John's Journal...

Bass Fishing with Chad Pinkerton

The Fire Tiger Tube

Click to enlargeEditor’s Note: “Every fisherman’s looking for a different lure that the bass have never seen before, with a color that’s never been introduced into the bass’s environment and that will make bass bite. I’ve figured out how to give bass those unique colors and lures,” Chad Pinkerton of St. Cloud, Florida, a tournament angler and a bass-fishing guide at Disney World, says. Pinkerton’s so addicted to fishing that he says, “I can’t go anywhere without a bag of Spike-It soft-plastic lures in my pocket. I’ve even sat in church, pulled out a plastic worm or a jerkbait, taken my knife and started carving designs in the lure while the preacher’s preaching. Sometimes I feel like the Lord’s speaking to me about how to make a unique bait, and I just have to try it.”

Question: Chad, yesterday we talked about your favorite color being the fire tiger on the jerkbait, but I also know that you fish the fire tiger tube. Why do you like that color on a tube, too?Click to enlarge
Pinkerton: I’ve always used the jerkbait more than the tube. But I like the Spike-It 4-1/2-inch tube because it has a hollow body. Therefore, when it drops to the bottom, bubbles come out of the tube, which creates vibrations that attract bass.

Question: How are you rigging the tube?
Pinkerton: I peg my lead to the head of the bait and rig the tube Texas style.

Question: Why do you use the fire tiger color for the tube when you’re fishing on the bottom? I understand you use it when you’re fishing the jerkbait on the top to pull bass up from the bottom, bClick to enlargeut why are you using the fire tiger color on the bottom when you’re fishing the tube?
Pinkerton: In Florida lakes, we have a lot of Kissimmee grass on the bottom of the lakes. When that fire tiger color reaches the bottom, it blends in with the Kissimmee grass. But then when you jerk it up off the bottom, and the bass sees that flash of orange in the bait, you’ll get a reaction strike. I’ve found that you’ve got to bring that tube right up in front of their faces, and then the bass will hit them.

Question: What do you think the bass believe the tube to be?
Pinkerton: I think the fire tiger tube looks similar to a crawfish. When you hop that tube up off the bottom, or you twitch it when you retrieve it, the bass thinks that something has spooked a crawfish that’s jumped up and is trying to swim away. I jump the bait about 1-Click to enlarge1/2-feet off the bottom, and then let it fall back. Normally, the bass will take the fire tiger tube when it starts to fall back, but when the tube hits the bottom, I shake it and twitch it like I’m fishing a shaky-head worm.

Question: Will this tactic work on any lake?
Pinkerton: Yes, it will.

Question: Why does it work on stained lakes as well as clear lakes?
Pinkerton: Every lake has crawfish in it. I think the green coloring looks like the back of a crawfish, and when a bass sees that flash of orange, it probably looks like the orange belly on a crawfish. So when you hop that tube up off the bottom or you shake it on the bottom, I think the bass think it’s a crawfish.

Question: Why do you like the 4-1/2-inch tube rather than a smaller tube?
Pinkerton: I think small tubes catch small bass, and large tubes catch bigger bass.

Question: What pound-test line are you fishing the tube on?
Pinkerton: I use 15-pound-test Power Pro Line because I’m fishing the tube in a lot of grass and lily pads. When I’m trying to pull a fish out of the grass, I need a line that will cut through the grass and help pull the fish out.

Question: What size fish are you catching on the tube?
Pinkerton: In late July, I caught a 7-pound largemouth on that tube.

To learn more about Spike-It’s top-quality products, click here.

Tomorrow: The Spike-O


Check back each day this week for more about "Bass Fishing with Chad Pinkerton"

Day 1: Crazy Color Lures
Day 2: Fire Tiger Jerkbait
Day 3:The Fire Tiger Tube
Day 4:The Spike-O
Day 5: Ribbontail Worm

 

Entry 368, Day 3