I threw a smokes colored bitsy tube for the last two years quite a bit. Even at night. I've caught so many species of fish even big stripers, hybrids and big largemouth.
I put a one and a half inch tube trying to find crappie last year. I caught 5 catfish over 5lbs each in less than 10 casts. I was missing them at first but by slowing down the hook set I started hooking up. I was surprised at what I pulled up! Over and over again!
I agree with this mini-tube tip, for sure. IMO, I like even more 2" TWISTER TAIL GRUBS, either from Berkley Powerbait or Wisconsin's own Mister Twister. This is a super timely tip Matt, especially with the coldest water of the year almost upon us up here in the North Country.
Hello Matt, how about this: if you want to downsize a tube, try rigging it by inserting the point of the Eagle Claw size 2/0 570 jig hook into the open end of the tube, push the point out the front of the tube's nose and leave the 1/4 oz. or 1/8 oz. head right at the opening of the tube where the tentacles begin. If you feel a desire to make it look more like a central New York goby, you can snip off the upper and lower tentacles to just leave them sticking out at the sides. Gives a shorter profile and great action with the tentacles bent back as you work it.
Great video Matt! Years ago I was part of some small tournaments in my area. One guy won several of the tournaments using crappie jigs. Not to mention my daughter caught a 33” tiger musky on one when she was seven!
Yes sir! Great insights to smaller Lures. Small crappie plastics got me turned onto the smallest crankbaits, jerbaits, and topwaters I could find. This can make for exciting days because big fish CAN be caught on tiny lures!
I just tried the Northland short shank but they were a little heavy for my application, but I never thought of using a Ned rig set up! This is going to work great on the small tubes! Great video Matt!
Dude I don't fish tubes enough. Just one of those techniques I haven't much time with and really need to. I feel like most guys here in AL don't fish with them much either, which is enough reason to do it. Great video man.
Matt some of the old timers will remember this, we would stuff tube baits with cotton drenched with attractants and that really helped, thanks for the video great information as always 👍
One thing Matt I can honestly say about your content is I have yet to say #1 Nah I don't want to listen to what you're about to say #2 I've heard the same content like this before elsewhere Started watching your content back last week of April looking to learn how to fish jigs on YT you came up in a search along with a dozens of others Been watching every video of yours I can find since then I now only concentrate on you and only 1 or two other fishing content providers What separates you from most everyone else is you spend 90% of your videos giving sound easy to understand and apply fishing techniques and very very little time trying to sell your viewers equipment and most importantly your techniques have worked for me and my sons. Since then based on your videos I have given both the drop shot and Wackey rigs a try and have enjoyed success with them when my traditional Texas rigged soft plastics weren't producing I especially look for all your videos on smallmouth fishing in the great lakes as Lake Michigan is walking distance from my home and it's absolutely phenomenal smallmouth fishing. Use to drive 45 minutes each way to fish the Kankakee river just for smallies from 1983 till I discovered smallmouth fishing in lake Michigan in about 1993 and it was at least 2-3× better and never went anywhere else to chase smallmouth again. No one I've ever watched on YT puts out better more useful bass fishing content than you and I will give all providers a try that come up from a YT search Great job keeping your content very helpful and BS free
thanks so much for the feedback and I miss fishing the chicago lake front. I used to ride the metra train to work with a fishing rod and then walk over to the lakefront after work to catch a few smallmouth!
I started fishing for smallies with tubes and really used them a lot for all bass. I got away from them experimenting with different lures, but always used the little ones for panfish. I started using them again a couple years ago for bass. I am thinking of a tube on the bottom with a little tube above on a dropshot as a killer Fall/Early Winter technique.
After seeing Matt's suggestion of replacing a dropshot weight with a Ned Rig, I don't know why anyone would ever use a dropshot weight ever... Instead of a weight, just use some other type of bottom contact lure... Double the hooks, covers 2 levels of the water column, chance at a two-fer! A dropshot weight can't do that!
