Giant Tubes Equal Giant Bass

At War with Ish Monroe

By Terry Battisti

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Giant tubes have had their following in southern California for nearly 10 years as premier bed baits for trophy bass on lakes like Casitas, Dixon and Clear Lake. Western pros, traveling to fish tour events in the east, have for the past few years, felt they had an edge on their eastern competition during the spring because of these big overgrown crappie jigs.

That was all blown out of the water this spring, though, when Ish Monroe won the inaugural Elite Series event on lake Amistad this past March – nearly breaking the 4-day tournament record – and the giant Tora Tube played an integral role in his win. His win not only vaulted him to a different status among his peers but it also raised the status of the Tora Tube among the touring professionals and weekend anglers alike.

In the following paragraphs, Ish discusses the Tora Tube, the tackle that he uses, and why the bait is so effective.

Tackle

“I can’t stress how important heavy tackle is,” Monroe said. “This isn’t finesse fishing for bed fish like they used to do in the old days – this is all out war.

“You’re stalking fish that weigh a minimum of 5-pounds to over 10-pounds. You’re fishing a short line and you need the strongest tackle you can find.”

His rod of choice is a 7’ – 6” Team Diawa Cielo Flipping Stick. “This is the heaviest flipping stick you can buy.

“The reel I use is the Team Diawa Fuego,” he said. “It’s a small reel but line capacity isn’t needed for this technique. I can put 50 to 70 yards of 30-pound Maxima fluorocarbon line on it or 100 yards of 65-pound Power Pro braid on it and that’s all I need. The reel has the power to winch the fish out of the heaviest cover yet it is light and easy to flip all day long.

Asked what tube he throws his answer was short. “There’s only one giant tube on the market as far as I’m concerned. That’s the Tora Tube made by Canyon Plastics in Kingman Arizona. There’s a guy in Idaho that makes a big tube but its way too thick and Lindy used to make the Tiger Tube but it’s now out of production.

His terminal tackle doesn’t resemble anything wimpy either. “I use the biggest worm hook I can find,” he said. “That would be the Oversize G-Mag made by Gamakatsu. They also make a hook that’s bigger but it’s only available in Japan and it’s difficult to find. He rounds out the rig with a 3/8-ounce black Tru-Tungsten worm weight.

Color also plays a role in his giant tube fishing. “I like to stick with the natural colors like watermelon if the water is shallow and really clear,” he said. “If I’m fishing deeper water or it’s stained, I’ll stick with the white hues.”

Technique

“I use it mainly as a bed fishing technique,” Monroe said. “If there are fish in the lake that are bigger than 5-pounds, it’s the bait I have the most confidence in. in fact, its my 95-percent bait. In a good fishery, if I find 100 fish on beds, I can catch 95 of them on the Tora Tube – it really makes them mad!”

He pays special attention to the way he rigs the hook. “Its important not to run the hook through both sides of the bait. These are big pieces of plastic and the hoks has to be able to get through it.

“When I rig the bait, I place the hook through the plastic on one side only,” he said. Essentially, I’m skin hooking the bait through one side of the plastic.”

He also pegs his sinker. “Pegging the weight is important too,” he said. “I use a Bass pro Shops bobber stopper above the weight to keep it in place.

There really isn’t much finesse to the technique either. “This bait doesn’t require a lot of finesse to get the fish to eat,” he said. “Essentially, you throw it on the bed and the fish makes a decision whether or not to commit. The fish may move off for a minute or so but generally that big tube in their bed makes them mad enough they come back.

“And, when they come back, they come back with one thing in mind – clobber that piece of plastic in their bed. These fish hit this bait so hard it jars the person on the other end of the rod.”

His history with the bait is enough to make a believer out of anybody – especially his history on film. “The first day of the Amistad event I got a 9-pounder on the Tora Tube. The second day I got a 6-pounder on it and then on the third day, when the camera boat was on me, I got a 8- a 7- and 6-pounder on the bait. Then to finish it off, one the final day of competition, I got another 9-pounder on it and lost one between 12- and 14-pounds.

Conclusion

“What it all boils down to in the end is – Big Fish, Big Rod, Big Line, Big Tube,” Monroe said. “That’s what fishing the Tora Tube is all about. This isn’t fun and games – its war.”