Bass Fishing with Chad Pinkerton
The Fire Tiger Tube
Editor’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?
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, but
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
1-1/2-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.
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