I’m glad somebody made a more recent tube video. I came up with two tube rigs I’ve been killing river smallies with and both are weedless. The first is I’ve been taking a bed rig hook stuffing it in the tube making a little hole 90 degrees at the bottom and running my line through then using a bobber stop on the outside of the tube where the line goes in to keep the hook from coming out. It crushes also I haven’t used this yet but put a hole on the tip line through bobber stop again and then use your favorite egg weight for a Texas rig feed it to the bottom of the tube with a small treble hook behind it stuffed in the tube so you can drag on bottom and have a trebble hook to keep ‘‘em pinned weedless. I call it the swan rig because of my name lol. You should try it and see what you think
Ditto. I tried a mod that randy blaukat showed the other day.... cut two Zoom Flukes into two pieces, and use soldering iron (or he uses lighter) to meld two of the pieces together to make a magnum size fluke with pretty amazing action due to the flexibility at the solder point.
Thanks for the tip about using a mini tube on a drop shot. I'll be trying it soon and it should take care of the casting problem I have with the small tubes.
Hey Matt, I fish tubes year round. It’s a great bait and it’s something that largemouth don’t see very often. There is a lot ways to fish it and bass eat it up!!!
Something I had always heard was you’re going to need to fish a tube to catch smallies on Lake St. Clair. I had never had any success fishing tubes before last season. The adjustment I made that started getting bites was downsizing. All I use now in tournaments are crappie maxx tubes from Bass Pro Shop with a 1/8oz ball head jig, or a 2.5” Power Bait tube.
best LMB so far in 2022 came on a tube the same day I caught other decent fish on the big 10 inch worm. 3 inch bait trimmed down slightly. Thanks and good fishing.
Big Bite Baits Crappie Kit, if I remember right it was like 1,000 tubes in different colors and a couple size with some jigheads all ready to go in a thin Plano box and it was like $20-25🎣
🍺 Try multiple tubes on the same rod. Similar to a donkey rig and or double fluke rig….. (swivels of course for line twist) The tube on the bottom is (weighted) and the 2 and or 3 more tubes above are drop shot style. Check your state’s regulations on how many your allowed. You can catch 2-3 at a time and learn at what depth the bass prefer that day. This works excellent for those that do not have electronics to see where the fish are holding and learn the bottom make up of the area you are fishing. I prefer a semi heavy weight on the bottom for the “contact feel” and the cast ability especially if it’s windy and or current.
I’ve caught good fish on small tubes too. Never on a drop shot though, I’m going to have to try that. I’ve caught some big ones in the middle of winter on tiny trout magnets too.
Great video Matt, Back in the day when I fished small local ponds in Pa I would use the white creme jig head with a small white grub from creme. I add a beetle spin to add some vibration and flash. A way down sized spinner bait basically Gets a lot of strikes.
I really like the standard gamakatsu round jighead in 1/8th with 1/0 hook for 2.5” maxscent tube. Fits it great and it has a better quality hook than most of the jigheads you mentioned at least imo tight lines! Thanks for the content as always
Well I have tried the smaller ones. Normally just use the stuke king 3.5 coffee tubes or occasionally use the zman 2.75 trd ticklerz even though it's kind a more a ned rig. So so success with those. Looking forward to trying out the smaller ones. Pickin up some tomorrow. Thanks for all the tips. You rock bub.
For the 2 inch tube, I had a problem finding hook, but I found my weedless weighted wacky hook works great. I don't get hung up as much river fishing. The wacky hook is a short finesse hook.
Many of the locals on Bankhead Lake on Warrior River, Alabama fish for spotted bass with the small crappy tubes in deep and shallow water. They encourage me to use the crappy tubes but so far I have been unsuccessful because I haven't found the right size hook. Thanks for your video because I needed to know they will catch bass. The locals do not use the drop shot rig but a spinning rod with light line and just throw it out, let in sink to bottom and just pop up similar to worm fishing.
I’ve used those exact Maxi crappie tubes since I started fishing as a child. Caught a mess of crappie, bluegill, and the occasional bass. I’ve never thought of using them for targeting them tho! Thanks for the tip!
Love the Tube, lost on the current gen of fishermen. We usually poured our tube jigs using Gama, Owner or Daiichi hoods for an upgrade in hardware. I like a fine wire and smaller barb for the light line, 4-8#. Good bait, out of vogue but can be very effective. Be well.
That's one thing I like about using crappie baits is you can continually catch fish, blue gill to small mouth & crappie in the middle, one bait that I'm really liking is a Berkeley minnow I've caught all those last trip, smaller baits & hooks is the way to go for more bites!🎣👍
Absolutely works perfectly. The whole Creme line is perfect for bass and other species. I have not used the Berkley tubes yet but am confident they will be just as effective. The Creme line is available at Walmart.
