Trolling For Bass...with A Worm

[BigmouthForever23]

So I grew up with my dad who would take me out on the lake and we would troll for bass with a worm. We wouldn't rig it Carolina or Texas style but with a small split shot weight about 8-10 inches above the worm. I know this is not very common but I was wondering if anyone has ever tried it.

 

Let me tell you, at least from the lake we fished, it was gold. We would go out at noon, bright sun, ski boats everywhere, and be pulling out 4-5 pound bass sometimes bigger in the middle of the day. And for the area I live in, (NW Suburbs of Chicago), those are monsters. We didn't like fishing in the morning because there was this idiot who would would power up, illegally mind you, at 5:30 in morning EVERY DAY. I think he was a professional who wanted to practice before other boats were on the lake.

 

But anyway all we would do is cast our lines out, let a bunch of line out, and SLOWLLLY troll a couple sweet spots we knew on the lake that contained very nice dropoffs. I can't tell you how fun it was to hook a big bass with so much line out. It made landing the bass that much more fun. The downside to this was the bass would have much longer to get free, but I always would wait quite a while until I set the hook. Some of the best times I've had fishing was with my dad practicing this technique.

[OutdoorIL25]

Interesting! I have never tried that technique, but I would love to catch 5lbers in this area haha. What lake were you fishing?

[Catt]

I will on occasion drift large flats dragging a Texas Rig!

[Big Fish Rice]

I learned of this technique from a Lindner Media video that I purchased last year...a little bit different setup, but they use it in Minnesota and absolutely annihilate big bass in the heat of summer. Thanks for bringing up the topic...sounds like you and your Dad have a good thing going

[starcraft1]

This method has been around for quite some time. Out west it's called a "split shot" rig & your dad knows his stuff. It works great in the heat of the day pitched into the hole in grass mats or pads. The slow fall drives them nuts.

[BigmouthForever23]

Interesting! I have never tried that technique, but I would love to catch 5lbers in this area haha. What lake were you fishing?

 

Diamond Lake, an unincorporated community in Lake County. There are some monsters in this lake. We would hardly ever see anyone fishing because although it's not a super small lake, it's small enough where one ski boat can make a wake through the whole lake. It's basically in the shape of a circle. Nevertheless, it was hilarious when my dad and I would pull out a 5 pound bass on a 90 degree day in the middle of summer and see some of the looks from bystanders on ski boats. We would be bobbing up and down in our boat from the waves and still catch be catching bass. My dad had to do some convincing when he first took me out because I told him there's no way we're going to catch a bass in these conditions. But after I caught a few I was convinced.

 

Some days were tough though. I mean, at that time of day and year the bass aren't very active. But since my dad knew the lake so well, we knew where to find them. The key was to get the worm near where the bass were holding and it's very hard for them to pass up such an easy meal. Unfortunently, my parents moved to Florida last November and so I don't have a boat anymore and can't fish Diamond Lake. I have to resort to local Park Districts and fish from shore...

 

I'm looking for a house now though so once that happens, (if it ever happens, been looking since December), I'm going to buy a boat as soon as I can so I can get back out on that lake (or a different one).

[Crestliner2008]

Back in the early 90's, the late Doug Hannon introduced his "swimming worm" which is similar to what you are using. Basically threading the worm 1/3 of the way in and putting a slight kink in it so that it spins slowly while you retrieve or troll. I've tried it a few times but never really caught anything decent on the rig. Maybe because I never really gave it enough time on the water.

 

EDIT:  The "Slow Death" rig used by walleye anglers is similar. They use a twisted up hook which is manufactured and offered in most sporting catalogs.

[BigmouthForever23]

This method has been around for quite some time. Out west it's called a "split shot" rig & your dad knows his stuff. It works great in the heat of the day pitched into the hole in grass mats or pads. The slow fall drives them nuts.

 

Yup, I never really asked him how he developed this technique or where he learned it. The great thing about this method is when a bass takes the worm, they swim away with it and hardly ever drop it before you have a chance to set the hook because the weight of the split shot is so light they don't feel the weight when they eat the worm. This gives you all the time you want to set the hook. There were many times where I'd actually wait so long to set the hook and pull up the bass with the worm all the way down it's mouth! I'd usually wait longer to set the hook as I learned setting it too quickly results in a not as solid hookset. For those of you who have caught big bass, the tip of their mouth is like shoe leather. If a a bass swims away with a worm and the hook is near that tough part of their jaw, you can forget about getting any kind of solid hookset.

