Tubes vs. Grubs in current

Ok, Teachers, your lowly pupil has a question. Reading the Jan.
Bassmaster, I find an article on winter river fishing. The article
brings up baits and presentations, mentioning that when using tubes, you
want the bait to move WITH the current. This I understand, because bass
normally are facing the current, expecting the current to wash food
their way. But when discussing grubs... here, I'll just quote:

"Grubs - River anglers find action-tail grubs more productive in a
slightly off-color river. A curl-tail or thumper tail generates water
movement that may help bass zero in on the bait. Retrieve steadily with
current, at angles to current, or even upstream. This sets grub
presentations apart from the 'with current' presentation of tubes"

Ok, guys and gals, what's the diff? both baits simulate live bait. If
it's just the "thump" of tail movement, couldn't you use a rattle in a
tube for the same effect? I don't understand why tubes MUST flow with
current, while grubs don't. Does this mean that spinners do just as well
upstream as down? Or is it just a poorly written article?

Henry

"Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time.
I think I've forgotten this before." -- Stephen Wright

Henry, I've never fished rivers in winter and I am far from being a very
experienced river fisherman, but I do fish the White River in Indiana where I
work now and then for smallies. When the fish are active, I catch them
regardless of how I present the bait. On the slower days, I do better bringing
baits with the current or just letting them drift on their own.

Brad

The difference is in the bait presentation. A grub can be both a bottom
crawler or a swim bait. The presentation you describe, the grub is being
used as a swimbait (curly tail or paddle tail). Perfect for when a bass is
looking up and feeding on bait fish. The tube, with its tentacles is great
at emulating a crawfish and other bottom crawling creatures. A skirted grub
works great as a bottom crawler, for when bass are looking down and feeding
on crawfish.

--
Craig Baugher

I am sure you can catch fish on a tube moving it against the current, too, but
it is not as natural as fishing it with the current. When fishing a boot tail
or curly tail grub against the current you will get more action - more
vibration. It may look more like a fish struggling, but with tube going
against the current it will just slide along - maybe not a bad thing, but
different from the grub.

I fish the Flint River near me some, and I can catch bass on Shadraps most
often fishing it with the current, but fishing them against the current gives
them more action and makes them dig deeper. That seems to excite active bass.
Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Ok gents, you got it through my thick skull. I just had to rig up a
tube and watch it in the pool. I've only tried tubes a couple of times,
and it never clicked that the "skirt" is streamlined on a tube. I was
picturing the same action as on a skirted spinnerbait. Duh. Hmmm...
Maybe if I turned one partially inside out... Naaahh. Thanks guys!

Henry

"When I die, I'm leaving my body to science fiction." - Stephen Wright

A skirted grub might be more in line with what you are thinking.

Then you could do the same thing with a good jig and a twister type trailer.

http://www.landbigfish.com/images/store/Chomp-Grub.jpg

Maybe something like this.
--
Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com
All about fishing in Yuma, Arizona
Promote Your Fishing Website FOR FREE

One trick that I use at times in streams/rivers is to use a twister-tail grub
on a jig and fish directly downstream. If you match the weight of the jig to
the depth of the water and the speed of the current, you can just let it hang
in the current without retreiving it. Just twitch your rod to make it dart
erraticly in the current, but it won't actually "swim upstream". I think it
looks like a small fish struggeling against the current and if you do it in a
likely holding spot for bass ( or trout - it works on both) most times the fish
will eventually grab it. The technique also works with minnow plugs ( the
rebel minnow is my all time favorite for this, but rapalas work too.)

-Zimmy