Tube Baits:  I love using Tube Baits.  They are extremely versatile and effective.  Below is a picture of one.  They come in an endless variety of color combinations.  White is a good place to start. I've had very good luck with white ones. 
     There are many ways to rig them.  In the second picture there's a Tube Jig Head.  Most people rig them with these.  I usually don't.  I feel that putting that weight inside the lure kills most of its action. 
    If I am going to use them with a weight I'll rig them like a plastic worm, Texas Style.  Better yet is Carolina Style.  To rig it Carolina Style first put a worm weight (as light as conditions allow for) on your line.  Tie a tiny barrel swivel to the end of your line to keep the weight on.  To the other end of the swivel attach an eight inch piece of line then a kinked shank worm hook.  Then hook the Tube Bait, Texas Style.  This kind of rigging allows the bait to swim freely, off of the bottom plus the worm weight banging into the swivel will attract fish. 
    My favorite way to fish a Tube Bait is rigged Texas Style but with no weight at all.  I usually use a large four inch tube for this.  I like to cast the lure into the worst stuff possible.  I'll pull it over the mat very slowly.  When I come to a hole in the mat or to the edge I'll let it drop slowly then work it slowly across the bottom with a series of light twitches.  One of the beauties of a Tube rigged this way is that it will float as long as you want it to.  When you want it to sink just give a short downward tug.  It will blow a bubble and slowly sink. 
     I love this lure because almost anything will hit it.  I've even caught a Snapper Turtle on one.  This is a lure well worth learning to use. 

Edit:  Tube baits are hollow.  This is good because it allows you to jam a lot of fish attractant into them prior to use. 

Edit:  I went fishing with a friend and his young son two weeks ago.  We canoed on the beautiful Mullica River way upstream.  Three bass were caught that day, all by me, all using a four inch white Tube rigged with just a 3/0 widegap worm hook.  Good lure.

And here's a how to on Carolina Rigging.  They use a bead between the weight and swivel.  I'm fine with this.  I often use a small single red bead with my Carolina and Texas Rigging.  They also use a shorter piece of line between the swivel and hook than I do.  I like to use a longer line because the areas I fish sometimes have mucky bottoms with lots of vegetation.  The longer line helps the lure to stay above such garbage. 

https://sportfishingbuddy.com/carolina-rig/

Jabames wrote on Jul 22^nd, 2024 at 11:16pm:


Nice fish.  How did you catch it?

Stupid looking lures:
    If your in your sporting goods or department store and you come across a really weird, stupid looking lure buy it.  There used to be a plastic lizard called Bubba.  Bubba was big, black, and had two huge rattling eyes with eyeballs that jiggled.  It was totally bizarre.  I tried to find a picture of one online to no avail.  Once I came across a spoon, maybe 3/4 oz with big, stupid looking crossed eyes on it.  It was such a pathetic looking thing I had to buy it.  There have been many others but these are two of the strangest looking ones.
    Both kicked butt.  When a new lure comes out it will work incredibly well for the first year or so.  Then the fish get used to it and it becomes just another lure.  Sluggo was like that.  Sluggo was the first soft plastic stick bait.  I ordered some from the manufacturer the year before they were available in the stores.  For the first year it was amazing.  Then everybody had them and though they still catch fish, these days they're just another plastic stick bait. 
    Fish see the same lures over and over, year after year, decade after decade.   Using something different will get you hits when everyone else is getting skunked.   So buy that stupid, hideous lure because the fish never saw such a thing and it will probably be effective.