Finesse plastic worms

[Mobasser]

It was my older brother who was the first one I ever saw trim down a larger plastic worm, to around 4" to 5" size. His concept was simple. If the bass wouldn't hit a large 8" or 9" worm, they might strike a smaller one. Back then, the only worms we had were Mann's Jelly Worms and Producto Fliptail worms, both in larger sizes. We also didn't know anything about Texas or weedless rigging, so we nose hooked these trimmed down worms, and fished them with a split shot crimped on about 12" to 15" inches up the line. If we could keep this rig out of moss or weeds, it caught quite a few fish for us. A split shot rig can still be a good setup. Later we learned about Texas rigging, which changed everything for us, and caught us even more fish. Now, and for years, I always keep a couple of bags of smaller plastic worms along. Brands we've had good luck with are Zoom Finesse worm, Roboworms in the smaller size, Lucky Strike 4" worms and CB slider worms.  We rig Texas style, shakey head, split shot, slider head, or in more open areas a ball head jig. These smaller " finesse" plastic worms catch the heck out of bass. They've often saved the day for us when the fish wouldn't hit a larger bait.Ive heard a couple of fisherman say they never use them, calling the small worms a dink magnet, and complaining that they're only good for small bass. I disagree. I know there's been some good size fish caught on them. Slowly fishing one of these smaller worms through a good spot, could draw a strike from any size bass. Do you use the small worms? What's your favorite rigging method? What brands do you like, and, have you ever caught any good size fish on them? We all love those days when the fish are slamming spinnerbaits, blasting big topwaters, or killing lipless baits. As we all know, these days don't always happen. The small worms have caught fish for us when the bass seem to get a case of lockjaw, and have been one bait that I've caught bass with in colder water, which is always tough. Anyone else like this " finesse" worm fishing?

[MIbassyaker]

16 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

Anyone else like this " finesse" worm fishing?

 

Yes, I do it all the time; My go-to is a 4" Berkley power worm on an owner bullet-head:

 

 

A real "don't-leave-home-without-it" rig!

 

Dink magnet? Yes, but only because its a bass magnet, generally. Put it on a big one's nose, and they won't turn it down.

 

[RB 77]

Yup. Always have a 4.5" plastic worm ready to go. Has saved the day on a D-Shot rig with light line many a times...

[MassYak85]

I'll split shot rig 5 and 6 inch thin worms like robo worms, works great! 

[jimmyjoe]

   4" Charlie Brewer worms on one of his weedless heads can be dynamite. I use 6 lb. line.They catch keepers, and yes, they catch lots of dinks. The only reason for that is that there are LOTS more dinks than keepers in a given body of water. No problem. More fun for me!    JJ

[Catt]

[deadadrift89]

3 hours ago, MIbassyaker said:

 

Yes, I do it all the time; My go-to is a 4" Berkley power worm on an owner bullet-head:

 

 

A real "don't-leave-home-without-it" rig!

 

Dink magnet? Yes, but only because its a bass magnet, generally. Put it on a big one's nose, and they won't turn it down.

 

Caught a boat load of fish on that exact worm. When I lived in Florida that color and size killed them?

[5/0]

5 hours ago, Mobasser said:

It was my older brother who was the first one I ever saw trim down a larger plastic worm, to around 4" to 5" size. His concept was simple.

I'm beginning to do this very thing now. I can buy a wider selection of 6" and longer worms, then trim them down if I need a shorter bait. It helps to keep the cost down and I'm not trying to stuff my tackle bag with stuff each outing. There are baits like cross tails, sculpins, etc. that I would still buy; but it would simplify things a lot.

 

[TnRiver46]

Clear slow water this is definitely my favorite. Faster current I go heavier 

[Steelhead]

Zoom 4" Dead Ringer, Curly Tail, and Centipede. Texas rigged with 1/16, 1/8 or 3/16oz. bullet weight on a Owner Rig-N-Hook in size 1 or 1/0. Also will throw it on a Decoy Nail Bomb 1/16 and 1/8 oz jig head with a size 1 hook. 

[Bird]

First year in MANY that I never threw texas, everything was drop shot on Robo.....it kept working.

[Bluebasser86]

For a true finesse worm, something smaller than a trick worm even, I like a Zoom centipede in green pumpkin or watermelon/blue flake on an 1/8oz pro slider head.

[Bankbeater]

For many many years I fished Zoom finesse worms, and

Creme scoundrels on a 1/16 or 1/8 ounce Texas rig. Sometimes the bass wanted the worm and sometimes they didn’t. This year I started using the 4” and 6” worms on a split shot rig, and I cleaned up. Next year I’m definitely going to start with a split shot rig first. 

[scaleface]

I have not had any more success with 4 inch worms than six inch ones . A 6 inch Jelly worm , Phenom ... are finesse  enough and I have bit them down to four inches .

[WRB]

Long before Roboworms was Smitty's hand poured 4" and 5" worms, Flutter Craft 3" Screamers and 4" curl tails, California Worms 3" and 4" Tiny Weenie. I believe the Flutter Craft tooling is still around now in San Diego with limited distribution? Flutter Craft was the worm that really popularized the split shot rig by Dick Trask out west and motivated Don Iovino to start making his hand poured worms. Don offers 3" Tiny Meanie and 4" worms, 3" reapers etc.

Tom

PS, Iovino caught 18.5 lb LMB at Castac on his 5" Doodle worm, so yes big bass will eat small finesse worms.

