Pacemaker Fishing Forum

Just when you'd thought all the variations for rigging tubes were exhausted, Gregg Meyer came up with a new one: "backward tubin",  it works with any size tube and is deadly for any species that craves a tube, from trout to crappies to bass.

In backward tubin', the lead head jig is inserted with the hook point exposed at the tube's nose, rather than at the tentacle end.

The most basic backward tubin' rig involves inserting the hook of a ball head jig into the tube so that it exits the nose, while the ball head fits snugly in the tube at the tentacle end. Pop the jig eye out one side.

By getting creative with hook and weight placement, you can make lures act more erratically. You can better imitate feeding minnows, scooting craws, or sickly bait fish that prove highly attractive to bass.

"It's important that the tube seals tight around the jig head," Meyer says. "Coating the jig head with Vaseline or a viscous fish attractant makes it easier to insert, and the tight seal locks air inside the tube. This buoyancy causes crazy action," he says.

"If the jig head is placed too close to the nose of the tube, its action is compromised and the tube falls more normally. When you achieve the right balance, the tube circles as it falls. When it's retrieved, it looks like a crawdad in motion. If the weight is near the back of the tube, it parachutes on the fall and flares on the pull, much like a retreating crawdad. Crawdad colors are natural," he adds, "but don't be afraid to experiment."

Steve Quinn, In-Fisherman