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Mega Worm (Video Included)

Wade's World Fishing: It’s the old debate: do bigger baits catch bigger bass? Ask pro anglers on the national bass circuits, and the unqualified answer would be “yes,” at least as far as plastic worms and fish holding on deep summer structure are concerned. One current trend that’s producing big results is using 10 and 12-inch plastic worms to probe deep ledges, points, roadbeds, ditches and other structure where oversized bass hang out during warm weather.

These large worms are mostly rigged Texas-style, with either a sliding bullet weight or a pegged weight. The former is used when cover is sparse. However, when a worm is being snaked through thick brush or standing timber, a pegged sinker is best.  

Also, anglers should use smaller weights in light wind conditions but heavier weights in heavy wind conditions. The important thing is to maintain contact with your worm to detect subtle pickups from bass. Here are more tips for using magnum-sized plastic worms to catch deep-holding bass in summer.

• Use a long casting rod with a strong butt and a heavy or medium-heavy action.  Rig with fluorocarbon line or braided line with a 6-foot fluorocarbon leader.
• Try different colors to see which the bass prefer on a given day.
• Alternate using big plastic worms with other deep-running lures. When several bass are schooled on one spot, and they quit hitting one bait, sometimes a bait change will result in an extra strike or two.
• Keep your eyes glued onto your line and set the hook whenever you see the line twitch or move to the side.
• Set the hook by reeling up slack, lowering the tip to 9 o’clock. Then forcefully pull your hands into your chest while raising your rod tip to 12 o’clock.