Just as a tube can be a good alternative to a jig when flipping, Wesley Strader feels that a Craw Tube can be a good alternative -- or complement -- to a tube.
"I used to fish a jig most of the time, but now I always have a tube on," he says. For him, a tube means a regular 4 1/2-inch Lake Fork Tackle tube and a 4-inch Lake Fork Tackle Craw Tube.
"Those two are my basic No. 1 baits," Strader says. "I just catch a lot of fish on them. They're more of a subtle bait (than a jig), and I can catch small fish and big fish on them."
Good in Spring, With Mods
Strader keeps these baits tied on year-round, but says spring is an ideal time for them, especially the Craw Tube. "When the fish are pre-spawn and spawning, I like the Craw Tube," he notes.
He likes to modify the bait to make it more effective. "What I like to do is hold the tentacles, slide my scissors down and cut the tentacles off. Then I cut incisions into the arms to make them more flexible so they have more action."
One example where a Craw Tube these modifications worked well for him was on Kentucky Lake in the spring. "The fish were in the bushes and you couldn't see them. You'd pitch into the bush, then shake it like you were sight-fishing -- 4- 5 times and then here he comes. That lure would catch them 10 to 1 over a tube."
Another Trick
Another trick he employs to get better action out of the lure when he's flipping is to peg his Lake Fork Tackle tungsten Mega-Weight.
"Sometimes just past the point when water warms, the fish want a fast-falling bait," he says. "It causes a reaction strike.
"Say you're flipping laydowns. If you fish the sinker unpegged (on a tube), when the bait hits a limb it just falls straight to the bottom. There's no side- to-side action." But when you peg the weight, "when it hits a limb it shoots left or right. It's something a little different to make your bait look a little more realistic or alive."
Notes
> Strader uses 4 basic colors "no matter what:" black neon and crawfish in off- colored water, and watermelon candy and watermelon in clearer water.
> When the water temperature is below 55 degrees he'll use a 1/4-ounce Mega- Weight. In warmer water he'll use a 5/16-once weight. "Sometimes I'll go up to 1/2-ounce when it's really hot," he says. A heavier weight "allows you to cover more ground and move quicker."
> He pegs his sinker with 1-2 strands of living rubber from a spinnerbait skirt.
> The rest of his gear consists of 20-pound Izorline (clear or platinum), a 7 1/2-foot Castaway Titanium flipping stick and Shimano Curado Superfree reel.
> Though a tube and Craw Tube are his main flipping baits, he notes: "If I'm catching a wad of small fish when I'm fishing a tube, I'll pick up a jig."
Strader modifies his Lake Fork Tackle Craw Tube (pictured) and pegs his Mega-Weight sinker to get the most action from his lure.
