When you’re fishing, one of the most important things to remember is how to retrieve your bait. If you’re using a plastic worm, there are a few different techniques that you can use to get it back in the water.
This blog post will discuss how to retrieve a plastic worm using three different methods: the jigging method, the Carolina rig method, and the Texas rig method.
What is Plastic Worm?
Plastic worms are a type of plastic fish bait. They resemble a real worm and come in many different sizes, colors, and shapes.
Most anglers use them for bass fishing because they are very effective on this game fish. However, plastic worms can catch other types of fish like perch or pike.
How to Retrieve a Plastic Worm
Now that we’ve discussed what a plastic worm is, let’s discuss how to retrieve one.
There are three commonly-used methods for retrieving a plastic worm: the jigging method, the Carolina rig method, and the Texas rig method. Let’s explore each one in detail:
The Jigging Method
This method involves simply lifting the plastic worm off of the bottom of the lake and then reeling it back down. When you lift your line up, be sure not to reel too quickly or harshly, as this could cause your bait to break off.
Also, note that this technique would likely be ineffective if any fish are hanging close to the surface, as the fish will see your plastic worm in front of them.
The Carolina Rig Method
This simple method will generally attract more strikes than the typical jigging method. How it works is you’ll want to position your boat around 6 feet away from where you’re planning on fishing.
After you cast your plastic worm, quickly reel it back to the boat. You’ll then want to position your rod into a holder that will allow the bait to be taut yet still dangle off of the side of the boat. This way, when fish attack your plastic worm, they won’t see it until it’s too late.
The Texas Rig Method
The Texas rig method is very similar to the Carolina rig, except instead of positioning your rod into a holder and allowing your plastic worm to dangle off of the side of the boat, you’ll position it into a holder and allow your plastic worm to lie flat against the bottom of the boat.
This way, fish won’t even know that your plastic worm is there until it’s too late.
Why does bass eat plastic worms?
Plastic worms, or lures of a similar shape, are commonly used for catching bass because of their appealing sink rate and lifelike appearance. Bass will seek out something that looks like a food source and attempt to eat it.
Why do plastic worms work so well?
The different textures on the plastic worms and how they vibrate as they fall through the water make them effective for catching bass.
The different textures on a plastic worm cause it to appear less uniform than, let’s say, a piece of bologna.
This is attractive to large predators such as non-game fish such as bass, who think that if something is moving, it might be food.
How Do You Get a Worm That Is Completely Naked?
When you buy a package of plastic worms at the store, they come with a hook, and that is all. So how do you get your worm back on?
This can be tricky because you will break it if you push too hard. If this happens, start over with another worm. To retrieve the worm:
Start by slowly threading the worm back on the hook. Push down to get it started, but don’t push too hard, or you will break the worm. Instead, wiggle it around until the hook goes through both ends of the worm.
How do you know which end is up? If your worm has a flat side, that side should be against the hook so that when you pull on the other end, your worm’s curve will curl up.
Now all you have to do is adjust the knot, so it slides along the hook without a problem and bam. You’re fishing.
How Do You Recover a Plastic Worm on a Drop Shot Rig?
The drop-shot rig can be a very effective way to fish plastic worms. The term “drop shot” describes the style of rigging where the eye of the worm is securely tied in place in front of a sinker or weight, and a leader or loop knot passes through the hollow center of the worm.
The dropper loop allows you to move the worm up and down in the water column to find a forage fish present at various levels and also puts less stress on the worm when it comes into contact with structure or cover. Also, unlike Texas rigging, the hook is not buried in the nose of the worm.
Additional Tips to Retrieve a Plastic Worm
The way you retrieve a plastic worm is very important, so pay attention to the following tips:
First, take note of the weight. The conventional plastic worm should be 3.5 ounces (100g). How to check for this?
If you hold the worm horizontally at one end and allow it to fall, it should land with its tail down first. Ideal.
However, if your worm is too heavy, use a lighter hook. If it’s too light, then use a stronger hook. It also depends on the size of your worm as to what size hook you should use.
Smaller worms require smaller hooks, which are weaker and less likely to get snagged by rocks or other hard objects.
If your plastic worm is equipped with free-moving rubber bait, make sure to retrieve it slowly, with short jerks.
