Worm Fishing Tips 2025
Big Stick Joe reply :
Hey guys,
This year i want to improve my worm fishing. I've read alot from the websites articles about this matter but now that I've done that, i want some user input. I own a couple of packs of u-tales and ribbon worms and i know how to T-rig them but what i want to know is what are your guys favorite brand, presentation and situation when you use them. I can pretty much figure out color so i'm not to worry about that. Also, Do you use a lighter weight with worms as oppose sweet beavers/brush hogs or does that correspond with the situation you are fishing at the moment?
Thanks again guys.
Joe
kikstand454 reply :
Assuming we are talking about your standard 7"~10" texas rigged worm (culprit, zoom ol monter, rage anacanda, etc).....?
Personally, I like to throw a worm out deeper. There's plenty of times thata txrigged worm will work shallow, but I just have more confidence in other lures on that situation.
5 to 20ft, 1/2oz lead..... as a substitute for carolina rig or jig. Sometimes just seems to be the answer. Typically I throw the zoom ol'monster. Perfect size and cheap.
Up shallow I like a more subtle worm... smaller, thinner, less thump.
Big Stick Joe reply :
@kikstand: It doesn't matter to the size of the worm but thank you for responding. Do you peg your sinker. What do you think of Zoom trick worms? I have a pack in okeechobee craw. What would you use in shallow waters? zoom finesse worms? is that too small to t-rig?
Thanks
Vinny Chase reply :
The general rule of thumb is to peg if you are fishing cover, and un-peg when fishing open water. In shallow water I generally always throw a weightless zoom trick worm or wacky rig straight tail. Like Kikstand mentioned, I generally fish ribbontail worms a little deeper in my waters. The deep water fish seem to hone in on it better due to the extra action and deeper waters are where the big ladies live.On 3/12/2012 at 10:06 PM, Big Stick Joe said:@kikstand: It doesn't matter to the size of the worm but thank you for responding. Do you peg your sinker. What do you think of Zoom trick worms? I have a pack in okeechobee craw. What would you use in shallow waters? zoom finesse worms? is that too small to t-rig? Thanks
P.S. When fishing gets tough in the summer, use a smaller hook (2/0) and t-rig your finesse worm..Toss that up shallow in shady areas where the bass are going to be sitting comfortably.
JigMe reply :
I will peg my worm with 1/8-1/2 oz bullet weight, if I am fishing covers (like everyone else said). But 90% of the time I am fishing weightless, and it works. I would much prefer to fish a Jig, than a weighted worm (better action).
ShakeyRage reply :
Whats type of bottom contour will you be fishing? If theres not alot of cover try throwing a shakey head with a trick worm or cut tail worm.... ive personally even used rage tails on the shakey head with good results before.
Big Stick Joe reply :
@ShakeyRage: I fish at a pond with nothing but grass and lilly pads. I've tried shaky head at this pond but no matter what weight i use, i always pull clumps of grass up with every cast and it seems anything T-Rig just glides right though it.
@Lee.MD: Thank you
@Vinny Chase: This might sound silly but how much grass would you consider as cover? I understand the open water part BUT when i fish a strip of bank with like isolated grass or alittle grass here and there, would you still fish it as open water or cover? lol. Sorry for the confusion. and what size weight would you use on a finesse t-rig worm?
smalljaw67 reply :
2 blades of grass is cover in a body of water with no grass. It sounds to me like you need some general rules to give you a starting point in choosing worms and weights and I believe I can help. Generally you want to use the lightest weight you can get away with, for example, if I'm fishing a submerged weedbed and I want my worm to fall through to the bottom I will look for the lightest weight to accomplish that and sometimes it won't be enough and I'll have to go bigger but it is trial and error. You will also use a heavier weight, 1/4oz to 1/2oz when the fish are feeding, the reason is the heavier weight will make the worm fall fast causing the fish to react to it rather than the worm being in its face for a long time making it bite. I use 7" power worms for ribbon tails and found this is about as perfect a size you can get, it is big enough to attract big fish to bite it but it isn't so big that it will turn most other fish away so it gives you the best of both worlds. When I fish ribbon tails or curly tails, basically any worm with an action type tail I'm going to use a heavier weight with those as I generally fish them in cover or deeper water and the other meber gave you a good rule, peg your weight when fishing cover, leave it free is you are fishing open water.
