Any Tips On Rigging A 16 Inch Delong Worm

[kevfishin]

I am looking for some different methods on rigging a 16 inch Delong worm/snake.

I like to use it swimming in the mid layer of the water column, bottom dragging and suspended slightly off the bottom.

Fire away.

[The Young Gun]

I can't think what the right name for it is, but I always with live night crawlers have my main line hook, then tie a seperate line to hook eye with another hook at the end at the back of the worm. Could be treble or normal hook. Hope that helps!

[The Young Gun]

This could help.. http://*.com/rigging-big-worms-hooks/

[eyedabassman]

Wacky that sucker!! I fish a 15 in. Netbait C-Mac worm and i rig it 3 ways,one way is just a 5/0 to 7/0 worm hook on a T rig,number two is weightless and let it flutter down,and the other is Tex-pose,I take and push the worm all the way down the shank and keep going untill the hook is about 1/3 of the way down the worm,so when done the line is in the worm.

[J Francho]

I like to use it swimming in the mid layer of the water column, bottom dragging and suspended slightly off the bottom.

 

For this, a 6/0 weighted swimbait hook would be perfect.  The faster the retrieve you want, or greater the depth, use more weight.

[papajoe222]

Don't know what happened to my original response, but I'll either Texas rig on a 5/0 offset worm hook (they're about 2in. long from eye to bend) and if I'm getting short striked, I'll add a 3/0 straight shanked worm hook about 6in. behind it.  The other way I've tried is threading my line aboutl half way into the worm with a needle and then adding the same hook at that point. This is fished weightless.  The reason for using the needle to thread the line is to keep the worm from sliding down the line and balling up in front of the hook.

Both of the last two rigging methods will add line twist if you don't add a swivel above the set-up.  That also will allow you to use braid in any water clarity which gives you better sensitivity that using mono or flouro as a main line.

[WRB]

I fish giant worms often and you don't need a over size hook! The Delong has a fairly large diameter head and the plastic tends to be tough, not my go to worms. The trick is using a straight shank worm hook like Owner 5103, size 4/0 for DeLong, and rigging the hook similar to a T-rig; the point goes into the head up to the barb, then rotates out towards the belly same as a standard T-rig. Instead of running the point back through the center of the worm body diameter, run through one side so you don't have much plastic in the hook bend, then skin hook the point to cover it. The worm should hang straight.

Big bass will strike a big worm by the front end , don't be too much of a hurry to set the hook, unlike smaller worms. Let the bass move a foot or so before reeling up the slack line, point the rod tip at the bass and sweep the rod back firmly.

I usually use a 3/16 to 1/4 oz bullet weight the same color as the worm and peg a 7mm tempered glass bead about 8" above the worm to keep the weight above the worm or don't peg the bead. Either way the weight will slide up the line as the worm falls through the water column slowly and swims with a natural movements. Big worms takes lots of patients to fish.

Good luck

Tom

PS; check out Uptom's Customs worms, softer nod great colors to choose from.

[J Francho]

Instead of running the point back through the center of the worm body diameter, run through one side so you don't have much plastic in the hook bend, then skin hook the point to cover it.

 

We used to do this with Culprits, and add a kink to get it to spin on a swimming retrieve.  Without the kink, it doesn't twist?  That's a cool tip.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I can't think what the right name for it is, but I always with live night crawlers have my main line hook, then tie a seperate line to hook eye with another hook at the end at the back of the worm. Could be treble or normal hook. Hope that helps!

 

You mean adding a stinger?

 

12" worms are about the extent I fish. I've used both a 5/0 EWG gammie and a 11/0 Owner (that is a BIG hook) with success.