All The Sudden Cant Hook Fish With Big Worms

[WRB]

Back in the day (70's) we would let bass eat the worms and move off with it before setting the hook. This works when bass are very aggressive, not when they aren't, set the immediately and adjust as needed.

Tom

[Comfortably Numb]

Wait longer before hookset. 

 

Use smaller worm or different bait. You may be eliminating more small bass with big worms but not gaining big ones. 

[Nelson Wormefeller]

Same thing happened to me both days this weekend. I was wondering what the heck I was doing wrong....and then as soon as the sun cleared the trees and hit the water this afternoon I saw something interesting. There were schools of smallish 1 pound bass, and I could see them just grabbing the end of the worm and swimming with it. It just starting getting cold in NJ here at night, wondered if this had anything to do with it. I also saw lots of really small pickeral, was a weird weekend of sightings for me.

[David P]

Glad the jig paid off! Stick with it!

[PersicoTrotaVA]

Man you guys use some big hooks!  I use a 4/0 maybe a 5/0 with my zoom mag worms.  If you are feeling a tick, more than likely they grabbed the tail.  I notice when its a harder thump, they hit the hook.  The tick hits, you wanna wait just a little longer before ripping back.  I stopped using braid on my worm rods.  I noticed that I would rip it out of their mouths more often than not.  I have one rod spooled with 15 lb fluorocarbon and 1 I have my other one spooled with 20 lb fluorocarbon for thicker stuff, like grass and wood.

 

I started using weighted owner twist lock hooks.  I guess it would be a rage rig?  I love it.  The weight drags and kicks stuff up and the fall of the worm is amazing.