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I have always used the popular ones Bobby Garland, Crappie Magnet, Roadrunners,. I was wondering everyone's success or lack thereof with them? How do you fish it: under float, straight jig. I know there are solid and hollow body tubes, what's everyone preference? I bought some and was wondering what method works or if I wasted my money?
Tube style jigs. I use some made out of the Arkansas area. Been using them since about 2003. They are larger tubes 2”, so generally produce bigger fish. But I use whatever they want that day .
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I prefer the Hollow style tube bodies. in rigging them up, I started out putting the jig inside the body, (using 1/32 oz ball head jigs) but soon just putting the body on the hook so the bend o the hook came out where the tentacles started. this also kept the body in place, and afforded a color change, without cutting and retying. This method caught just as many fish. A crappie nibble placed on the hook and under the tentacles to the tube opening helped keep body in place as well. They work, but sometimes you just hae to try different colors to find what the fish want.
I use Midsouth tube jigs a lot. Made in Jonesboro Arkansas
I normally use them with plain lead minnow style jig heads
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I’ve been using tube jigs for years; often it is just whatever Walmart, Academy, or Bass Pro has on sale. I’ve still got some that I overbought back in the 2000s decade that I’m finally using up. I can’t remember the brand.
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Depends on what the crappie wants that day. I like to use the hollow body tubes with a 1/32 or 1/16 jig head inside the body. Changing colors until i find what they like best.
About the only tube jig I've used is the Southern Pro hollow Minnow tubes. Not round but has a shad shaped body like other solid jigs. Jig head goes inside and I fish it both as a trolling lure and as your normal cast it out, up and down pendulum retrieve back.
No hollow bodies for me. Sorry but you guys can have them, to many other options.
Silverroach is using Midsouth Super Jigs. I use to use them exclusively but now only use in the fall when the forage fish are longer. I use Southern Pro 1-1/2" Crappie tubes for 95% of my tube jig fishing. I inject my Slab Sauce / Crappie Nibble mixture inside the tubes so no Nibble stealers to bother me anymore. The Midsouth Super Jigs are fine too, the ones I buy are 1-3/4 inch tubes. I rig all my tubes with them threaded on the hook so my jighead shows.
I pretty much started my slinging of plastics with hollow tube jigs (threaded on) and was very successful with them. Then "short" fish & "gills" started nipping off the skirt threads and pulling the skirt down on the hook so often that I started gluing the head of the tube to the ballhead of the jig. That worked just fine, for awhile, for keeping the tube on the jighead .... but, the nippers still de-skirted my tubes. So then I went to solid body tubes and that remedied the situation. Don't use tube jigs much anymore, these days, having gone to using other shapes of plastic in the last couple of decades or so. I think I switched from tubes to "shad stinger" style plastics back then, for most all of my cast/retrieve methods. I've since moved on to the "carrot" shaped plastics & "paddle/boot tail" plastics for casting & LS flippin' ... along with the ever present "hot pink" Road Runner on, at least, one rod. :biggrin
FlyFisher….I’ve been using tube jigs for quite some time now. I just thread it on lead head jig and cast it with and without a bobber. I use a bobber with it most of the time. Love this method! Without the bobber if it’s deeper water I will add a split shot sometimes. The one thing I’ve found very effective is when using a bobber, is to move it, give the tube some action.
Good luck and let us know how you do. Good luck….
CrappiePappy, not many can say they switches plastic bodies " a couple of decades ago". Explains why you have such good information and advise when you post. I have not been chasing Crappie for 2 decades yet.
Well sir, I started Crappie fishing back in the early 1960's, so yeah ... I've had plenty of "decades" to switch baits & techniques. :biggrinQuote:
Originally Posted by Rojo
I was barely born then. Thanks for sharing your experiences, explains the depth of insight you have to offer. The Tube jig syringe injectors that I make & use developed with your help.
I started using tube jigs when they came out around here sometime in the mid 80's and always did catch fish on them but like others have said i kinda drifted away from them several years ago in favor of all the solid body plastics i make that being said they will catch fish as good now as they did back them color and presentation makes the difference.....i wanted to get back into fishing tubes so i recently traded for a solid body mold haven't got to try the baits yet but they sure look good and i'm sure the crappie will like em.
I used Southern Pro tubes for many years . 1/8 with a 2'' Umbrella tube and at times 1/4 with a 2.5'' Little Hustler . Went back to hand ties after Takeum started sending me baits . He ties some of the best looking jigs around . I decided to experiment with trash and made baits from all kinds of stuff . I started making jigs with Walmart sacks on them . Caught just as many fish as anything I tried plastic or hand tied. Catching limit after limit just like before . Presentation means way more than jig or color. Livescope has opened my eyes for sure . My last several trips all I used was the Walmart bag jig .
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Even catch trash fish on them .
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I like the solid body tubes , the hollow body version has about a 3 fish and done limit on it …
Just saying
Thank you for the reinforcement about "Presentation", I preach it constantly as the most important thing to Crappie fishing.Quote:
Originally Posted by NIMROD
I choose tube jigs most of the time. Black and Chartreuse is my go to, it works most of the time. Straight line jigging.
Thanks for all the feedback about tubes, there was a lot of great info. Thanks again
black and chart is often a go to combination , one of my buds loves them , when they were on sale one time years ago I bought him a bunch in the tube varietyQuote:
Originally Posted by Gone Fishin'
Over spinner white hollow tube with red tentacles....trolling.
When I was fishing off the bridge at a local lack that has the limited access, And was using the hollow tube jigs, I mostly used a tri-colored jig of black head, red, body, and then a chartreuse tail. Sometimes the jig head was painted, sometimes just the bare lead. Almost always either a crappie nibble, or slab sauce as an attractant.
Midsouth and Southern Pro tubes are what I prefer when using tubes.