| Every bass fisherman wants to catch more bass. | | | | strikes from aggressive bass. |
| Even the pros share this sentiment with the rest of | | | | By a wide margin, the most commonly used plastic |
| us. But for the beginner, it is a little different. As a | | | | lure is the worm. Plastic worms are simple to use and |
| beginner, you can and will catch more bass with | | | | easy to rig. They come in various lengths from about |
| plastics. The use of plastic lures is one of the easiest | | | | 7" to 11"and can be rigged with or without weight. |
| techniques to learn. There are a few things to know | | | | A plastic worm should be retrieved with a "lift & fall" |
| that will help you along the way. | | | | retrieve. Simply put, this means you cast it out, reel |
| Shapes Plastic lures come in a variety of shapes. | | | | in some line, raise the rod tip a little (from 10:00 to |
| Everything from frogs to crawfish, worms and even | | | | 12:00) to lift the worm, and then let it fall back down |
| smaller fish is available. To have a well rounded tackle | | | | naturally. Most bass will hit on the fall, so you need to |
| box, you need to have a wide variety of different | | | | pay attention to your line and feel the strike through |
| shaped plastics at your disposal. The one you use in | | | | the rod. This technique will help you take more bass |
| any given situation should match what is naturally | | | | from the middle of the water. Don't worry; you'll |
| fond in the area you are fishing. For instance, you | | | | know when you get a strike. |
| should not fish a snake lure in a lake where snakes | | | | When weather is a little warmer, bass will go deeper |
| are not a natural inhabitant. | | | | to find cooler water temps. During the summer, the |
| Colors There are just as many colors available as | | | | use of a drop shot type rig can boost your success |
| there are shapes. The color of the plastic you choose | | | | greatly. A drop shot style rig is easy: tie the hook |
| can be very important. Every angler has a favorite | | | | about 18" from the end of the line. On the end of |
| that works for them, so you just need to find the | | | | the line, tie a small weight like a 3/8 ounce or ½ |
| one that works for you. The basic rule of thumb is | | | | ounce sinker. |
| that when the water is stained, a brighter color may | | | | What happens here is that the weight sits on the |
| work better. A darker color may work better when | | | | bottom and the plastic worm floats about a foot and |
| the water is clear. | | | | a half above, kind of like waving in the breeze, so to |
| Technique The most important thing though is how | | | | speak. The "lift & fall" retrieve is still the preferred. |
| you present that plastic. What you want to do is | | | | Try a few different retrieves to see what works for |
| make the lure act in a natural manner. If using a bait | | | | you. |
| fish plastic lure, it should be retrieved in a way that | | | | You can catch more bass with plastics and give more |
| makes it look like a swimming or injured fish. When | | | | meaning to your fishing excursions when you master |
| using a worm, a simple twitch of the rod tip will elicit | | | | the basics. |