Tube Bait
Striped Bass, also called stripers, rockfish or linesiders. There is an attraction about stripers that makes everyone want to catch them, No matter where you may fish in the Ocean State. They are a beautiful fish, as anyone who has seen with the sun shining off the silvery sides will agree. Catching them can be a different story, though. There are a lot of bottom fishermen who may switch to bass fishing in 2009 due to the regulations that could be applied to flounder, scup, and other species as a result of the activities of environmentalist groups. Fishing for bass can be quite different compared to bottom fishing. Stripers are aggressive feeders at some times of the day especially when large amounts of bait are around. This is often easy to spot, as bait will be jumping or the bass will be splashing as they feed. Its a matter of Approaching carefully and stopping before you get close, then casting a lure in among them. Don’t going right into or through the area of feeding fish, this is the best way to put an end to the fishing and infuriate everyone around you. In this situation a top water plug or soft plastic matching the bait is a good choice. Cast and as soon as you hit the water, close up and begin a retrieve. Don’t move it fast unless it’s bluefish.
Early morning is a very good time for bass, they will feed in the shallows adjacent to some kind of structure such as rocks, drop offs, and humps. There also needs to be a current to sweep helpless bait past them. During this time top water plugs will be productive in the low light conditions. If it is overcast or foggy, so much the better as the low light is excellent for bass fishing. The plugs should be poppers, surface swimmers, or walkers in white. Work them as if they are injured, stopping them on at times during the retrieve. It’s so cool when the fish smashes that surface plug, splashing, rolling, then running like hell. The best way to catch bass.
Once the sun is up pretty good, the top water plugs stop producing. Then it is time to switch to soft plastics, moving into an area of structure in deeper water. Current is still important, the stripers depend on it to sweep bait past them. When the tide is weak or slack you can normally expect the bass won’t be aggressive, you need to bang them on the snout to get a strike. While drifting and using soft plastics, you must first move up drift from the structure and position the boat to drift over the top, then turn the motor off. Depth is the next issue’ figure out what level the fish are holding in. When working in 30 feet of water, cast then leave the bail open and count to 15 (one thousand one to one thousand fifteen), then close and start a jigging retrieve. It is necessary to vary the retrieve, slow, fast, jigging and reeling, to find what the fish want. If you feel a hit and get no hook up, work the lure slowly with short jigs to imitate an injured fish. This will usually cause follow-up strikes. The instinct is to pull back and reel fast, but this only works with bluefish, if it’s bass they likely won’t chase it. Another possibility is that a bluefish may bite part of the plastic off and when you simulate an injured fish, a bass will hit it. This is due to the fact that bass love to hang below the bluefish for the scraps, since bluefish are messy eaters, chopping up a meal and not finishing it off, allowing pieces to fall down to the bottom.
Which soft plastic to use? Match the hatch, as they say. Use something similar to what they are eating. pay attention to what they barf up when you bring them in the boat. Look at the bait in the water if you can see it. For sand eels, use sluggos, or fin-s on a jighead. If they are feeding on bunker, use a 4″, 5″ or 6″ shad swim bait in bunker color. If they are feeding on herring, use a 6″ Storm swim shad in pearl.
Trolling is different technique used to fish for stripers. It seems easy so most everyone does it. However, there is considerable skill and knowledge needed for consistent success. It is important to know what to do if your not catching. Most trolling is done with wireline, downriggers, or weighted rigs. This because bass go into deeper water once the sun is up, and you have to present your bait near them if you want a strike. There is an area along RI’s southern shore that has boulders around 28 feet down. We use wireline rods spooled with 200 feet of wire. This will get a lure down just below 20 feet, which is close enough to be in the strike zone, considering how the boulders stick up. Umbrellas, tube and worm rigs, or parachute jigs are used. However, trolling is the last method we will use only when other fishing methods fail to catch fish that we know are down there. It can be very productive. Speed can be from 2-6 knots, we vary it throughout the time we troll. Often we get hits right after a speed change. If it doesn’t work, speed is wrong, rig is at the wrong depth, Use a different rig, or the fish are gone. First conclusion should be you’re doing something wrong. However, if you go a half hour without a fish, its time to do something different.
Captain Chris Bell has fished RI waters for many years and is now a professional fishing guide. Before that he was a PC Tech, Modelmaker, CAD trainer, and technical writer. Chris now guides Rhode Island striper fishing charters based at Jim’s Dock in Jerusalem, RI.
