January 21, 2016
By Ned Kehde
A tube has played a significant role for Midwest finesse anglers since Guido Hibdon of Sunrise Beach, Missouri, introduced us to its effectiveness many years ago.
The late Bobby Garland introduced Hibdon to the effectiveness of a tube in 1983 at the U.S. Open at Lake Mead, Nevada. Hibdon doesn't employ a tube as often as he used to in his heydays of the 1980s and 1990s. But he thinks it is and always will be an important tool in the repertoire of Midwest finesse anglers.
Consequently, a goodly number of Midwest finesse anglers are always in search of 2 1/2- to 2 3/4-inch tubes, and to these anglers' delight, Berkley announced last summer that they have a 2 1/2-inch PowerBait Power Tube for them to wield.
Since September, it has been available for Midwest finesse anglers to use in their pursuit of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass. When it is rigged on a small mushroom-style jig or when a small tube-style jig is inserted inside its torso, Midwest finesse anglers can employ it with all six of their primary retrieves. (See endnote No. 2 .)
Its torso is designed a tad differently than the classical tube that Hibdon wielded. According to the folks at Berkley, the torso is slightly squashed or flat, which allows it to execute a smooth glide as it falls to the bottom.
It is also enhanced with scent and flavor.
It is manufactured in the following colors: Breen Green, Emerald Shiner, Fool's Gold, Goby Magic, Green Pumpkin, Lucky Penny, Smoke Gold, Smoke Silver, and Watermelon Red.
The suggested retail price for a package of 10 is $4.99. Besides the 2 1/2-incher, there is a 3 1/2-inch one and a 4 1/2-incher for power anglers to tinker with.
Endnotes
(1) We would appreciate it if anglers would post comments about the effectiveness of the 2 1/2-inch PowerBait Power Tube in the comment section below.
(2) Here is the link to the column that explain how, when, and where to use the six Midwest finesse retrieves: http://www.in-fisherman.com/midwest-finesse/six-midwest-finesse-retrieves/.
(3) Here is the link Berkley's Web site: http://www.berkley-fishing.com/berkley-bait-soft-bait-berkley-powerbait/1373958.html .
