Catch Huge Bass
With Plastic Worms!
Plastic worms probably catch more bass than all other baits combined. Their long, thin profile and life-like action suggest a wide range of prey. While they can be a very simple bait to learn, plastic worms often are misused and misunderstood. They are a "feel" bait that requires some technique on your part. It takes many hours of trial and error to master the art of fishing with a plastic worm. Those who are good at it develop an uncanny sense of touch and timing and will frequently pull in the biggest bass. As with most styles of fishing, however, practice is the key. The more familiar you become with the worm, the more fish you catch.Texas Rig The most popular rig used when fishing the plastic worm is the Texas Rig. To use
this rig you simply place a bullet weight on the line above a worm hook. (hook size will be dependent on the size of worm you are using). The weight will slide freely on the line. Impale the tip of the hook back into the body of the worm so that it is "weedless."How To Fish Texas Rigs: 1. Cast the worm past cover or a drop-off. 2. Always let the worm fall to the bottom on a slack line, then engage the reel. Watch the line for any movement that may indicate a strike. It is very common for the line to begin to move sideways. This occurs when a bass picks up the bait and swims perpendicular to the direction of your cast. Don't twitch and shake it as it falls, it gives the bass too much time to analyze the worm. Just let it fall on his face and you'll often get a reaction strike. 3. When the worm hits the bottom, raise the rod tip slightly, then let it fall. Repeat. Remember to keep the rod high (at about the 10 o'clock position) and face the worm during the retrieve. Be a line watcher. Stay alert for any twitch or side movement of the line. Check for a bass at the end of your line before moving the worm by pulling lightly. If he's tapping it, jiggle it a little, let it rest and check again. Try different techniques to get him to pick it up. 4. When a strike occurs (you'll feel a tap on your line or detect movement in the line), immediately lower the rod tip and bring the rod back overhead sharply. This slack-line hookset will drive the hook point into the bass' tough jaw. Never allow a bass to swim with the worm. On the strike, set the hook as quickly as possible. Always set the hook with a strong upward jerk. 5. If you miss, drop the lure back down to the bottom now! (Don't reel up and re-cast) Many times the bass will come back and hit it again. 6. When you get the bass hooked, reel quickly to move the bass away from heavy cover, Then slow down and play the fish. Carolina Rig Another great technique is the Carolina Rig. Although a little more technical than the Texas Rig, it is still relatively simple. To create a Carolina Rig, place an egg sinker or a Carolina Rig weight on your line. As with the Texas Rig, the weight should slide freely.
Next tie a swivel to the line under the weight. Once this is complete tie a 12- to 24-inch leader of lighter line to the bottom eye of the swivel. (The length of your leader will be dependent on the area you are fishing). After this is done you attach your worm hook to the end of the leader. Casting this rig is a little more challenging than with a Texas Rig because of the long leader, but with a little practice it becomes second nature. The Carolina Rig is a very good method of covering a lot of water. Most often I will use the Carolina Rig when fishing main lake points or flats. How To Fish Carolina Rigs 1. Cast the worm to your desired target and let it fall to the bottom. 2. Reel up the slack line and begin your retrieve by making short hops with the weight. You should be able to feel the resistance created by the weight as you hop it off the bottom. 3. After each hop let the weight sit for a few seconds to enable the worm to fall back towards the bottom. Each time your weight comes in contact with the bottom slowly reel up any slack in the line. 4. The way in which this rig is designed allows the worms to have a more lifelike presentation because there is virtually no resistance on the bait as it falls. Given the fact that it is weightless the worm will fall at a much slower rate than your weight will. 5. When setting the hook while using a Carolina Rig reel up any slack and make a sideways sweeping motion with the rod. I have found that this technique has a greater hooking ratio than simply setting the hook by jerking the rod tip straight upward. Drop-shot Rig Here you are reversing everything from the previous techniques, much like catfishing. You attach the weight to the bottom of the line and tie the lure above the