Big worms play a big part in Terry Scroggins’ summertime game plan.

Webster’s dictionary suggests that even the word “plastic” is plastic, taking on various meanings. Several definitions fit our favorite summertime baits nicely: Capable of adapting to varying conditions; pliable; susceptible of being modified in form or nature.

The substance of polyvinylide and other pliable substances used to make lures allows this genre to continually change in both evolutionary and revolutionary ways. Moreover, there’s no doubt that bass don’t become conditioned to these lifelike materials and shapes as readily as they do harder and less natural lures.

In-Fisherman staff members see this in their own fishing and the trend is mirrored on the national tournament trails. In the Bassmaster Elite Series events of 2009, softbaits were used by top 3 finishers in all 11 events. Crankbaits were used by top anglers at 7 tournaments, topwaters at 3, swimbaits and jigs at 2 each.

In the current softbait boom, I find 9 notable trends or categories of lures that have been catching more than their share of summertime bass while arousing more attention from lure designers. Some new baits hit several categories, offering novel appearances and actions. We highlight a selection of hot new baits, while plenty of other options exist as well.

Big Worms

The basic nightcrawler shape, sometimes enhanced with a paddle or curlytail, continues to catch lots of bass for newcomers as well as pro anglers. Big worms are a hot summertime option. That’s because many waterways host populations of largemouth bass that are in the best shape they’ve been in for decades. Credit modern bass management, willingness of anglers to release big fish, and the adaptable nature of this species for the quality of today’s fishing.

Tournament anglers can no longer strive to catch a daily limit. Even 2-pounders, formerly the benchmark of a good catch, must be culled for 3s and 4s on better bass waters. Big worms typically attract big bites, so this presentation trend tracks bass population demographics to some extent.

At Kentucky Lake, for example, anglers are enjoying the best bass bite since this 160,000-acre reservoir on the Tennessee River was backed up in 1944. Schools of 4s, 5s, and 6s prowl river-edge ledges. Florida pro Bobby Lane found such a spot and camped on it for four days en route to a romping victory last summer in a Bassmaster Elite tournament. His bait of choice was a 10-inch Berkley Power Worm, one of the all-time favorite lures for catching monster Mexican bass.

Gene Larew Lures of Salt Craw fame has added a menagerie of outsize worms, too. The 10½-inch Big Daddy is a paddletail, while the 11-inch Salty Snake has a curly tail. El Salto Grande is a 12-inch jumbo curlytail, in 12 colors that recall fishing at that Mexican lunker factory. YUM’s Big Show Paddle Worm is a new 10-inch bait, joining YUM’s 10-inch Ribbontail. And Zoom Bait’s 10½-inch Ol’ Monster has become a staple for big worm specialists.

The big worm blitz caught Gary Yamamoto’s attention and Alabama pro staffer Randy Howell helped test an oversize version of the Kut Tail Worm on his home waters like Lake Guntersville and Wheeler. “Yamamoto baits are heavy due to their salt content,” Howell notes, “and the thin tail on this design help it wave in the water column as you drag it across structure. To maximize this action, I often rig it on a custom football-head jig with a long-shank Gamakatsu O’Shaunessy hook or a 7/0 Owner.”

Jumbo lizards also are in demand for the same reason—rigged Carolina-style or Texas, they up the average size of bass caught, usually without drastically reducing the total number of bites. Zoom had the market on 8-inchers cornered once Berkley discontinued their big Power­Bait Lizard, until Strike King came up with the Iguana, sized at 8 and 10 inches and made of Elaztech for durability. Larew’s Biffle-O Lizard, an 8½-incher with hollow body and tapering tail, offers deadly action on a Carolina or Texas rig.

Round-bend and wide-gap, offset-shank hooks of heavy wire hold big worms securely and can be set through the ball of plastic bass often wad up in their mouth. Go with 5/0 or 6/0 hooks like Lazer TroKar Mag Worm or EWG, Gamakatsu’s Superline EWG, and Owner’s Oversize hooks, sized at 7/0 and 11/0. To fish shallow grass or stumps, try weighted swimbait hooks. The belly position of the weight give the worm more lateral movement, and the wide gap on these hooks (available up to 10/0) increases hooking percentages.

To reach deeper ledge structure or work through thick grassbeds, weights from 1/4- to 5/8-ounce generally are best for Texas rigging. A few companies have recognized the power of a big worm on a shaky head, and build heads with a longer hook. But bass, particularly big ones, tend to completely engulf the worm in one gulp. Big worms and lizards also excel for summer Carolina rigging along deep ledges or weedlines on reservoirs and natural lakes.

Ring Worms

Ever since Rebel discontinued their Ringworm, this feature has periodically reappeared, due to the many assets of this design. A ribbed body gives a soft, natural feel to a fish mouthing it, undoubtedly encouraging it to hold on. Rings also move water as the bait falls or is pulled along, adding to its triggering cues. They also carry bubbles to the bottom, gradually releasing them as the lure moves. Finally, a hook can be nicked back into a ring or two, preventing hang-ups, but easy to set with a slight rod movement, in the event you miss a subtle take.

Rapala’s new venture into softbaits, the Trigger X brand, includes the Spadetail Worm, a ribbed 5-incher, ideal for shaky-heads, drop-shot rigs, brass-and-glass combos, or other finesse setups. More subtle ribs adorn the Flippin’ Craw and Flappin’ Bug, another case of crossover features. Pthalate-free Trigger X contains a scent-flavor formula intended to inspire aggression in predators.

Imported from Japan by Optima, the Reins Bubring Shaker is another versatile 5-inch worm enhanced with ribs from nose to tail. The Rains Ax Craw has a ribbed mid-section. Owner’s new line of softbaits includes the 4½-inch Shiver Tail, with three body sections, the middle one ribbed for extra action and vibration.

Stanley has one-upped the ring tones with their Sidewinder, Itzabug, and Y-Not. Sidewinder mirrors the old Rebel bait, but with even wider rings in the worm’s mid-section for action, squishy consistency, and easy hooking. The head’s solid and the tail hollow, allowing addition of a rattle chamber for a noisy presentation, or a tail-up posture since the empty chamber floats the tail.

Y-Not makes a bulked up jig trailer, or a wild and wooly Carolina or flippin’ bait. It, too, has hollow appendages that keep the tails up in imitation of a crawfish. Itzabug is a widely ribbed, multi-appendage flippin’ bait. Zipper Worms have a similar concept, though ribs extend laterally instead of around the lure. The company has added a number of new products, all with a zippered appearance.

Segmented Softbaits

The first lure of this type was Lake Fork Trophy Lures’ Live Magic Shad, a swimbait divided into 4 sections. Success of that lure led owner Mark Mack to segment stickworms, yielding the Hyper Stick; paddletail worms to make the Hyper Worm; wacky worm—Hyper Whack’n Worm; and lizards—Hyper Lizard. Segmenting a softbait allows it to wobble and turn and more freely.

That’s the idea behind Sebile’s new Magic Swimmer Soft lures, modeled on the popular Magic Swimmer, but with a soft 3-section body for greater lateral swimming movement. These baits come with a weighted hook for weedless rigging, and the weight can be shifted on the hook shank to alter the bait’s posture as it falls. They can also be rigged on a jighead for deeper fishing.