When the water temperature gets hot, one of the best ways to catch bass is on a big Texas-rigged plastic worm. This technique has kind of fallen off the map, but trust me, it is still as effective as ever. Here’s how I fish it, my setup, and what to look for to have a great day despite the heat.
First of all let’s define what I mean by “big” worm; I’m talking about worms that are 10 inches and bigger. I’ve caught summer bass on worms as long as 16 inches, so don’t be afraid to go big this time of year. After the water temperature gets above 75 degrees, that’s when big worm fishing really gets cranked up. My theory is that bass think the worm is a small snake, and most snakes don’t come out until the temperature gets pretty warm.
My favorite place to fish a big worm is around brush. For some reason bass just can’t stand that worm coming through a brush pile. Another great place to fish them is bluff walls. I’ve caught a pile of fish and won a lot of jackpot tournaments around my house by throwing a big worm around bluffs. Think of a bluff wall as a ledge. Just like there are sweet spots on a ledge, there are also sweet spots on a bluff wall. That’s normally where the fish will be every time you fish that spot.
Obviously another great place for a big worm is on offshore ledges for schools of fish like we find on the Tennessee River. With all the new breakthrough lures for ledge fishing these days, sometimes a big worm might be something the bass haven’t seen.
My setup for fishing a big worm is pretty important. It’s not easy to hook fish on these worms without the right equipment. I use an MHX-EPS86MHXF rod that is 7’2″ with plenty of backbone to drive the hook home on a long cast.
For line I use 14- or 17-pound Vicious fluorocarbon depending on the cover. You will get more bites with the lighter line, but sometimes the cover just will not let you use it. My Texas-rig weight will vary from 3/16 in shallow water and grass all the way up to 1/2 ounce in deep brush. 5/16 is probably my favorite size day in and day out.
Last but not least, the hook is crucial. I’ve been using a new hook from Mustad. It’s the Mustad 2X Big Bite Grip-Pin worm hook. I’ve always been a fan of round bend hooks for Texas-rigging, and this hook is even better with the addition of the Grip-pin. That pin keeps the bait from sliding down the shank. For worms in the 10-inch range, I use a 5/0 size.
For the actual worm, there are a lot of good ones. My go-to is a Zoom Ol’ Monster and the Mag Ol’ Monster. These worms are 10.5 and 12 inches long with a ribbon-tail. For a straight-tailed big worm, I like the Strike King Bullworm. It has a really big profile that appeals to big fish.
If you have any questions on this technique or any others, feel free to hit me up on Facebook (@ProAnglerBrandonLester) or at www.BrandonLesterFishing.com.
