simple maybe dumb questions.

[dread1nit]

I am very new to the sport of bass fishing and to tell you how new, I have caught only one so far in the past 10 times ive been out. (mostly between sept.-Jan. of this past year. It was a 3.5 lber. It was a complete accident. I casted into a hole in the weeds and I beleive was a reaction strike. I did'nt even know I had him and somehow I pulled him through the weeds only to find when I lipped him he was caught by a tiny peice of skin.

Anyways my question is how do you guys normally work your plastic worms in the weeds, shoreline, calm water, etc..? Slow reeling in, jerking? details would be nice as this is a cloudy subject to me.

Last thing is the guys I usually fish with are more prone to use plastic worms than anything else. It works as they always beat me on a consistant basis. Today each had 4 nice sized bass (2.5-5 Lbs.) compared to my one pickeral. Is there anything that a beginner like myself could use to let me get the feel for other types of lures or plastics to help me be more consistant and create some confidence in myself? Thanks guys. Michael.

I live in central N.C. in case that helps, usually fish Lake Jordan and Share and Harris lake.

[kms399]

there is tons of info on this up in the articles section here is just one of the many that will help you.

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/worm-fishing.html

[aarogb]

    What city do you live in?  I live in Sanford and also fish the lakes you mentioned.  As for your worm question I like to fish them by casting out letting them sink to the bottom and hopping or twitching them back to the boat or shore.  You could also swim the back to the boat by casting them out and simply reel slowly back to the boat or shore.

    Hope this helps some!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DINK WHISPERER]

WOW, where to start, LOL! Usually when working the shoreline with a worm i use a 7-8" curly tail worm. I cast out and crawl it or hop it back sloooowly to the boat/shore using the rod not the reel. You need to vary your retrieve and weight size to see what they want. If there is no weeds/snags or strong winds,i use an 1/8-3/16oz weight. If you are fishing in vegetation or high winds, use 1/4-1/2oz weights to penetrate easier. IMO there is no better lure for a beginner(and pro) than a 5-6" Senko/stick bait. Rig it weightless on a 3/0-4/0 EWG hook. Cast out and let it fall all the way down on a semi slack line(you want to maintain contact) and let it sit there for s while. Then twitch it back giving it time to fall to the bottom in between. They will usually hit it on the fall. I hope this will help you put some fish under your belt bro. Best of luck!!!!!   8-)

[dread1nit]

Thanks for the fast replys guys. I live in fuquay and as you know harris is a B*tch anyways sometimes, but when it's on theres some lunkers in there. I think I am doing what you guys are suggesting for the most part but probably have to work on it more. That and the terminology.

[dread1nit]

WOW, where to start, LOL! Usually when working the shoreline with a worm i use a 7-8" curly tail worm. I cast out and crawl it or hop it back sloooowly to the boat/shore using the rod not the reel. You need to vary your retrieve and weight size to see what they want. If there is no weeds/snags or strong winds,i use an 1/8-3/16oz weight. If you are fishing in vegetation or high winds, use 1/4-1/2oz weights to penetrate easier. IMO there is no better lure for a beginner(and pro) than a 5-6" Senko/stick bait. Rig it weightless on a 3/0-4/0 EWG hook. Cast out and let it fall all the way down on a semi slack line(you want to maintain contact) and let it sit there for s while. Then twitch it back giving it time to fall to the bottom in between. They will usually hit it on the fall. I hope this will help you put some fish under your belt bro. Best of luck!!!!! 8-)

Thanks man! I will try it for sure. Never used weightless. My buddies have set me up with heavier weight as I complained that I couldnt feel bottom especially in wind. Great tips!

[fishfordollars]

First off, there is no such thing as a dumb question. Reguardless how long a lot of us have been on the water just remember we were in your situation at one time. It's only dumb if you are afraid to ask it.

I fish a worm depending on the situation. If weedless I will twich it along with pauses so it can fall. This is exactly the way I fish a wacky worm. Occasionally you will need to soak it(Let it sit without any movement). Several weeks ago I won a tournament on toledo Bend on a wacky worm and the only way to get bit was to cast it out and let it sink. You either got bit or not. Never had a bite after I started the worm back to the boat.

Texas rig, I will cast it out and either drag it a few inches or pick it up off the bottom with the rod. I never use the reel to move a worm. It is only used to take up slack in the line. Occasionally I will pick up the worm and move it a few inches and twitch it several times before I let it fall back to the bottom. I usually let the worm fall on a slack line so that it will not move toward the boat. I want it to fall as straight down as possible to keep it in a strike zone as long as possible. I use the rod to pick up the slack and get a feel for the worm. It is at this time you will usually feel the fish.

Hope this will help you and good luck.

Jack

Welcome to the forum! It would help with your answers if you will put your location in your avator. Fishing varies a lot around the country and you will get more feedback from the locals around your location.

[Hammer 4]

I fish worms Alot! lol  as mentioned there are several ways to fish a worm..The bass will let you know what works best. You do everything from slow rolling to deadsticking.

There are times when t riged I will cast out, and let my bait sit for up to 2 or 3 mins..then just twitch it a few times or I'll make it crawl for a foot or so, then stop, twitch and repeat or vary the retrive.

Experiment with your retrives, sometimes you can catch fish by swiming your worms, it just depends. Also try mixing up the variations when you retrive,i.e. cast, twitch..then slow roll it, ect.

If you have timber in the lake, I find that if I can get the worm to slide up a log/branch and let it sit, then wiggle it a couple of times, that gets strikes when other things don't work. Good luck and think outside the box..

[WRB]

I'm surprised your buddies aren't helping you more, some friends.

Plastic worm fishing starts with the rod, reel and line, must match the type of worm fishing you are doing; weeds and cover.

Lets start with you describing what tackle you have? Then we can go from there.

WRB

[DINK WHISPERER]

I'm surprised your buddies aren't helping you more, some friends.

Exactly what i was thinking! Get new fishing buddies man, LOL!!!!  ;D

[slonezp]

Practice, practice, practice. Try dragging, twitching, dead-sticking, swimming. Different colors, sizes, weights vs weightless, texas, carolina, wacky rigs. Different presentations work at different times. The worst thing you can do is stick to one presentation. Keep an open mind. What works on one lake may not work on another. What works one day may not work the next. If you can find a pattern that works stick with it but continue to experiment. You may find that tweaking a pattern my give you even more success.  

[dread1nit]

I have to say this forum has some of the nicest people. Thanks alot guys for all the help. Don't get me wrong my friends have shown me plenty but I know there are tricks that others know that they may not.

They usually think more inside the box but I am the type that I will try anything even if it sounds dumb to others. Ive had my best of luck in that way like the 1st bass I caught.

They have shown me a few ways to work the rod but I feel I havent been doing it correctly as I havent caught much. You guys have provided me with a few extra ones I need to try. Thanks again guys.

I will add my info to my avatar. Thanks for the tip. Harris and Jordan are usually pretty cloudy with lots of weeds and hydrilla and tons of structure. The water usually has about 18" of visability on a good day.