Curly tail worms as a swim bait?

[Elkins45]

Has anyone had any luck with rigging a full sized curly tail worm with a jig head and using it on the bottom with a moderate retrieve? Or swimming it at mid or shallow depth like a swim bait?
 

Sometimes I think when fish are suspended but not particularly aggressive they aren’t willing to swim down and get a soft plastic lure being worked on the bottom. This seems like a way to maybe avoid having to use a drop shot rig. I find them awkward to cast with any precision because of the amount of line and the weight hanging below the rod tip.

[WRB]

Darter jig with Mister Twister Phenom curl tail worm was the Ned rig of 70’s and 80’s. Still works very good for today’s bass.

Hovering is the new name for this old time jig & worm presentation.

Tom

[GRiver]

Curly tailed worm is like Franks hot sauce “ I put that stuff on everything” . I’ve put them on jigs, spinner bait, buzz bait, Texas rigged. Bounce of bottom, slow retrieve, fast, moderate. No weight pulled across lily pads. 
Fish it all kinds of ways, try it,  ya got nothing to lose.

[Mobasser]

A 4" curly tail worm can be good for suspended bass at times. I rig on a light jig head- open hook. Cast and count it down, then retrieve slowly.

[looking45]

My friends and I fish this grub like a swim bait. We fish it on top all the way to dragging it on the bottom

[TnRiver46]

I would never!!!!

[WRB]

44 minutes ago, looking45 said:

My friends and I fish this grub like a swim bait. We fish it on top all the way to dragging it on the bottom

Ribbon tail

[RRocket]

7 hours ago, Elkins45 said:

Has anyone had any luck with rigging a full sized curly tail worm with a jig head and using it on the bottom with a moderate retrieve? Or swimming it at mid or shallow depth like a swim bait?
 

 

Yes! 

 

1/4oz jig with 4" Twister tail type plastic. I only used this combo because the dock owner told me that's what worked best.

 

He wasn't wrong! 

 

 

[Catt]

I throw a Texas Rigged Zoom Ultravibe Speed Worm & Craw with a 1/8 oz bullet weight.

 

This is fished on the surface in heavy vegation or swam through the water column like a swimbait. 

[Captain Phil]

A swimming worm has been catching bass for over 50 years.  Years ago I was taught that if you got a hit on a worm while swimming it back to the boat, you should switch to a spinner bait.  There is literally NO way to fish a plastic worm that won't catch bass. 

[the reel ess]

I think the Zoom Speedworm is better at this approach. It also makes an awesome, subtle topwater when rigged weightless. 

[TnRiver46]

My ride or die. Swim it hop it drag it, cut it in half and you’ve got 1 grub and 1 poor man’s ned rig 

[Cgolf]

Not a worm, but I have gotten a lot of mileage out of a 5" Kalins single tail grub. Super versatile bait. It pairs nicely with a swim jig.

[Bankc]

Any way that gets the curly tail worm wet has a chance to catch fish.  They're as close to a do-everything lure as you're gonna find.  

[Big Rick]

9 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

My ride or die. Swim it hop it drag it, cut it in half and you’ve got 1 grub and 1 poor man’s ned rig 

Do you see a difference in rigging the tail curl down versus up?

[TnRiver46]

32 minutes ago, Big Rick said:

Do you see a difference in rigging the tail curl down versus up?

Negative, granted I’ve never paid attention to which way it goes on so I might have to say “inconclusive “

[WRB]

Curl tail down the worm tends to swim more side to side and split shot rigged can chase the worm to twist the line. Tail up worked better over all for me.

Tom

 

 

[TnRiver46]

What about sideways?

[FishTank]

My buddy does it all the time with a 7in Power Worm. It seems to work better in late spring,  early summer.

[Fishlegs]

On 11/2/2023 at 8:54 PM, TnRiver46 said:

I would never!!!!

Unless the worm is purple, or it’s a day that ends with a “y”, right?

[papajoe222]

For swimming a worm, I like the Zoom Ultra Vibe on a small jig,or weighted worm hook.  For swimming a worm on the bottom, I prefer a ribbon tail like a Culprit with a pegged tungsten weight.

[PhishLI]

 

On 11/2/2023 at 3:01 PM, Elkins45 said:

Has anyone had any luck with rigging a full sized curly tail worm with a jig head and using it on the bottom with a moderate retrieve? Or swimming it at mid or shallow depth like a swim bait?

Yes and yes. I use these rigged with 7" Power worms or BPS knockoffs. 3/8 oz on top and 1/4oz for bottom two. I switch for depth and cover thickness. Very weedless.

Eco Pro Tungsten Swing Swim Jig | Tackle Warehouse

[Catt]

On 11/3/2023 at 4:20 PM, Big Rick said:

Do you see a difference in rigging the tail curl down versus up?

 

I don't care as long as it's rigged straight 

[Pat Brown]

Caught my largest fish on a spinnerbait of my life in cold muddy water 8 feet deep at the mouth of a creek in early March 3 years ago and I had a zoom curly tail worm in black grape on the back.  1/4 oz tandem silver blades with a black chartreuse skirt.  She was 6 lbs.

 

 

 

 

[rgasr63]

17 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

Caught my largest fish on a spinnerbait of my life in cold muddy water 8 feet deep at the mouth of a creek in early March 3 years ago and I had a zoom curly tail worm in black grape on the back.  1/4 oz tandem silver blades with a black chartreuse skirt.  She was 6 lbs.

 

 

 

 

Nice fish!!!