Soft Plastics, need help

[Chaz Hickcox]

OK so I can fish well with simbaits, anything topwater, buzzbaits, and cranks.  I think I do well with those because I learned on them.  In fact I did well on saturday with only a buzzbait and a skitterpop catching nothing under 16" and filling up the boat.  I know there are many times that I fish and it will be better to go down into the fallen trees with a soft plastic, but I haven't a clue on what presentation I should use.  I know how to rig all of them, c-rig, texas, and dropshot, and that's all I ever find online.  When it comes to presentation what works best?

[RobE]

Fishing with (plastic) worms isn't as easy as it sounds. One really needs to be able to Feel what is going on down there.

All of the presentations that you mentioned are valid and will work. There is no 'best'. It depends on where you are.

Concentration on the Feel is key to worms, jigs, etc.

[Chaz Hickcox]

ok, so your feeling for the bottom.  gotcha, how do you present the bait to do that?  Is it a slow drag, a twitch at cypress knees, bouncing it along the bottom?  What's a good presentation?  I know it's a lot more subtle when a bass hits it, and you have to be paying attention.  I just am not sure if I am doing it right and have no confidence in the presentations I am making.

[RoLo]

When it comes to presentation, what works best?

I'm afraid there's no answer to that question, because "Best Presentation" is a moving target.

There'll be times when no delivery seems to work, and times when every delivery seems to work.

Roger

[Catt]

When it comes to presentation what works best?

The one the bass are biting  

[CHEVYRIDAZ]

To many answers to this really! Different days/conditions different presentations. Hop it, twitch it, swim it or inch it on the bottom.

[skillet]

 There's a lot of truth to "When you think you're moving the bait slow, slow down some more.". If you've ever watched any creature moving on the bottom, mimic that. Even crawfish, except when frightened, move REALLY slow. Varying you're movements with stops and twitching it like it was a shakey rig. Hope this helps ...

skillet

[catchbig0bass]

A lot of times what I do especially with a senko is throw it out to a spot you think that will hold the fish. Let it sink all the way to the bottom. Twitch it a little after about 20 sec or so. Wait. twitch it again with a little retrieve and wait. Do this for 4-5' or so and then slow retrieve back to you. Most of my hits are either on the fall or after the first twitch or two.

[NewAngler]

here's an article i read when i first joined this forum. Helped a lot.

I dont know your skill of fishing, so please dont take this to offense, it's in the "For Beginning Anglers" tool bar.

http://www.bassresource.com/beginner/worm_fishing.html

read up on articles on here, there is a TON of info.

[Jake...]

you could start out using the senko for a while.

cast it, let it drop and wait for your line to swim away, then set hook to the moon!

if no bites, you can do any number of presentations all the way back to the boat.

reel in slack, lift the rod tip and let it fall back down again

or u can slow retrieve it

or drag it along the bottom

or twitch it

definitely go SLOWWW so u can start feeling the sensation of the bite. envision your worm the whole time and keep an eye on your line.

[Big-O]

Here is the Big O simplified version of understanding how to fish soft plastics...

If you have successfully bottom fished for catfish whether cast and sit or drifting in a boat, you can fish soft plastics for bass successfully the difference being, instead of the bait sitting in one spot for an extended period of time waiting on the bite, or the boat drift moving the bait along the bottom to offer it in front of a catfish, you are moving a soft plastic offering along the bottom slowly to offer it to a bass and the bites are often very similar in feel.

Most who first start learning to fish softies, will normally fish too fast and not allow the bait to enter the bass' lair and the majority of bites are when the bait is on the bottom or falling to the bottom. Many of the fish that are catchable, are hiding in ambush mode in some type of cover or structure that is bottom related. The one main constant that has been mentioned previously is "The Bottom".

As long as you are maintaining contact or a close proximity to any bottom structure, and moving the bait slow enough so that any bass that is close can feel the subtle vibrations and find your small edible creature, you can be a successful soft plastic fisherman.

Regardless of your skills with the rod and bait, the most important part of this equation is "are bass in the area you are fishing". Now this is where the real challenge begins

Be the bait....slowly searching for the elusive MONSTER BASS

www.ragetail.com