I’ve been puzzled by the scarcity of floating plastic worms on the market for bass fishing. There are a few, mostly marketed for topwater, but the vast majority of plastic worms sink. Add the weight of a hook, and they sink even faster. Now for putting a worm on a jig, a Texas rig, wacky rig, or whatever, having sinking worm is just fine.
But when it comes to Carolina rigs, doesn’t a floating worm make a lot of sense? Cast out, wait for the rig to sink to the bottom, but the worm floats up a few inches, right in front of the bass’s face. Reel in, and sinker drags through the bottom debris, attracting attention, while the worm floats along just above, in plain view. Is there a tough bite leaving the bass hidden in bottom rocks and roots after a cold front? Just let the worm sit, floating just above the bottom, tantalizing the slow-moving fish. As has been mentioned on another thread, people have been trailing crankbaits behind Carolina rigs for years.
We have lures for a wide range of depths from the surface down, and weighted lures for bottom fishing. Since most fish orient to the bottom, rather than a specific depth (open water thermocline excluded), having a lure that could be fished at “bottom plus X” makes a lot of sense.
So why does this not seem to be common practice? Is it difficult to make floating plastic worms? Does it turn out that a worm laying on the bottom is just as effective? Are people already doing this and the lure makers haven’t caught on yet? What do you think?
