How to Fish with Plastic Worms? Best Tips ...

Using live worms as baits can be highly efficient, but what about artificial ones?

Plastic worms are sold in almost every fishing store around the world and they are available in all kinds of colours and sizes.

There is a lot of fish species that react to worms, including the plastic worms, and the popular bass is one of them.

When choosing a plastic worm, you must consider factors like the targeted fish specie and water colour to get the best results.

To find out how to fish with plastic worms read the following chapters:

Do Fake Worms Really Work for Fishing?

Some anglers are very suspicious towards fake worms but there is no valid reason for that. Artificial lures of all kinds are frequently used as baits and there is no reason to always avoid them. The same goes for worms.

In fact, artificial worms can sometimes be more effective than the real ones. They are made to “wiggle” in a similar way to the real ones so you do not have to worry about will the movement attract the fish. Unlike the real ones, these have to be moved by an angler, but in the world of artificial baits, there are quite easy to manage.

Unlike real worms they don’t have to be cut in pieces because they come in different sizes and you will not have to struggle with hooking them.

Various colours can be chosen depending on a location and fish species. Those colours are much more versatile than the colours of real worms. And that is especially important in murky waters, where real worms are less visible.

The downside is that they lack natural smell that the real ones have, but some models can be bought scented.

Inexperienced anglers, or anglers who just don’t have experience with plastic worms often think that a plastic worm should be similar to the real one when it comes to outside appearance.

That is probably one of the reasons they have to avoid these plastic lures, because most of them look quite different.

As already said, their colourful appearance is there to attract the fish more than a pale-looking real worm.

And lastly, unlike real worms, plastic ones won’t be “stolen” from the hook by small fish species, or you will have to replace them on the hook every once in a while, because they die or lose colour and smell underwater.

How to Fish with Plastic Worms? Best Tips ...

Fishing with plastic worms is very similar to fishing with the real ones and it is quite simple, even for beginners.

If you want to try fishing with these lures, you will need a light gear, a reasonably sized hook and the corresponding fishing line.

Same as with the real ones, do not overcomplicate things. If you wish, you may also use floats. Choose it in accordance with the fish you are trying to catch.

When choosing a hook, use the one with the straight shank. It will make the worm movement more natural, especially when casting. Plastic worms have a tendency to slide down the hook eye so using the right hook will ensure perfect hooking.

Avoid using very large hooks as they will often result in less bites.

When moving the lure, avoid dragging and reeling in a “perfect” pattern at high speed. Hopping the lure will look more natural. You can also let it sink naturally, and if there is no fish interest, repeat the process. If you are fishing in an area with a lot of underwater vegetation, slow down the movements.

When holding a rod, avoid large movement with the rod tip. Instead, twitch the worm gently ...

Some species, especially bass, will bite in the moment when the plastic worm sinks naturally towards the bottom.

Always have a few different worms in your tackle box and change them on the spot if necessary. The same goes for hooks. You can’t expect that a single worm will always work, in any location with any fish. Try and test them, especially if you are fishing on an unfamiliar location.

When choosing a line, use thee one that is less visible to fish. Using fluorocarbon may help you with that in certain situation. It is less visible to fish and it is not stretchy, which means straight and direct transfer of energy on larger hooksets.

All of these tips are useful in many situations when using plastic worms as baits, but keep in mind that you should always chose every piece of your equipment depending on species you are trying to catch.

What Kind of Fish do you Catch with Plastic Worms?

When you figure out how to fish with plastic worms, the next question that comes is what kind of fish can you catch with them?

Numerous fish species can be caught by using these baits, an the most popular is probably bass.

Bass is one of the most popular choices for anglers, both beginners and those with more experience. Details about bass fishing with plastic worms are going to be mentioned in the next chapter.

Other species that can be caught on plastic worms are panfish species, bluegill and sunfish. After bass, those are the ones who are very attracted to plastic worms.

Some anglers fish for trout using smaller, finesse worms. This technique can be effective but there are often more productive methods than this one.

