Fishing plastics weightless

[airborne_angler]

I dont know if its a problem or not but I cant seem to tear myself away from using plastic baits such as worms,senkos  and lizards,and when i do I always fish them weightless.

Im sure its not a problem but sometimes I wonder why thats the only way ill fish for Bass. I guess I just got "Hooked"( pun intended) because at the pond I fish frequently the fish always strike the bait on the slow fall. I always cast out and wait for the "signature" twitch of the line as It falls.  Anyone else here only fish plastics?

[crank it]

I fish weightless plastics alot to.I just like to fish for bass this way I love to line watch and have the patience for it to. I to catch most of my bass on the fall but have caught alot on a splitshot rig 4in worm and 8lb line this is my favorite way to fish.

[flechero]

If you fish in water shallow enough, weightless is great.  I wish I had more water shallow enough to do that with...  Flukes, Ikas and senkos are the 3 I never weight, regardless of the depth.

[papa smurf]

I've got a buddy who fishes like that almost all the time, and he usually does pretty good.  It does take some patience though.

[Guest avid]

Your situation is pretty typcial.  you found a technique that works and so your locked into it.

You need to buy some hard baits and experiment.  Remember Bass fishing is fun.

You don't need to spend alot of money.  Try the original rapala floating minnow.  F9 or F11 in silver/black.  Just cast it out, let it sit for about a minute (a loooooooooong time) then twitch it few times, let sit, twitch,  etc.  do this past some blowdowns, along a shoreline, and especially under some trees.

Then when you see how much fun that can be, go to walmart and buy a rebel pop r. try a new bait every week.  You'll be foaming at the mouth like the rest of us in no time.  

[Nick B]

I fish plastics weightless as much as possible. No shame in it. But like avid said if you are worrie about it, branch out try other things.

[Peter E.]

Your situation is pretty typcial. you found a technique that works and so your locked into it.

You need to buy some hard baits and experiment. Remember Bass fishing is fun.

You don't need to spend alot of money. Try the original rapala floating minnow. F9 or F11 in silver/black. Just cast it out, let it sit for about a minute (a loooooooooong time) then twitch it few times, let sit, twitch, etc. do this past some blowdowns, along a shoreline, and especially under some trees.

Then when you see how much fun that can be, go to walmart and buy a rebel pop r. try a new bait every week. You'll be foaming at the mouth like the rest of us in no time.

I am in total agreement with Avid. Soft plastic baits can be extrmely effective and in some places that are so totally covered in weeds that may be your only option. Keep this in mind, no serious tournament angler fishes with strictly plastic baits. In general they make poor search baits, and also in areas where you are faced with a strong current or great depth weightless soft plastics are unaffective and nearly useless in many applications. Each type of lure has a place and time. Just go out and give them a whirl and I imagine this time next year you will have a message saying: I can't stop useing crank baits.

Peter  

[Muddpuppy]

I wouldn't go as far to say I use them exclusively that way, but it probably falls some where in the range of 80 - 95% for plastics in general and about 40%of that weightless, depending on the bait, season and weather conditions and lakes were on. Plastics are perfectly suited for the conditions we mostly fish and best of all they work and work well, but we do use throw an occassional spinnerbaits and a few hardbaits from time to time. It's not that I don't have a decent selection to choose from as the reason that I choose not to use the others, but because  the plastics fit my situation more readily. Weightless is good up to 8 -10' depending on the type of bait, weather and water conditions, So unless your trying to get down inside of weeds beds and brush, I  prefer to use them that way if I can. Sometimes it just doesn't happen that way and a little extra weight is needed to increase the fall rate, depth or even change the apearence and action of the bait or to cast in wind. I still don't like to use any more then needed, even then.  Most of the lakes around here are fairly shallow where bass fishing is the best through out the majority of the year and there is a lot of vegitation in it. Not many of the other baits work as well as plastics, for me, as plastics do. It doesn't hurt to have a variety of different lures on hand and be skilled with there use, especially if you plan to fish an array of different places.

[Minuteman]

I always go weightless when possible in shallow vegetation. To me though the next best thing is Carolina Rig. You have weight to get down in the vegetation, but the bait is still pretty much free to move around.

[Tiki Stik]

HEY!!! I have the same addiction! Last year, I was able to "get serious" with this hobby. I bought a new, $20,000 bass boat, 3 Shimano Curado's and 3 Lightning rods. Two of the rods are MH (for plastics) and one is M action for spinnerbaits, cranks, etc. (my miscelaneous-lure rod). I only use my two worm rods!!! I rarely pick up my 3rd pole. My worm rods are usually rigged: one weightless wacky style tiki stick..... and one texas rigged worm/brushhog. I LOVE (as you put it), that "signature" twich of the line as the worm falls. And I LOVE being able to "feel" the strike, then pause, "feel" it again on your worm... then reel up the slack...and BOOYAH! Set the hook. With spinnerbaits and crankbaits, you don't get that much 'fun' out of the bite. It's just "boom" and the fish is there, boring. I LOVE MY PLASTICS!

[gatrboy53]

in fl. bass live in the weeds and grass and a very effective way to get them out is a weightless plastic.for me usually a trick worm.even a 1/8 oz. weight reduces the bite.i fish all the lures when appropriate,but once the sun gets up the bass bury themselves in the grass.sometimes you have to have a weight to get to them but if there is a way to flutter a plastic down to them it is most effective.i fished years w/ only worms