if only 4 colors of tubes

[karol]

 if you could only use 4 colors of wayne's tubes which would they be and what size would you use the most?
thinking of selling some of mine since i have every clor and don't get a chance to use them much.

[djkimmel]

Canadian Mist, Formula G3, St. Clair Crayfish, Great Lakes Perch all in 4"

...but there's no way I could get by with only 4 colors in 1 size. I'd keep them and figure out a way to go fishing more

[McCarter]

Candian Mist, G3, Melon Copper, and Emerald Shiner!  those 4 cover all the bases for me.
thank you for not asking us to pick only one.

McCarter himself

[Cy]

Tubes
Formula G3 - 4"
"New" Emerald Shiner - 4"
St Clair Crayfish - 4"
"New" Great Lake Perch - 4"

I would also want some Formula G3 - Twin Tail Skirted Grubs

Cy

[Mojo]

 For Waynes tubes this is easy - all 4":

Canadian Mist (purple grey)                 rivers
G3                                                  sunny
Sand craw                                       Sand / Boulders
Erie Goby                                         cloudy

The most important color is overlooked -  Bland green pumpkin with big black flake. This is the only color in 5" that I consistently get nailed when I go bigger.

[djkimmel]

On St Clair and on Erie when it's rough, the 5" tube outproduces smaller tubes, particularly for bigger fish.

[Firefighter Jeff]

Hmmmm  I see a lot of guys saying they use 4"  Are you using these for drop shotting also??  Another question.  I know the time of season may change your answer, but what percentage of the time do you dropshot compared to not on St.Clair and Erie???

[PIGSMALLIE]

Canadian Mist, Formula G3, St. Clair Crayfish, Great Lakes Perch all in 4"

...but there's no way I could get by with only 4 colors in 1 size. I'd keep them and figure out a way to go fishing more

all the same except i need to find formula g3 cant find any

[djkimmel]

Nothing wrong with trying a variety of shapes and sizes, but I have caught a fair amount of bass on drop-shotted tubes. Nothing tricky - 12 to 18 inches above sinker. I have drop-shotted the 4" tubes, but I usually use the 2 1/2 inch size when I drop shot. I've used Xtreme Bass Tackle tubes, Mike's Rx Tubes, Berkley Gulp! baits and Nemesis baits on the drop shot and caught bass on all of them. Usually I try several before settling on the one that seems to be working the best that day at that time.

I watched Mike Trombly put a hurtin' last year on a bunch of big bass on St. Clair using a small tube on a drop shot.

[djkimmel]

Hmmmm  I see a lot of guys saying they use 4"  Are you using these for drop shotting also??  Another question.  I know the time of season may change your answer, but what percentage of the time do you dropshot compared to not on St.Clair and Erie???

St. Clair, I always start with a tube jig first and don't switch until I think I have to.

Erie (which doesn't like me or me it very much) seems dominated by the drop shot as far as anglers the past few seasons. Maybe the bass crowded on those small piles have just seen too many tube baits for too many years, or a suspended bait works better since they often are several feet off the bottom? I can only guess.

[Skulley]

Unfortunately you only said Wayne's tubes.  There are some out there that out produce Wayne's tubes.  I would take two other brands for 2 of the colors.  (Sorry Wayne, I had to be honest with myself so I could be honest with the rest of the board.........nothing personal.)  It also depends where I am......St. Clair or Erie.  On St. Clair it would be Canadian Mist, St. Clair Craw, ISG's Goby, and ISG's St. Clair Dream.  On Erie it would be Canadian Mist, Erie Goby, ISG's Clapper's Magic, and Strike King's Coffee Tube in Gobylicious.  If I had to narrow it down to just Wayne's product it would be Canadian Mist and St. Clair Craw on St. Clair and Canadian Mist and Erie Goby on Erie and I wouldn't use anything else if that is all I could use..........but that's just me.     All in 4 inch.

BD          

[HellaBass]

Are "Wayne's Tubes" the ones on Combat Fishing site?

[djkimmel]

Are "Wayne's Tubes" the ones on Combat Fishing site?

Yes

[WayneC]

Sorry about the delay on this but just caught the post...

The question is open ended so let's just run with it:

St. Clair - Consistency
5" Canadian Mist
DST Canadian Mist
4" Formula G3
(any sized) St. Clair Crayfish

St. Clair - Big fish
5" St. Clair Goby
5" Formula G3
DST Great Lakes Craw
4" Firetiger

St. Clair - Tough bite
5" Canadian Mist
DST Canadian Mist
4" Avocado Copper (Lt. melon orange)
4" Erie Goby

St. Clair River
5" Formula G3
5" St. Clair Goby
4" Dark Melon orange (copper)
4" Skirted twin tail Canadian Mist (not a tube)

St. Clair - Schooling bass
4" Firetiger
4" Canadian Mist w/white tube trailer
4" Erie Goby
4" or 5" Lt. Erie Green

St. Clair - Mayfly bite
4" or 5" Formula G3

St. Clair - Hot in 2009
(Any sized) St. Clair Crayfish
4" Sand Craw
4" Avocado copper (Lt. melon orange)
(Any sized) Great Lakes Perch

Lake Erie
DST or 4" Great Lakes Craw (long time producer)
4" Slither (strong early season)
4" Formula G3
DST Canadian Mist

Lake Erie - Fall
5" St. Clair Goby

Inland - Smallmouth
4" Erie Goby
4" Canadian Mist
DST Great Lakes Craw
4" Slither

Inland - Largemouth
4" or 5" St. Clair Crayfish
4" or 5" Great Lakes Perch
4" Skirted twin tail Canadian Mist
4" Formula G3
add dark colored tube trailers to 4" tubes for different bite

Best 4 colors all time (based on research and sales)
Canadian Mist
Formula G3
Slither
Great Lakes Craw

NOTE: You'll only see Great Lakes Perch a couple of times here.  This is a new bait with reports and numbers just coming in.  This info above is based on long-term sales and catch rates.  GLP has already shown itself to be strong on both smallmouth and largemouth and looks to be a new "big fish" bait in the arsenal.  Also, the "All Time" list will most likely be revised next year because it looks like St. Clair Crayfish (released in 2008) will surpass Great Lakes Craw (released in 2004).

On drop-shot tubes...

 * If I want an unexperienced angler to catch a lot of fish easy, it's Canadian Mist all the way.

 * For big fish the Great Lakes Craw DST usually averages 2 1/2" pounds and up.

 * Mark Frickman won $30,000 in the FLW event with St. Clair Crayfish DST

 * Most of the custom colors available in the other tube colors are in drop-shot tubes too.  When I want to check the bite out on an area I know has smallies I'll plop my Plano box on the deck loaded with about 10 different colors and nose hook and fish one at a time to see what color they prefer.  

In deference to UAWBigDog I've always said, "Everything (every bait) catches fish, it's just a matter of what works best under the circumstances."  No offense taken at all BD cause I know you really do your homework.

[Skulley]

I appreciate the compliment Wayne.  And yes you are right.......I DO my homework.  I don't learn anything from fishless days.  More is learned when fish are hooked and landed.   Thanks for the little chart in the post on your hottest baits for a specific body of water.  I will check some of these out as I see there are some baits that you make that I haven't tried for specific bodies of water in the chart.  I may learn something new this weekend.   


BD