Plastic worms vs. Crankbait for bass?
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I’m relatively new to fishing, and to say the elast, sick as hell of pulling up countless bluegill! I want to start catching bass, and across the boards people have recommended crankbait and plastic worms. So I bought both. For one, my crankbait is NOT sinking to it’s supposedly 4 feet of depth, and the worm isnt getting many hits at all. I read up on some techniques and look to implement them next time out (with the worm). Any advice on how to use each of these? Thanks all!
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it all depends on how you jig it try just reeling it in for 10 throws then try reeling it in with slight jerky movements for 10 throws then try reeling it in with half jerky and half reeling for 10 throws what ever one they are biting that day use.
worms are the best BUT you have to be patient
Well those are obviously 2 totally different baits which require different techniques. They are both very productive baits when the time is right.
I’ll start with the crankbaits. Crankbaits are nothing more than a shad imitation to start so fish them accordingly. I like to reel a crankbait in with a stop and go type of retrieve. Normally that brief pause is what triggers a lot of my strikes on these baits. This time of year you will more than likely do best throwing a shallow running crankbait (6-12 inches roughly). Most places are just getting the constant warm temperatures which is warming the water cnsiderably. Warming water causes Bass to move and feed in shallower waters, mainly on shad so the crankbait is a very good choice in my opinion although I tend to like Rattle Traps better. Now, after Summer sits in and the water is very warm, like up in the 80′s constantly, Bass will move to deeper water to feed. This is when you’re deeper diving crankbaits will come in handy.
For your plastic worms it’s not as easy to explain. There are so many different styles of plastic worms and so many different ways of fishing them. For example, you have Texas Rigging, Carolina Rigging, Wacky Rigging, Drop Shotting, weightless rigging, etc. The over all most productive way of fishing a worm is to Texas Rig it, very simple rig I may add. It’s nothing more than your worm rigged up weedless with a bullet weight above it on your line. Google it for instructions as to how to rig it up.
When fishing it you need to fish it pretty slow. When you cast it out, let it sink to the bottom and raise your rod from a 9 o clock position to about an 11 o clock position, then reel up your slack. Never reel in the worm itself, but the slack after raising your rod from the 9 to 11 o clock position.
Also, don’t be afraid to throw into cover, in fact you need to if you want to hook on to fish. Stumps, docks, rocks, logs, weeds, shade, etc all hold fish all year long.
Again, I don’t know what kind of worms you have so the Texas Rig may not work for you at the moment. For the Texas Rig you need a standard curly or ribbon tailed worm, not a straight stick worm like the Zoom Trick Worms and Senkos. Regardless, you need to fish the Texas Rig, it will produce fish. If you don’t have the right worms I’d suggest going to get them in about a 7.5 inch size.
http://www.culpritstore.com/catalog2/products.php?line=1&type=1&subtype=3
Look at that link there. Wal Mart or anywhere carries Culprit worms for a great price. They are my favorite worms to use and have been for years.
John,
Plastic worms and crankbaits *are* great ways to start catching bass. Hopefully the following advice will help:
Plastic worms: There are a lot of types of plastic worms, and quite a few different presentations. I strongly recommend stick worms for the beginner. There are many brands available, my personal favorite is the 5 inch Yum Dinger in Green Pumpkin Purple Flake (for those of you who have read my other contributions, I apologize for repeatedly promoting the Dinger…but it is my favorite bait). I rig it on 3/0 or 4/0 sized hooks with the point of the hook pushed through the worm, but just buried below the surface of the plastic. This keeps it weedless. I fish it without a weight. I cast it out and let it sink on fairly slack line. I look to see if the line jumps or moves, and I also feel for strikes. When I detect a strike, I reel up the slack line and sweep the rod to the at a 45 degree angle to set the hook. I recommend casting the worm under docks, trees, rocks, and weed beds.
Crankbaits: Your lure may not be diving to the advertised 4 feet due to your line or your retrieve speed. The thicker the line, the shallower the crankbait will dive. A slower speed will also cause the crankbait to run shallower. I recommend the same spots (docs, trees, weeds, etc) for the crankbait. You can retrieve the lure at a constant speed and catch fish, but you will improve your catch rate if you fish it a little more erratically with the occasional twitch.
Hope this helps!
Crankbaits: not all, but most crankbaits float and use a diving bill to achieve depth. The idea is to cast it very far, maybe parallel to a main lake point and retrieve with a moderate to slow retrieve. Frequently twitching or pausing illicit more bites. Also crankbaits work best knocking around in cover. When you hit something you pause and hopefully it backs up due to floatation.
A dobyns 704cb glass rod, abu garcia revo reel, and 10lb line.
Worms:
Easy way is too drop shot on light tackle. No:4 hook on a line with a palomar knot and 8 inch tag end that sports a weight… 1/4 oz works. Nose hook the weight.
Checkout berserkbaits.com for dropshot weights.