Fishing The Texas Rigged Rubber Worm

Rubber worms are one of the oldest styles of bass fishing known to bass fisherman and probably one of the most popular methods used today by both the pro's and the non pro's. For those of you who don't know how to rig the texas rig see photo. Colors and varieties of the rubber worm are so many , it would take to long to name them all. My favorite colors are black, grape, strawberry and blue. Now days you can get all kinds of scents , garlic is a real popular scent. I also like to dip my rubber worms in vanilla extract as a personal preference. Different scents seem to make the bass hang on to the bait longer enabling a better hook set and higher odds of landing that big hawg into the boat. The fish get a hold of those flavorful worms and just do not want to let go!

A Texas rig consists of a sliding sinker, usually bullet-shaped, that slides freely or is pegged just above the hook, which has the point buried in the body for a weedless effect. The lure needs to move up and down in the water and this movement must be under the control of the fisherman at all times if possible.

The only way to learn to fish the plastic worm is to fish the plastic worm. Typically the bigger the worm you use, the bigger the bass! Being able to stay in positive contact with the lure will make you fish it better and with more confidence.

The texas style rig will keep you from getting hung up in the weeds and heavy cover and the bass will explode on it usually while sometimes they just inhale it and just sit there.

The biggest secret is to be able to work the worm very slowly,and during colder months even slower because bass will attack natural looking bait.

When casting allow the line to remain "slack" until it reaches the bottom. Watch closely for line movement. Often you will not feel the bass bite the worm. Always wait to feel the weight of the fish before you set the hook to make sure he's got the bait in his mouth. He may miss it and come back around to strike again.

When your line is in the water you want to keep constant tension on it. Watch your line for any movement that looks like it may be a hit. When you start to see your line pulling away from you its time to set the hook .slowly take up the slack and then…SLAM the hook set!

Now I hope you notice I said slam the hook set. This takes a medium action worm rod, because it takes a lot of effort to pull the hook out of the worm(remember its rigged weedless) and into the fishes mouth. After you set the hook its not a bad idea to set the hook another time or two to ensure a good hook set.

As I stated earlier, the only way to learn to use a rubber worm is to just use one. Practise makes
perfect. If you have never used this form of fishing you should learn it because a lot of lunkers are caught on this very versatile bait.

I just want to take this time to remind you that the big weekend is around the corner, boat safely and respect other boaters and fisherman. Keep your hooks wet, and until next time, enjoy "The Great Outdoors!"