[Deleted account]

Yup, works great, specially if you have a well defined grass line or other such cover, crankbaits, jerkbaits and spoons work well too but aren't as weedless of course.  But I think trolling is against the LMB law. As far as putting fish in the boat, it goes live bait, trolling, then casting. Anyone who tells you otherwise is misinformed.

[BigmouthForever23]

^^I had no idea about a LMB law.

 

Anyway, another great aspect of this method is when the worm hits the bottom and you start trolling, the worm isn't dragging on the very bottom because the weight keeps it a few inches above which in turn makes it easier for the bass to see. It's also a much more natural presentation when using a worm, compared to say a Texas-rigged worm.

[BigmouthForever23]

Back in the early 90's, the late Doug Hannon introduced his "swimming worm" which is similar to what you are using. Basically threading the worm 1/3 of the way in and putting a slight kink in it so that it spins slowly while you retrieve or troll. I've tried it a few times but never really caught anything decent on the rig. Maybe because I never really gave it enough time on the water.

 

EDIT:  The "Slow Death" rig used by walleye anglers is similar. They use a twisted up hook which is manufactured and offered in most sporting catalogs.

 

Interesting, we would use a 10 inch Culprit worm rigged exactly like you would with a Texas-rigged worm only instead of using a bullet weight right on top of the hook, we would use a split-shot 8-10 inches above. It was dynamite.

[FrogFreak]

Makes sense to me, just C-riiging on the move.

[atpns1234]

I've always got a pole with a culprit fire n ice dragging behind me. Caught a ton of fish this way.

[WRB]

We call this technique strolling or dragging, both illegal for tournaments, can't move the lure using the boat! The split shot rig is ideal for this presentation.

Tom

[DogBone_384]

Interesting technique.  I'll have to try it on my kayak.  I'll post up if it works...

[Bluebasser86]

I used to troll a buzzbait out of my 2 man all the time, caught a lot of fish doing it. Sometimes those little green fish that give us fits aren't all that smart after all. 

[G8RBob]

I must be holding my mouth wrong.  Tried it yesterday, no bites.  Caught 7 trolling a rattletrap.  I will try again, it makes too much sense.

[slonezp]

Interesting! I have never tried that technique, but I would love to catch 5lbers in this area haha. What lake were you fishing?

There's 5lbrs. Not a lot of them, but they're around. Diamond Lake I believe is private as well as Lake Zurich. Bangs is 100% catch and release on bass and there are pics in Wauconda Boat of 6's, and 7's. A guy in our club pulled a 6 1/2 out of the Chain last year and 5's are caught every year.

This weighed 5 even from the Chain and won me big bass, and 3's and 4's are quite common.

[OutdoorIL25]

There's 5lbrs. Not a lot of them, but they're around. Diamond Lake I believe is private as well as Lake Zurich. Bangs is 100% catch and release on bass and there are pics in Wauconda Boat of 6's, and 7's. A guy in our club pulled a 6 1/2 out of the Chain last year and 5's are caught every year.

This weighed 5 even from the Chain and won me big bass, and 3's and 4's are quite common.

 

Thanks Slonezp! I live in Lake Zurich and have fished the lake a couple of times and have only caught 2 small bass.  I used to work in Wauconda and have fished Bangs many of times and caught some nice sized fish... I need to stop in Wauconda boat and check out those pictures.  My sights are now set on Vulcan Lake ( 3 Oaks Rec Area) in Crystal Lake, I guess there are some pretty nice sized fish in that lake.

[G8RBob]

The last two days I have fished using a variation of the "trolling rig."  I rigged a drop shot and have a great deal of success dragging the drop shot.  I put a rattling weight on the end of the line, with a EWG 5.0 hook about 30 inches up the line.  I pulled in nine bass during the two trips, which consisted of actually fishing for about 4 hours.  

