Wormin for bass

[fishkid]

you can cast as far as you can if you want i dont think it makes a difference i use 7-7.5 inch worms with 3/0 hooks or worm hook wut ever i get from my box or have. wen you jig it in watch your line closly once you drop it watch to see if its jerky or starts going one way then pull up slowly if you feel something pulling or starts to swim jerk and catch it

[RandyFish]

Willy,

Hang in there. Learning plastics takes time, but plastics are so important to fishing weeds without getting frustrated.

I went through the same learning curve two summers ago.

Regarding your texas rig and how a bite feels...Bites tend to feel like a "tap-tap," kind of like a walleye on a lindy rig or like a panfish (sometimes it is).

Once I felt that tapping, I found that I had to drop my rod tip, count "Thousand One" and set the hook hard. The other sign: your line moves sideways before you feel the tap, then set the hook sideways in the opposite direction.

When I was first learning, I was settting the hook right away on the tap and I think I was jerking it away from the fish.

As with any bass fishing advice, there are contradictions. Others will say, "whe in doubt, set the hook." They're right, too.

But I think you have to wait a second -- not much longer -- for the bass to get the rig inside that big gullet.

Regarding the drop, you cannot really control that while fishing weeds. The weight will drop while the worm hangs up on weeds.

Penetrate weeds by using Florida rigs, which are basically bullet weights that you screw the worm on. The worm will follow the weight through the weeds. Not to expensive and will give you another option.

good luck.

Randy Fish

[Tom Wilson]

Randy,
I remember you and I fishing together that summer, and you are right about both the tap that feels like a sunnie, you are also right about (usually) giving it that second to get it situated in their mouth, but a lot of times you won't feel anything that feels like a bite. You will just notice a heavy feeling that you know isn't weeds. I have been preaching this to everyone I know forever--setting the hook is free. If you feel that tap--set the hook, when you feel that extra weight--set the hook, when you feel anything at all that doesn't feel like the bottom or the weeds--jerk their eyeballs out. It will absolutely amaze you at how many more fish you will catch by just setting the hook on anything out of the ordinary. If you doubt this, try a jigworm on any outside weedline on Tonka, and set the hook every time you feel anything. Waiting for that telltale sign and giving it the old Roland Martin reel up your slack wait on the third tap feel the pressure type of bite will lose you alot of fish. Fishing with plastics is a constant learning process, but keep in mind that when you are getting them with plastics you are typically not fishing active fish--you are fishing for fish that are reluctant or possibly even in a negative mood, or fish that are nuetral. They will eat but only if you put it in their face. Sometimes you find active fish and you know it because they will knock the fire out of it, but most times with plastics the bite is very subtle. The most important thing to learn when fishing plastic is slow down. The second thing to learn is to slow down. The third and most important thing to learn when fishing plastics is to slow down. I fish with plastics 90% of the time, and yes there are exceptions to every style of fishing, but slow methodical fishing is the way to fish plastics with consistent success.
Set it--and set it hard!!!!

[RandyFish]

Willy,

Tom knows a heck of a lot more than me on this because of his experience. Tom, it was 2 summers ago you schooled me.

I still cannot tell that "heavy" feeling, Tom.

I think it is probably probably preceeds the "picking up the line" I am seeing off my worm bites.

And...perhaps you can help Willy and I on this..I have simply picked up more fish IN THE WEEDS off of a Florida rigs.

Is that simply a case of the worm getting off the weed tops?

RandyFish

[friendlyfisher]

Ronko said it best guys.
"Set It And For Get It"

[FishinWilly]

How long is your typical cast? 10-20 feet? or as long as you throw a spinner bait? I'm still learning how to texas rig fish. I missed a lot of fish recently. What size worms? I like 7-10inchers. How do you get the straight fall but still feel the bite on the way down? just a few questions.