Ima Bass Ninja reply :
The absolute best way to learn worm or jig fishing is to find a body of water ( in my case a 1 acre pond) that has lots of bass that will eat pretty much anything. the reason this works so good is that it lets you feel the bite in regular fashion and also builds up confidence in the technique. Feeling the bite and learning how to tell when a fish has your lure and when its just a log or tree will greatly improve your technique.
First start with a heavy weight , its easier to feel what the lure is doing, once you build some confidence you can switch to lighter weights. The most important thing is feel when it comes to this type of fishing.
tholmes reply :
Along with feel, you should become a dedicated line-watcher. I don't know how many times I've caught bass by setting the hook when the line started moving, either to one side, away from me or it just goes slack for no reason. No tap, just a twitch in the line or it just starts moving.
Tom
alyswim reply :
I use senkos. No weight when the fish are shallow. When out deep I through the c-rig most of the time... And as others have said just practice and figure out what works for u and where u fish. I am going to try some new things myself and the advice on here sounds like a pretty good place to start.
200racing reply :
what i know (or at what i think i know)
i started out pond fishing and transfered over to lakes.from reading on here i use lighter gear than alot of guys do. i cant really think of anytime when this has hurt me or lost me a fish.
rods:
6'6'' med.light spinner, 8lb big game: small plastics weightless or 1/8oz with 1/0 hooks.
7' x-fast med spinner, 30lb spiderwire w/ 12lb flouro leader: larger weightless,shakey head,t-rig,flukes,dropshot and finess c-rig.
7' moderate med. heavy baitcaster with 12lb biggame(hope to soon replace w/ a fast carrot stik and shimano caius which will get the braid/flouro treatment ): heavy t-rig and c-rig.
line:
i use trilene big game for my mono. i started using braid and flouro this year,before that i just used mono. i think flouro is the ticket for worm fishing. it is very sensitivy, abrasion resistant, invisible under water and sinks. the sinking factor is great in the wind since it goes below the surface and you can stay in contact with the bait much better than braid and mono the float and get wind arches killing your feel.
the only down sides is lack of managbility,cost, and knots can break easily if tied wrong.
to make my dollar go futher i fill half my spool with mono then uni-to-uni braid till i fill the spool up then uni-to-uni flouro and about 20ft of flouro. so far i am loving braid on my spinning gear and my dad has the same line set up on his baitcaster and likes it.
worms:
shakey head
gambler gigi stick,watermelon w/redflake,redbug; bigbites sqirrell tail,watermelon w/redflake. used on a 1/4 oz ball jighead. any straight worm will work but if it doesnt have floating qualities they will fall over unless fished on a standup jig head.
c-rig
lizards 6-8'' have plenty of zooms but im changing over to bigbites kriet tale and yum salemander yums .watermelon w/redflake,junebug,watermelon w/ chartues tail.in ponds i used to tear em up on black w/ blue tail but havent seen then in stores in a while. i also have big ribbon tails i,watermelon w/redflake,motor oil chartues and black they dont seem to do as well.
dropshot.
dont waste money on specialty weights just get bass casting weights. really any plastic will work i havent done it enough to be very helpful here but ive read of some cravy stuff like wacky rigged lizards.
t-rig
baby brush hog; watermelon w/redflake,junebug
u-tail worms;redshad,watermelon w/redflake,junebug
lizards same as c-rig
trickworms;redshad,watermelon w/redflake,junebug,white,pink,lime.
weightless; either baby brush hogs or trick worms.
i have i lot more plastics i have picked up on sale to try or only use in specail situations.
the ones listed above are the ones that are the most consistant for me.
Big Stick Joe reply :
@SmallJaw: Thank you for your post. Very informative. I will read and re-read because of the good information.
@Bass Ninja: The ponds out here to my knowledge aren't completely stuffed with bass but the one i always fish has some and that is where i will be practicing. thank you for your response.
@THolmes: That is one of my biggest problem. I swear my ADD kicks in sometimes and i start looking everywhere else except my line lol
@Alyswim: I havent used a Senko in years. I have them and Yum Dingers and i never use them. I should try them again.