[Kevin22]

I've trolled for bass before. Usually when I'm trolling for walleye and happen into a school of smallies. I'll switch over to a c-rig with a craw and pump the rod as I wind drift over them or use the trolling motor to keep myself moving at around .08mph 

[primetime]

gWhen I was in college upstate NY, I was lucky to have some friends who were Salmon, Trout, and Walleye guides, or simply lived on a Lake or river that usually was full of smallmouth, Largemouth, but the fish that taught me the most about Bass Fishing and Snook fishing in Saltwater were Walleye Fishing.

 

I am also fortunate to have had alot of time growing up to surfacast for Stripers using plugs and bucktails etc..

 

When it comes to Bass Fishing, We all like to Modify rigs, try new techniques and ways to catch Bass in pressured lakes or areas that see the same presentaions all the time. I took alot of Science classes and I always did experiments for projects and lab testing that were related to fishing.

 

I have read dozens of books on studies regarding Bass and all gamefish in regards to color, size, habits, and vibration, sound, depth, and also line visibility and lb test..

 

To keep this short, I can say that using the Roller Rig as we would call it or using the Harness rig for Walleye has translated into some of my favorite bass fishing techniques...Here are some tips that I have found to work the majority of the time when other traditional methods are not.

 

- Fish the Lightest line possible and the camo colored lines actually work best regardless of clarity in my experience. Scent and more scent is super important especially fishing fast, as the scent trail causes more fish to follow your presentation...It is considered fact in the Walleye world that for every fish caught another half dozen were following it the majority of the time, and what triggers strikes is either a change in direction, speed, deadsticking, or pumpking the swimming worm, or spinning worm...other reason was when another walleye or predator comes to check out the rig and then that fish will strike out of instinct.

 

I practice rigs and techniques in local ponds where I know Fish are all over so I am certain that if I am not getting strikes, it is my presentation. I have used walleye Pill floats, slip floats, teasers, and rigs to modify Bass Rigs and it works. I also use so much scent lately if not using gulp or trigger x, and also have found the UV glow scent is great on fast moving baits at times.....Here is one of my favs, and it gets you some strange looks, but works alot more than it will not...Take a large worm, 7" senko or big sluggo, rig it on a large Tru Turn Hook with the bend, and allow your worm to give off the "S" wake that a shiner gives off when they school, or one is strolling around the surface....Add Pro-cure uv gel and use a worm with flash or lots of flake, and cast it far and high so splash down is loud, and here is where the stupid part comes in but also where you may get your rod ripped out of your hands...Start reeling fast before it hits down, as the splash and speed of worm will cause Bass to investigate by nature, follow and if you work it aggressive like a Spook, kill it after 10 feet and let the senko do its thing on the fall...if nothing strikes, bring it up to surface fast, swim it and again work it side to side with hard jerks and make sure it is flashing, then skip it out of the water before letting it fall...Basically work it like a maniac or someone you would think is just messing around.....

 

I have cast a sammy, spook, and ima skimmer for half hour in one spot and nothing would take em....I use a worm on top and swim it as a walker or subsuface walker, and simply by the loud spash, skipping, or deadstick, change of direction, I have had 3-4 good fish in a row in the same water...Not sure if it aggitates them, looks different, but strikes are violent.....Add a D.o.A chug head and the senko swims with a nice natural action, and you can then pop it and if you need it to ride high, floating worm weight with a punch skirt helps, adding a willow blade or MJ rig on tail, or simpy add pill float in a color that looks like a small baitfish in front.....It works great over weeds that are topped out on surface, Frogs are good, but the Senko wacks water like the Ima skimmer only its weedless and they take it and hold on....It also falls through weeds so you can swim it deep as well and just add a large shot or on swinging football head....

 

If you ever caught fish on the Creme Midget crawler as a kid, think about how you worked that lure and it was and still is a good bait. proprs for vibration, it rolls and spins wih props, and is long and straight, but has a bend in it.....Trolling a tube that is almost a full circle tipped with a worm is deadly on stripers or grouper, Revolve with Walleye, and guys swim tubes for salmon and add flash inside...Don't skip articles about Salmon, or any predator....If it catches Walleye, it will catch Bass often better as it looks new....I know that was alot but everyone has this "no weight or nail wieghted senko only"..but how many times have you had strikes reeling in your wacky rig to make another cast? OSP Bent Minnow Anyone?

[frogflogger]

We used this with the original creme scoundrel back years ago - my dad liked to put a snap swivel in the mix -