Bass Fishing_DecJan2023 | Page 58

ZOOM ULTRA
VIBE SPEED WORM
COLOR : RED BUG
Z-MAN TURBO FATTYZ
COLOR : WATERMELON RED
ZOOM MAGNUM ULTRA VIBE
SPEED WORM
COLOR : GREEN
PUMPKIN BLUE
ost lures have short histories . Some enjoy fleeting fame before settling into niche roles or drifting into obscurity .
But a very select few not only survive the test of time but live on in a lovefest of imitation . One such lure is the worm . “ I love the lowly worm ,” admits MLF pro Miles Burghoff . “ The lowly worm has saved my day a time or two . It never gets old .”
MLF vet Mark Rose echoes his praise .
“ I make a living trying to get a bite ,” Rose says . “ And a worm just does it . We have so many varieties – the ribbontail , straight tail , do-nothing worms . The Ned rig has shown us that even little morsels of a worm are good . You just need to know when and where to use each technique . The old rubber worm is as effective today as it ’ s always been .”
Subtleties in worm design and formulation are easy to overlook , but they ’ re helping to make the latest generation of worms deadlier and more versatile than their predecessors .
Swimming Worms
Ribbontail worms have been around forever , and they remain favorites for bass folk at every level . But action worms have taken an aggressive turn .

NOTABLE SWIM WORMS

COLOR : GREEN PUMPKIN WATERMELON LAMINATE
COLOR : BLUE BABY
COLOR : PURPLETOMA
COLOR : BLACK N ’ BLUE / SILVER
Speed Senko ( 7-inch ), Yamamoto Baits – Adding to the Yamamoto tradition , the Speed Senko adds a thumping tail to the ever-popular Senko to rally bass attention in a hurry .
Blazin ’ Worm , Googan Squad – MLF pro Matt Becker boasts that this bait delivers “ action throughout the worm , not like a curlytail .” A patented double-flange tail adds plenty of “ wiggle and dance ” on a slow steady retrieve . Becker speculates that swimming worms caught on first in Florida due to their resemblance to needlefish or small gar .
Tour Swim Worm 5.5- and 7.5-inch , Big Bite Baits – This hybrid borrows features of sister plastics – a buzz tail from the surface riding Tour Toad and a rib-ringed front section that slows the fall .
Hyperlastics Wormspin ( 7.25-inch ), A Band of Anglers – This tough , durable worm with a spinner tail has tantalizing action worked over or through grass beds and on the fall .
56 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023