I drop shot a tube a lot.....the Strike King Coffee Tube 2.75 size is a killer for both largemouth and smallmouth. I'm definitely going to try those smaller ones next season.
Great info! Over in Eau Galle I caught a hog of a crappie on a 2.5 inch tube lol. Over in Iowa I’ve caught a lot of fish on 4, 3.5 and 2.5 inch tubes. Little Hustler Tubes by SountherPro are excellent in mini tubes as well.
Hey Matt, I noticed you have a lake breakdown for Dale Hollow in the Winter. Do you plan on doing one for in the Fall? Planning a fishing trip with a friend in the upcoming weeks and would love to get some knowledge from you before the trip!!! I am long overdue for some solid brownies!!!!
This is one of my favorite ways to catch large trout on the Green River in Utah. Super deadly! I have taken it a step further by tying fox tail fur to the hook shank.
Hey Matt do small mouth on a big river with pretty heavy current stay in the current or in creek mouths? I live on the Ohio and it's probably 350 to 400 yards wide here and has rip rap on the Ohio side where I'm at and the WV side is regular river bank
Since about 11:00AM it's gotten colder and colder! I thought I told you to keep it! Yuck!! Yeah, I have all the above. For smallies I like the red & white tube, which they seem to hate. All they want to do is kill it. I'll take crappie, brown bass, spots even bucket mouth on the 2" caffeine tube. But Matt, try that red&white for smallies. Even on your river! Pitch it to the bank, lrg rock and every depression you can find.
i use the smallest jig heads i can find for the slow fall and get crushed by everything multiple hits every cast w the small crappie mini tubes from bass pro. i get the 1/32 jig heads from walmart, cheap hooks but the only ones i can find around me that light.
Good video Matt, I think the tube is so powerful is cause it mimics baitfish like you said but also at same time mimics crawfish and also the irractic movement is instant bite. On a side note please help...... my whole life fishing 25 years, i only used spinning, now im gonna baitcast so 1. I always cast with my left arm then right when lure hits water in a flash I switch rod to right arm and reel with my left hand..... so 2. Should i buy a left hand or right hand baitcast reel ? Also 3. No problem with price, which baitcast reel should I buy to help against back lash ? Thannks man !
stick with what is most comfortable for you from a reel standpoint. Im loving the new Abu garcia Zenon MG-X. check it out here. its an amazing reel! www.tacklewarehouse.com/Abu_Garcia_Zenon_MG-X_Casting_Reels/descpage-AGZMG.html?from=MSFG
@@MattStefanFishing ok thanks, one last question, if i buy a left hand baitcast reel would casting with my left arm then switching fast be ok ? Would handle get in way ?
I always have a tube rigged. I think a 3.5 inch tube will get more bites than almost anything you can pitch around. The 2.5 sounds intriguing?! Any tips for a weedless rig with smaller tubes?
@@MattStefanFishing I still bought the rest of it, hope you get credit. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience, it saves me time which is worth more than money these days.
The little Creme tubes are money for bass. I catch spots mostly. Creme also makes a tiny little buzz toad. Rig it weedless on a small hook, fish it topwater on an ultralight setup, and watch what happens. That's all I'm saying.
I've caught bass quite a few times on crappie size baits. This is good advice. Why shouldn't we offer snack sized baits. Thanks for reminding me of this.
I use a few hooks on my crappie tubes and micro baits. I hook them like a weightless texas rig and I use a dropshot or free rig. I cast them out with a 1/16 or 1/8 ounce weight. I haven't used a bullet weight but I know they work as well. 1. Owner Mosquito Hook #8 2. Gamakatsu Perfect Micro Gap (various sizes). 3. #8 Octopus Hook (a bit heavy) Folks, give it a try and let us know what happened.
Smoke purple flake tubes from 4 inch flipping to crappie size have caught me many bass and have saved the day many times. I should just fish them and nothing else. KISS principle.
Anchored with April Vokey channel. It had interview from a year ago about a book Gordon van der Spuy wrote called 'The Feather Mechanic'. Even though he fishes rivers and streams in areas such as Johannesburg. I think there are some things about design, form and function. That any angler could relate to their own application.
