Wacky Worm

The wacky worm is one of the most effective presentations for pressured fish. This simple rig, falling alongside isolated cover or a vertical edge draws bites when little else will. This rig does require a slow approach, however, and so isn’t the best presentation when bass are active, or when you must locate fish over a wide area.

The traditional rig involves a straight-shank hook run through the middle of a pliable straight worm, with the hook exposed. The rig can be made weedless by burying the barb in the bait. A finishing nail or thin lead weight inserted in the nose creates a tail-up appearance on the bottom, or can be placed toward the middle for a horizontal fall.

Weightless Worm Rig

This presentation is used with a floating worm or a soft plastic twitch bait in relatively shallow cover-filled water. Weightless rigging is best in clear to moderately stained lakes from prespawn through postspawn, and it’s always an option around boat docks. The simplest weightless worm rig includes a plastic worm and a worm hook. Although some anglers fish the worm with an exposed hook, most Texas rig or Tex-pose the hook.

Most pros rig the weightless worm with a 10- to 12-inch leader and a barrel swivel, which reduces line twist and adds weight for casting distance and accuracy. For surface fishing a floating worm, a light-wire 2/0 offset-shank hook keeps the bait up. When fishing it as a twitch bait, however, switch to a heavier 4/0 or 5/0 wide-gap offset-shank hook. For added weight and a different action, insert a small nail or weight into the body of the lure.

At first glance, a Swimmin’ Worm Rig looks like a novice’s mistaken rigging of a weightless worm. But a purposely fouled worm spiraling wildly through the water sometimes draws an aggressive reaction around cover or in open water. The rig is created by bunching too much worm between the eye and point of the hook when Texas-rigging, giving the worm a curl. A barrel swivel 10 to 12 inches in front of the worm eliminates line twist.

Prerigged worms

Several manufacturers offer worms prerigged with two or three small hooks tied on a mono leader and buried in the worm with points exposed. The worm body is purposefully curled to give a spiralling action that can be deadly over weedy flats or under docks. A swivel generally provides sufficient weight, though split shot can be added.

Flippin’ Tube Rig

An overlooked application for a tube bait is to flip or pitch the lure into wood or weed cover. Rig the tube weedless by first placing a wide-gap offset-shank hook in the center of the tube and then exiting approximately a 1/4 inch below the nose. Pass the hook through the tube so the eye and knot are pulled just short of entering the bait. Rotate the hook so it’s in position to reenter the tube. Similar to Tex-posing a worm, measure the bend of the hook against the tube and then insert the hook at a 90-degree angle, just inside this measurement. Push the hook through the body so the point rests atop the plastic tube.

An alternative rig is to use an Eagle Claw High Performance hook and internal weight system with a clip to hold the tube in place and a small sinker clipped to the hook.

No matter the rig or bait, the key to proper rigging is balancing the hook, line, and weight to promote the built-in action of the plastic bait. By carefully matching your rig to a fishing situation, and matching the hook, line, and sinker to the plastic bait, a most effective tool is created for catching bass in every environment.

* Paul Cañada, Fort Worth, Texas, is an avid multispecies angler and freelance writer and photographer.