Mike McClelland knows the old-school flipping tube has largely been replaced by modern creature baits, beavers, etc.; but he also knows that bell bottoms, vinyl records and Disney classics have enjoyed their various levels of renaissance in recent years. That’s why he helped develop the 4-inch Tour Flipper Tube — a bait that fits his premise of keeping that tried-and-true presentation in the playbook.
“The biggest thing I’ve noticed in the last few years is that the top two or three anglers are usually doing something unique, compared to the rest of the field,” he said. “I really feel like you’re going to see some top tournament finishes, if not tournament wins, on tubes in the near future.”
So, why the emphasis on tubes? McClelland touts its irregular fall.
“When you pitch it on different size weights, a tube is going to do things that no other bait will do,” he said. “If you put a tube on a 3/4- to 1-ounce sinker and punch it in a mat, it’s going to do the same as any other plastic. But if you size a tube on a 3/16- to even a 1/2-ounce weight, a tube really has a unique fall to it. It’s a floating, spiraling, erratic fall when you size in on a light sinker.”