Dare you go! You learned some ting again once,enso. Actually, years ago when I would take my kids fishing and we used small tubes on a jig we found that a red one with a white or clear tail caught bass also
Ok, that droppie tube is sick. Ever take the weight from an old Dark Slee.. **aHEM** agent e? I have enjoyed the results. No game changer, just cool. I live in SW Michigan Beachtown, right by a juicy harbor where 2 rivers meet at the big lake, and it should be a bassin sin the amount I'm not using tubes. When I know good populations are there though, I won't be on a boat for days. It's so satisfying to walk and catch those giants. I taught my girl to use casting gear last spring, I've had her on the bass dingy flippin, she can skip, but all she wants to do in life now is throw this bare zman willow-bladed jighead with a fluke down at the harbor now she's experienced those big browns power fishing. We've barely been in our little boat lately. But man, it's's hard to teach someone the ways. I didn't even make a single video this year, but man I stuck tons of hawgs, and so did she, and we watch you and Randy daily. She scoffs at small bass already. Doesn't even want to think about them. You'd be shocked at the amount of Michigan gigantic largies she's out up, fishing flippin jigs in grass mostly. And we only fish public lakes too. I didn't take her to ponds and say this is it lol
I threw a smokes colored bitsy tube for the last two years quite a bit. Even at night. I've caught so many species of fish even big stripers, hybrids and big largemouth.
awesome!
I put a one and a half inch tube trying to find crappie last year. I caught 5 catfish over 5lbs each in less than 10 casts. I was missing them at first but by slowing down the hook set I started hooking up. I was surprised at what I pulled up! Over and over again!
Thanks for sharing
I agree with this mini-tube tip, for sure. IMO, I like even more 2" TWISTER TAIL GRUBS, either from Berkley Powerbait or Wisconsin's own Mister Twister. This is a super timely tip Matt, especially with the coldest water of the year almost upon us up here in the North Country.
Right on
Hello Matt, how about this: if you want to downsize a tube, try rigging it by inserting the point of the Eagle Claw size 2/0 570 jig hook into the open end of the tube, push the point out the front of the tube's nose and leave the 1/4 oz. or 1/8 oz. head right at the opening of the tube where the tentacles begin. If you feel a desire to make it look more like a central New York goby, you can snip off the upper and lower tentacles to just leave them sticking out at the sides. Gives a shorter profile and great action with the tentacles bent back as you work it.
sounds cool to me! thanks for sharing!
Great video Matt! Years ago I was part of some small tournaments in my area. One guy won several of the tournaments using crappie jigs. Not to mention my daughter caught a 33” tiger musky on one when she was seven!
awesome!
Thanks for taking the time to put these videos together for us.
My pleasure!
Yes sir! Great insights to smaller Lures. Small crappie plastics got me turned onto the smallest crankbaits, jerbaits, and topwaters I could find. This can make for exciting days because big fish CAN be caught on tiny lures!
agreed!
I just tried the Northland short shank but they were a little heavy for my application, but I never thought of using a Ned rig set up! This is going to work great on the small tubes! Great video Matt!
Great to hear!
Dude I don't fish tubes enough. Just one of those techniques I haven't much time with and really need to. I feel like most guys here in AL don't fish with them much either, which is enough reason to do it. Great video man.
give them a try!
Matt some of the old timers will remember this, we would stuff tube baits with cotton drenched with attractants and that really helped, thanks for the video great information as always 👍
Great tip!
One thing Matt I can honestly say about your content is I have yet to say
#1 Nah I don't want to listen to what you're about to say
#2 I've heard the same content like this before elsewhere
Started watching your content back last week of April looking to learn how to fish jigs on YT you came up in a search along with a dozens of others
Been watching every video of yours I can find since then
I now only concentrate on you and only 1 or two other fishing content providers
What separates you from most everyone else is you spend 90% of your videos giving sound easy to understand and apply fishing techniques and very very little time trying to sell your viewers equipment and most importantly your techniques have worked for me and my sons.
