Fishing a big ribbon tail worm

[Greenback Hunter]

Does the Zoom Ole Monster & other big worms you're talking about using with a 1/8 oz. bullet weight cast well on a medium heavy rod? 

[galyonj]

Yup. 

[river-rat]

 

A Bitter's Bait and Tackle 10" worm with a 3/8 - 1/2 oz. slip sinker has been very productive in the Atchafalaya Basin at this time of year. I'm using it in 4' of water or less around cypress trees and logs.

 

My best colors are Red Shad/Green Glitter, Junebug, and Black Blue Tail.

[Cbump]

Have a 2 day tournament Wednesday and Thursday this week. I’ll have a 10 or 10.5” power worm or zoom ol monster, 15” netbait c-Mac, and 9.5” 6th sense shakey Worm on. 
 

For big worms that is. Lol

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Greenback Hunter said:

Does the Zoom Ole Monster & other big worms you're talking about using with a 1/8 oz. bullet weight cast well on a medium heavy rod? 

 

My Worm Rod

Powell Inferno 703C 7' Medium Heavy X-Fast 

[padon]

10 inch old monster or power worm. 3/8 to 1/2 ounce usually. faster weight gets reaction strikes and usually fishing  to30  feet. 

[Tatulatard]

Careful with the light sinkers and big worms.  A rage tail anaconda and a 1/4 ounce weight will tumble like a tomahawk on the cast burning up the casting energy, rapidly slowing the bait and making spool control difficult.  That worm needs more weight for a long cast but its my favorite big ribbon tail.

[optimator]

9 minutes ago, Tatulatard said:

Careful with the light sinkers and big worms.  A rage tail anaconda and a 1/4 ounce weight will tumble like a tomahawk on the cast burning up the casting energy, rapidly slowing the bait and making spool control difficult.  That worm needs more weight for a long cast but its my favorite big ribbon tail.

Yep. I found that out with the 6th Sense ridge worms. 

[Bandersnatch]

So what size is best 

[Mike L]

1 minute ago, Bandersnatch said:

So what size is best 

There is no “best” that anyone can tell you. 
Like anything else You have to take in consideration the whole package you’re using…Rate of fall, depth of the water, rod and line combo, bottom structure, cover etc.

There isn’t one answer to cover all the variables 

 

One isn’t more important than the other. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike
 

 

 

[rangerjockey]

Usually, a 1/4 oz and a Hayabusa #114 hook. I would go heavier if the wind is blowing too much.

I never peg a t-rig unless I'm flipping.

[Catt]

21 hours ago, Tatulatard said:

rage tail anaconda

 

21 hours ago, optimator said:

6th Sense ridge worms.

 

One has to consider the Worm!

 

Some ribbontails have more tail than body while others have more body than tail. Anaconda's tail is quite wide & catches more air. Zoom's Ole Monster has a narrower tail & catches less air. 

 

The Ridge Worm doesn't have the permeate curl & I don't classify it as a ribbontail. 

[N Florida Mike]

On 6/11/2023 at 4:46 AM, Big Swimbait said:

As light as I can use to get it to the depth I want.

This^^^

If I used a 1/4 oz sinker where I fish mostly , it would get stuck in the weeds . I know it’s not popular, but I use a small split shot when I worm fish. If the water’s deeper and clearer of weeds, I’ll go to a 1/4 oz. bullet weight unpegged…

I really like mister twister or 10 inch culprits for ribbon tail worms. For some reason, I don’t do quite as well with ol’ monsters, although they are in my arsenal…

[Catt]

2 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

I know it’s not popular, but I use a small split shot when I worm fish

 

Can't remember who made em but I used to buy some that were bullet shaped.

 

My every day is 1/8, 3/16, or 1/4 oz depending on cover.

All unpegged ?

[Jar11591]

2 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

For some reason, I don’t do quite as well with ol’ monsters, although they are in my arsenal…

Ive 100% noticed this as well. The Ol’ Monsters just do not get bit like the Culprit 10” ribbon tails. 

