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The tube and worm isn't any secret and for good reason. Tubes are economical and can easily be made at your home. Tubes catch lazy bass as well as stripers which have been actively feeding on bait that the tube doesn't mimic. A tube works if bass are feeding on large menhaden. A tube will also work if stripers are feeding on sand eels. Obviously a tube will catch fish if stripers are feeding on 24 inch long worms. Which brings about the debate about exactly what a tube n’ worm rig actually mimics. When fishing Cape Cod I strongly believe bass mistake tubes for ribbon worms and large sandworms which often inhabit New England waters. These worms can grow to a length of four feet. Large sandworms and milky ribbon worms are often reddish-pink or orange in color. Sandworms and ribbon worms also have a tendency to swim through the water in a gyrating or spiraling motion. A 24 inch long ribbon worm, spiraling through the water, possesses an eerily similar likeness to a correctly trolled 24 inch long red tube. Should you be a striped bass used to chasing quick mackerel and ink filled squid, then capturing a worm must be about as easy as it gets. It could be the human equivalent of hitting up the drive-thru over shelling out the energy needed to prepare a turkey dinner. In this sense, I feel striped bass possess a “why not?” mindset towards the tube and worm. I think that even when bass are honed in on different bait, they may still eat a sizeable worm because it's so simple to capture. Capitalizing on Time Invested On the Water The very last thing I would like to do is waste time experimenting with different techniques and lure options when I finally find an area holding big striped bass. Unusual is the time that a tube and worm won't catch a fish, when trolled through productive areas. This will make it easy to remain confident knowing that the tube will more than likely prove tempting to a passing striper, no matter the weather conditions or the existence of certain bait. Trolling three different tubes at three different depths through an area containing striped bass will quickly let me know what length/color tube and what depth will be most effective. Once a number of fish are caught, I'll have a very good sense as to the most productive tube and depth. A quick adjustment to the other two tubes is all that is needed.
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fishing cape cod, how to catch striped bass, striped bass fishing, tube and worm,
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