Why So Few Floating Plastic Worms?

[waskeyc]

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?

[Teal]

Find worms that dont have ANY or a low amouunt of salt. Another trick (as long as water isnt super clear) is to use a heavy mono to help that worm float.

I dont really have an answr as to why. But i have found boat dragging a soft plastic and having one withand a littlea bouyancy are efective

[Teal]

Both, not boat oops....

[webertime]

Hag's Tornado's float (at least for a very long time before sinking)

ALL of the Strike King and Z-Man Elaztech baits float.  I use the Rage Shrimp and Hag's f5 Tornado a lot and have great success DS'ing and C-Riging them.

[Comfortably Numb]

Basically comes down to the plastic used. Additives must be added to get it to float. These additives (microbubbles) make the bait stiff and much less durable.

 

Some people make just the tails of a trick type worm in the float plastic and this works well.

[grampa1114]

Go to www.floatworm.weebly.com and tell Jim that Grampa sent you.

[Diggy]

zman worms n lizards from wally world do the trick, cheap and last for manyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy fish

[waskeyc]

I will have to give these Z-Man ElaZtech worms a try.

[wnybassman]

Plastic by itself floats pretty good.  All my hand pours float right back to the surface if I strip the bait off on a hookset.  Commercial baits are loaded with salt because salt is cheaper than plastic by volume.

[Jaiden]

Strike King Zeros used to be my go to bait for wacky or Texas rigging. However, after a few fish on one they'd fill with air pockets and float. You could try those.

[TourPT]

Xcite baits makes some floaters in different styles from worms to craws and shads and such. Can't say how well they work yet for I just purchased a few bags and we have ice here, but they look like some good baits.

[Sam]

Find worms that dont have ANY or a low amouunt of salt. Another trick (as long as water isnt super clear) is to use a heavy mono to help that worm float.

I dont really have an answr as to why. But i have found boat dragging a soft plastic and having one withand a littlea bouyancy are efective

Yep. Go on-line and look for salt-free worms and they will float.

 

Also, hit the fly fishing store and get some paste to put on your line so it will float.

 

Check out this site:  http://www.probass.net/protips/JeffBruhl/jb25.php

 

Good luck.

[flipin4bass]

Remember the Terminator Cyber Flex baits? Man, I miss those baits, I use to haul em in using their lizard and creature baits. I think some other company (VMC maybe?) bought the company and then shut the line down. I also remember that you couldn't mix them with other plastics or they would melt, but other than that, they would float up to the sky.

[KYntucky Warmouth]

I also remember that you couldn't mix them with other plastics or they would melt

 

Elaztech will do the same....always keep them seperate.

[WRB]

Most hand poured soft plastic worms are not salt imptregnated , the salt is usually sprinkled into the poly bag that contains the worms, or onto the belly of the poured worm. One exception is Roboworms, an automated "hand pour", that uses salt brine mixed in the plastic. The notion that Roboworms, Iovino worms, Uptom's and other hand poured worms don't float is nonsense, they all float. Hand pours may not float like a air filled plastic worm, they still will raise to the surface when submerged without any added weight. These worms will not float a standard wire worm hook, the tail end will still rise off the bottom. If you use a light wire or small drop shot hook, these worms become nearly neutral in buoyancy.

High production injection molded worms tend to sink due to the type of soft plastic they are made with. Highly salt impregnated soft plastics will sink; like a Senko!

Tom

[MCS]

I will have to give these Z-Man ElaZtech worms a try.

 

I ran across set the hook baits. They have some hand poured floating worms.

[Dingah]

Find worms that dont have ANY or a low amouunt of salt. Another trick (as long as water isnt super clear) is to use a heavy mono to help that worm float.

I dont really have an answr as to why. But i have found boat dragging a soft plastic and having one withand a littlea bouyancy are efective

 This is true! And if you dont know if your bait has salt in it or not, just stick it in your mouth and if you dont taste salt, your worm is salt free! (just a little trick i do to see if my worms have salt or not  )

 

-Ryan

[Silas]

Go to www.floatworm.weebly.com and tell Jim that Grampa sent you.

I've been using these a couple of weeks and find that they are FANTASTIC!!

 

     The Craw bait has been particularly successful:  try it with a 2/0 hook, 6 inches line, a plastic Carolina Keeper, a reg glass bead, and a 1/8 oz tungsten bullet weight.  Floats off the bottom.

 

Very good personal service from Jim!

[je1946]

Manns Jelly worms when they first came out floated, don't know if the new ones do.  Little trick I use when I c-rig I put a small piece of pipe insulation up ahead of the hook ,with the bigger worms, and lizards  it's tough but it will keep them up long enough to slow the rate of fall, when using tubes or the paca craws I stuff them with the pipe insulation works like a charm takes awhile to learn how much U need but after a while you get the hang of it.

[gallowaypt]

I found a Gambler floating worm at bass pro.

[Primus]

Xcite baits makes some floaters in different styles from worms to craws and shads and such. Can't say how well they work yet for I just purchased a few bags and we have ice here, but they look like some good baits.

 

Xcite baits are the real deal. Their Maximus worm profile was copied by Yum but is a much better bait due to it being bouyant. The Raptor tail junior makes a nice bulky jig trailer.

[grampa1114]

Check out Float-it worms 7" worm video at...www.floatworm.weebly.com.....awesome....

[TNBassin']

ZMAN worms float great. They make some great drop shot baits.

[joe475]

I've been using these a couple of weeks and find that they are FANTASTIC!!

 

     The Craw bait has been particularly successful:  try it with a 2/0 hook, 6 inches line, a plastic Carolina Keeper, a reg glass bead, and a 1/8 oz tungsten bullet weight.  Floats off the bottom.

 

Very good personal service from Jim!

Your right Silas and Grampa

I too been using the same worm. When I email jim he told me all Ztech (zman) plastics melt. Hes plastics are the real thing and they are 100% plastic with a addative in it.  Plus I can use a 3/0 hook to make it float. But your right silas a 2/0 will make it float real high on a Caroline keeper. I like 4 foot leaders. and it floats like jim said. I asked Jim about melting and he told me the floatit will not melt with your other plastics. I try putting a bag togther and they have not melted yet. To me they are very flexable and catch couple bass on them like most plastics. 

 I went to youtube and found the trick worm jig head that floats with hes 7" worm. Here it is if you want to check it out. It looks like a cheap video but he makes hes point very good on hes baits.

[Primus]

Some more options for you...

 

Power Team lures offers a lot of terrific baits and most of the baits in their line-up float.

 

Check out Dichoso baits, he will pour you baits in a floating no salt formula in any color you can imagine.

 

Last year I had some baits poured with a Senko type of profile with a no salt formula and had very good results fishing this on a football style shaky head or fished on a Carolina rig. Bulky profile seems to attract a larger average fish than your typical finesse worm.