Panfish sized Texas rigged tube

[Steve C]

This is a rig that I threw together last year to solve a problem fishing my local canal.  The canal is about 75' wide and 8' deep.  Along the banks is where most of the gills and redbreasts hang out and the bank is typically a 1 to 3' deep drop with eel grass and coontail to about 3 to 4' out.  Using normal jigs would be an exercise in frustration due to constantly snagging the weeds.  This rig is relatively weedless and snag-less. For fishing the near side of the canal, I use my mini wacky worm rig, for the far side I use this one.  My retrieve technique is to cast to the far side and slowly retrieve while jiggling the rod tip a bit to ease the tube over/through the weeds.  Once past the weeds, let the tube drop down towards the bottom.  I'm strictly a bank-bound fisherman, but I imagine this would work well casting towards weedy banks from a boat.

Parts are:

1.5" Southern Pro  lit'l hustler tubes

1/16 oz Bullet brand bullet weights

#6 Gamakatsu octopus hook

Tubes are rigged like you would with a Fluke or Bass Assassin with a EWG hook.  When I go to push the hook through the back of the tube, I push the tube towards the hook eye as this helps keep the nose of the tube up against the eye.  This rig is pretty robust and will hold up to quite a few fish before the tube needs replacing.

[Jim Gronaw]

I can see where this could work in some places I fish...thanks for the info on this mini-rig!

[jim cosgrove]

i like it,all the rain has made the weeds grow like crazy this year never seen em so bad.anything that helps get thru the slop is a plus

[carl hendrix]

great idea Steve!  thats one big thing about bbg site;; we share information and ideas!!  thanks for posting!!

[Slip Sinker]

Steve... gonna try your rig and setup on weeds like this... eel grass. i'll let ya know how it goes.