Bass worm substitutes

[wayneb]

Hi All;

After reading the replies in the thread "Largemouth Bass fishing question", what colors and techniques have you found work for you with worm substitutes?

For instance Boheminan chennille type flies, hard hackle worm, eel worm streamer, bunny leach etc.

I've tried these on several occasions and not had any luck with them.

Thanks in advance;

Wayneb

[Sonny Edmonds]

In the words of my Father:
"More of that stuff is meant to catch fishermen, than fish."

[Eight Thumbs]

Hi Wayneb,

I don't think that there is any material in the fly tyer's box of tricks that equals the fish appeal of the plastic baits (worms, lizards etc.). Try to find a fly that bass will hold onto for 2-3 minutes---it can't be done. Bass realize the fake nature of all flies, even wooly buggers in a very short time and expel the fly in an even shorter time, usually before the fly fisherman even knows that the fly was taken. Therefore, I ask, why give up on the plastic. Four inch plastic worms can be fished very nicely with a 7-9 weight rod. Unless you are fishing deep water, 20 feet or more, you can actually outfish the standard spinning tackle and baitcasting rigs with a fly rods. You can also detect the "take" very easily with a floating line line. Try plastic---you will never leave it again. BTW, I usually try standard flies first and then switch to plastic if the fish fail to cooperate. I'm sure others will disagree for a variety of reasons but plastic works on a fly rod. 8T

[deathb4disco]

plastic works on a fly rod.

Yes, Tom Nixon was the pioneer of this. More recently, Jack Ellis has written about SP's on the fly rod.

[Quade]

a worm from black yarn around a lead wire base. Just wound the yarn around the shank and the when I got to the bend of it, just twisted the yarn like the example in the fly-tying lessons on this web-site.

[crappiecrazy]

Hi Wayneb,

I don't think that there is any material in the fly tyer's box of tricks that equals the fish appeal of the plastic baits (worms, lizards etc.). Try to find a fly that bass will hold onto for 2-3 minutes---it can't be done. Bass realize the fake nature of all flies, even wooly buggers in a very short time and expel the fly in an even shorter time, usually before the fly fisherman even knows that the fly was taken. Therefore, I ask, why give up on the plastic. Four inch plastic worms can be fished very nicely with a 7-9 weight rod. Unless you are fishing deep water, 20 feet or more, you can actually outfish the standard spinning tackle and baitcasting rigs with a fly rods. You can also detect the "take" very easily with a floating line line. Try plastic---you will never leave it again. BTW, I usually try standard flies first and then switch to plastic if the fish fail to cooperate. I'm sure others will disagree for a variety of reasons but plastic works on a fly rod. 8T

Okay, you made a beliver out of me. I will try some 4" worms. Do you use regular worm hooks rigged weedless? It looks like it would be hard to set the hook with a fly rod. How long a leader fishing 0 to 6ft?

[deathb4disco]

It looks like it would be hard to set the hook with a fly rod.

You shouldn't have a problem with the heavier rods that 8T mentions. Jack Ellis covers the tackle and rigging in detail in his book.

[Eight Thumbs]

Okay, you made a beliver out of me. I will try some 4" worms. Do you use regular worm hooks rigged weedless? It looks like it would be hard to set the hook with a fly rod. How long a leader fishing 0 to 6ft?

Hi CC,

I buy the lightest (in weight) worms that I can find and usually rig them on gold Eagle Claw bait hooks. In relatively snag-free water, fish them with the worm threaded on the hook and the hook point fully exposed. In more brushy water, I bury the hook point in the worm and leave just the very tip of the point exposed a little. If the worm is hard to cast or slips around on the hook, decrease the power of your backcast and forward cast. Open your casting loop by increasing the arch of your cast. Don't be afraid to trim an inch or an inch and a half from the worm if you are having trouble casting. You really do get use to the extra weight eventually. As far as hooking the fish, the gold hook are very thin and very sharp so they hook the bass well when fully exposed. If you have problems with the buried hook, you can always raise your rod tip and strip strike at the same time. Good luck with the plastic. It really works. 8T

Check out Jack Ellis' book Bassin' With A Fly Rod. That's how I got started. Also don't be afraid to experiment with all the small plastic lures available including tube lures.

[mickalo]

Last year I picked up some of these 3" pre-rigged trout worms that had a 2 hook setup embedded in the worm, frt & rear of the worm, and connected to about a 12" leader. I used a few of these on my 5wt with good results. Caught quiet a few SM bass and crappies luv'em too.

I found using a "light" cast works well so you don't throw the worm off the hook. I usually like to cast upstream and just let sink slowing and let the current take it for a while, twitching the line as the current takes it, to give the worm some up & down motion as the fish will usually take the worm on the down fall.

Using plastics on a fly rod takes a little getting use too, but it does work. Some people will even glue the worm on the hook for larger plastics.

Mike

[crappiecrazy]

Hi CC,

I buy the lightest (in weight) worms that I can find and usually rig them on gold Eagle Claw bait hooks. In relatively snag-free water, fish them with the worm threaded on the hook and the hook point fully exposed. In more brushy water, I bury the hook point in the worm and leave just the very tip of the point exposed a little. If the worm is hard to cast or slips around on the hook, decrease the power of your backcast and forward cast. Open your casting loop by increasing the arch of your cast. Don't be afraid to trim an inch or an inch and a half from the worm if you are having trouble casting. You really do get use to the extra weight eventually. As far as hooking the fish, the gold hook are very thin and very sharp so they hook the bass well when fully exposed. If you have problems with the buried hook, you can always raise your rod tip and strip strike at the same time. Good luck with the plastic. It really works. 8T

Check out Jack Ellis' book Bassin' With A Fly Rod. That's how I got started. Also don't be afraid to experiment with all the small plastic lures available including tube lures.

I could not stand it any longer and headed to the lake this morning to try some of these plasitc worm tips. I started with a stiff 8wt that was no fun at all. Switch to a 7wt and it felt a little better but I never could get the casting down pat. What does "Open your casting loop by increasing the arch of your cast" mean? I got started late in the morning and the it got hot quick. I may have had a better time if the fish had been biting some. I only caught 1 8" bass.

Tom