Since then based on your videos I have given both the drop shot and Wackey rigs a try and have enjoyed success with them when my traditional Texas rigged soft plastics weren't producing
I especially look for all your videos on smallmouth fishing in the great lakes as Lake Michigan is walking distance from my home and it's absolutely phenomenal smallmouth fishing. Use to drive 45 minutes each way to fish the Kankakee river just for smallies from 1983 till I discovered smallmouth fishing in lake Michigan in about 1993 and it was at least 2-3× better and never went anywhere else to chase smallmouth again.
No one I've ever watched on YT puts out better more useful bass fishing content than you and I will give all providers a try that come up from a YT search
Great job keeping your content very helpful and BS free
thanks so much for the feedback and I miss fishing the chicago lake front. I used to ride the metra train to work with a fishing rod and then walk over to the lakefront after work to catch a few smallmouth!
I started fishing for smallies with tubes and really used them a lot for all bass. I got away from them experimenting with different lures, but always used the little ones for panfish. I started using them again a couple years ago for bass. I am thinking of a tube on the bottom with a little tube above on a dropshot as a killer Fall/Early Winter technique.
Is that a weighted tube, with another tube up the line a ways? How far apart are they?
@@ricksonora6656 Yes, weighted in bottom with a drop shot hook above with a little tube. I have done this with ned baits.
@@johndrx165 Thanks! It sounds like a great way to figure out their mood.
i like the sounds of that!
After seeing Matt's suggestion of replacing a dropshot weight with a Ned Rig, I don't know why anyone would ever use a dropshot weight ever... Instead of a weight, just use some other type of bottom contact lure... Double the hooks, covers 2 levels of the water column, chance at a two-fer! A dropshot weight can't do that!
I’m glad somebody made a more recent tube video. I came up with two tube rigs I’ve been killing river smallies with and both are weedless. The first is I’ve been taking a bed rig hook stuffing it in the tube making a little hole 90 degrees at the bottom and running my line through then using a bobber stop on the outside of the tube where the line goes in to keep the hook from coming out. It crushes also I haven’t used this yet but put a hole on the tip line through bobber stop again and then use your favorite egg weight for a Texas rig feed it to the bottom of the tube with a small treble hook behind it stuffed in the tube so you can drag on bottom and have a trebble hook to keep ‘‘em pinned weedless. I call it the swan rig because of my name lol. You should try it and see what you think
interesting! thanks for sharing!
This is appropriate .I’m dipping tube baits today .lots a fun making my own lures is a big part of bass fishing for fun an excitement.
Ditto. I tried a mod that randy blaukat showed the other day.... cut two Zoom Flukes into two pieces, and use soldering iron (or he uses lighter) to meld two of the pieces together to make a magnum size fluke with pretty amazing action due to the flexibility at the solder point.
awesome!
Love your tip videos!!! Awesome info, never thought about down sizing.
Glad it was helpful!
Aron martens gave me a one on one about tubes. I never take the boat out without one or two tied on. It is my go to bait. Thank You
thats awesome!
Thanks for the tip about using a mini tube on a drop shot. I'll be trying it soon and it should take care of the casting problem I have with the small tubes.
good luck!
I 100 percent agree, I use a small strike king tube with a Owner Phantom jig head, it is my go to for both smallmouth and largemouth
awesome!
Hey Matt, I fish tubes year round. It’s a great bait and it’s something that largemouth don’t see very often. There is a lot ways to fish it and bass eat it up!!!
Sounds great!
Something I had always heard was you’re going to need to fish a tube to catch smallies on Lake St. Clair. I had never had any success fishing tubes before last season. The adjustment I made that started getting bites was downsizing. All I use now in tournaments are crappie maxx tubes from Bass Pro Shop with a 1/8oz ball head jig, or a 2.5” Power Bait tube.
you do not need a tube to catch smallies...but it does work well
The Inhaler Jig head fits the 2.5” tube perfect. It does have a beefed up hook but still works well on a medium action spinning rod.
thanks for sharing!
GREAT perspective on tube fishing. Thanks for the info im going to try the small tubes next year.
you bet!
best LMB so far in 2022 came on a tube the same day I caught other decent fish on the big 10 inch worm. 3 inch bait trimmed down slightly. Thanks and good fishing.
Nice!
Big Bite Baits Crappie Kit, if I remember right it was like 1,000 tubes in different colors and a couple size with some jigheads all ready to go in a thin Plano box and it was like $20-25🎣
dang!
