How big is too big?

[Craigholland]

I am mostly a muskie guy but picking up trophy bass fishing some.i also have a small adication to big baits. I bought some 16 inch worms a tackle store makes. Using these in chichamunga . Question , too big for a big un? And hooks for these?

[Glaucus]

Bass try to eat bass their size. Tons of photos of, say, a 15 incher with a 15 incher stuck in its throat.

 

The only issue you might find is far fewer to zero bites for days on end. Which is why I don't throw huge. I'm not a trophy hunter; I'm a fisherman.

[WRB]

Hook size is dependant on the worm diameter where the hook is rigged. What 16" worm?

For example a ribbon tail that makes up 1/2 the worm will tend to have smaller body diameter then a straight tail style worm.

Owner Twistlock 3X sizes 5/0 or 6/0 or #5110 off set worm hook in size 7/0 or 11/0 should work.

Tom

 

[Craigholland]

I think it's a paddle tail 16 incher.

[WRB]

12 minutes ago, Craigholland said:

I think it's a paddle tail 16 incher.

Do you know the brand name? 

If the worm head diameter is about your index finger tip size the Twistlock 5/0 or offset 7/0 , bigger like your thumb diameter the 6/0 or 11/0 sizes should work or the Beast SwimBait hooksif the is larger dia.

Sliding bullet weight in 3/8 oz to 1 oz, tungsten for weights 3/4 to 1 oz.

[Catt]

Never select hook size based on the length, instead select it based on diameter of the plastic.

 

I also prefer an offset round bend over an EWG because the shank I'd slightly longer putting the hook point farther back in the worm. 

 

[Craigholland]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Do you know the brand name? 

If the worm head diameter is about your index finger tip size the Twistlock 5/0 or offset 7/0 , bigger like your thumb diameter the 6/0 or 11/0 sizes should work or the Beast SwimBait hooksif the is larger dia.

Sliding bullet weight in 3/8 oz to 1 oz, tungsten for weights 3/4 to 1 oz.

Homemade poured worm . Prob as big as my thumb. I do have smaller handes.

[WRB]

The basics are the hook gap should be 2X the worm diameter at a minimum. The CPS type hooks elininates the problem of the worm head sliding down the hook shank filling the gap with plastic. Bass tend to bite everything by the head so that is where the hook should be, close to the front end. 

I fish big hand poured Uptons Customs worms a lot and changed to CPS style hooks.

Tom

[Drew03cmc]

6 hours ago, WRB said:

The basics are the hook gap should be 2X the worm diameter at a minimum. The CPS type hooks elininates the problem of the worm head sliding down the hook shank filling the gap with plastic. Bass tend to bite everything by the head so that is where the hook should be, close to the front end. 

I fish big hand poured Uptons Customs worms a lot and changed to CPS style hooks.

Tom

I have 2 Uptons 13" worms, but am a little hesitant to toss them. How would you use them in waters that the average fish is 12" and a big one is 5lb?

[Bluebasser86]

2 hours ago, Drew03cmc said:

I have 2 Uptons 13" worms, but am a little hesitant to toss them. How would you use them in waters that the average fish is 12" and a big one is 5lb?

I've got some of the 13" Uptons and I like to use them either weightless or with a light T rig. Haven't caught any big ones with them yet but plenty of dinks.

 

[FishTank]

5 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I've got some of the 13" Uptons and I like to use them either weightless or with a light T rig. Haven't caught any big ones with them yet but plenty of dinks.

 

I have been using the Zoom Ole Monster 12" worm for years and really have not caught any big bass on them.  I have caught OK bass, crappie and bluegills.  You would think the big ones would jump on them.  I have been using a 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG or a 5/0 Trokar EWG with a baitpin. 

[Bluebasser86]

19 minutes ago, FishTank said:

I have been using the Zoom Ole Monster 12" worm for years and really have not caught any big bass on them.  I have caught OK bass, crappie and bluegills.  You would think the big ones would jump on them.  I have been using a 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG or a 5/0 Trokar EWG with a baitpin. 

The 10.5" Ole Monster is a staple for me and has caught many big fish and tournament kickers. 1/4oz weight with a 5/0 EWG. A lot of the bait is tail though, so it's not difficult for a small fish to eat. The Netbait C mac is a good one too. 

[FishTank]

2 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

The 10.5" Ole Monster is a staple for me and has caught many big fish and tournament kickers. 1/4oz weight with a 5/0 EWG. A lot of the bait is tail though, so it's not difficult for a small fish to eat. The Netbait C mac is a good one too. 

The 10.5 inch is a different story compared to the 12inch.  I have caught several big ones with the same set up as you. June Bug and the South Africa Special are my favorite colors.  

 

The same holds true for the 12in Powerworms.  I do well on them except for the 12in. 

[22RangerZ520R]

No, that's not too big and NO there aren't fish in Chick....!  ?

[Craigholland]

1 hour ago, 18RangerZ520L said:

No, that's not too big and NO there aren't fish in Chick....!  ?

I know you lie now. There are 8 big uns under the dock with the bass mailbox. Lol

[Drew03cmc]

19 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I've got some of the 13" Uptons and I like to use them either weightless or with a light T rig. Haven't caught any big ones with them yet but plenty of dinks.

 

I'll have to try again I guess...maybe a 5/0 EWG and an 1/8oz weight? I just don't know where to fish them. I don't toss a lot of worms anywhere honestly.

[WRB]

Uptons 13" straight tail isn't a fat body worm and rig it like any other 8" straight tail, 4/0  to 5/0 worm hooks, don't need EWG'. The trick with Uptons longer worms is slowing down and letting the floatation do it's thing, lots of natural movements. If you are catching dinks it more then likely working the worm too fast. Weight depends on water depth and I use 3/16 to 1/4 oz the majority of the time working anywhere from a foot of water to about 15', deeper I prefer jigs.

Uptons 18" worm is too big, it's like a garden hose in diameter.

Tom

[Johnbt]

"The 10.5" Ole Monster"

 

I had a black one on a 3/0 hook last week for about 5 minutes and landed a 7-inch largemouth. How he found it that fast in the heavily stained and muddy water in the middle of a mid-morning wind storm is my second question. The first question is where did I put the bag of black 12"? 

[papajoe222]

What Catt said about hooks. You want a hook with a lot of bite, a hook with its point in line with eye has little bite to it. Its effectiveness relies on the fish biting down and compressing the plastic. The more the point is offset from the eye, the more bite. Straight shank hooks normally offer the most bite.  As for size, 2X the plastic diameter is a good starting point. I, personally, go one size up from there, or more. 

One tip when using big worms; when you first detect the bite, set the hook. The longer you delay, the better the chance that worm will get balled up inside its mouth and you’ll be trying to set the hook through two or three times as much plastic. 

[Deleted account]

How big is too big?

 

If she pivots her hip to one side and pushes off your thigh while scrunching her face...

Zoom Ol' Monster!

[the reel ess]

If you go three trips and don't get a bite while your buddy loads the boat, that's too big for me.

I've tried some monster baits and haven't had much success with them. But the ol' jig and spinnerbait still catch bigger bass while supplying some bites along the way. So those usually stay tied on.

[NorthernBasser]

On 6/19/2019 at 11:51 AM, Glaucus said:

Bass try to eat bass their size.

Have I got the swimbait for you!

 

 

But yes, bass have big mouths for a reason.