Tube jigs for trout?

[fisherdave]

I'm trying to step out of the box and try new techniques for stream brown trout. Has anybody had success using tubes?
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[dtayboyz]

Drycreekoutfitters.com
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[BHuij]

I never caught anything out of the Provo River on tubes, but I never really tried. I bet you could catch trout on tubes under the ice on a more still body of water. Not sure about streams.

As far as jigs go, I've had success with Trout Magnets, which are basically just microjigs. Float them under a bobber down a slow part of the stream into cover and the browns love 'em, even during spawning when they usually go for aggression bites.

I've also had a few bites using a curly tail jig on a 1/8 oz head, just drifting it downstream past cover and then slowly doing a jerk/reel retrieve up past cover. Never landed anything though, the jigs I was using were crappy walmart ones with dull hooks and I couldn't ever actually hook anything. Or maybe I just suck and jigs. Could either Depending on the depth of the stream you would probably have more success with a 1/16 or even 1/32 oz head. 1/8 oz was basically scraping the bottom for me in the Provo River, and that's where the current was pretty quick.

If you do want to try tubes, I recommend fishing them in slow water on the stream, floating them under a bobber past cover just like a trout magnet. Start small and adjust for conditions. I'd go with a 1/32 oz head and a 1 to 1.5in tube.

In my experience, natural colors work better, like white and brown. Never had any trout bites on jigs in the stream on things like chartreuse or pink.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I have been using tubes for trout...both streams and stillwater...since the first tubes came out in the '70s. The range of sizes and colors allows you to imitate many different invertebrates as well as small fishies. But the balance of head weight, hook size and how you fish them can improve your success ratio.

Depending on water depth, flow rate, water clarity, temperature, etc. you will want to pay attention to both the size and color of your plastics. The shallower and clearer the water the smaller the jig and the slower you fish it...on light line. But when the water is murky and running fast you can upsize your jig. Additional size and weight will both let you fish it deeper and slower...to get it in front of larger fish holding in deeper holes to stay out of the fast flow.

You can catch most trout on most streams by fishing 1 1/2" or 2" tubes on 1/16 to 1/8 oz. heads. In faster and deeper flows you may need to go up to 1/4 oz. Seldom heavier.

Best colors are the same as for flies and other lures. Match the predominant food sources with browns, blacks, greens, etc. White is often a good color. Sometimes a small chartreuse jig will wake up a belligerent brown.

Lots of ways to fish plastic in streams. Using a lighter head, cast straight upstream and keep your rod tip up while reeling up slack and working the jig down through holding water. You won't have to worry about strike detection. The fish will hit going upstream and you need to hold on to your rod.

You can also make quartering or cross current casts into runs or pockets. It can also be effective to cast quartering downstream and let the jig swim across the current...giving it a few pulses with the rod. And you can even "pick pockets" by working downstream and dropping the jig beside undercut banks or behind midstream rocks.

As an extra added attraction you can even tie in a fly on a dropper...from 1 to 2 feet above the jig. Or you can make the jig the dropper with a two foot leader to the fly. That is a good rig for fishing downstream.
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[wagdog]

You've already gotten some great tips. I like using tube jigs for trout as well. I like drifting them under a float. I'll sometimes do what TubeDude described. Depends on the conditions. I have had luck on the provo using lots of different colors. Last month before I had knee surgery I was enticing some browns using some TubeDude jig heads and putting on a crappie stinger body instead of a tube. Don't get me wrong. The tube jigs put out by Southern Pro are great. I also like their crappie and panfish stingers. They are about the same length but have a little bit different profile and action in the water. Black and chartreuse was working great for me on an overcast day.
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[fisherdave]

Thanks for the tips! I've had really good success on the provo recently with plastic minnows catching browns, several in the 16-18 inch range which I wasn't expecting. I'm using a 5' ultra light rod with 4lb test since most of my fishing gear is back in California...a few of those fish were all it could take ! lol I'm going to give the tubes a try though if nothing else than to provo to myself that they'll work for trout too.

This forum has been real helpful and led to some excellent fishing outings so I really appreciate the advice!
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[BHuij]

I keep meaning to get out on the Provo river just in town somewhere with my 5'6" UL and catch some browns before it gets any colder. Wanted to try plastic minnows as well. Are you rigging them on a leadhead or a bare hook, and are you using additional tackle, like a float or weights?

Too bad I don't have any free time... darn education.
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[fisherdave]

I've been using a 1/16 oz gamakatsu lead jig head and just bouncing them off the bottom after casting upstream, or just letting it drift in a downstream sweep while reeling slowly. They've been biting pretty well, so I'd imagine you can't go too wrong with different presentations. I also caught a few using real worms fished weightless/bobberless...just make sure you're in the lower Provo where bait is allowed.
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[brookieguy1]

Tube jigs for trout? I didn't know they were used for anything else! I was using them on Flaming Gorge over 25 years ago back when the bass guys started using Bobby Garland's tubes on the 'bows and browns. I was schooled by a guy from Texas that started throwing little 1.5" crappie tubes on 4lb. test and smoking the trout. I've been using jigs almost exclusively ever since on both stillwater and streams. I do prefer marabou for the most part nowadays though.
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[BHuij]

That's funny to me, mostly just because I always though of tubes as Bass and Panfish jigs. Practically never occurred to me to try them for trout fishing.
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[Reddog1988]

Maniaccustomlures.com

They aren't tube jigs but still work fantastic all the way around. Minnows tear the trout up!!
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[Gemcityslayer]

I was always more of a hardbait (rapalas) type guy....a friend on here pointed me toward tubes for trout and they are awesome.

Literally first cast trying one in a big hole I nailed a 22" brown...on a 4" tube. Cast it out, let it sink to bottom, pop it up and let it fall.
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[BHuij]

Man, I just got totally skunked on the soft plastics in the lower Provo. I went out the stretch in town by DI today and walked up and down a bit fishing from shore. I didn't even see a whole lot of compelling evidence that there were any fish there at all

I was trying chartreuse shad in 1.5 inches. Tried them on 1/16th and 1/8th oz leadheads in various colors... not even a bite. To finish off the day I tried a 1/16th oz leadhead in a tube floated under a bobber. Still nothing.

Guess I was in the wrong stretch of the river for those big browns everyone's talking about
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[Hallsy86]

BHuiji,
I fished almost the same area about 2 weeks ago using yellow Gulp Alive 2" minnows and caught two browns and had several bites. They weren't big though. Must have just been one of those days for you.
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