Gerry Bowles Freshwater Fishing

Suspending Rattlin

I love tube fishing. The simple tube jig has delivered more fish for me over the years than any other technique. The reason for that is the incredible versatility in presentations that you can do with a tube. They can be fished horizontally and vertically in the water column; on the bottom, on the surface, and everywhere in-between.

I first discovered tube fishing in 1986. Back then, the only tube out there was the old Garland's Gitzit. I can remember buying a sampler pack of Gitzits with a bunch of funny looking jigheads in a Plano storage box... I think I got it from Bass Pro Shop, but not sure of that anymore.

Anyway... the first attempt at tube fishing was on a favorite farm pond back then, and in the first hour of tossing a tube, I had caught 16 fish, and missed a handful more, mostly because I was screwing up my hooksets. After making a few adjustments to the hookset process, my hook-up ratio increased dramatically from that point forward. I had a tendency to set the hook like a plastic worm... lots of shoulder action, and trying to "cross the eyes" ...it took a few (missed) fish to teach me to set the hook with a quick wrist snap.

A few years after that, I moved to Florida for a brief year, and took my tube fishing to the Harris Chain, Kissimmee river, and a few other great bodies of water. Most guys were worming down there, ( and still are, I suspect) ...my tubes caught a lot of fish around boat docks, etc... and also caught a lot of slack from the locals. J

I spent a few years refining my tube fishing methods in local creeks, ponds and lakes here in my native West Michigan. I learned a few tricks along the way, and want to share them with you. I know that there are plenty of guys out there who are better tube fishermen than myself... but I will share my knowledge in spite of that.

Lets go through a few presentations that will catch fish for you with this awesome lure.

DANCING

This is the original method that I learned how to fish tubes... back in the early days, this was the only presentation I used, and although there are a ton of different ways to fish a tube, this remains my "go-to"

Dancing is exactly that... dancing your tube both vertically and horizontally in the water column. This is best done on spinning tackle, and a 6 ½ to 7 foot medium to medium light action rod, spooled with 8-10 lb test.

For this approach, I use an exposed hook... in fact, most of my tube fishing, with the exception of flipping, is done with the hook exposed. You will get some hang-ups now and again, but your hookup percentage will be MUCH higher... so gain some confidence in your ability to work a tube through grass and timber... the results are worth the effort.

Simply toss the tube to cover, and allow it to sink a bit... use lighter heads in calmer water....the idea is to use the lightest head you can in the conditions you are fishing. LIGHTER IS BETTER, at least in my experience. As the tube is descending, simply lift the rod tip up to about 10 o'clock, and let the jig drop back down.. As with any jig... 99% of your strikes come on the fall... so let it fall as much as you can. Lift and drop... do not do it in a rhythm... do it erratically... you will trigger more strikes that way. Jig it quick, and jig it slow... let the fish tell you what they want. Dancin a tube is a productive way to cover a lot of water, and catch some good numbers of fish.

Try stuffing a cottonball loaded with scent into the nose of your tube prior to rigging. Also, an old trick of mine... a chunk of Alka-Seltzer. (No kidding)

BOTTOM DRAGGING.

This technique is another effective way to catch deeper fish. Smallmouth are susceptible to getting caught using this method. Simply let the tube drop to the bottom, and drag it along, similar to fishing a skirted jig. I have found that a rattling tube head is very effective for getting some additional strikes using this presentation. Best if fished around rip-rap and other rocky cover. You are working to mimic a craw in this method... work the tube in an erratic starts and stop motion.

FLIPPING

This is a relatively new twist on tubing... done with flipping sticks, 3/8 to ½ oz bullet weights, rigged Texas style, and flipped to heavy cover, in the same manner as a flipping jig. I have seen this technique produce when jigs and other lures flipped to the same cover produce nothing.

TUBES ARE VERSATILE

They can be fished fast, slow and any speed in-between... top, bottom, and any depth in the water column. Color is always a consideration for anglers... although I think that it concerns the fishermen more than the fish. I will probably catch some slack here, but I would venture to say that color is secondary in importance to presentation. That said, my most productive color in any water is smoke/black/red flake. Why is unknown... I just know it works.