weight. It's a fairly new technique that has really been catching a lot of fish. You basically tie an offset hook onto the line using a Palomar knot with a long tag end. The tag end may be any length depending on what the fish want. Eight to twelve inches is usually a good starting point. At the end of the tag end you place a weight to get the bait to the bottom. You throw the whole rig out, allow it to go to the bottom, drag it along and shake it a little bit. The worm sticks straight out in front of the face of the fish. It's a very simple way to fish because the worm is doing all the work. The standard is a 3/16-ounce weight but you can adjust the weight according to the conditions.The drop-shot is a great horizontal presentation and the lure is presented more naturally. A shad doesn't go up and down, they stay on an even plane, much like the drop-shot worm.Other Common Rigs You can also try split-shot rigs, finesse rigs, wacky worm rigs, and floating worms. Choosing the right rig to use under various conditions is important to learning to how to catch fish on them. It can get very confusing when you start trying to decide what color is best, how long the leader should be, what kind of sinker to use and even what material the sinker and bead should be made of. But stick with it and before long you will be pulling in some nice bass! Plastic Worm Styles There are a several styles of plastic worms and most have a specific purpose based on their type of tail. There are flat tails, curly tails and many other styles. Here are some places to use these plastic worms and what they can do for you. * Floating Worm…I use this worm in shallow water and mainly in the spring. I use no weight whatsoever and like to use it when the fish just start thinking about spawning. * Stick Worm…..I use this worm in 60-70 degree water. If you use it wacky style it will vibrate on both ends. * Paddle Tail…..This is one of my favorite shallow water lures. When I fish vegetation I use long casts and just reel it back in slowly. * Gator Tail…This is also a shallow water worm that I use in the summer. * Curly Tail….I use this worm in the summer around stumps, docks, timber, lily pads and it’s one of my favorite when I fish deep water to 20 feet. * Straight Tail…This is one of my favorites for docks, timber and brush. I have found it doesn’t wrap around brush like most worms do. * French Fry….I always carolina rig a french fry and use it in clearer water. The action of this is amazing when you move your line and the weight comes up the line. * Ribbon Tail…I like fishing this at night. I use a regular ribbon tail when fishing 10-15 feet of water Plastic Worm Colors and Sizes1. Bulkier worms with twist tails, multiple tails, appendages or similar attention-getting devices usually are best in water of low visibility and thick cover, but can also work in clear water. 2. Use thin worms with straight tails in vegetation. 3. When fish are inactive, try using a smaller worm. 4. In clear water, lighter, more translucent colors tend to work best: blue, green, pearl, smoke, etc. 5. In dark water, dark worms often produce the best: purple, black, brown, etc. 6. Two-toned worms are better when the less dominant color is a highly attracting one, such as bright yellow or red, and the dominant color is a more conservative one, such as black or blue. Metalflake colors are often the key to fishing success. 7. Usually stick to a color that seems to work in your area, but don't be afraid to experiment. Worms are among the least expensive bass lures you'll buy. Weights Use the lightest slip sinker you can. The lighter the weight, the more natural action the worm will have. In most situations a 1/16 to 1/8 ounce sinker will be heavy enough in water less than 6 feet deep; a 1/8 to 1/4 ounce sinker for 6 to 12 feet; a 1/4 to 3/8 once sinker for 13 to 18 feet and a 3/8 to 1/2 ounce sinker for water deeper than 18 feet. Needle nose weights are good for vegetation, but hang up in rocks and gravel. Use bullet weights instead. Lets sum it all up! Like all techniques, these will require you to get comfortable with them and gain confidence in your ability before you can consistently catch fish on a plastic worm. The bottom line on worm fishing is they catch fish! Now is the time to go out and give the plastic worm a chance. It just doesn't happen all at once so stick with it and you won't be disappointed. Pick a color, choose a way to rig it and go fishing. The only thing you can really do wrong with a worm is not fishing it. Give the fish a chance and they will hit a wide variety of colors and rigs. Put it in the water!
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