Crappies and walleye can also be caught with plastic worms. Curly-tail plastic worms are the ones to choose for walleye.

It is worth mentioning that not all fish who bite on live worms will also bite on plastic ones. One of the best examples is catfish. Real worms may be good for smaller specimens but artificial worms lack strong smell that is important for species like catfish.

When fishing for any of the given species, make sure you choose the correct plastic worm.

How to Catch Bass with Plastic Worms?

Bass reacts incredibly well on plastic worms.

They seem and feel like a natural food so the bass is likely to suck it and hold it for a while before spitting it out. That times is valuable for the angler as it gives you opportunity to react in time.

Some plastic worms are even available scented, to attract even more fish attention.

When choosing a rig, most bass anglers use simple and very effective Texas rig. Some even use variations without the weight. This rig owes its popularity to the fact that any type and size of the plastic worm can be used. Weights can slide or they can be fixed in place.

When the lure is positioned on the bottom, always have a slight tension in the line. Bass will suck the bait gently and if your line is loose, there is a chance that you won’t feel it.

When working the bait, letting it sink naturally and hopping it is way better than dragging it around.

If you are fishing in clear water, use a bit smaller one (around 3 inches) to seem natural and not to scare off the fish. In murky waters you should use those that are more visible and larger (5 or more inches).

If you want to maximize your success, consider time of the year and adjust the bait size and colour. Slow moving bass in the time of natural food shortage will be suspicious towards large and bright prey. It should correspond to available natural food.

When choosing a shape, you should go for curly tail option in dark, murky waters, because they produce more vibration and movement. In clear waters you can use the ones with straight tail.

Straight shank hooks are widely used for bass fishing with plastic worms and you can’t go wrong with those. There is another option too, and that is wide gap hooks, which are great for larger worms and larger bass.

Whatever option you decide to use, feel free to change it if you feel like there is not a lot of fish action.

What are the Best Plastic Worms for Fishing (and Colours)?

When talking about plastic worms, we must know the differences among all kinds available on the market.

There are two main groups and those are straight tail and curly tail plastic worms.

Straight tail is a simple choice, highly effective and it has different types, such as trick-worms, finesse-worms, stickbait-worms and many others.

Curly tail worms also have different types, such as ribbon-worm, U-tail and other variations. Those worms wiggle more and make more vibrations. Their movement is a great asset when fishing in darker waters, when the fish can sense the movement before actually seeing it.

Among numerous models and manufacturers, you will not go wrong if you choose classics, like Zoom Magnum II Worm. Those are ribbon tail worms, 9 inches long, great for larger hooks and the colour to choose is green pumpkin. Their movement will attract the bass and they have been on the market for a very long time.

There are numerous manufacturers, some of them are new and some have been around for years. When choosing the right worm, think about size, colour, weight and style.

Colour should be chosen according to water colour. Use natural-looking in clear waters, such as different shades of green or brown, but not too bright. In murky waters you can play with colours, or use multi-coloured worms.

When it comes to size, except using slightly smaller in clear water, you should choose those that are suitable for targeted fish size. The larger the bait, the larger the catch. But here is a catch, small bait can still attract large fish, but a large bait will almost never catch a small fish. If there is no action, maybe you should downsize a bit, especially if you are a beginner. Also, use smaller ones in winter and larger in summer.

There are no right and wrong worms, every model and type is right for certain conditions and you should always have a few worms with you.

Conclusion

Fishing with plastic worms, especially bass fishing, can be highly productive.

When choosing among hundreds of different models, keep it simple and choose the type that suits weather and water conditions, fish size and time of the year.

Having a small collection of worms in your tackle box can be very beneficial. A lot of models are reasonably priced so you can test them at your preferred fishing spot.

Now when you know how to fish with plastic worms, there is one more tip; when using two-coloured worms, choose those that have a dominant natural colour and the bright and unnatural part is much smaller. They will attract fish but still look somewhat natural, and they can be used in various situations.