🍺 Try multiple tubes on the same rod. Similar to a donkey rig and or double fluke rig….. (swivels of course for line twist) The tube on the bottom is (weighted) and the 2 and or 3 more tubes above are drop shot style. Check your state’s regulations on how many your allowed. You can catch 2-3 at a time and learn at what depth the bass prefer that day. This works excellent for those that do not have electronics to see where the fish are holding and learn the bottom make up of the area you are fishing.
I prefer a semi heavy weight on the bottom for the “contact feel” and the cast ability especially if it’s windy and or current.
i like the sound of that!
I’ve caught good fish on small tubes too. Never on a drop shot though, I’m going to have to try that. I’ve caught some big ones in the middle of winter on tiny trout magnets too.
very cool!
Great video Matt, Back in the day when I fished small local ponds in Pa I would use the white creme jig head with a small white grub from creme. I add a beetle spin to add some vibration and flash. A way down sized spinner bait basically Gets a lot of strikes.
Sounds great!
I never thought about throwing it on a drop shot, that’s a great idea!
go for it!
I really like the standard gamakatsu round jighead in 1/8th with 1/0 hook for 2.5” maxscent tube. Fits it great and it has a better quality hook than most of the jigheads you mentioned at least imo tight lines! Thanks for the content as always
thanks for sharing!
Well I have tried the smaller ones. Normally just use the stuke king 3.5 coffee tubes or occasionally use the zman 2.75 trd ticklerz even though it's kind a more a ned rig. So so success with those. Looking forward to trying out the smaller ones. Pickin up some tomorrow. Thanks for all the tips. You rock bub.
I think the 2" will work great here in Michigan's Thumb 👍🏻 I can't wait to try them!
Yes it will
Bass Pro has some great 2.75" tubes also!! I bought a bunch of them to start the small tube attack!!
Nice!
For the 2 inch tube, I had a problem finding hook, but I found my weedless weighted wacky hook works great. I don't get hung up as much river fishing. The wacky hook is a short finesse hook.
awesome!
Many of the locals on Bankhead Lake on Warrior River, Alabama fish for spotted bass with the small crappy tubes in deep and shallow water. They encourage me to use the crappy tubes but so far I have been unsuccessful because I haven't found the right size hook. Thanks for your video because I needed to know they will catch bass. The locals do not use the drop shot rig but a spinning rod with light line and just throw it out, let in sink to bottom and just pop up similar to worm fishing.
nice!
I’ve used those exact Maxi crappie tubes since I started fishing as a child. Caught a mess of crappie, bluegill, and the occasional bass. I’ve never thought of using them for targeting them tho! Thanks for the tip!
they are dynamite!
Oh there you go again giving out some secrets!!! They work amazing and I would highly suggest!!!
haha!
The tube has to be the second best plastic ever made behind only the senko! Thanks man great stuff as always!
its way up the charts!
Love the Tube, lost on the current gen of fishermen. We usually poured our tube jigs using Gama, Owner or Daiichi hoods for an upgrade in hardware. I like a fine wire and smaller barb for the light line, 4-8#. Good bait, out of vogue but can be very effective. Be well.
agreed
That's one thing I like about using crappie baits is you can continually catch fish, blue gill to small mouth & crappie in the middle, one bait that I'm really liking is a Berkeley minnow I've caught all those last trip, smaller baits & hooks is the way to go for more bites!🎣👍
they catch everything!
Perfect timing I've been using tubes and have some small tubes I can't find hooks for. Now I know what to use and where to get them
Glad I could help!
@@MattStefanFishing you always do
Caught a 28” walleye on a 1/16 oz tube this year!
big one!
Good tube video and I will try this next trip out!
You should!
Absolutely works perfectly. The whole Creme line is perfect for bass and other species. I have not used the Berkley tubes yet but am confident they will be just as effective. The Creme line is available at Walmart.
awesome!
I drop shot a tube a lot.....the Strike King Coffee Tube 2.75 size is a killer for both largemouth and smallmouth. I'm definitely going to try those smaller ones next season.
awesome!
Are you just nose hooking the tube on a dropshot? Thanks! Great stuff as always
yep
I been using crappie tubes for 40+ yrs caught some nice size bass on them over the yrs.
awesome!
