Texas Rigged Worm Retrieve

[BaitMonkey1984]

I fish mostly wacky, I want to change that. How do you retrieve a texas rigged worm (both a stick bait and a curly tail worm)? For whatever reason I have had success dragging craws and creatures but no success dragging a worm. Also, not much success popping a worm off the bottom. Thanks for the help

[papajoe222]

As with most soft plastics, many different retrieves will work at one time or another. My personal view is that different plastics have their own, most productive retrieve. A ribbed worm or craw are killers when dragged along the bottom, so I'll use them when I want more contact with the bait than say a C-rig would afford me.

T-rigged worms are no different when it comes to my decision to use them.  I consider the style of worm. Curly tails shine when used with a lift/drop retrieve that moves the bait fairly quickly along.  A paddle tail is awesome when jigged or 'stroked' of the bottom. Senkos are great when moved with the reel. 

I'm not saying I don't recommend using any bait only one way, just that some baits seem to perform better for me when presented one way over another.  I would suggest starting with a worm that has a little action built in. Use just enough weight to stay in contact with it and mix up your retrieve until you find out what works.

[kickerfish1]

Really depends on bottom composition and overall fish activity. For lakes with weedier bottoms I like to hop and pop it through the grass/vegetation and let the fish see it. Dragging may work better for lakes with little bottom structure or very neutral/non aggressive fish. Ribbontail worms on Texas rig have worked for years. An often overlooked method by many anglers today who seek out the latest/greatest techniques. Powerworms, Culprit worms, Rage anacondas are all good choices.

[Bluebasser86]

Hop, drag, or straight swimming retrieve most of the time. 

[Joedodge]

I've had good success lately with a pop and retrieve let it sink an pop again. Most of our ponds and lakes are heavy grassy debris bottoms. I fish trick worms, yum dingerz, and culprit ribbon tails the same

[Violinguy]

With a Senko-style bait, I'll let it sit, lift it up and let it fall.  Then a couple of cranks.  Then repeat.  Bass usually nail it on one of the falls.  You have to watch your line like a hawk, but once you recognize what a strike looks like, you're in.  You have to allow some slack in the line for the best action.

 

With traditional worms, I'll do something similar to the above, but with a few pops here and there to put more action into the worm's tail.

[Catt]

Short Stroking!

After my lure has sat on the bottom for 20-30 seconds I'll stroke upwards 2-3', let it fall back down, I do this 3 times quickly before pausing for 20-30 seconds. I do this all the way back to the boat. If I'm casting in 10' of water or less the height of the strokes are not as high.

[Senko lover]

I'd suggest alternating back and forth from a hop to a pause; the fish will tell you whether or not they want it hopped more or paused more. If you're fishing cover, I'd add dragging into the mix. Drag it on the bottom until you feel a log or a rock, hop it over the obstruction, then pause it.

Good luck.

[Matthew2000]

Swim then kill it for curly tails makes the fish react.

[primetime]

Vary the weight on the worm, sometimes pegged is better in open water or sandy rocky bottom, I like to not peg the weight and usually prefer a slower fall but in clear water sometimes a heavy weight works better and I usually do a lift and pause and try to keep the bait falling as often as possible and pause it for a good 10-30 seconds every so often...They tell you what to want but a change of weight from 1/8 to 3/8 on the initial drop or other drops if feathering the worm up a few feet after it hits the bottom can be the difference of catching a few or tearing them up...I also use weighted hooks alot if possible, or swing jigs,jig rig, or jigheads with weedguards like the kalins darter head with a wire guard.

 

I rarely peg a weight right at the worm unless flipping or pitching to targets, if working a weed edge, I often leave the weight unpegged or pegged a few feet up, but I believe the weight and tungsten since it is smaller and sensitive is very important piece, all worms work, curly, ribbon, straight, or creatures etc.

[VtSmallmouth]

There is no one retrieve that will work with every bait in every situation. Try different retrieves and see what happens. Fast, slow, hop it, eventually you'll find what they want that day.

[buzzed bait]

Short Stroking!

After my lure has sat on the bottom for 20-30 seconds I'll stroke upwards 2-3', let it fall back down, I do this 3 times quickly before pausing for 20-30 seconds. I do this all the way back to the boat. If I'm casting in 10' of water or less the height of the strokes are not as high.

 

my good buddy that is by far the best plastic worm angler i know does this exactly.  never fishes a worm any other way except for texas rig.

[Catt]

my good buddy that is by far the best plastic worm angler i know does this exactly. never fishes a worm any other way except for texas rig.

I was taught that technique by Larry Nixon

[Fishes in trees]

Apparently, you've got 4 basic choices.  You can hop it, drag it, swim it or dead stick it.  Combining different techniques within the same cast gives you a nearly infinite number of choices (or more than I feel like counting, anyway).   Timing is variable with all these choices.  That is where you start.  Let the experiments begin.    Me, I don't texas rig very often.  Over the past couple of years, a jika rig has proved more effective that a texas rig for me, and I fish it in the same kind of places.

