Culry Tail versus Straight Tail

[CrazedL.IFisherman]

Sorry for the really simple question but i never knew the huge difference in each lures, the straight tail and curl tail worms. How does one work better for certain situations then the other. Never thought much about it until i read in my favorite book about bass fishing that i call my bass Bible, anyhow any clarification would really help so i can try out the new methods this season, only thing on this topic that i know is curly tails get caught up more easily in timber and weeds while its easier to pull through a straight tail worm

[northgabassfisher]

about the only time i use a ctail is on a crig and i hardly ever use it then. but the strait tail i use all the time i mostly use finesse worms, i will put them on a shaky head, or trig or drop shot it. but you could just about use a ctail when ever you use a strait tail, the ctail will just give off more vibration then most strait tail worms

[Guest the_muddy_man]

I use Trick worms or Manns Jelly when i want a straight worm usually t riggin over orcks all other times i use a t rigged 7 inch green ribbon worm They are especially good on weed beds when not using Senko knock offs!!!!!!

[Shakes]

I think straight tails are to imitate bottom feeders, and curled tails are for swimming.

[gatrboy53]

there is a place for both.imo though the straight worm,i.e. zoom trickworm and types will consistently out fish curly tail worms.i know there will be plenty that dont agree and thats fine. each to his own and if one catches plenty of bass w/ curly tail worms ,great.i believe w/ the pressure and conditioning of bass today curly tail worms are for actively feeding bass primarily,which is only a 1/3 of the time.yes, curly tail worms will and do catch plenty of neutral and negative bass.i find in tough conditions which are more often than not a strait tail do nothing worm fished slow to deadsticked will catch bass when other type worms wont.personally, i think its a matter of preference.i have a satchel full of culprits and power worms and bass assassins and at times i have to fish em to get bit. but very seldom do "do nothing "worms not catch fish.i'll even include senko type baits in the catagory as do nothing worms.

most who fish curly tail worms fish the bait to get the tail to move and i find bass usually dont wont a moving bait.most of the bass i catch are either on the fall or deadsticked.i guees it would also depend on where you live and fish. in n. fla. im fishing shallow grassy lakes w/ avg depth of 6' or less pitching to cover or grass

[Shad_Master]

For me it just provides a little extra movement and vibration in the water, which I hope will attract the bass' attention.  My goto worm is the ZOOM Vibra-tail -- I have caught tons of bass on these things after first buying them 'cause they were cheap.  Sometimes the tail gets caught in the grass and will pull off, leaving me with a straight tail worm that will also catch fish.  So go figure.

[sal669]

My $0.02

Strait tail= do nothing. Drop it to the bottom, shake it ,let it sit ,shake it ,hop it ,let it sit...Not that good for swimming the bait without dropping to the bottom

Curly tail= swim back slowly, drop to bottom maybe 2-3 times on every cast (but not necessarily), don't let it sit to much in one spot. It's for more agressive fish. Tail needs to flap and put action in the worm; you accomplish that by moving the bait .

I prefere a bag of curly tails any day (just cut the tail and you got a strait tail worm).Make it junebug.

[Cephkiller]

Curly tails work well in really stained to muddy water because of the vibration they give off.  Curly tails also work well when fished tight to cover or dropped in holes because the tail acts as a rudder and forces the worm to fall straight down.  The erratic action of the straight tail works better in most other situations IMO.

[Marty]

I'd try 'em both, you can't always predict what they'll take. This happened some years ago, but it was with grubs, not worms, but the principle's the same.

We were fishing grubs on jigheads, my partner with a curly tail and me with a split tail. I was getting skunked and he had me 6-0. Finally I switched to a curly tail and caught something almost immediately. The final score was 6-4. It's not everyday that something happens that's so clear cut, but it proves that it can and does happen.

[Brad_Coovert]

Curl tail worms move a water. At night or in dirty water, a worm like a Gator Tail or a ZOOM GTail will be a good bait choice.

Swimming tail worms like the Utail, Mag II, Culprit are good worms when fishing more quickly in warmer waters. They are easily fished through weeds, wood, etc. in summer, these are great producers in timber, weedbeds and laydowns.

Straight tail worms work well in cooler water, clear water and when fish get pressured. They are one of the most versatile worms IMO. They can be fished easily from top to bottom on about any rig you can think of. They are especially deadly rigged weightless or on jigheads like the Spot Remover.

Good luck in your worming!

Brad

[.ghoti.]

I use both, but with different rigging. For ribbon-tailed worms, I use a wide gap hook, Texas-rigged with with just enough weight to get the tail working on the drop. I'll peg the weight with a bobber stop if I'm throwing it into cover, otherwise leave the weight free. As far a situations go, I'll use a t-rigged worm anytime and anywhere, with mostly a lift and drop retrieve, varied with some short stretches of swimming. This works at any depth/cover/structure you care to try.

The straight worms, mostly Zoom trick worms for me, I'll rig with a smaller wide gap hook and either a swivel or a bullet shot about 12" or more up the line. What I'm looking for with this rig is for the worm to glide. I use the wide gap hook to act as a keel, keeping the worm from spinning. If it spins, it won't glide. The swivel and shot both will get hung up, so I tend to use this in open water. Outside weed edges, outside brush edges, down or up points, etc. This lightly weighted rig is only good up to 8' or so. I don't have the patience to fish it deeper than that.

Both rigs will work all year long. Except, of course, when they bounce off the water.

Both types of worm will work on a jighead, but I'm pretty sure I've caught more using a straight worm on a jig than a ribbon worm on a jig.

Cheers,

GK