Great info! Over in Eau Galle I caught a hog of a crappie on a 2.5 inch tube lol. Over in Iowa I’ve caught a lot of fish on 4, 3.5 and 2.5 inch tubes. Little Hustler Tubes by SountherPro are excellent in mini tubes as well.
thanks for sharing!
Great video Matt. Never thought of dropshotting a crappie tube.
You should!
Won many tournaments out west
Hey Matt, I noticed you have a lake breakdown for Dale Hollow in the Winter. Do you plan on doing one for in the Fall? Planning a fishing trip with a friend in the upcoming weeks and would love to get some knowledge from you before the trip!!! I am long overdue for some solid brownies!!!!
At some poitn ill get one done but not sure when ill get to it unfortunatly
I use the Matt Stefan 1/0 swimbait head for 2.5-2.75 tubes. Several weights, works great
nice! ill give it a try!
This is one of my favorite ways to catch large trout on the Green River in Utah. Super deadly! I have taken it a step further by tying fox tail fur to the hook shank.
That is awesome!
Thanks Matt .
You bet!
Hey Matt do small mouth on a big river with pretty heavy current stay in the current or in creek mouths? I live on the Ohio and it's probably 350 to 400 yards wide here and has rip rap on the Ohio side where I'm at and the WV side is regular river bank
there are main river smallies and creek smallies on the OHIO
Great tips here thanks Matt!
you bet!
Can you clearify? You use the mini crappie tube on a drop shot ? Looks like u run the the hook through the tube (not nose hook)?
Great Lakes Finesse Mini Pro Tube heads fit small tubes very well
Yep
Matt, have you found any stupid tube heads that will fit the 2.5” tube? I’m looking for a weedless option
Nope
Since about 11:00AM it's gotten colder and colder! I thought I told you to keep it! Yuck!! Yeah, I have all the above. For smallies I like the red & white tube, which they seem to hate. All they want to do is kill it. I'll take crappie, brown bass, spots even bucket mouth on the 2" caffeine tube. But Matt, try that red&white for smallies. Even on your river! Pitch it to the bank, lrg rock and every depression you can find.
thanks for sharing!
Bass pro shops makes a 2.25” magnum squirt tube that is a smallmouth slayer.
ill check it out!
When you use the crappie tubes on a drop shot, do you nose hook them?
usually
i use the smallest jig heads i can find for the slow fall and get crushed by everything multiple hits every cast w the small crappie mini tubes from bass pro. i get the 1/32 jig heads from walmart, cheap hooks but the only ones i can find around me that light.
and use 6 pound fluoro for the mini tubes
Thanks for sharing
Matt where did you get the Big Foot on your door?
its a portlandia wine display
I was wondering if they make ewg or weed less hooks for the micro tubes? I also fish with micro tubes but almost always get hung up as well.
i dont know of any weedless tubes hooks for micros tubes
Good video Matt, I think the tube is so powerful is cause it mimics baitfish like you said but also at same time mimics crawfish and also the irractic movement is instant bite. On a side note please help...... my whole life fishing 25 years, i only used spinning, now im gonna baitcast so 1. I always cast with my left arm then right when lure hits water in a flash I switch rod to right arm and reel with my left hand..... so 2. Should i buy a left hand or right hand baitcast reel ? Also 3. No problem with price, which baitcast reel should I buy to help against back lash ? Thannks man !
stick with what is most comfortable for you from a reel standpoint. Im loving the new Abu garcia Zenon MG-X. check it out here. its an amazing reel! www.tacklewarehouse.com/Abu_Garcia_Zenon_MG-X_Casting_Reels/descpage-AGZMG.html?from=MSFG
@@MattStefanFishing ok thanks, one last question, if i buy a left hand baitcast reel would casting with my left arm then switching fast be ok ? Would handle get in way ?
Great video 👍
Thanks 👍
I always have a tube rigged. I think a 3.5 inch tube will get more bites than almost anything you can pitch around. The 2.5 sounds intriguing?! Any tips for a weedless rig with smaller tubes?
get hard to find a hook that works
Fact Thanks Matt
You bet
love the tips!!!!
thanks!
I like tubs but lose a lot of bass on them and Neds . Guess I dont know how to use light tackle well .
bummer!
thumbs up to the cutout in the background. Big Foot represent!
haha!
Matt, i did not see a link to the Northland half shank hook.
