Since the first plastic worm hit the market, the straight plastic bait has dominated tackle boxes and tournaments. Over the years, the worm has morphed into lizards, frogs, minnows, and other representations of living things. The creature bait is a descendent of the plastic worm that does not look exactly like a crawfish, lizard, or other water dweller. Just as small patches of cloth make a beautiful quilt, the parts of a creature bait makes an eye-catching lure.

As plastic baits go, the creature bait is everything but a worm, the same as a worm, and different from a worm. With the number of baits on the market, creature baits come in many forms. Single tail models to multiple tentacles, plastics are shaped into different shapes and sizes. Creature baits are all the characteristics of a worm but appearances are far removed from each other.

Creature baits are the same as worms in the aspect of technique and fish catching ability. These baits are great substitute for worms. The baits work with any technique or situation. Rigs used for creature baits are the same for worms. It is easy for an angler to learn how to fish a creature bait if the angler fishes a worm or other plastic.

The big advantage of a creature bait is the difference between a worm and a creature. Changing the look of the lure is a major advantage. With multiple tentacles and tails, a creature bait provides an enticing change of pace for the angler. From a jig trailer to flipping a Texas rigged, the creature bait is a profile that provokes strikes.

Creature baits work well on a Texas rig, Carolina rig, or a trailer. Texas rigged creatures are the most commonly used arrangement. Whether pegged or sliding sinker, a Texas rigged creature is great for catching fish. Fall rates of these baits range from slow to fast depending on the weight of the sinker. Curl tails and other arms of the bait add resistance and enticing action. This makes the bait fall slower than a normal worm. Throughout the year, the proper fall is an important key to producing strikes.

Another use for the odd looking plastic is the Carolina rig. When crawled across the bottom, a creature bait is a terrific alternative for a lizard or worm. Crawfish, eels, and other living things of the bass’ diet inhabit the lake floor. A creature bait on a Carolina rig might appear to be a crawfish or other tasty morsel. With many different sizes and colors, a good substitution is available for any water.

Jigs are great for catching bass. Creature baits make good trailers. From jigs with or without weed guards, creatures add a variety of colors and styles for use as trailers. Pinch the trailer in half to shorten the trailer or use the as is, the creature bait gives the angler many ways to catch fish.

Besides basic rigging, creature lures work for all techniques of fishing. Flipping to pitching, the creature can do it all. Texas rigged creature baits are used in the Venice area of Louisiana. Local guide Andy Mnichowski (504-347-8394) uses creature baits to flip the canes along the canals and bayous of south Louisiana.

“Texas rigged baits are great for flipping the canes in Venice”, says Captain Andy, a Yum® sponsored guide and Redfish Cup champion. “Creature baits in black and blue or black and chartreuse are good colors for the dirty river water. The bulkier baits work well when fishing heavy cover like floating Hyacinths or Roseau canes.”

There are many great creature baits on the market. The Zoom® Brush Hog is the first creature lure to gain widespread fame. This odd looking chunk of plastic took the country by storm. It still is a great producer. A Yum® Wooly Hawgtail is similar to a tube bait with curl tails and flippers. The Yum® bait slides easily into heavy cover like brush or grass. PowerBait® Bungee™ Hawg has a worm like body with special Bungee™ tentacles. From flipping to Carolina rigs, the Bungee™ Power Hawg is a soft plastic that handle the many tactics used by bass anglers.

If you get tired of catching fish on the old fashion worm, switch to a creature bait. Creatures baits work in place of other plastics and perform with the same tenacity as the original plastic worm. The creature plastic is a useful tool for the bass fisherman.Pictured to your right..

Rick Adams, Captain Andy’s Redfish partner, knows how to catch the bass.
Rick is a B.A.S.S. Federation competitor and a Redfish Cup team pro.

Jeff Bruhl is a member of the Louisiana Outdoors Writer Association, pro angler, and a pharmacist. His website, www.marshbass.com, covers freshwater fishing across Louisiana and the gulf coast. Each Saturday morning between 5-7 am CST, a bass fishing report can be heard on the Outdoors with Don Dubuc Radio Show (www.dontheoutdoorsguy.com) on 870 AM from the New Orleans station. Jeff has made numerous television and radio appearances on shows like Paradise Louisiana, The Big Fish, and ABC26.com. From tips on youtube.com to weekly reports on his website, his articles and reports provide tips and tactics for bass anglers in the sportsman paradise. Jeff’s sponsors include Abu Garcia, Xpoint hooks, Bud Light, Louisiana Fish Fry Products, Power Pole, Stanley Jigs and Spinnerbaits, Skeeter, Dockside Marine, Rat-L-Trap, and Berkley. For more information about fishing in Louisiana, drop Jeff an email at jeff@marshbass.com.