When Do You Fish Giant Plastic Worms?

[Amarley]

I love throwing a shaky head in the summer. I have had success with several different types of plastics, senkos, trick worms, ribbon tails, craws, etc. One thing I have not had a lot of success with is the really big worms, I'm talking 12"-16".

 

Do you throw these after you've had bites on the smaller worms to get the bigger fish in the school, or are there certain situations where you think a big worm is the go-to lure?

 

How do you like to fish these worms? Shaky head, texas rig, carolina, etc?

[OntarioFishingGuy]

Carolina rig in deep water humps, drop offs, etc.

 

[Crestliner2008]

I've taken several really big LM's on Yum's 10" worms. They are difficult enough to cast without thinking about an even longer worm. But I have heard that the longer ones do produce. If they produce "better" than the 10", I'm not so sure, but anything is possible in fishing.

 

Right about now is a great time (post spawn) for tossing the big ones.

[merc1997]

at least from my experiences, bass at different times of the year, seem to have a distinct preference for big baits.  here in the ozarks, this seems to occur in the hot part of the summer.  big bass especially do not want to expend more energy than needed, and with the summer water temps a bass's metabolism is faster and requires more food.

 

it certainly never hurts to experiment any time of the year though.

 

bo

[WRB]

I love throwing a shaky head in the summer. I have had success with several different types of plastics, senkos, trick worms, ribbon tails, craws, etc. One thing I have not had a lot of success with is the really big worms, I'm talking 12"-16".

Do you throw these after you've had bites on the smaller worms to get the bigger fish in the school, or are there certain situations where you think a big worm is the go-to lure?

How do you like to fish these worms? Shaky head, texas rig, carolina, etc?

Although bass under 17" or 3 lbs may strike a big worm it's not likely.

Using giant worms you are targeting larger size bass and these bass are not school fish or grouped with smaller bass. The bass you are trying to catch are located somewhere else.

Worm water to me is a area where big bass can move into from deeper water to search for prey, then move back into deeper water. I use giant worms in these areas where the bass can find the slow moving worm, usually softer bottom with isolated stick ups or submerged brush, some rock piles or other hard structure, flatter bottom with a ditch or road bed.

Summer nights are good, during the day if the boat traffic is low.

Tom

[MIbassin]

I use them the same places i always use a worm. My best places in the summer are actually weedbeds in 6-10 FOW. Just the other day i had a very successful outing catching multiple 3 pound plus bass on a gambler 13 inch ribbon tail!

[MCS]

There is an article about fishing a 10" worm in this months bass master. It was an interesting read. 

I fish these alot, 10-13" ribbon tails. Trigged and working a slow drag or a few hops and let it sit a while. The best results are letting it sit 20-30 a minute between hops or move a little and sit. I hear a lot of other folks swim them or work on a c-rig and I found this far less effective and smaller fish too boot. I fish them any time I feel like it, you gotta slow down and prepare for a potential skunk but realize you doing a specific technique to target quality fish.

[Mike L]

I never used anything bigger than 10" and that's in Fla where a larger worm can dominate in the summer.

Honestly I really cant see where a 12" to 16" worm will catch larger numbers or larger individuals.

Thats just me.

Mike

[Xped]

12"-16" worms? Where I come from, we call those snakes!

[slimshad]

I have caught numerous 8" fish on 12" worms.  Rock bass/warmouths too.   Great bait in the summer.  I like them around grass also, 

[frogflogger]

A one pound bass will readily eat a 14" water snake - my rule of thumb is if the fish are active and you want a big fish throw the biggest thing you have - in Florida I swam 18" delongs with some success - 11" - 14" were good but you'd catch some one pounders in the mix.

[smalljaw67]

If I'm catching a good number of fish on 7" worms and most are in the average size range I will often go to a 10" worm rigged on a 5/0 Gamakatsu offset shank worm hook. As WRB already mentioned, you will catch some smaller fish occasionally with a big worm but not likely, and it holds true in my waters, the switch to the big worm and the bites disappear but when you do get bit it is normally a 3lb+ fish. I have never thrown a worm larger than 10", we don't have big schools of large fish in PA so the need for a larger worm just isn't there.

[ChrisD46]

In the Summer a Zoom 10"  'Ol Monster ribbon tail worm in Plum / Plum Apple , Green Pumpkin or Junebug colors (depending on conditions) ,   3/16th oz. tungsten bullet weight (unpegged) , 5/0 round bend offset hook of your choice and 12lb. fluorocarbon with baitcast outfit of your choice ... Slow down and drag / hop for best results - now that's living

[Catch and Grease]

In my local lake that isn't known for big bass (although plenty of huge bass are there) I use them when nothing is biting and I'm trying to get that one fish that makes the whole day worth it!

[Bluebasser86]

I like them in deeper water, when the water is hot, at night, and any time I'm looking for a big bite. 

[Catt]

I've seen double digit bass caught on Crappie jigs, I've also seen 1-2 pound bass routinely eat 10-14" worms. I've landed bass with so much worm in their mouth the hook never touch flesh, they simply could not spit the worm.

Rage Tail Recon & Anaconda

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Fairly regularly. Weighted or weightless. Most of the time it's weightless though. Toss them up into a pad field and just slowly work them back to the boat.