Tackle warehouse doesn’t have them
@@MattStefanFishing I still bought the rest of it, hope you get credit. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience, it saves me time which is worth more than money these days.
@@MattStefanFishing actually they do, but you need to search with the exact words, want the link?
The little Creme tubes are money for bass. I catch spots mostly. Creme also makes a tiny little buzz toad. Rig it weedless on a small hook, fish it topwater on an ultralight setup, and watch what happens. That's all I'm saying.
they are nice!
I've caught bass quite a few times on crappie size baits. This is good advice. Why shouldn't we offer snack sized baits. Thanks for reminding me of this.
Exactly!
Thanks
No problem
I use a few hooks on my crappie tubes and micro baits. I hook them like a weightless texas rig and I use a dropshot or free rig. I cast them out with a 1/16 or 1/8 ounce weight. I haven't used a bullet weight but I know they work as well.
1. Owner Mosquito Hook #8
2. Gamakatsu Perfect Micro Gap (various sizes).
3. #8 Octopus Hook (a bit heavy)
Folks, give it a try and let us know what happened.
thanks for sharing with us!
MATT: Arkie Baits make a 2.5 crappie tube. They are nice.
Awesome!
I make a stupid head tube for my 2.5 tubes. Works awesome!
sounds great!
It works for pressure fish for sure just like you said.
Smoke purple flake tubes from 4 inch flipping to crappie size have caught me many bass and have saved the day many times. I should just fish them and nothing else. KISS principle.
keep it simple haha!
They can't resist a small snack. Thanks Matt. Talk to later.
i like M&M's too!
One that Matt Stefan might find useful for bait design.
Anchored with April Vokey channel. It had interview from a year ago about a book Gordon van der Spuy wrote called 'The Feather Mechanic'. Even though he fishes rivers and streams in areas such as Johannesburg. I think there are some things about design, form and function. That any angler could relate to their own application.
ill check it out thanks!
Dare you go! You learned some ting again once,enso. Actually, years ago when I would take my kids fishing and we used small tubes on a jig we found that a red one with a white or clear tail caught bass also
awesome!
One thing that i have learned about fishing a tube the fish will tell you very quickly how they want it
agreed!
Damn... I was CERTAIN a smallmouth was gonna leap and take that wacky rig you had dangling over the starboard side.
haha!
Pro2.5 XL tube from Arkie is juice. Stick as 1/16 Wally Marshall jighead. Your welcome fishing freaks.✌️😎
Thanks for the info
@@MattStefanFishing It's a unique tube size.
Tokyo rig that bad boy
This. I make my own little Tokyo rigs with a 1/0 EWG and the 3.5" Maxscent tube is like cheating in my local creek.
ill have to try that
Every year I catch nice bass crappie fishing.
You got that right!
I've used them before but got away from it. Thanks for the update. MAW bass.
You bet
The green tubes are striper candy
Nice!
👍👍👍👍👍
thanks for watching!
Can't find all black
Dang
I catch bass every time I crappie fish.
its no fluke!
Quiet!!!
haha!
I catch 80% of fish all on a green tube
I am talking about thousands of fish, Monsterz of all species.
Sounds good
Pay Matt comment
thanks!
Ok, that droppie tube is sick. Ever take the weight from an old Dark Slee.. **aHEM** agent e? I have enjoyed the results. No game changer, just cool. I live in SW Michigan Beachtown, right by a juicy harbor where 2 rivers meet at the big lake, and it should be a bassin sin the amount I'm not using tubes. When I know good populations are there though, I won't be on a boat for days. It's so satisfying to walk and catch those giants. I taught my girl to use casting gear last spring, I've had her on the bass dingy flippin, she can skip, but all she wants to do in life now is throw this bare zman willow-bladed jighead with a fluke down at the harbor now she's experienced those big browns power fishing. We've barely been in our little boat lately. But man, it's's hard to teach someone the ways. I didn't even make a single video this year, but man I stuck tons of hawgs, and so did she, and we watch you and Randy daily. She scoffs at small bass already. Doesn't even want to think about them. You'd be shocked at the amount of Michigan gigantic largies she's out up, fishing flippin jigs in grass mostly. And we only fish public lakes too. I didn't take her to ponds and say this is it lol
ill have to give that a try!