[Catt]

Mister Twister® developed the Curly Tail® concept in 1972. Up to that time, rubber or plastic lures were stiff worms or grubs; they had little or no action.

 

The Curly Tail® changed that!

 

Still deadly today ?

[FishingGeekTX]

I caught about 40+ LMB on 3" Roboworm Neds last month.  That was 2 trips, each unfortunately at the end of the trip when I was already tired and ready to leave...but had to stay because I found them.  Pegged weight 1.5 feet above the hook), fishing 18 feet of water.

 

I tried a number of other plastics because they were biting so well. The 3" worked the best...fish nearly every cast, didn't lose a single one or miss a strike (that I recall).  Strangely enough it hooks nicely with a 2/0 or 3/0 offset hook (not wide gap)., nice and straight and if they hit it, they are getting the hook...no long tail to pull on and miss a hookset.  I was using it weedless...exposed but laying flat against it..but I could have left it fully exposed with a different hook/setup I suppose, I just don't want to mess with yet another hook style.

 

That's my go-to lately.   I like the action of a light, small worm, with that weight offset so that it flutters/drifts.  I don't like the hook size or how it hooks using a ned jig head, and I don't want the worm to sink like that, I prefer it dangling off the bottom behind the weight.

 

I mix in other worms just to burn through some tackle, but 3" produced the most this year for me.

[Mobasser]

48 minutes ago, Catt said:

Mister Twister® developed the Curly Tail® concept in 1972. Up to that time, rubber or plastic lures were stiff worms or grubs; they had little or no action.

 

The Curly Tail® changed that!

 

Still deadly today ?

Catt, I'm a fan of the Mister Twister worms and grubs also. Good tail action on a slow retrieve. With all the plastics out there now, they're still one of the best. 

[Catt]

49 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

Catt, I'm a fan of the Mister Twister worms and grubs also. Good tail action on a slow retrieve. With all the plastics out there now, they're still one of the best. 

 

Ya need to look their Mag 12 Buzz Worm Red River Special 

[primetime]

I used to fish the 4" culprit Ribbon tails when they made them growing up and they saved many days. I still use a split shot rig, or light c-rig without a bead or swivel, kind of a mojo rig and use the zoom 4" ribbon tail, bps squirmin worm black blue tail in 4", it looks more like 3", and the small Roboworm curly taills are fantastic, a worm I just discovered recently.

 

I feel like a small 4" senko or sluggo, finesse worm, slider worm, dream shot etc....will always get bit if you put it on the right weight and fish it at the right speed and depth....In winter time when bites are tough, the split shot rig with a small worm will work in deep water, shallow, and I don't find slowly dragging a worm boring....Just as exciting to me as cranking a shad rap...More productive most of the time and more versatile.

 

a light darter head 1/16 on a small finesse worm is deadly as it falls through the water and flutters. I like putting the TRd on a darter head, or slider head, has a different action on the drop that works.

 

3-4" grub will always catch fish as well and you can fish them all year round and get bit. I would never leave to go fishing without a Medium light spinning rod with 8lb test.....

[Dangerfield]

On 12/2/2019 at 11:15 AM, MIbassyaker said:

 

Yes, I do it all the time; My go-to is a 4" Berkley power worm on an owner bullet-head:

 

 

A real "don't-leave-home-without-it" rig!

 

Dink magnet? Yes, but only because its a bass magnet, generally. Put it on a big one's nose, and they won't turn it down.

 

I use this exact same jig or the ball head option for straight tail or curly tail worms.

[Munkin]

On 12/2/2019 at 11:15 AM, MIbassyaker said:

 

Yes, I do it all the time; My go-to is a 4" Berkley power worm on an owner bullet-head:

 

 

A real "don't-leave-home-without-it" rig!

 

Dink magnet? Yes, but only because its a bass magnet, generally. Put it on a big one's nose, and they won't turn it down.

 

That is a panic rig for me.

 

Allen

[Dangerfield]

4 minutes ago, Munkin said:

That is a panic rig for me.

 

Allen

Stickbaits for me in general are a panic bait, I caught 7 lmbs with that rig mid-summer one outing around heavy lillypads while my buddies couldn't catch a thing. They were quick to call it a day when there was no bites on ketitechs and topwaters. I clowned them hard cause they got "too much pride" and won't fish stickbaits.

[fishwizzard]

2 hours ago, Munkin said:

That is a panic rig for me.

 

Allen

Different hardware and worm, but that’s more or less my “Fishing while hiking” rig.  Works in most any cover and I can pitch it, drag it, or swim it. 

[ChrisD46]

On 12/3/2019 at 4:46 PM, WRB said:

Long before Roboworms was Smitty's hand poured 4" and 5" worms, Flutter Craft 3" Screamers and 4" curl tails, California Worms 3" and 4" Tiny Weenie. I believe the Flutter Craft tooling is still around now in San Diego with limited distribution? Flutter Craft was the worm that really popularized the split shot rig by Dick Trask out west and motivated Don Iovino to start making his hand poured worms. Don offers 3" Tiny Meanie and 4" worms, 3" reapers etc.

Tom

PS, Iovino caught 18.5 lb LMB at Castac on his 5" Doodle worm, so yes big bass will eat small finesse worms.

*Great history Tom - I bet Dick Trask was a magician with a small worm and a split shot rig ...