Does anybody fish 12 inch worms in the fall

[Ohiopondfisher]

Does anybody throw 12 inch worms in the fall. What areas should I target and what time of day?

 

[jr231]

Ive had success throwing the zoom ol monster and rage anaconda. But I like throwing the 7.5 in ribbon tails better. You can still catch quality bass on a 7.5 inch worm. Just like you can still catch a dink with a 12in. 

[S. Sass]

Worms are a year round bait for me. And yeah the 7.5" size are great producers and will catch large and small alike.

There is a great deal on the Zman 7.5" ones at outlet bait and tackle. .99 a pack of 5. The Pumpkinseed color has been killing it for me all year. 

[Turtle135]

This is just my personal experience. I throw a lot of 10" and 12" ribbontail worms in the summer when the water is 70 degrees or warmer and catch some of my biggest bass of the year. Once the water drops into the 60's (as it has now on my water) that big worm does not generate bites. I have much better luck with a jig or a texas rigged stickbait (Senko, Yum Dinger. etc.). The jig works all the way through the winter into the prespawn for me.

[Yakalong]

I agree with turtle135, in the summer I will tend to throw the larger worms. But senkos are more my go to when it's not so warm out.

[ChrisD46]

In the Fall as the water cools the Zoom Trick Worm with it's straight tail and less action than a ribbon tail worm is a better worm approach . T-Rig it with a 1/8th ~ 1/4 oz. bullet weight or 1/8th oz. Shakey Head jig in Green Pumpkin or Black  and 3/0 offset worm hook ... Just snake it around on the bottom slowly crawling it along with an occasional lift and drop on the retrieve . Green Pumpkin , Plum and June Bug are three colors that will work almost any where in the Fall . Give it a try and see what you think ...

[jr231]

I do agree senkos out perform the ribbon tail in the fall(for me). I also agree that a trick worm on a shaky head is a great choice. It is in summer as well. Again i agree that the jig catches fish year round and is always a good choice. 

But, I catch worms on a t rigged culprit ribbon tail in red shad or tequila all the way through fall. I dont think the tail is too much action at all. For winter , yes. For fall... no. 

[papajoe222]

I'm sure there are anglers that have confidence throwing big worms in the fall. I'm not one of them. That one word, confidence, should be upper most in your mind when selecting any bait any time of year.  I'm not saying you should always go with your most confident, sometimes it's a poor choice. If you continue to strive to become a better angler, you will gain confidence in many baits and presentations and become what is often called a versatile angler. Until you feel you are at that point, go with your confidence presentations.

BTW, in the fall, I tend to lean toward smaller soft plastics with less action as the water gets colder. I also slow down my retrieve the colder it gets.

[primetime]

I only use big worms in the fall when Bass are shallow and active like after rain when they are feeding on a variety of forage, but for the most part I stop using the big worms once November starts, not sure why but I just have always done that. I  know some people who are extremely accurate pitching to isolated cover, and they have a 10" worm on all year and sometimes that is the best bait, but I have never done well with bigger worms after cold fronts when you have to be able to pitch into the perfect spot.

I think it is a confidence thing. If a Big Bass sees a 12" Worm come flying in front of his face,I am sure that is more enticing than a BB cricket, or if presented slowly, I know that they are used in the cold water in the spring often since the tails come through cover easier, not sure why I never use my bigger worms in fall?

Good Question. I would think that really slow/suspending fall from ribbon tail could be good on some days. I use big punch rigs or a big creature, so why not a big worm? Try it out....I had a good day years ago by accident after tossing an 8" lizard in the winter just testing out rigs and for some reason they wanted a lizard in December and it has never worked again....But I make 3 pitches and switch. Hard to say.

[WRB]

On October 9, 2016 at 5:41 PM, Ohiopondfisher said:

Does anybody throw 12 inch worms in the fall. What areas should I target and what time of day?

 

From your site name I will assume you fish ponds in Ohio. If the pond has big bass over 7 lbs then offering a 12" soft plastic worm would work. Remember bass are cold blooded creatures and thier metabolism slows down as the water temps cool down.When water drops below 50 degrees, I would put the giant worms away until Pres spawn. 

Where to fish big worms, where the big bass are located and have no idea without knowing more about topography of the pond or lake.

Time during the fall would be late afternoon to dark.

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

I do better on jigs once the water starts cooling in the fall. I'm sure they'll still eat a big worm, but I'd rather fish a jig.