Stupid Tubes

Last week, I joined Rich, Secret Pond Steve, and Shelly for a fishing trip on the river.  We put in at Perkinsville, and took out at Kowteeti Park in Strawtown.
It was a fun trip, but the fishing started out a little slow. About half way through the trip, Shelly told us about "Stupid Tubes."  These are 3 1/2" long tube baits with a hook rigged weedless.  Shelly gave us all a rigged stupid tube, and I immediately caught 4 fish, and continued to catch more as we drifted down the river.  Wow!
So, I went to Dicks and Walmart, and purchased several packages of tubes.  Then, since I couldn't find them locally, I ordered several packages of special hooks like Shelly gave us from Bass Pro. I couldn't wait to get back on the river and try them out.

Today, Rich and I went back to the river.  Rich with a couple of new Pop-R's, and me with a fist full of stupid tubes.

Rich had a great day of finding and hooking big fish with the Pop-R's.  Sadly, he did not have a great day of getting big fish into the boat.  In retrospect, I can see that it was my fault that he had problems.  Well, actually, it was Don Argay's fault.  Several years ago, while Don and I were fishing for redfish in Florida, Don showed me how to tie a "canoe-man" knot.  It's so easy that I can do it without reading glasses.  So, I use it all the time.  I also fish with braided line and a flourcarbon leader all the time.  The canoe-man knot works great on flourcarbon.........but not so good on 6 lb mono.

The other day, when Rich was using one of my reels, with braid, I showed him how to tie the canoe-man knot.  But today, he was using 6 lb mono, and unbeknownst to me still tying the canoe-man knot.  When the first big fish broke off, I thought it was simply bad luck.  When the second even bigger fish broke the line, he said something about canoe-man knots.  I felt bad, that he was still tying a knot I had shown him, and it wasn't holding.

Rich did manage to get quite a few fish to the boat, but not the biggest ones.  I told him to blame Don.


As for the stupid tubes, today I discovered how they got their name.  I rigged the hooks just as Shelly showed me.  They were supposed to be weedless, but when a fish bites, the hook comes out and it sets.  I had several fish bite on the tubes, but not one of them got through to the hook.  On the other hand, if there was any wood anywhere in sight, the hook jumped out of the tube, and latched on for dear life.  I hooked every submerged tree in the river.  I think I might have hooked some telephone poles out on Allisonville Road. 

I know what you're thinking........maybe it's not the tube that's stupid.