“Fishing in the West with Tony Giallombardo”

Part 5: The Fightin’ FAT Tube

Editor’s Note: Tony Giallombardo of Tempe, Arizona, a competitive bass fisherman since 1995, fishes the American Bass Anglers (ABA) tournament circuit, the U.S. Angler’s Choice bass-tournament circuit and the AllStar bass-tournament circuit. This week, Giallombardo will tell us how and where to fish at this time of year in the West when temperatures are still hot.

Question: Tony, how do you sight-fish for bass in this area?

Giallombardo: Out here in the West, a really-white lure seems to better grab the bass’s attention than any other type of lure, especially when the bass are on the bed. Too, white shows-up really good in the water, even if there’s a slight ripple on the water. I like a white Mister Twister FAT Tube to fish for bedding bass, because even if you have a ripple on the water and you really can’t see your bait well, when you flip the FAT Tube into bedding bass, you’ll know when the bass has taken the bait, and it’s time to set the hook. I also like the salt and pepper color.

Question: Do you use a slip sinker or a jighead when you’re pitching the FAT Tube to bedding bass?

Giallombardo: I prefer to use a jighead, push it up inside the FAT Tube and let the line tie stick out of the FAT Tube, so the jighead is completely encased inside the FAT Tube. Even though you can get away with fishing a piece of cable during bedding season, I like 14-pound-test line when I’m fishing for bedding bass.

Question: What size tube jighead do you like?

Giallombardo: I like the 1/4-ounce best.

Question: How do you fish the FAT Tube for bedding bass?

Giallombardo: I use an unconventional method. I like a 7-foot rod and I try to hit the bass with the tube. I know most anglers cast past the bed, drag the tube up to the bed and let it sit there until the bass decides to eat it. Oftentimes the angler will wiggle the tube while it’s sitting in the bed to make the bass think the tube is alive. But I’ve found that by bouncing the tube off the bass’s head, I can get the bass mad and aggravate it into biting the tube.

Question: Doesn’t this tactic spook the bass?

Giallombardo: Yes, it spooks the bass, and most times the bass will swim off the bed. But they’ll generally come back in 60 seconds and then I’ll flip the tube on top of the bass again. Usually after the third time, the bass can’t stand the aggravation anymore and will gobble-up the FAT Tube. The bass is probably eating the FAT Tube more to kill it than because it’s hungry. If the bass isn’t really solid on the bed, it will take off and not come back. If this happens, back away from the bed, and switch to dragging the tube into the bed and shaking it. However, if the bass returns quickly, and you throw the tube on it again, by the third time, the bass will eat that tube.

Question: What line do you use when you’re fishing for bedding bass?

Giallombardo: I like either fluorocarbon or monofilament line on a 6-foot, 6-inch medium-action rod with a Pinnacle reel.