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Selling copiers by day, hooking into the bigguns by night

[LittleRanger]

The "heavy" feeling is my favorite. For no reason your line is heavy and/or tangled in weeds for no reason. Lets say you just casted and have not moved your worm, but it is tangled.....................or seeing the weeds move as that pig is trying to wrap in circles........yank that sucker!!

[Ray Esboldt]

Tom Wilson is 100% right on hook setting. If you feel the fish or have that fishy feeling, cross that fish's eyes with a hookset. Bass don't typically carry a bait around by the tail so they can eat it later. They are gulpers. Don't wait. They're either going to have the bait in their stomach or be long gone.

Couple other things. Train yourself to always have the rod at an angle that is condusive to a good hook set. Don't get the rod tip back behind your head. Heck, try not to break the 10 o'clock position with it. Lastly, set the hook hard enough that other people laugh at you. Two things you accomplish here. One, you make up for any slack line issues or line stretch. Two, the fish gets turned your direction immediately. You don't want him wrapping up in vegetation right from the start. He'll be gone if that happens.

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Ray Esboldt

Catch-N Tackle
MarCum
Stone Legacy

[sami0115]

that is absolutely right.. i caught the biggest bass of my life this past weekend (6lbs)on a weightless YUM dinger. it was kind of windy, more so than i normally like to have when fishing weightless. i thought i saw my line move, not knowing if it was the wind or not i gave a big hookset. sure enough she pulled back and i had her. if i has waited or gave one of those "i think i have a fish, but i'm not sure hook sets" i don't think i would have caught her....

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YIPPPPEEEEEEEE

[FishinWilly]

Thank you all for all the advice. I have had a few years of experience witha yammy hula grub on a lightweight standup jig.

what type of gear do you typically use? I think my baitcaster might be too heavy or too cheap to cast lightweight gear. I have tried my spinning gear but seem to get a lot of slack.

Also, I saw size 3 hooks...is that typical or do most go bigger? What colors? I have been fishing typically dark colors, black senko, blue fleck berkley power worms, purple.

thanks again all

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Selling copiers by day, hooking into the bigguns by night

[st.crioxfishin]

My personal favorite worm is the 7in. Berkley Power Worm. I go with the red shad color. These worms may not be as hardy or tough as some of the other brands out there(they seem to rip real easy), but i don't mind that as long as I'm catchin the bass. I've had great success texas rigging these worms this spring and early summer. I have been fishing them in weeds about 5-10ft during the day, and also pitchin them around docks. And like Tom was saying - make sure you take your time and fish slow.

b. downey

[panolo]

I am getting in on this one late and Tom has done a good job of explaining how I fish my plastics. SLOW! Willy I have many different sizes of hooks but I mainly use a 2/0 Gamakatsu off set worm hook when I am Texas rigging. The weight I carry in my box really differs but it seems I fish a 1/8 or 1/16 mostly. Worming is easy once you get the hang of it. It just takes a little practice to perfect it.

[Flipnripem]

I will agree with the berkley theory. The only worm hook I use is a mister twister worm keeper 4/0 or a 5/0. I found that even if the worm is not perfectly straight, line twist is at most minimal. When a fish makes a difference from day to day the larger hook will lock up better and hang on! The slow presentation still applies on most days. Others will need a big hop and twitches on active fish and you will cover more water. You will have to let the fish tell you what they want. Keep your worm wet. Flip

[Lost]

When you're talking about fishing "SLOW", does that mean retrieving it back at a slow pace or a pause-crank-pause-crank action?

[Flipnripem]

Try to imagine yourself in place of the worm. When resting on the bottom your objective is to get back to the boat and look fishy. Hop your worm with a 9 O`clock to about 11 O`clock motion of the rod tip and let the worm fall back to the bottom. Pick up the slack and repeat until your worm is back safely. There are days when you need to just let it lay there, dead sticking, and let the fish just come pick it up. The only time I feel comfortable doing this is when I am totally sure there are fish in the area and I am unable to get a bite any other way. The key is to keep the worm, or jig, on or near the bottom. Hope this helps. Flip