[Mike L]

9 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

Ive 100% noticed this as well. The Ol’ Monsters just do not get bit like the Culprit 10” ribbon tails. 

Or the Anaconda. 

The wider top section coupled with the tapered tail gives it a unique action. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[TOXIC]

Generally speaking I am a finesse fisherman and my gear is set up to match……but……my trips to Florida in February have pushed me into the bigger bait category.  I mainly use 2 bigger baits (to me anyway) a 7 inch Speed Senko and a 7.5 inch Yamamoto Kut Tail.  The Kut Tail has a lot more plastic and I use a screw in 1/4oz nose weight.  The Speed Senko can be fished weightless or with a smaller screw in weight depending on the cover.  Both have caught a lot of fish for me. 

[Bankc]

Always weighted.  And I usually determine the weight based on how far I'm trying to cast, rather than rate of fall or depth of water.  But not always.  But I typically chose the lightest weight that I can get out to where I need.  Less of an issue in a boat than from the bank, but with the constant wind here, it's often still an issue in a boat.  

 

I also almost never peg the weight unless I'm pulling through thick brush or rocks.  I seem to get more bites without the weight being pegged.  But I also seem to get hung up more.  I also prefer to use a brass or tungsten weight and a glass bead for some sound in these stained waters.  

 

I probably use a 1/4-3/8 oz. most often.  But I'll go up to 1/2 oz. or down to 1/16 oz. from time to time.  

[Mike L]

20 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Generally speaking I am a finesse fisherman and my gear is set up to match……but……my trips to Florida in February have pushed me into the bigger bait category.  I mainly use 2 bigger baits (to me anyway) a 7 inch Speed Senko and a 7.5 inch Yamamoto Kut Tail.  The Kut Tail has a lot more plastic and I use a screw in 1/4oz nose weight.  The Speed Senko can be fished weightless or with a smaller screw in weight depending on the cover.  Both have caught a lot of fish for me. 

Try a Magnum Speed Worm with a 3/16 the next time you come down. 
You’ll thank me

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

[TOXIC]

9 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Try a Magnum Speed Worm with a 3/16 the next time you come down. 
You’ll thank me

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

Not that I wouldn’t love to and I know it sounds corny but if Yamamoto doesn’t make it, I don’t throw it.  That’s for multiple reasons but I do pay attention to others in the boat who may be throwing something different. It’s just like my fishing partner throwing his ZMan baits on his Ned and me throwing my Yamamoto baits.  Sometimes he does better, sometimes I do and most days we are pretty equal, but I can tell you he mooches more baits off me and I’ve never asked him for one. ??

[Darth-Baiter]

i go heavier weights also.  i want to get that big worm down fast to cover more water.  

 

i slow drag it when i feel it land.

[Mike L]

42 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Not that I wouldn’t love to and I know it sounds corny but if Yamamoto doesn’t make it, I don’t throw it.  That’s for multiple reasons but I do pay attention to others in the boat who may be throwing something different. It’s just like my fishing partner throwing his ZMan baits on his Ned and me throwing my Yamamoto baits.  Sometimes he does better, sometimes I do and most days we are pretty equal, but I can tell you he mooches more baits off me and I’ve never asked him for one. ??

I get it

Confidence in most anything is everything, especially in bass fishing 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[chubaka]

I use a 10in Mondo worm by Googan. I typically use 1/8 to 1/4oz for weight and no pegged. 

[Bird]

Only big worm I throw because of abundant inventory is 10" Mann's jelly worm on 1/2 oz T-rig.

5/0 hook on MH rod, fun.

[Woody B]

SO..... I think I've learned something, or at least gathered some insight.  Most of the time when I'm fishing a t-rig I use a 1/8 ounce weight.  During the Winter is pretty much the only time I have luck with BIG worms.   This time of year I do pretty good with 6" Zoom trick worms.  The smaller worms are increasing my rate of fall.   I'll go with a bigger worm, and bigger weights this weekend and see what happens.