07-08-2004, 04:36 AM
If I had to choose just one type of lure for summer largemouths, it would be soft-plastic baits, especially worms. In warm water, they are extremely supple and feel natural to bass inhaling them, increasing your chances of a hookup. More important, the slow action you can impart to soft plastics appeals to largemouths that have begun to spurn faster-running spinners and crankbaits. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of rigs and retrieves. When working summer plastics, it’s okay to be different. Here’s how I keep my approach versatile.
Get on Top
Too many fishermen think plastic worms must be fished near the bottom. Don’t be one of them. When bass are hanging around cover in shallow water, a floating worm worked just above their heads is irresistible. Rig the worm Texas-style but without the sinker, and retrieve it with a slow twitch. Don’t use a floater, however, where the water is murky and deep, because the bass won’t be able to see it.
A Slow Sinking Feeling
Slow-sinking worms are a good choice in places where other anglers may have used a quicker approach. Docks, blinds, and boathouses are prime examples. To get to the areas that others missed, use low-angle side and skip casts to get a near-floater in or under there. With your worm in place, wait for it to settle in the water before gently nudging it along. Go slow for best results.
Get Jerky With It
Soft jerkbaits can be highly productive when working submerged vegetation that grows just beneath the surface. While other lures would foul in these areas, jerkbaits snake across the water. Make sure to retrieve it so that the lure darts, rolls, and twitches but does not spin.
Short but Sweet
In areas of heavy fishing pressure try a short worm, but don’t just cut the head off of a larger model. Straight or curly-tailed worms in the 4- to 5-inch class have a thin body profile, so they move better than stocky cutoffs. Also, try blunt- or round-end worms (including so-called french fry models). They have a little more body thickness but exhibit a darting motion when retrieved rather than a slinking, swimming one.
Carolina Time
A Carolina rig—with its sinker placed a fixed distance ahead of the bait—is a staple for slowly manipulating a worm on or just above the bottom in deep water. No matter how heavy the weight, the action of the worm is not impeded. The rig often provokes finicky bass to hit and results in fewer hangups. Get creative by using one of the new superelastic plastic lizards in place of a worm.
An Oldie but a Goodie
Although spinner-rigged worms went out of fashion in the late ’60s, they caught hundreds of thousands of bass in their heyday. Still available, they come prerigged with in-line hooks and a small spinner. Nowadays, the worms are softer, more elastic, and more colorful. Many bass haven’t seen these rigs. Maybe it’s time to show them
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Get on Top
Too many fishermen think plastic worms must be fished near the bottom. Don’t be one of them. When bass are hanging around cover in shallow water, a floating worm worked just above their heads is irresistible. Rig the worm Texas-style but without the sinker, and retrieve it with a slow twitch. Don’t use a floater, however, where the water is murky and deep, because the bass won’t be able to see it.
A Slow Sinking Feeling
Slow-sinking worms are a good choice in places where other anglers may have used a quicker approach. Docks, blinds, and boathouses are prime examples. To get to the areas that others missed, use low-angle side and skip casts to get a near-floater in or under there. With your worm in place, wait for it to settle in the water before gently nudging it along. Go slow for best results.
Get Jerky With It
Soft jerkbaits can be highly productive when working submerged vegetation that grows just beneath the surface. While other lures would foul in these areas, jerkbaits snake across the water. Make sure to retrieve it so that the lure darts, rolls, and twitches but does not spin.
Short but Sweet
In areas of heavy fishing pressure try a short worm, but don’t just cut the head off of a larger model. Straight or curly-tailed worms in the 4- to 5-inch class have a thin body profile, so they move better than stocky cutoffs. Also, try blunt- or round-end worms (including so-called french fry models). They have a little more body thickness but exhibit a darting motion when retrieved rather than a slinking, swimming one.
Carolina Time
A Carolina rig—with its sinker placed a fixed distance ahead of the bait—is a staple for slowly manipulating a worm on or just above the bottom in deep water. No matter how heavy the weight, the action of the worm is not impeded. The rig often provokes finicky bass to hit and results in fewer hangups. Get creative by using one of the new superelastic plastic lizards in place of a worm.
An Oldie but a Goodie
Although spinner-rigged worms went out of fashion in the late ’60s, they caught hundreds of thousands of bass in their heyday. Still available, they come prerigged with in-line hooks and a small spinner. Nowadays, the worms are softer, more elastic, and more colorful. Many bass haven’t seen these rigs. Maybe it’s time to show them
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