Outlaw Baits – Steelie Tube

“There may be fishermen who are amused when they see that slogan of this Pacific Northwest company. Be assured bass, steelhead and salmon undoubtedly wish it were true. An ever increasing number of anglers are very glad it isn’t. Why are fisherman everywhere discovering just how effective the new OUTLAW BAITS products can be? There is no mystery about it, the owners of OUTLAW BAITS are fishermen with years of angling experience. That experience along with years of bait building expertise is reflected in the quality of the products that now carry the OUTLAW BAITS label.”

Outlaw Baits – Salted Steelie Tubes: By Outlaw Baits Staff Writer

“Those supple slabs of silver dynamite we call steelhead are going to see something brand new this winter when they move in from the Pacific to their home tributaries along the West Coast of the United States.
What that “something new” going to be? It’s a brand new lure that is already attracting the attention of Pacific Northwest experienced steelheaders. The new lure, the latest innovation of Outlaw Baits, is called a “Steelie Tube.” Outlaw Baits, one of the country’s leading plastic lure makers, is based in Florence, Oregon. The company has been producing lures in bulk for wholesale outlets for years. Only recently have these fish-catching products been made available at all retail sporting goods establishments that choose to handle them.
As its name implies, the new soft plastic lure designed especially for steelhead is a multi-tailed tubular bait available in a variety of fish-catching colours  The Steelie Tube is 2 ¼-inches in length. The four colors in which it is currently available are fire orange, transparent chartreuse, hot chartreuse and bubblegum.

And there’s more to the story! My guess is the steelheads that latch onto these beautiful little baits are going to be reluctant to let go. Why? Because the Steelie Tubes are loaded with salt.
“We’ve sort of swiped some of the secrets of the bass pros in building the Steelie Tube,” says Jeff Staggs, president of the Florence based lure company. “Nobody has to tell an experienced bassin’ man what a difference salt makes in plastic bass baits. It figures steelhead will react the same way. As far as we know our Steelie Tubes are the only salted steelhead baits currently on the market.”
Tubular lures have been tremendously effective for a variety of game fish for years. Bass fishermen have been throwing them ever since Bobby Garland came up with his “Fat Gitzits.” I’d like to have a couple of bucks for all of the crappies and other panfish that have been caught on miniature versions of these deadly little baits.
“Our Steelie Tubes also make it easy to use the fish-attracting scents of your choice,” Staggs says. “Simply insert the scent inside the hollow body of the lures. Fish them just like you’d use a bait of eggs. The tube is going to leave a scent trail as it works its way downstream and that’s a cinch to make it more effective.”

My guess is it won’t take experienced steelheaders long to figure out a variety of ways to use these new baits. Some might choose to insert small floats inside the tubes to keep them up from the bottom a bit more as they drift downstream. I expect others will want to try them beneath a float.
The Steelie Tube is the latest in a number of new soft plastic lures Outlaw Baits has introduced since the company first entered the retail market. Some of the Northwest’s most experienced river guides consistently use Outlaw Baits products. One of them is veteran guide Steve Fleming who operates Mah Hah Outfitters out of Fossil, OR and who concentrates on the John Day River. Another is Scott Wolfe, the guide coordinator of the famed Big K Guest Ranch on the Umpqua River. Both will tell you they’ve put a passel of fish in their boats on Outlaw Baits products.
The Steelie Tubes are brand new and their distribution is presently limited. If you can’t find them at your favorite tackle store, ask the store operator to order them for you. They can do that by calling Outlaw Baits at (541) 997-7338. Don’t try to order them yourself because that won’t work. Outlaw Baits doesn’t sell direct to consumers.
The Steelie Tubes are just one of a variety of steelhead lures produced by Outlaw Baits. Steelhead fishermen who have computer access will find it a simple matter to take a look at the different baits and colors at the Outlaw Baits web site. You’ll find it at www.outlawbaits.com. You’ll also find a listing of retail outlets where the baits are available.
If the steelheads in your favourite river have made more than one trip back from the pastures of the Pacific they probably know just as much about a variety of standard lures as you and I do. But that doesn’t apply where the new Steelie Tubes are concerned. They’re brand new, they’re loaded with salt and they work like gangbusters with a variety of scents. If that doesn’t add up to a winning combination I don’t know a dorsal fin from a doughnut!
You’re missing a bet if you fail to give ‘em a shot in your own fishing now that the steelhead are running.Before you leave be sure to take a look at Outlaw articles and videos where you can learn how other top anglers and guides are using our baits and pick up ideas for your own fishing endeavours.”