@200Racing: Sweet dog picture. Thank you for your post. I only have 1 rod. 6'6 spinning med power light action spooled with 10 lb braid but from what i read from alot of the articles, i will probley put a fluor leader on it.
Now a general question for everyone. If i perfect a certain plastic worm rig on my pond, should it work on other lakes? I know its a real noob question but just something i had to ask.
Thanks everyone
Joe
200racing reply :
i use ponds as test grounds all the time. heck yesterday at a pond i caught 4 bass in five cast on worms so i knew they biting.broke out a chatterbait for the first time. it was one i found. it was a blast,the strikes were brutal. i will definitly be getting a few.
i use the dog pic because it cracks me up since i have a dog that is his twin.
Big Stick Joe reply :
I've have fish this pond for a year straight and have never seen the bite just turn on. Idk if its because its in the middle of a trailer park and who knows whats in there (hell, i've caught a used diaper out of there) or if there just isn't alot of fish in there. What i have caught this year have been nice slot fish (between 1 and 3 lbs).
A-Rob reply :
7'0 MH baitcasting rig, flouro or mono
I fish 2 types of worms in my mind: Horizontal and bouncers
Speed worms or ultravibe worms I fish horizontal and with a light weight. I will cast this into weeds or pads and swim it over top of the grass.
I bounce ribbon tails or paddle tails along them bottom usually with heavier weight in any depth of water. I'm usually looking for ledges or deeper grass for this presentation.
I fish smaller worms in more shallow water, bigger worms in deep water. For example I may bounce a MAG II worm in 3 foot water, step it up to a 10" worm in 10 foot water or something like that.
Both these methods work for me, it keeps things simple and worms plain out catch fish
Jake P reply :
I recently have started using the 7" rage tail anacondas and i havent picked up another worm other than a weightless senko. The weight size will depend on water depth. General size is a 1/4 oz but anything under 5 ft i will throw an 1/8 oz bullet weight. I give it 2 pops and let it sink and sit and then repeat. The tail on the anacondas have incredible action. I have bags of zoom mag 2 worms and berkley power worms that i bought and havent opened yet because i have been doing so well on the anacondas i dont see the need to throw anything else at this time.
Try senkos. They are amazing plastics. I would deffinitely keep them weightless either t rigged or wacky rigged, that way it doesnt kill the lures natural "wiggle".
The good (and bad) thing about plastics is there are so many to choose from so just grab some worms and creature baits that catch your eye and throw em on an ewg hook with a weight according to the water depth and put them in the water. hop them, swim them, twitch them. Just make them come alive and let the fish tell you what they want.
cajun_flipper reply :
The information in here keeps repeating. Sounds like good advice to me!!
The real tricks to worm fishing are typically fishing it as slow as you can stand and watch the heck out of your line. Sometimes they will kill it, leaving you no doubt as to what is going on. Other times the line will just start moving around. Still sometimes, you'll go to pick up your worm and it will feel...mushy? Is that the right word? It's impossible to describe. When you identify it, you'll never forget it.
Hook sets are free. When in doubt, swing for the fences!
As far as colors, I like blues, blacks, and junebug for turbid water or over cast days. On clear days in clear water, I like watermelons and pumpkins. Brands of choice are the Rage Tail Anaconda for more aggressive fish and the Berkley Power Worm for when all else fails. The Anaconda gets the job done fine on most days, so I rarely reach for the Berkley's anymore. A blue fleck power worm remains a confidence lure for me due to it pulling me through on many bad days over the years, but it takes a back seat as an emergency lure only.
Big Stick Joe reply :
@CajunFlipper: I don't know why but when I read "Swing for the fences" I started to laugh I disagree off. Don't know why it was so funny but it was. Also, I agree that all the information seems to be the same from everyone's input. I will be picking up some Anaconda just because there seems to be a favorite within the community.