Get some tubes, and give them a try... we offer a wide variety of tube jighead styles to match any conditions. http://www.daimonlures.com

Happy tubin'!!!!!

Author is the owner of Daimon Lures, a manufacturer of custom jigs and jigheads for bass fishing.

http://www.daimonlures.com

Rattlin the Reefer $24.59 Rattlin the Reefer

Rattlin Bones $10 Rattlin Bones - Kasey Chambers

Rattlin' Bones $10 Rattlin' Bones - Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson

DELAVEGO: RATTLIN' CAGES $8.4 DELAVEGO: RATTLIN' CAGES

Rattlin' Cages $12.78 Description not provided.

China, Sichuan Province, Xiaojin, Suspending Bridge on the River $24.99 Keren Su China, Sichuan Province, Xiaojin, Suspending Bridge on the River - Photographic Print

KURZENBERGER,BILL: SUSPENDING DISBELIEF $12.78 Description not provided.

China, Sichuan Province, Danba, Suspending Bridge over the River $24.99 Keren Su China, Sichuan Province, Danba, Suspending Bridge over the River - Photographic Print

Hi Ho! The Rattlin' Bog $1.95 By Linda Spevacek. For 2-part choir and descant (2-part/SSA). Octavo. Published by Heritage Music Press

What's Rattlin' on the Moon?: A... [Digipak] $15.99 Track Listing: 1. Tarabos, 2. Chloe and the Pirates, 3. All White, 4. Man Who Waved at Trains, The, 5. As If, 6. Hibou, Anemone and Bear, 7. Out-Bloody-Rageous, 8. Pig, 9. Esther's Nose Job, 10. Slightly All The Time, 11. Leonardo's E-Mail, 12. Moonvision, 13. Many Moons, Many Junes, 14. Luna Impression, 15. Circular Lines in the Air, 16. Moon Geezers

Kasey Chambers/Shane Nicholson - Rattlin` Bones $10.94 Disc 1:Rattlin` BonesOnce In a WhileSweetest Waste of TimeMonkey On a WireOne More YearHouse That Never Was, TheWildflowerNo One Hurts Up HereDevil`s Inside My Head, TheSleeping ColdAdelineJackson HoleYour Day Will ComeWoe is Mine

Magnetic In-Air Suspending and Hovering Gyro $19.76 - Perfect tech gift for birthdays and special occassions - Based on magnetic fields, hovers in the air while spinning - Built by permanent magnets and therefore will last indefinitely - All necessary parts and accessories are included - Some practicing and tweaking (via the included parts) required to achieve long suspension time - Comes with instructions in complete English

RATTLIN BONES BY CHAMBERS,KASEY (CD) $27.83 Artist: CHAMBERS,KASEY Genre: Country Western Release Date: 16SEP2008

What's Rattlin' on the Moon?: A Personal Vision of the Music of Mike Ratledge $14.38 Some music critics have complained that there are too many tribute albums in the jazz world. But truth be told, there is nothing wrong with tribute albums as long as the person paying tribute takes some chances and doesn't allow his/her individuality to become obscured. Whether the focus of the tribute is Clifford Brown, the Doors, June Christy, Stephen Sondheim, or Ivan Lins, the more interesting jazz tribute albums are the individualistic ones. Italian keyboardist Beppe Crovella, thankfully, gets that, which is why What's Rattlin' on the Moon?: A Personal Vision of the Music of Mike Ratledge is as intriguing as it is. That title is an accurate description of this 76-minute fusion CD because Crovella's tribute to British keyboardist/composer Mike Ratledge (who is known for, among other things, his contributions to Soft Machine) does, in fact, sound personal. Crovella's admiration for Ratledge comes through, but that doesn't mean that he tries to sound exactly like him. Crovella, rather, salutes Ratledge on his own terms, and What's Rattlin' on the Moon? never becomes boring. The fact that Crovella (who is unaccompanied and plays a variety of electric keyboards) plays the same instrument as Ratledge could have been problematic, but Crovella is careful to avoid emulating his idol. What's Rattlin' on the Moon? takes chances; this 2010 release is about admiration and respect, but it isn't it about emulation. And even though jazz purists and bop snobs would argue that Crovella's jazz-rock is really just instrumental rock, the fact that he is operating in the electric realm doesn't mean that he isn't jazz-minded. Being rock-influenced doesn't prevent Crovella from maintaining an improvisatory jazz mentality throughout his memorable homage to Ratledge. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi Performers: Beppe Crovella - Farfisa Organ, Mellotron, Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes, Clavinet, Organ (Hammond), Piano (Grand), Piano (Electric)

