Spring time is one of the most exciting times of the year for bass fishing. The water temps will rise, and the bass will come up to those shallow areas to get to those warmer waters. As their metabolism picks back up in the warmer waters, they will begin to feed more, and spawn. This presents a great time for anglers, and a great time for using a Zoom trick worm!
There are many ways to rig a trick worm, weightless, Texas rig, or whacky rig just to name a couple. But I’ve found the most effective way during the spring is weightless with a 4/0 or 5/0 Gamakatzu offset hook. I like to use a medium action 7 foot spinning rod with 12 or 14 pound test monofilament line spooled on an Abu Garcia Cardinal 100i spinning reel. The monofilament will float and keep the trick worm close to the surface. This allows me to have a visual on the bait and a strike. Being able to see the strikes with a trick worm, provides for a faster response, allowing me to reel up any slack before setting the hook. Casting distance is not a big issue for me when using trick worms because I will get close to my shallow water targets. Some of the best places to cast a trick worm are near cover. For this reason, I use heavier lines that will allow me to pull the bass through that cover easier when necessary.
Trick worms don’t have a big splash when hitting the water. It is a very subtle impact, enough to get attention but not spook the fish like larger lures can. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thrown into a laydown, or beside a dock, or even over a shallow submerged stump, and not even get the chance to twitch the rod before the bass has picked it up and ran. If the impact doesn’t work, I will give the rod an action similar to a jerk bait. This gives the worm a “walk the dog” action. Keeping the bait around 1 or 2 feet deep, occasionally pause it, and then continue the twitching motion with the rod. This “walk the dog” motion is irresistible to bass. Reaction strikes at its finest here, the infamous boil in the water, and your line is running. Reel up the slack very quickly and set the hook!
As far as color, I have three colors I usually use; white, bubblegum, or yellow. I’ve found these 3 to be most productive, especially in stained water. The lighter colors allow me to see the worm better which allows me to ensure the worm is at the right depth and giving the “walk the dog” motion I’ve talked about. If the water is clear, I will go with a darker color such as junebug, pumpkinseed, or something of that nature. That being said, Zoom has over 35 colors available for their trick worms, plenty to experiment with in different conditions and see what works best. I’ve been using a Zoom trick worm ever since I can remember. I can honestly say that I’ve caught more bass on a trick worm than any other lure when bass are shallow in the spring. It’s finesse fishing, but at the same time, has a topwater excitement to it. So next time spring rolls around and the bass start feeding more, throw on a Zoom trick worm. You will not be disappointed.
Tracy Selfridge
