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Articles: Bass Fishing Tips: Fishing a Plastic Worm
Fishing a Plastic Worm
Since the top lure is generally recognized as being the plastic worm, here are some techniques to try based on the water conditions, as follows.
Murky water - Bass feed based on sight and sound, but the worm does not draw attention if the Bass can't see it. So it would be important to add turbulence to the plastic worm. Do this by adding a No. 3 Hildebrandt gold spinner just ahead of the hook. The spinner will disturb the water by flashing, and hissing, which the bass can hear from considerable distances even in dark waters.
Clear water - When fishing in clear water, you need to be more subtle. Do this by making the worm smaller, using a thinner line, and reducing the sinker so that Bass will have a harder time seeing the lure.
Big vibration worms - When your straight worms aren't working, try using a worm with a curly tail design that gives off extremely strong vibrations. This will draw more attention to your lure.
Skipping - If you're trying to fish under overhanging branches, you'll need to skip your worm under the branches. You should use a spin casting or spinning rig because they skip better than a level wind reel. By making a flat hard cast onto the water's surface, your worm will make a low skip. That places your lure into Bass hangouts impossible to explore any other way.
Ripping - Instead of simply casting and retrieving,try "ripping" your worm. Done properly, this will startle the Bass and they will instinctively strike the worm. Ripping means letting the worm settle to the bottom, and letting it lie there for about 20 seconds. Then with a long, sharp upsweep of the rod trip, you reel slack out of the line and pick up the worm. Then immediately let the worm settle again to the bottom under tension as you slowly lower the rod tip. Repeat several times, and you'll get strikes.
Drift trolling - Slowing down can actually bring good results through letting the wind carry you quietly accross the lake while your worm crawls accross the bottom cover. You should raise and lower the worm as it contacts bottom in a smooth motion so you don't alarm the Bass. This works particularly well as you pass over a deep hole. Strikes often happen as the worm is being pulled up from the cover.
Flyrodding - Using a flyrod can be a great way to fish with a plastic worm. Start by filling a single action flyreel with backing and 50 yards of 10-pound monofilament. Then rig a six-inch worm weedless, adding small split-shot ahead of the hook so it will sink slowly. Use the flyrod to either flip or flat-cast the worm into the pockets and feed line as the worm slowly settles to bottom. Keep the flyrod's tip low, so that once you feel the Bass inhale the worm you can make a long, sweeping strike. Flyrodding works well for ponds, lakes or streams.
How to Rig the Worm
One problem with fishing a worm is that it can be difficult to sense strikes. Usually that happens when the sinker is too heavy or the line that is too thick. To overcome this problem, its a good idea to you use a variable buoancy worm with lead strip sinkers. This will help in several ways, as follows:
- There will be no moving lead on the line to dampen the feel of a gentle pickup
- You can apply the precise amount of lead to deliver the worm action needed
- It makes it easier for a bass to inhale the worm
- It aids in hook setting It's easier to shake loose from snags
- You can cause the worm to hang virtually suspended over the bottom when fishing shallow water.
To find out how much lead strip is needed, wrap one strip around the hook and bury the barb in the worm. Ease it into the water and watch it sink. It should barely settle toward the bottom. You want it to descend slowly. If it sinks too fast, take off some lead, otherwise add a bit more.
For best results, make sure to use no heavier than 8-pound mono line, and 6 pound would be better.
Next: Final Tips for Bass Fishing
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