The reasoning was, as pressure surrounding large field tournaments increased, I got fewer and fewer bites on a jig. So, instead of fishing a ½- to 3/4-oz football jig on 12- to 17-pound-test line, I could get more bites on the worm and six-pound test. However, I struggled to maintain the quality bites I wanted to find.
My friends Charley Meyer and Paul Cunningham reintroduced the tube to me at some point. So, after seeing the pair of them catch multiple fish on a tube; much like the worm, they also had a higher frequency of quality fish, I decided to add it into my bag of tricks.
WESTERN TUBE FISHING
The way I presented the tube was to take a ¼-oz Lim-it Lures of California Darter Head or Davis Bait Company Shaky Head, dip it into Bass Feast flavored Smelly Jelly and shove the head inside a green pumpkin Strike King KVD Pro Model Tube. I would tie that on a 7’ to 7’3” medium- action spinning rod and reel spooled with 6-pound-test fluorocarbon line and I would make long casts with the lure.
Once the lure hit bottom, I would slowly crawl it back towards the boat, lifting and hopping it until I figured
out the retrieve that was best for the day. I caught fish on them frequently, and I started catching better quality fish as well. The combination of the finesse application with the slightly more bulky appearance of the tube seemed to be a great combination for our clear water lakes in Northern California.
I also experienced some great smallmouth fishing on the Columbia River with tubes, but with the dirtier water and the current, the tubes were thrown on casting gear and 12-pound-test fluorocarbon
line. That trip also introduced me to a regional
company; Dry Creek Lures, which would
become another product I would use a lot
over the years.
The approach became a mainstay for
me throughout the West, and when I read
stories about tube fishing, or heard about
the lure being used for anything other
than a Flippin’ bait, I knew in my
mind what they were talking
about – or so I thought.
This is where I learned
a valuable lesson
about regional
perspective.
Frank Campbell with a Lake Ontario Smallmouth Caught
in front of Fort Niagara.
Photo by Dan O’Sullivan.
SUMMER 2016
19