Hollow Bodied Bait Hacks – a TackleModZ Feature

Hollow Bodied Baits – TackleModZ photo

by Mike Ferman – TackleModZ

My name is Michael Ferman and I’m an angler with over 25 years of experience fishing both fresh and saltwater. Although I have fished from border to border, coast to coast, and even internationally; I was raised on two small bodies of water in Northern New Jersey where I still enjoy fishing today. I have primarily focused on local seasonal freshwater fishing for species such as bass, pickerel, musky, & trout… I still make it a point to saltwater fish more than a handful of times a year. So don’t be concerned if you are multi-species or multi-water guy, I promise to cover plenty of non-bass related stuff too.

Scent Carriers in Hollow Bodied Baits – TackleModZ photo

In 2013 I started TackleModZ as an alternative to the traditional tournament reporting style media coverage, and an outlet to talk about things less often discussed. Being an angler who owns more tackle I’ve made a change or modification to than not, made tackle modification & custom tackle a natural fit… Thus TackleModZ was born.

But TackleModZ nor I am not just about tackle modification, it’s actually about the bigger picture. Our intent, mission, & goal is to get anglers to advance the way they think about angling. Not just from decisions they make on the water and the ones they make off of it, but to the decisions behind the decisions.

At TackleModZ we believe that every angler’s skills, mindset, and tackle combine to make a toolbox they can use to make them the angler they are. If they are not using those tools to the fullest capability they and their angling skillset specifically, then they can never be the best angler they are capable of being.

It’s our hope that in the coming segments we can help our readers advance their angling and share in their journey to becoming the most complete angler possible. I’d like to personally thank Dan O’Sullivan and the Advanced Angler staff for giving TackleModZ a place to properly share with you all we have to offer. We also want to thank you – our readers – for not just being our readers but our friends and peers. If you ever have anything to share about tackle modifications you do or any other feedback, do not hesitate to reach out to us through social media.

Alka Seltzer inside Tubes – TackleModZ photo

Now for the really important stuff – Here’s a few unique modifications we make when fishing various hollow-bodied baits and tubes we hope you find as much success with as we have:

Cotton balls are for scent, NOT makeup
Apply your scent to a piece of cotton ball, sponge, or foam to make a scent carrier, then add them to any bait with a cavity such as a tube, frog, or craw. This will not only allow your scent to last longer on the bait but will help disperse it more evenly as you soak or retrieve the bait. It also has the added benefit of placing the source of the scent at the center of the meal being presented to the fish keying in on it.

To save time make a bunch of scent carriers at once and store them in an old cleaned out bait jar. That way they will not only stay fresh but you’ll have them when you need them rather than having to make one when you need it.

Alka-Seltzer cures all
Another great modification to use with both tube and craw baits in conjunction with the scent carrier is a small piece of Alka-Seltzer tablet. – Crawfish as well as most other none fish species of forage tend to produce small amounts of bubbles on the bottom when feeding. Adding a small piece of Alka-Seltzer tablet inside the cavity of the bait ahead of the scent carrier will help reproduce those natural bubbles every time you bump into a rock or shake your bait without affecting the hollow body’s natural hook setting ability!

Mutant Tubes – TackleModZ photo

The Mutant Tube Worm
Here is a great little soft plastic modification that is sure to grab a fish’s attention. Insert a worm or other soft plastic bait into a tube. Dip the head of a large ribbon worm or other soft plastic into attractant so that it’s slippery, then slide the worm all the way into a tube bait. For example insert seven to ten-inch worms inside three to four-inch tubes. The resulting bait not only gives the fish something they don’t see often – if at all – but adds bulk to your offering to help you target the larger fish in a school.

TackleModZ Advanced Tip – A lot of people will try this with tubes and worms of the same color, pattern, brand, or consistency. This is a great time for you to buck the trends and think outside of the box!

Try combinations that don’t match, especially when it comes to Scent, salt content, and plastic make-up; Most of which directly effect buoyancy and action. Using baits made by different brands are a good way to do this. Creating odd color combinations is a good twist, but also by mixing two plastic compounds or scents can be a key component when the bite is tough.

Remember, no matter what you do it’s about learning and experimenting, and these modifications allow you to do both.

Alka Seltzer Bubbling in a Tube