Weightless Plastics

[Mobasser]

My first experience throwing a weightless worm was over 30 yrs ago. Night fishing from the bank on a small lake, I got a hard jarring strike on a 10" Culprit worm, reeling slowly over moss, 2ft from the bank. I was bank fishing alone, and that strike scared the cr... out of me. I've thrown weightless plastic worms ever since. I like all types of worms for this, and especially big worms as a topwater bait. The Culprit has been good for me on the surface. Zoom trick worms have been good casting near cover and letting them fall.  I'm throwing Zoom lizards again this year, and plan on some weightless fishing with them too. I know many folks throw weightless stickbaits, but what are some other plastics that you like to throw? Do you throw craws and creature baits weightless also? I've had the best results by letting them fall slowly near any cover, give them a little movement, then reel up and cast again. I'm looking for fish to hit on the initial slow fall. What baits, hooks, colors do you like for weightless plastic fishing?

[A-Jay]

For swimming a worm in shallow & close to the top presentations, I like the Owner Weighted Twistlock Light with a number of different offerings.  They include but are not limited to Swim Senko, Strike King Rage Cut R Worm, & a Lake Fork Hyper Worm.

btw - perhaps you're casting too far.

A-Jay

[greentrout]

 

Zoom floating worm time ...

 

good fishing ...  

 

 

 

 

 

[Tennessee Boy]

 Weightless Zoom trickworm is my #1 bait in the spring.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Soooo many guys throw merthiolate, bubblegum, and black zoom trick worms in my local rivers. And do great at it...

 

I however have not caught on. Ive went to the river and carried nothing but hooks and worms to make myself learn. But, I've only managed a bass or 2. 

 

I've tried fishing senkos some, and have had better success with them weightless, but I've not mastered the weightless worm witchcraft. Only thing I can fish weightless with success is a fluke...

[Log Catcher]

I throw Trick Worms on a spinning rod. I use a 1/16 ounce sinker. While it doesn't float it casts better and works just as good for me.

[IgotWood]

Weightless flukes are a staple in my spring arsenal. I also like to throw a rage structure bug weightless but on a slightly oversized hook which helps it sine very slow. This works gear this time of year when the craws are just coming out and the fish are still a little cold and sluggish. 

[Bluebasser86]

I like a black or green pumpkin weightless trick worm. Sometimes I'll use a 1/32oz bullet weight too if I want it to sink a little faster. 

[TOXIC]

Really most any soft plastic can be thrown weightless if you really want to.  Since the Yamamoto line of plastics have a tendency to be heavier than other plastics I throw a LOT of them weightless because I can get a good sink rate out of them or I can work them on top.

 

Senko

Swim Senko

DShad (fluke style bait)

Fat Ika

Yamafrog (topwater)

7" and 6.5" Kut Tail/Curl Tail

[fishwizzard]

Weightless Trickworms are one of my favorite presentations and the first thing I try when I encounter any shallow cover.  

 

I also use Super Flukes a good bit as well as weighless Fat Ikas and Cover Craws pitched into shallow cover. 

 

This spring I am going to try larger/and heavier plastics weighless.  Things like Magnum Truckworms, 8” Lizards, assorted 6-7’ stickbaits, and Sluggos.  I want to be able to use heavier line and tackle for denser cover and to be able to fish further out in lighter cover. 

[Fishes in trees]

To echo a couple of other posts, any soft plastic can be thrown weightless.  You say you like the slow drop, for me it is a question of efficiency.  If there is a fish hanging out, near cover, and something drops close to it, there is a good chance it is going to hit.  I'm not certain that speed is a factor here.  I know that I'll get more, maybe a few, maybe a lot more drops per hour using some weight on the bait.

 

Depends on depth also,  maybe it is just me,  when I'm dropping something slow into 8 - 10 -12 feet of water, pretty soon impatience is going to set in and I'm going to boost the weight.  I know that on occasion, the weightless soft plastic is the way to go, but I'm of the opinion that a weighted soft plastic (and I mess with different weights quite a bit)

in the long run is more efficient and gets bit just as much or maybe more than an unweighted one.

 

When you're throwing at cover, consider the drop.  An unweighted bait is much more likely to drift away from the target than an unweighted one IMO.  This becomes more important when you're throwing at vertical cover, like a tree trunk.  I want my bait going down, as close as possible to the cover.  For me this is easier to do with a weighted bait.

 

 

[crypt]

Culprit Fat Max does it for me.

[Deleted account]

weightless speed worm and trick worm mostly, but at times I'll throw pretty much anything depending on conditions. An unadorned big single tail grub is killer sometimes.

[thinkingredneck]

Trickworm in the holes in the pads.

[Catt]

Bass Assassin's 7.5" Tapout Worm ?

 

Heavier than a Trick Worm for added casting distance!

[scaleface]

I dont throw them a lot .  When I do its usually a Yum Swurm in vegetation .

[Bankbeater]

If there is no wind I like to cast out a weightless 6” worm and work it like a fluke through the vegetation. Most of the time though  I need to use a weight. 

[papajoe222]

I like to throw 4in. tubes weightless when others are throwing Flukes in the spring. I'll add a split ring to the hook eye and walk it just under the surface, too.