Fishing the Tube and Worm in a Spot that is not Holding any Bass
This particular one might appear to be a no-brainer, nevertheless it occurs quite often. Just because you are fishing a reputable -hot spot- for instance , Scorton Ledge, the Fingers, Race Point, or the Elizabeth Islands, it doesn't indicate that you're in a hot spot for this certain fishing excursion.
Look around the next occasion you happen to be on the H2O. Around Cape Cod Bay in particular, the striped bass could be nearly anywhere. There's a TON of water all around to check out! I rarely place a line in the drink until I mark a minimum of one fish on my sonar unit. Seeing even just one bass, within all of this open ocean, is a big accomplishment. Possibilities are that specific bass underneath your transducer is but one of a lot of striped bass in the immediate area.
The very next time you head out fishing, have a shot at searching in a planned pattern thru the hot spots in your area until you start observing striped bass or bait. Then place the tube and worm rigs within the water and troll around for a bit. If nothing else shows, carry on searching around. Using a couple of extra gallons of fuel exploring around is really worth it-believe me!
2) Experimenting with various tube colors first, in lieu of depth and tube size
There's more than likely a boat load of people that will differ with me on this (that's A-OK) but I really do not see a reason to have tube and worm colors aside from black, red and perhaps orange. I believe pink tubes, green, purple and various other colorations are crafted to hook fishermen-and certainly a few fish here and there. I used to carry orange yet I do not anymore.
In the event that you are not getting much action, but folks all around you are taking fish, try paying closer attention to the depth and tube length they are using instead of color.
This happened to me not too long ago. The bass fishing was hot, but then it curiously ceased. I initially thought the fishing had shut off, but I saw that my friend was still reeling them in. I first tried changing the amount of colors I had been fishing and then also adjusting the color of the tube. I proceeded landing no fish.
It took me a while to realize that my buddy was trolling a tube and worm of 18 inches, rather than the 24 inch red tubes I had been catching them on all morning. Regretably I only had 18 inch black tubes on the boat. It didn't matter much to the striped bass, and as soon as the fish came across that 18 inch black Tube and Worm they were all over it and we started hooking up once more. Striped bass can be very fickle fish.
I've also enjoyed countless times in which I had been hooking bass fishing with 3 1/2 colors all day. Then quickly, for some reason, we stop catching but carry on marking fish on the sonar. A simple depth switch to 4 colors was all we needed and we continued hooking up for a second time. I may perhaps never ever fully grasp the difference a half of a color makes to the striped bass-yet I will never ever ignore the importance.
If I find myself not getting any action, but I'm still seeing fish on my sonar I will typically:
1) First vary with number of colors (depth) 2) Fiddle with tube length 3) Made adjustments with tube color
3) Using only 2 tube and worm rigs instead of 3
A couple of seasons ago I would to troll 4 tubes off my 21 foot boat. Today when I bring clients out on a fishing trip, I've noticed that trolling 3 tubes, each one on lead core fishing line, works even smoother.
Always having that extra tube in the water is beneficial for a couple of good reasons.
1) It is an additional hook in the water for striped bass to bite, which quickly improves your fish catching ability. All additional parameters held constant, the fishermen employing 3 lines will at all times catch more fish than the crew utilizing solely 2.
2) It allows you to play around much more with tube color, length an depth. In this way you might be able to rapidly ascertain what the striped bass really want.
3) For some bizarre reason, most striped bass come on that tube and worm placed down the center of the boat.
Frequently once I uncover a productive color (depth) and a successful Tube and Worm color and length, I will troll all three tube and worms in the identical way. Quite simply, all three rigs will be fished at the identical depth, are going to be the same exact color, and will be the same length. Because of how my rod holders are placed on my boat, the third line is positioned exactly in the middle of the Miss Loretta and is set slightly more towards the stern of the Miss Loretta than the other lines.
What this makes in the water is a bit of a -trolling spread.- All three tube rigs are fishing at the same depth, but the single tube that is being fished off the third line (which is fished right in the middle of the spread) is positioned marginally behind the two other tubes. This is because that center rod holder is positioned a little bit closer to the back of the Miss Loretta than my other two rod holders. The middle tube and worm trails just a few feet behind the other two tubes.
It is the same principle that is incorporated into umbrella rigs and squid bars. The rule is that you always position one lure or bait that trails at the rear of the school. With 3 tubes at the same time, you really are putting together a -school of worms- wiggling through the ocean. The middle tube (worm) has fallen just a little behind the other two tube rigs (worms). Stripers commonly focus in on the prey item that trails behind its buddies. I imagine this is the reason why my middle line outfishes the other two rigs when trolling the Tube and Worm
