Subtle Worm Strategies Mean Amazing Catches

Tackle Particulars

Worm Selection: Swendseid favors Jackall’s Flick Shake Worm and tungsten Wacky-Jig Head. “This worm is specially shaped and balanced to perform an underwater dance that can’t be duplicated with a standard finesse worm,” he says. “When you give it a gentle rhythmic shake, the worm moves in three or four different directions. The ends of the worm wag as it falls, while the mid-body portion flexes as it’s retrieved. The band or egg sack of the Flick Shake Worm is exactly in the center, so it’s easy to rig perfectly. And Jackall has expanded its color selection to nine.

“I use the 4.8-inch worm for fishing deep or in current, matching it with a 3/32-ounce head. I also use the small worm with a lighter jighead for delicate presentations. The weight of the 5.8-inch salt-laden worm makes it ideal for long casts, to cover structural elements or to reach breaking fish.”

When bass bite, you typically don’t feel a tap but just weight on the line, or sense your rod loading slightly. Reel-set to hook the fish, as the small, sharp hooks immediately penetrate jaw tissue. Don’t give a hard hook-set or the line may break. You’ll find most bass hooked in the upper lip or corner of the jaw.

I’ve also done well with Berkley’s Gulp! Wacky Crawler, a thin and supple 5-inch straight worm. Its flexibility gives plenty of action and the Gulp! flavor is a strong draw. The slender body means you can fish it on small hooks without limiting the gap.

“I’ve recently helped design a worm for Big Bite Baits called the Boring Worm,” Evans reports. “It’s 5 inches long and has a wider egg sack in the middle that lasts a little longer without tearing. This worm and others in the line are made of BioBait, a biodegradable soft material that contains natural materials, yet has the look and feel of conventional soft plastics. It readily releases flavors into the water and will not dry out when exposed to air.”

Jigheads: While this rig may seem simple, design of the head is important. Jackall’s Wacky-Jig Head, the Zappu King Cobra, as well as Big Bite Bait’s new Wacky Heads and the new Wacky Head from Gamakatsu, lack barb or collar to hold softbaits. For wacky-jigging, the worm should sit in the hook bend and not slide up the shank.

Jackall’s tungsten head is round with a 90-degree eye and fine-wire Owner hook, available in 1/16-, 1/13-, and 3/32-ounce sizes. A new edition with a slightly heavier hook has just been added, to allow anglers to put more pressure on big fish.