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Early last month, I reported on the great early-season smallmouth bass fishing some friends and I had experienced during incredible warm weather during the first couple weeks of March.
I look forward to that wonderful pre-spawn bite all winter and having things get off to an early start this year was even better. As usual, soft-plastic tube jigs have been the most effective and consistent medicine for spring smallmouth fever.
I’ve been a big fan of tubes for river smallmouth bass since my old friend and legendary bass guide Ken Penrod introduced me to springtime tube fishing for Susquehanna smallmouths almost 15 years ago. Three or four years ago, I ramped up my game with tubes when I began experimenting with braided line for presenting these most effective bass baits. Since I wrote about catching Juniata smallmouths on tubes a few weeks ago, I have been inundated with inquiries about the details of how to rig braided line to fish tube jigs on spinning gear, so here is a short course rigging braid.
I’ll admit I wasn’t an easy convert to braided line for a number of reasons, and first among them was I caught plenty of fish and had no problems using conventional monofilament. Braid is also fairly expensive, with most brands costing $18 to $20 for a 125- to 150-yard spool of line. Many of the familiar knots that work perfectly with monofilament don’t work so well with braid. Standard line clippers won’t cut braid, so you must carry scissors or a small knife to cut the stuff or trim the tag end of a knot. A severe snarl or tangle is next to impossible to unravel in braid, so if you tend to be a “tangler,” stay away from braid because it will just drive you crazy.
On the plus side, however, braid is crazy strong for its diameter and possesses incredible abrasion resistance. While that strength and toughness are assets for presenting tubes among all the nasty stuff on the river bottom, it is braid’s lack of stretch and inherent sensitivity that make it so remarkable for jig fishing, especially in a river where the prevailing current adds yet another variable to the method. Braid allows you to feel the lure on the bottom, and even the most subtle takes are transmitted with incredible precision.
I like to use a 20- to 30-inch leader of clear 6- to 10-pound-test Berkley Trilene XT (not the XL variety) monofilament on my braid rig. Trilene XT is one of the strongest and most abrasion-resistant monofilament lines available, which makes it the perfect leader material for jig fishing with braid. When I first started using braid, I experimented with various knots and connections for attaching the leader to the braided line with mostly disappointing results. Then I tried a “tippet ring” used for fly-fishing leaders. Most fly-tackle shops stock these tiny 2-millimeter metal rings, which cost about $6 for a package of 10. I tie the ring to the braid with a uni-knot and the leader to the ring with a standard improved clinch knot. This system casts and fishes beautifully.
After using several brands of braided line, I’ve settled on Berkley Fireline in 10- or 14-pound test, which are comparable in diameter to 4- or 6-pound mono respectively. Because I will be using a clear leader, I like using a bright color of braid like flame green instead of less visible colors such as smoke or green. To offset the price of braided line, I first fill a reel spool almost full with some cheap 10-pound mono, then wind on 40 to 50 yards of braid to fill the spool, using a double uni-knot to attach the braid to the mono. Using this system, you can fill a reel three times from a single 125- or 150-yard spool of braid, making the cost of using it much more affordable. Braid also lasts a long time. I replace the monofilament line on my reels before every fishing trip, but I’ve been using the same section of braid on one of my tube-jig outfits for nearly two seasons now, and it is still performing just fine.
To get the most out of braid, use a rod with some backbone and six and a half to seven feet long. Short, wimpy rods just won’t cut it for jig fishing. I’ve been using 6 1/2-foot, one-piece, medium-action rod in the Bass Pro Shops Carbonlite series. It has a great balance between stiffness and sensitivity, along with lightweight stainless steel guides with titanium-carbide inserts that work great with braid. I balance the outfit with a Shimano Spirex 2500 reel with a rear drag.
The standard size for most soft-plastic tubes is 3 1/2 inches. In recent years, however, we’ve found the smaller 2 3/4-inch “teaser” tubes to be most effective in the springtime, especially in the low, clear water conditions we have right now. The teaser tubes can be fished on a 1/8-ounce jighead with a 1/0 hook. Basic natural colors such as green pumpkin, watermelon or smoke are usually effective, but don’t hesitate to try some of the more outlandish colors available too.