[HoosierHawgs]

Try a weightless texposed rig to start out. A nail weight in a stick is a great way to go as well. If you are used to fishing wacky, this is how I would go... Pop that worm up, and then let the nail weight allow the bait to slide back towards the fish. This can be a great technique. 

[A-Jay]

On any given day, almost any of the suggestions given so far work.

I've never thought of a Texas rigged worm as a "Reaction" bait, so I don't routinely fish it like one.

 

 However, one could look at it from the stand point of the Predator & Prey relationship.

Most anything a bass eats is probably trying really hard to avoid that scenario. 

 So doing anything that would draw attention to itself is undesirable and could lead to it's demise.

 

 Rather than hopping & popping the bait, there is a time & place where sneaking the bait along every so gingerly works well.  Try to move it while imagining that your actually attempting to toss your bait out there and get it back without getting bit.  Sounds kind of backwards I know but the bait is in the bass's world, and she knows it's there; without the extra action.

 

You'll find yourself fishing spots slower and more thoroughly while at the same time affording your bait the time it needs to work it's magic.

 

On a side note - this is not a bad approach for a jig either.

 

A-Jay

 

 

 

[scaleface]

On any given day, almost any of the suggestions given so far work.

I've never thought of a Texas rigged worm as a "Reaction" bait, so I don't routinely fish it like one.

 

 However, one could look at it from the stand point of the Predator & Prey relationship.

Most anything a bass eats is probably trying really hard to avoid that scenario. 

 So doing anything that would draw attention to itself is undesirable and could lead to it's demise.

 

 Rather than hopping & popping the bait, there is a time & place where sneaking the bait along every so gingerly works well.  Try to move it while imagining that your actually attempting to toss your bait out there and get it back without getting bit.  Sounds kind of backwards I know but the bait is in the bass's world, and she knows it's there; without the extra action.

 

You'll find yourself fishing spots slower and more thoroughly while at the same time affording your bait the time it needs to work it's magic.

 

On a side note - this is not a bad approach for a jig either.

 

A-Jay

Interesting idea. Make your lure act like its trying to hide from the predators .

[A-Jay]

Interesting idea. Make your lure act like its trying to hide from the predators .

 

Yes, that's the idea.  May make more sense when one considers that we as anglers are routinely looking for "ambush points".   That's probably not because the basses prey makes it easy for them.

 

A-Jay

[Catt]

I want my lure to say, nana nana boo boo you're fat & ugly!

Nana nana boo boo you can't catch me!

[Dingah]

Hop, Hop, Hop, pause, repeat. is the most common style for my area, but they can be dragged on the bottom or swam, it all depends on what the fish want and where you're fishing.

-Dingah

[senile1]

A-Jay's method is the one I use the most, though all of them have their place.  I also mix this method with the occasional hop and deadstick too.  I like to subtly move my worms, creatures, and jigs and let them sit for a few seconds more often than not.  On some occasions I will fish them more aggressively, but that would be further down the list of methods I use.

[roadwarrior]

On any given day, almost any of the suggestions given so far work.

I've never thought of a Texas rigged worm as a "Reaction" bait, so I don't routinely fish it like one.

 

 However, one could look at it from the stand point of the Predator & Prey relationship.

Most anything a bass eats is probably trying really hard to avoid that scenario. 

 So doing anything that would draw attention to itself is undesirable and could lead to it's demise.

 

 Rather than hopping & popping the bait, there is a time & place where sneaking the bait along every so gingerly works well.  Try to move it while imagining that your actually attempting to toss your bait out there and get it back without getting bit.  Sounds kind of backwards I know but the bait is in the bass's world, and she knows it's there; without the extra action.

 

You'll find yourself fishing spots slower and more thoroughly while at the same time affording your bait the time it needs to work it's magic.

 

On a side note - this is not a bad approach for a jig either.

 

A-Jay

 

Great post!

 

 

 

[Bankbeater]

I usually drag it along the bottom, give it short hops, or swim it back slow.

[greentrout]

When the fishin is slow, I'll cast to whatever and let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes before I do anything and decide

 

Old school basser...

[Catt]

When a bass attacks a school of shad, minnows, perch, ect, does it try to run down the healthiest, fastest, the one out front?

No it targets the slowest, the one swimming erratically, the one drawing attention to itself.

When a craefish senses danger does it nonchalantly walk away?

No it makes 3 quick hops up off the bottom, pauses briefly, snd makes 3 more quick hops until it feels it's reached a safe distance.

I want my lure to draw the bass's attention; I want that bass to say "I can catch that one!".