At what water temp do you you usually start fishing a worm?Not a drop shot or shaken head but a 7"-10" ribbon or curly tail t-rigged and fished on the bottom. Is there anyone who prefers dragging a worm over a jig in early spring? I want to dedicate some time to doing this this season.As for tackle would 7' to 7'6" mh fast rod fished on 12-17lb fluorocarbon do the trick ?
All I do is drag on or close to the bottom. More fat alberts then worms though. Keitech swing impacts with 1/32 jig head to skirt is my favorite go too year round.
Please release me,let me go.
I would say once fish come off bed is when i begin but i would think at any giving time it would work
As soon as the fish start moving to shallow spawning areas the jigs are put up.
Well there's not much difference in a worm than a lizard and I love dragging lizards on flats in the spring on a light texas rig. It's a great way of finding those beds that aren't visible and finding some fish roaming around. If you're only catching males, move out just a tad deeper and normally you'll find the bigger girls staging out there.
Postspawn is when I start throwing a ribbontail.
Anytime postspawn! I like a Culprit FatMaxx in Okeechobee with a 1/8 tungsten weight. Then again I’m in Florida so that worm is on my rod basically year ‘round. I will switch it to a lizard when they’re mating and running everywhere.
2006 Triton SP-185, 2006 Evinrude Etec 90, PowerTech NRS3, Garmin Echomap Plus 73CV & 93SV
A black 10'' Powerbait worm can be a killer on a C-rig in early spring before they move up.
Don't worry Ma'am....
I'm only here for the Bass.
Agreeing with some of the above, probably the best success I've had with a big worm (note best, not only success) has been in the early spring off of long points or sharp drops where the fish are staging before moving up. I like the 10" Big Bite Baits Kriet Tail - it's a giant hunk of meat compared to the Zoom and Powerbait offerings. I'll generally throw a green pumpkin and hit it with a streak of chartreuse dye or "Worm 'N Chunk" paint right about where the hook point sits to give the fish something to key in on.
I've found it to be great for sweeping up an area after they stop coming up for a jerkbait. As an aside, I love a jerkbait that time of year for quickly figuring out where they're set up. It seems they're always in groups but that the groups roam around a lot making finding them the big hurdle to overcome. Once you find them, it's game on, and if a jerkbait darts past that group, they can't help but show themselves and you can whack them for a time. Usually it ends when one manages to get off and I guess tells her buddies, then in comes that big worm to get them biting again.
Now whether it works around that time because the fish are generally pretty stupid around here after having a roof over their heads for months and not being messed with at all for half a year, or whether it's something else I can't say. I like to think it's because it's a big meal for them during a period they're feeding up after the winter. In any case, it's definitely one of my go-tos in the early spring for getting better-than-average bites. It seems that it shuts down once they start thinking about spawning until mid summer and even then it can be very hit and miss.
Getting at the water temp question is a little more difficult for me. For the most part, I am constrained by not being allowed to fish for bass until what's usually Mother's Day weekend in a state that cares about walleyes first, second, and third and creates these seasons because people would undoubtedly be walleye fishing and saying they're bass fishing (insert eye roll here). Generally that finds water temps in the mid 50s, but a lot of years you miss it all together as the temps have warmed into the low 60s by then and the fish are already wanting to spawn.
Keep in mind this is my experience in MN which is quite a bit different than other places. Overall I feel like the fish around here just aren't as willing to eat a worm as they are other areas I've fished, I assume since they get so dialed in on eating bluegills and a worm presents a very different profile than a broad-bodied sunfish. Again, not saying that a worm doesn't work here as it works very well at times, just seems to be less consistent.
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Thanks for all the replies. DrewFlu33,appreciate the helpful insight.
[QUOTE=DrewFlu33;10002654]Agreeing with some of the above, probably the best success I've had with a big worm (note best, not only success) has been in the early spring off of long points or sharp drops where the fish are staging before moving up. I like the 10" Big Bite Baits Kriet Tail - it's a giant hunk of meat compared to the Zoom and Powerbait offerings. I'll generally throw a green pumpkin and hit it with a streak of chartreuse dye or "Worm 'N Chunk" paint right about where the hook point sits to give the fish something to key in on.
I've found it to be great for sweeping up an area after they stop coming up for a jerkbait. As an aside, I love a jerkbait that time of year for quickly figuring out where they're set up. It seems they're always in groups but that the groups roam around a lot making finding them the big hurdle to overcome. Once you find them, it's game on, and if a jerkbait darts past that group, they can't help but show themselves and you can whack them for a time. Usually it ends when one manages to get off and I guess tells her buddies, then in comes that big worm to get them biting again.
Now whether it works around that time because the fish are generally pretty stupid around here after having a roof over their heads for months and not being messed with at all for half a year, or whether it's something else I can't say. I like to think it's because it's a big meal for them during a period they're feeding up after the winter. In any case, it's definitely one of my go-tos in the early spring for getting better-than-average bites. It seems that it shuts down once they start thinking about spawning until mid summer and even then it can be very hit and miss.
Getting at the water temp question is a little more difficult for me. For the most part, I am constrained by not being allowed to fish for bass until what's usually Mother's Day weekend in a state that cares about walleyes first, second, and third and creates these seasons because people would undoubtedly be walleye fishing and saying they're bass fishing (insert eye roll here). Generally that finds water temps in the mid 50s, but a lot of years you miss it all together as the temps have warmed into the low 60s by then and the fish are already wanting to spawn.
Keep in mind this is my experience in MN which is quite a bit different than other places. Overall I feel like the fish around here just aren't as willing to eat a worm as they are other areas I've fished, I assume since they get so dialed in on eating bluegills and a worm presents a very different profile than a broad-bodied sunfish. Again, not saying that a worm doesn't work here as it works very well at times, just seems to be less consistent.[/QUOTE
I have to say that this is one of the most informed, helpful, and overall outstanding replies I’ve ever seen on this forum. Your knowledge is very evident. Great post.
All year long for me. I fish either a jig or a 7-10" ribbontail 90 percent of the time.
I like 1 6'8" med rod with 12 pound cxx or 50 braid if I can get a way with it. Switch to 7' MH with 12 or 14 cxx or 50lb braid if the cover requires a heavier rod. Usually have two of each on the deck.
I had a tourney partner that loved to swim a 12" worm, in the pre-spawn, usually a black/blue tailed one.
Anytime the water is above 50. After the spawn I'll switch to a jig thru fall
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