masterS series
Texas rig master Larry Nixon estimates that 70 percent of his career wins have come on plastic worms .
PHOTO BY JODY WHITE the basics
Worm fishing is all about putting the lure in the cover where bass live and allowing it to fall . You ’ ll get most of your bites when the lure is falling , and you need your bait to fall on a slack line . If your worm falls on a tight line , it will look less natural , trigger fewer strikes and pendulum back toward you as it drops . This will cut your strikes by 50 percent .
Speed of the fall is everything when you ’ re worm fishing . Sometimes you need a slow fall to get bites , and you need to go with a light slip sinker . Other times you need a fast fall to generate a reaction strike , and you need to use a heavy weight . That ’ s one of those determinations you have to make on the water each day . I generally hold my rod at about the 10 o ’ clock position and slowly crawl or gently hop the worm by lifting the rod to about 11 o ’ clock . When the worm contacts cover , shake it over limbs or grass and let it freefall on a completely slack line . Sometimes , you might have to peel line off your reel to make that happen , but it ’ ll get you a lot more strikes . Most strikes come on the fall , but if the worm gets back to the bottom without being eaten , shake it a few times on a semi-slack line before crawling or hopping it again .
When I feel a bite , I drop the rod as I take up the slack , and I use a “ pull ” set . It really doesn ’ t take much to set the hook if you have the right gear . Thin-diameter hooks , quality fluorocarbon line and a strong , sensitive rod will get the job done .
bonus
The Texas rig is one of the greatest tools we have for fishing heavy cover , but I use the lightest line I think I can get away with because I know it will get me more bites .
Yes , I ’ ll probably lose some fish by using 14-pound-test line where other anglers would use 20 , but I ’ m confident that I can overcome those lost fish by getting more bites . More bites equal more bass , and that ’ s good whether you ’ re fishing a tournament or fishing for fun !
56 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2021