How do you know if the worm is equipped with rubber bait? The tail will move from side to side when you jerk your plastic worm along.
Also, remember that different baits are designed differently, so they have particular uses. For example, if the hook is super sharp, use this worm type for fishing for smaller prey.
This is because a sharper hook means you can put it in some hard-to-reach places without harming the potential catch.
Use a nymph pattern plastic worm if you want a thicker, sturdier fishing worm instead.
How Do You Know If the Worm Has Nymph Patterns?
The nymph pattern plastic worm has three free-moving rubber baits with a larger profile.
Make sure to use a “pinch” weight when fishing for bass or other big fish—a half ounce to one ounce is considered a pinch weight. How do you know what size pinch weight to use?
First, take the length of your worm and add about 4-6 inches (10 to 15 cm) to the length. Make sure this is a sharp weight with a small hook that will easily fit into the end of the worm.
How do you attach it? First, insert it into the tail, then onto the line until it’s about an inch (2.5cm) from the line.
Finally, if you want to fish for smaller prey, use a narrow-bodied red worm. How do you know if it’s a red worm? The tail of the red worm is white or pink with three rubber bait tails that move in unison.
How Do I Make the Worm Wiggle?
There are several ways you can go about making your plastic worm wiggle. You can shake it up and down, or you can swing it back and forth.
How often you choose to wiggle the worm will depend on how deep you’re fishing. If you’re fishing shallow water, it’s best to make the worm wiggle more.
When fishing deeper water, you can choose one or avoid overdoing it.
How Long Should My Plastic Worm Be?
When fishing with plastic worms, you want your worm to be long enough so that when a fish bites, the hook is just barely hidden in the worm.
This will allow for a good solid hook set and help prevent broken hooks. How long you make your plastic worm is partially an art, but it will vary for each fishing spot.
Start shopping around to see what other fishermen are using to feel the appropriate length.
Is It Better to Use a Weight When Using Plastic Worms?
A common question about fishing with plastic worms is whether or not adding weight improves your chances of catching a fish.
In theory, the answer should be yes. Fish have been known to pick up on the presence of weights and take advantage of it by moving near or away from the weight to get a better attack angle on the worm or body of the fish.
However, when fishing with plastic worms in shallow water, adding weight to your bait can result in snagging on branches and other debris beneath the surface.
If you choose to add weight when fishing with plastic worms, it’s best to use a non-translucent weight so that it can be easily seen if it snags.
If you happen to hook something beneath the water when adding weight, be sure to reel in your line slowly to avoid breaking it.
How Do I Fish with My Plastic Worm?
Fishing with plastic worms can seem daunting at first, but once you learn the basics, it’s easy to go out and catch fish.
Start by tying your hook to the end of your line – generally, a number 4 or 6 hook is good for plastic worms.
Next, take a few wraps around the bend in your hook and then slide on your worm.
If you’re fishing with multiple worms, it is best to crimp the worm at the hook to prevent it from sliding up and down the line. Once you have your worm on the hook, it’s time to feed a little bit to a fish.
Now that you’ve found a fishing spot, tied your line, have some bait ready…it’s time to cast your line in and wait for a bite.
If no fish bites in the first few minutes, reel your line back in and move to a new spot. A plastic worm does not need to be fished slowly – any motion will attract fish.
Once you’ve found a good fishing spot, let your worm sit still on or near the bottom of the body of water for a while before you begin reeling it in.
Once your worm hits the shore or riverbank, reel it in slowly to get a good hookset – just like when you are reeling it in from being cast into the water.
If nothing grabs your line after a few minutes, pick up your rod and move it to another spot before casting out again.
Always remember that you should always be reeling your line in slowly – not quickly. This will give you a better hook set, prevent the worm from breaking off, and help increase your chances of catching bigger fish.
Conclusion
The plastic worm is a classic and effective fish-catching tool, especially when the fish are preoccupied with other food such as crawfish.
A plastic worm can be used in many different ways, but the most popular is to use it with a plastic jig head. This will keep the bait near the bottom, where fish often feed.
Using a slow reeling technique when fishing with plastic worms will create more movement and lure in predators, which means you’ll get hooked up faster.
