Fisherman’s Guide: Striped Bass Trolling with the Tube and Sea Worm Rig

Some of the best striped bass fishing in the Northeast coastal areas can be done using this dynamite trolling technique. The method involves using a plastic “worm” that is approximately 16 inches to 18 inches long. This form of trolling for striped bass is used to catch everything from school sized “schoolie” stripers all the way up to larger 30 plus pound striped bass. I personally have caught striped bass up to 33 pounds in weight using the tube and sea worm rig during the summer months.

Sometimes you get into a school of stripers and you catch one striped bass after another with every trolling pass that you make with your boat. The fishing action can be a ton of fun catching one fish after another. Besides using popping plugs during a top water bait busting frenzy, trolling using the tube and sea worm rig is one of my favorite striper fishing methods.

Let’s get into the equipment that is needed to fish the tube and sea worm rig properly. First of all, sea worm actually refers to the saltwater bait called a sand worm. These worms are sold in coastal bait shops by the dozen. They are kept in seaweed, and our best maintained in a cooler with ice to keep them fresh. The worm is threaded onto the hook about an inch through the head(watch out for those pinchers). The rest of the sea worm is left to trail behind and wiggle to entice a striped bass that happens to either see or smell this delectable favorite meal. Stripers love sea worms.

The tube is a lure sold in many coastal bait shops. It is a piece of red, see-through, surgical tubing with a wire running through it. The wire gives it some shape. A U-shaped tube works best. At the end of the tube is a four to six ought salt water fish hook. At the other end of the tube is a swivel. Because of the line tending to corkscrew during trolling, a stainless steel, ball bearing swivel is the best to prevent the line from twisting.

In shallow water, five to 8 feet deep you can use just 30 pound test monofilament line to troll your tube with. In deeper water of around 20 feet or so, you can use lead core trolling line. The lead core line comes in a spool of 50 or 100 yards. Every 30 feet of lead core line has a different color. This makes it easy to see how much line you need to let out to fish catching depth. For about a 15 to 20 foot depth two colors should be adequate. Also, use a 20 or 30 foot leader between the lead core line and the tube rig. A longer leader will spook the fish less. Sometimes stripers can be very wary.

Now for the most important part. You have to troll slowly. Very slowly. If you are going with the current you can actually keep putting the motor in neutral, and put it in gear to keep the boat on course. You just want the tube to spin slowly so that It looks like a giant worm or eel swimming through the water. If you have a small emergency 10 horse “kicker” motor you can use that. The sea worm is for smell. Stripers have a good sense of smell. Occasionally, you can use just the tube, but the worm works much better. Just troll the tube rig as slow as you can, and if a striper wants it you will know. Fish on!

The best places to use the tube and sea worm are along side large rocks, eelgrass beds, and holes where stripers are known to wait for the current to bring them a meal. You let out a sufficient amount of line, troll super slow, and make your trolling pass. If the school of stripers is around, you can have some hectic fun catching them.

Another tip is to actually put the first foot of your rod into the water if there is a lot of eelgrass floating on the surface. This way, the eelgrass accumulates on the rod tip and does not get on your tube and sea worm rig as fast. This gives you longer trolling time to entice a striper.

The best place to find out more information about how to use a tube and sea worm rig is at the local bait shop, where you pick up your sea worms. Don’t be afraid to ask for the hotspots, and best methods. The bait shop guys usually know what is working best.