Basic
Techniques for fishing the Plastic Worm By Jeremiah T. Bagwell
Sponsored
by; Lake George Boat Renal, www.qcbassfishing.8k.com,
Slaydens Auto
Repair, Saga Sports International and VR&W Ltd. Lawyers.
Arguably one of the
most productive baits on the planet is the plastic worm. Whether
you fish it on a Texas Rig, Carolina Rig, Drop Shot, Florida Rig
or on a
Split Shot Rig you can almost always catch bass on a plastic
worm. The plastic worm is a very simple bait to learn to master and
hopefully after
reading this article you will feel more comfortable and confident
in your ability to produce a limit while using it. Since this is
designed
to be a basic instructional guide for the plastic worm I am
only going to get into basic rigs and techniques.
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 4/O worm hook.
(hook size will
be dependant on the size of worm you are using) The weight
will slide freely on the line. Cast the worm towards some sort
of shoreline cover
or structure and let it fall to the bottom. You will be able
to tell when it has reached the bottom when the line goes slack.
Pay close attention
to the line as it falls because frequently the bass will
hit the worm as it descends. Once your bait is resting on the bottom,
reel up the
slack line and give the tip a couple little twitches. If
this
does not produce a strike begin to slowly hop the worm along the
bottom or over
the structure you are fishing. It is not necessary to move
the rod tip a great deal to produce an effective movement of the
worm. Generally
I do not move the rod more than 6 to 8 inches. Granted the
amount of movement needed will be determined by the type of area
you are fishing.
During your retrieve it is very vital to pay attention to
your line. Should the line go slack all of the sudden chances are
the
worm is in
the mouth of a bass. It is also 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. Should this occur reel up
any
slack line and set the hook. Almost anytime I fish a plastic worm
it will be on
a Texas Rig.
Another great technique is the Carolina
Rig. Although a little more technical than the Texas Rig it is still
a
relatively
simple
technique. To create a Carolina Rig, place an egg sinker
or a Carolina Rig weight on your line. Like 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 – 24 inch leader of lighter line to the bottom eye
of the swivel. (The length of your leader will be dependant on the area
you are fishing) After this is done you attach your worm hook to the
end of the leader. Generally I will use a smaller hook when fishing a
Carolina Rig, most often a 2.5/O Gamakatsu EWG worm hook. 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. Cast
the worm to your desired target and let it fall to the bottom. 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 y the weight
as you hop it off the bottom. 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. 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. 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 ration than simply setting the hook by jerking the rod
tip straight upward.
The Florida Rig is almost identical to
the Texas Rig. The only difference is the weight on the Florida Rig
does not slide
freely on the line. Instead the weight has a small peg
with a spring looking devise attached to it. This spring is used
to screw into the
head of the plastic worm and it will lock everything
together. Although I am personally not a big fan of this technique,
there are several anglers
that are and it is up to each individual to determine
their favorite methods.
As far as the Drop Shot Rig is concerned
I feel that this is
a more advanced technique which is more difficult to
properly learn. Due to this belief I will write a more in depth
description at a later
date that will deal exclusively with fishing the Drop
Shot. Now that you have learned the basics of the plastic worm
it’s time to go out and
give it a cast. Like with all techniques these will require you to get
comfortable and gain confidence in your ability to consistently catch
fish on a plastic worm. It just doesn’t happen all at once so stick with
it and you won’t be disappointed.