@Packman: Since i fish from the shore 90% of the time, I stick to 1/4oz but when i fish tourneys i will try and remember 1/8oz in 6 and less feet of water and 1/4oz on everything else just about. And your not kidding about all the different choices there are for plastics. I can stand at Gander Mountain and just gaze at all of them and think to myself "Holy S***" lol
How do people like Berkley's plastics? Even though they are a big name in fishing, I though nothing of them for bass. I always used their Power Bait products for Trout fishing.
buzzfrog reply :
i have enjoyed this thread and hav a question, if the OP dont mind it, maybe even help him...
if i am searching the back in of a pond with possibility of 10 ft deep water and its open water (on top) will a C-rig be a good start.. There is a small dock in the middle no way to walk to it(maybe for pond maintance) could i crawl a C-rig across it.. again hope the Op doesnt mind, but no need to make a thread similur to this
thank you fine people
200racing reply :
if you are needing to make longer cast a c-rig is a good choice. no matter how weight you have in front of your leader once your weights hit bottom it is a weightless presitation. that is why i like lizards and baits that have action without you having to do something,since the weight makes harder.
try a w/ few baits and speeds see if you find something that works.
buzzfrog reply :
On 3/14/2012 at 5:26 AM, Big Stick Joe said:@CajunFlipper: I don't know why but when I read "Swing for the fences" I started to laugh I disagree off. Don't know why it was so funny but it was. Also, I agree that all the information seems to be the same from everyone's input. I will be picking up some Anaconda just because there seems to be a favorite within the community.
@Packman: Since i fish from the shore 90% of the time, I stick to 1/4oz but when i fish tourneys i will try and remember 1/8oz in 6 and less feet of water and 1/4oz on everything else just about. And your not kidding about all the different choices there are for plastics. I can stand at Gander Mountain and just gaze at all of them and think to myself "Holy S***" lol
How do people like Berkley's plastics? Even though they are a big name in fishing, I though nothing of them for bass. I always used their Power Bait products for Trout fishing.
i am no were near qualified to anwser this, lol but IMO i like berkly alot, heck i could never be sponsered by one plastic company, i like too many brands if you are just starting dont really pick the prurty colors, stick to basics,... pumpkin, green pumpkin, motor oil, also fish here seem to like red bug and june bug. Not sure if berley havocs have there worm out yet, but there pit boss and devil spear serve me well for T rigging, pitchen, shakeky,and the devil i swim bair rig it somtimes.
PBJ reply :
Wacky rig with about a 5 inch senko worm this time of year will tear it up.
bjmac reply :
For shallow (<4ft) little cover: 1/8 oz t-rig, 3/0 ewg, 7" powerbait ribbon tail.
Heavy cover and shallow, 3/8 oz t-rig pegged, 4/0 ewg, ribbon tail, or zoom lizard.
5-10ft- all cover, 3/8 t-rig, 4/0 ewg, gulp 7" turtleback, 2/0 straight shank wacky 5" senko.
deep- 3/8 t-rig 7" turtleback, or 1/2oz 10" manns jelly on a 5/0 ewg.
You really shouldn't pick up grass on a t-rig worm... Do you hide the hook in the worm?
roadwarrior reply :
Guaranteed To Catch Bass
http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/13845-guaranteed-to-catch-bass/
bigbill reply :
We can use the worm by itself over weeds by casting it out and moving it slow.
I still use the split shot rig from the early 70's. We thread a snelled #2 hook into a 6'' creme work and have a split shot at 12 to 18'' ahead of the worm. We put the boat where the weeds disappear and cast into the weeds and wait. Every 3 to 5 minutes we move the worm a foot. Its slow but its worth it.
With my carolina rig i use a 1/8oz brass weight with a brass ball clicker with it. I put on a BPS stick o worm using a weedless eagle claw hook in the center wacky rigged. I user a 2' to 3' leader. Sometimes i let it fall on its own and sometimes i wiggly the rod tip to call the dinner bell (brass knocker). When i let it free fall i keep the line snug to feel the strike. I'm in about 10ft of water with this 1/8oz weight. I put brush hogs on this same rig too.
On my first casts i do not use a scent. Its when i get a strike and miss it is when i add a shot of scent and on the next cast its a hook up you can bet on.
At first the senko's got very expensive for me so i switched to the BPS stick o worms they seem to last longer.
youngbassman reply :
this is the way i look at it if bass are being finicky than throw a smaller worm on like a gamakatsu one odd hook texas rig it on a painted bullet weight and i would recommend you peg it and use a smaller weight. will slow that fall down. you can t rig those you tails i have done that.
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