lead core line.​ Then use a Trilene knot to attach a snap swivel of at least 150 pound test.

Why lead core line?

Stay tuned for the answer to that question and more in Part #2 Tube and Worm Strategy.