Rigging A Loooooonnnggggggg Worm

[crankbait2009]

Here's a question. I was looking at the 12" Manns jelly worm on BPS website and a thought came up. Most of the EWG hooks that I use for soft baits are only 2-3" in length. When you use a 10" worm, the hook will be way up towards the head with a lot of "tail" floating behind.

In my mind, a fish will attack the backside where the hooks are not, because they will attack from behind, right? How do you rig it so that the fish comes in contact with the worm and hook all together?

Am I making sense?

Please help me understand!

http://www.basspro.com/Manns-Jelly-Worm/product/10209641/88618

[JIGFISHERMAN.]

Use a bigger hook, and rig it a little farther into the worm. The rest the fish will take care of.

I figure if a fish eats a worm that big, he is going to be big enough to EAT it. In other words, DINKS will eat a 7" worm, a 6lb'er should have no problem with the bigger worm.

 

 

[crankbait2009]

so you don't necessarily have to stay at the top of the worm with the hook??

[JIGFISHERMAN.]

Well by a little bit farther I just meant maybe 1/4" more into the worm...Again though, I don't think it's an issue. Bigger bass will eat it, and get the hook just fine. You might miss some dinks, but that is the point.

[grimlin]

I agree with Jigfisherman.If you are that concerned about hook ups,why not just double rig it like those creme worms?

[crankbait2009]

so you're saying that a "bigger" fish will inhale the worm no matter the length and take the hook as well?

[grimlin]

Yup

[Gatorbassman]

so you're saying that a "bigger" fish will inhale the worm no matter the length and take the hook as well?

Exactly.

I love to fish a huge worm. I had a 40+ fish day last spring with a Manns Jelly Worm. I just use a 5/0 hook and set the hook like I normally do. I've even found that a big bass will inhale one of the 16" custom worms that I fish with from time to time. The funny thing about little ones is they will be the ones who try to rip the rod out of your hand. The big ones just pick it up and slowly swim off with it.

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

Bass inhale the worm and since it is soft the entire bait collapses. Thats how you can hook a 7 inch bass on a 10-12 inch worm. Personally I don't like to use oversize hooks or to have the hook to be way back in the body of the bait. It takes action out of the worm then.

[jkarol24]

In my mind, a fish will attack the backside where the hooks are not, because they will attack from behind, right? How do you rig it so that the fish comes in contact with the worm and hook all together?

http://www.basspro.c.../10209641/88618

I think this is where your wrong. I believe that the fish will most likely eat the head of the worm first. If a bass is eating something that is big, it would make sense that they would go for the kill shot directly at the head, not from the tail. As well, if you fish in a lake with some big shad, you may observe a shad sticking out of the gullet of a bass. Most of the time, the tail will be the part of the shad sticking out, showing that the bass inhaled it head first.

[eyedabassman]

so you're saying that a "bigger" fish will inhale the worm no matter the length and take the hook as well?

Yes, I guide up here in Wisconsin,and I guide at night. I fish worms from 7 in. up to 15 in.'s.I fish alot of deep water and my go to worm is a 10,12,15 worm. Now on the 10 in worm I fish a 5/0 worm hook or a EWG,on the 12 I go to a 6/0 worm hook.on the 15 in.worm I will play with a 6/0 or a 11/0 hook. I do like the Netbait C-mac worm in the 15 in. because it has a short body and alot of tail and that means more action from the ribbon tail.

I your case you could run your hook and line through the worm and have the hook way off the head,it could be 3 or 4 in. from the head. Kind of tex- posing.

[flipin4bass]

I use a 5/0 for the 9" and a 6/0 for the 12" and have no problem, the bass suck those jellyworms right up. Oh yeah, save the tails of those jellyworms when they get torn. The last 4-5 inches make great trailers for those jigs.

[J Francho]

The only thing that affects hook size for me is the diameter of the bait, not the length. I like to have a gap that's about twice diameter of the bait.

[LgMouthGambler]

Bass will actually attack the worm from the head first. The only hook size that I use is a 3/0 widegap. It works for 5" to 15" worms. When I rig the hook through the head, I tend to go a little deeper into the head as to be able to hide the knot and the loop in the worm (or whatever im rigging). Never had a problem with the fish gulping it up. When you feel the bite, wait a second for the fish to get that bait in its mouth before you set the hook. If your gonna fish snakes, then I would recommend going for a 5/0 widegap.

[Brand0n]

ive caught dinks all day long on 10" worms bigger than they are. im sure a 12" worm would be no issue.

[Gangley]

Ive caught 7" dinks on 10" worms before with no issue as well

Like JFranco mentioned, length does not determine hook size, girth/thickness of the plastic bait does. With worms, I prefer a gap between 2 and 3 times the girth of the worm. Therefore, I usually use a 4/0 on a ZOOM Ol' Monster and a 5/0-6/0 on the 10" Berkley Power Worm since they are bigger bodied than the Ol' Monsters.

I hook the worm through the head and go deep before bringing the hook back out through the belly of the worm so that I can slide the worm up over the knot like mentioned in a prior post. This not only hides the knot, but protects it from the sinker as well when the sinker is not pegged.

[crankbait2009]

But you could also fish these weightless, correct?? Do they have better action weighted? I read on a couple posts ago, that they float..........Assuming they would have to be weighted then. Is it best to have the weighted hooks or a weight that is independent?

[Gangley]

None of the worms that I use, other than a squirel tail worm, float. You can use any worm weightless, but generally the larger the worm the easier to cast when fishing weightless.

[1234567]

Bass inhale the worm and since it is soft the entire bait collapses. Thats how you can hook a 7 inch bass on a 10-12 inch worm. Personally I don't like to use oversize hooks or to have the hook to be way back in the body of the bait. It takes action out of the worm then.

Amen!

[Michael DiNardo]

Although I don't worry about the length of the hook either, if it bothers you there are hooks made for Sluggos that would work. They are about a half inch longer. They are like a 2x long streamer hook comparatively.

Mike