Santinini says fishing his tubes on leadcore, let out 1 color for every six feet of depth. How much do his tubes weigh? Lets say you are in 18' and let out 3 colors, where is the 3rd color, in the water all the way, or is most of it in the water and the end of it at the rod tip? We have been fishing a bunch of tubes, different brands, trying different methods, what works for you?

i would guess that the colors have to be in the water for that equasion... i would also guess that it's not an exact science. :) that said 3 ft give in either direction the fish is gonna smell it. provided you have a fat juicy worm on there.

ive heard but have not tried that some people stuff the tube with a sponge or some kind of absorbing material and then squirt some bunker oil into the tube for a good scent. I don't know how long the scent would last but it sounds like it should work pretty good. I keep meaning to try it but just haven't gotten around to it yet.

I usually let out the last color to the rod tip. If I feel it bouncing on the bottom every so often, I know it's where it should be. If it's not hitting the bottom, I let out another color. Just like anything else, it's trial and error. Usually I pick up the bass when the tube is digging through the sand, or when I slow down to make a turn in the rip.
I like the idea of stuffing the tube and squirting bunker oil. I'll have to give that a try.

Color must be in the water to sink the desired rate... Also speed is very important. Need to be under 2knts, if not it won't sink as deep...

Billy give me a call. I can answer your questions.

I'd be interested to hear different preferences fishing the good old tube & worm while making a pass? Into the current, with the current, criss/crossing into or with the current. Theoretically, fish typically feed facing the current.

My kids and I caught a keeper Saturday with a tube. It was mid afternoon just as those clouds started rolling in. We had been fishing for a couple hours and didn't catch a thing, so we started heading back to the ramp in Weymouth. I decided to troll the Back River on the way in and caught it just before the commuter boat dock.

You gotta love tubes.

I've only fished the worm on the tube. Never did the stuffung with oil. I use the color to depth ratio to guage how many colors I think should be let out. That's usually because we're moving when we run out line. When we slow down to trolling speed I let out enough to bounce and then reel back just a bit so my worm doesn't get ripped off by the bottom.

Low and slow is the way to go...as slow as you can go. I've heard of a lot of guys hooking up durung a turn because turning slows your gear down. I've also heard of guys hooking up going into the current as that slows you down as well. You can always do a little zig-zag if you think you aren't going slow enough.

Was down off race point last week and we let out the tube with a worm...as soon as the rod hit the holder the line ran. Not a keeper but a 26 incher isn't bad for a few seconds work...

Don't restrict yourself into thinking you have to be on the bottom. In certain areas if you do that you will miss all the fish as they hang up in the water column. I usually get 90% of the fish on 3 to 4 colors in 50 to 60 feet of water. Sometimes it is 2 colors, especially at night. That being said that is for the area I fish which has no real structure only dips in the bottom. When I find a school of fish I go in all 4 directions until I get them if I can stay on them. The hard part is staying on them as they are always moving and you have to guess where they are going. I don't find any one direction to be better than another. If you are fishing structure you are better off staying near the bottom.

another thing that can help guage the depth you should be fishing is a fishfinder that marks the depth of the target.

Sometimes I'll even three-way the T&W to make sure it's on the bottom. BTW, that above mentioned river is a good spot at nite. From the moorings, past the old wharf, around the corners, to the no wake buoy. But only in the dark. Way too much traffic during the day.