Provider Tackle: How to rig, tube fishing tips
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MAXFORCE ROACH KILLER BAIT GEL w/Fipronil One 60g Tube Pest Control $12.69 |
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Mizmo 3″ Salty Tube Bait 5 colors 50 Total BULK #1 NEW $5.50 |
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46 ELECTRIC RED 4″ LifeLike RING TUBES Bass Lures,Tube,Flipping Baits.TUBEBAITS $17.99 |
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MaxForce FC Select Roach Bait Gel 1box(4 tubes) $29.99 |
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2 PKGS. BERKLEY POWER BAIT BLOOD RED CRAPPIE TUBES $2.45 |
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WESTMORE PVA MESH 38mm Refill Tube OFFER 15OR20M Make Carp Pellet Bait Rig BAGS $18.43 |
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20 Tubes Pro Ant Bait Gel Kills All key Sweet Feeding Ants Advion Ant Bait Gel $157.99 |
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UNKNOW LURES MINNOW GLASS TUBE HARNESS WITH BOX LIVE BAIT HARNESS $22.00 |
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*New* Betts Bleeder Tubes 12 Pk of 10 1-1/2″ Great Crappie/Perch Bait Ice,Jig’n $12.00 |
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Invict Gold Cockroach Gel Bait 5 x 35 gram Tubes Pest Control Imidacloprid $29.89 |
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30 g Tube Advion Cockroach Roach Bait Gel Pest Control $7.75 |
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BASS PRO SHOPS TOURNAMENT SERIES SALTY TENDER TUBES FISHING LURE TACKLE BOX BAIT $1.04 |
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1 Maxforce FC Magnum Roach Bait 33g Tube Fipronil Pest Control Kill roaches $9.99 |
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Dupont Advion Ant Bait Gel 1 X 30 Gram Tube $58.62 |
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One Tube Advion Roach Gel Bait Pest Control Roach Kille $6.99 |
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Maxforce FC Select Roach Gel Bait 4 x 30 gram Tubes $27.95 |
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5 DIAMOND JIGS 4 oz SALTWATER FISHING LURE BAIT BUCKTAIL TUBE TAIL HOOK BASS $25.99 |
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Maxforce Pro Roach Killer Bait Gel Hydramethylnon 4 tubes Pest Control $21.70 |
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1 Tube Maxforce FC Magnum Roach Bait Gel Fipronil Roach Killer Cockroach Bait $15.99 |
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2 Boxes Dupont Advion Cockroach Gel German Roach Pest Control Bait ( 8 Tubes ) $62.95 |
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Tube Bait (Bass Pro Shops) $25.00 … |
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Rigging & Trolling Special Baits $24.95 … |
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Combat Source Kill Max Roach Killing Gel, 60 Grams $7.98 For Indoor Use. Do not place gel in locations that are routinely washed, as gel will be removed by washing. Do not treat food preparation surfaces. Product may stain textiles and clothing…. |
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15CT Char/WHT Worm $1.95 “MAURICE SPORTING GOODS” CHARTREUSE/WHITE MINI TUBE WORMS Pack: 15 |
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15PK 1.5 RED/WHT Worm $1.95 “MAURICE” MINI TUBE WORMS Zoom |
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zoom zoom tube 4 trailer baits pack 1NHRSG9WW036TUVCAYK4… |
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Find It Games Original Version – Green Ends $12.00 Spin it, twist it, shake it, it’s so much fun! Kids and adults will become addicted to this colorful, fun game for the kid in all of us. This contained adventure will have you looking at it for hours trying to find the objects inside. This original version has a bit of everything to find for more family fun. Pass it around and see how fast you can find the hidden items. Be the first to find the hi… |
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Hot Wheels Sharkbite Bay Play Set $21.99 HOT WHEELS® SHARKBITE BAYTM Play Set: Take a ride on the wild island coaster but beware of the chomping shark because this shark likes his meals on wheels! This portable play set folds out and features 12 “fishy” phrases for “thrilling” fun. Includes 1 vehicle. Not for use with some Hot Wheels® vehicles. Ages 4 and over…. |
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Berkley Crappie PowerBait Power Tubes – Chartreuse 15 pack $3.95 Berkley Crappie “PowerBait” Power Tubes – Chartreuse 15 pack… |
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Maxforce Ant Bait Gel- (4 Tubes),ant Poison,ant Pest Control Products, Kill Ant $25.00 Maxforce Ant Bait Gel is effective against Argentine, Odorous House, Ghost, Pavement, Cornfield, and Little Black Ants. Ants ,sugar antwill carry the bait back to the nest and destroy the colony. You will see fewer ants in 3-5 days. Maxforce Ant Bait Gel provides for the sugar feeding needs of ants. If the ants are foraging for protein as well, it is recommended that a protein-based bait be used i… |