Qsc Suspension Kit For Kw 122 $47.5 Designed for suspending the KW122 horizontally. Includes eyebolts and pullback bar for safely suspending your active loudspeakers. Shackles not included.

States of Emergency in Liberal Democracies $67 This book shows how emergency powers can be justifiable in liberal democracies without suspending liberal norms.

Lifesize Skeleton Prisoner $39.99 Oh dem bones be rattlin! Beware - a skeleton in tattered prison garb has escaped from the grave to haunt your house and he's taking no prisoners. Escape the ordinary when you hang a lifesized

Kids EVA Scary Skeleton Costume - Skeleton Costumes $13.18 Kids Halloween Costumes - The scary Child EVA Skeleton Costume includes the EVA mask & jumpsuit with EVA bones and EVA gloves. A whole lot of shakin' & rattlin' goin' on! Scary & Fun! EVA: Ethelyne Vinyl Acetate

Space Jam $10.18 His Airness and His Hareness; what a team! Michael Jordan slams, Bugs Bunny jams and a cavalcade of Looney Tunes and NBA stars hoop it up in the rim-rattlin', out-of-this-world, roundball romp: Space Jam.

RAPRGWBULKKEYRINGS Rapala Key Chain $236.91 Rapala Rattlin Rap lure design. Packed in a counter top bulk bucket. Real Rapala Lure Finish. Perfect Key Chain for any angler. Dimension: 5 W x 5 L x 3.5 H.

Semi-Precious Green Stone Purse Hanger $10.99 Keep your purse where you can see it. This suspending hook unfolds to attach to any counter or tabletop. Closed 2? come with a pouch. Imported.

Boxus Semi-Flush Wall Sconce $405 This one-of-a-kind wall sconce features a simple backplate with prong arms suspending at tall White String shade. Shown in Black Brass with White String shade.

5pcs MegaBait Pike Buster Jerk Fishing Lures Baits Mustad Hooks 75g 160mm $15.79 Two colores as the picture show. Model: Motion Buster Jerk(Jerk Bait) Length: 160MM Weight: 75G Swimming Motion: Suspending Targ

QSC K Series M10 Mounting Yoke KIT $47.5 This forged shoulder steel eyebolt speaker mount kit is specifically made for safely suspending K8, K10, or K12 active loudspeakers. Shackles not included.

Cirrus Chemical Bronze Flush Ceiling Light $466 A striking effect is achieved on this ceiling light by suspending panels of seeded bronze bubble glass by aeronautical-style cables. It displays a chemical bronze finish.

Cirrus Gun Metal Bowl Pendant $700 A striking effect is achieved on this pendant by suspending panels of seeded smoke bubble glass by aeronautical-style cables. It displays a gun metal finish.

Cirrus Chemical Bronze Bowl Pendant $700 A striking effect is achieved on this pendant by suspending panels of seeded bronze bubble glass by aeronautical-style cables. It displays a chemical bronze finish.

Cirrus Large Gun Metal Bowl Pendant $1168 A striking effect is achieved on this pendant by suspending panels of seeded smoke bubble glass by aeronautical-style cables. It displays a gun metal finish.

Cirrus Gun Metal Semi-Flush Ceiling Light $466 A striking effect is achieved on this ceiling light by suspending panels of seeded smoke bubble glass by aeronautical-style cables. It displays a gun metal finish.

Cirrus Gun Metal Flush Ceiling Light $466 A striking effect is achieved on this ceiling light by suspending panels of seeded smoke bubble glass by aeronautical-style cables. It displays a gun metal finish.