Bottom Trolling Fishing
Bottom Trolling Fishing
 |
 MAYA CRYSTAL PHANTOM 14M Boat Fishing Rod For Jigging Bottom Trolling $46.00 Time Remaining: 29d 16h 40m Buy It Now for only: $46.00 |
 Cockpit Chaos Braid Ready Bottom Trolling Fishing Rod $159.00 Time Remaining: 23d 22h 52m Buy It Now for only: $159.00 |
 Azul Saltwater Bottom Fishing or Trolling Fishing Rod $109.00 Time Remaining: 19d 7h 48m Buy It Now for only: $109.00 |
 Super Seeker 40 60lb 5 Ft 10 in Bottom Trolling Rod $319.00 Time Remaining: 29d 5h 27m Buy It Now for only: $319.00 |
Bass fishing using large plastic worms, what am i doing wrong?
i use a texas rig w/ an 1/8 oz bullet weight and 5/0 offset hooks w/ these. iv have tried them many times but never even had a strike on one, my tactics could be to blame i try to vary it up as much as possible looking for what works w/o any luck. the way i use em is to let em rest on the bottom after casting for a moment starting off i pop it from the bottom and let it drop then slowly troll the bottom a few feet and let it rest again varying the speed and amount of times i pop the worm off the bottom. i guess iv never made a natural presentation w/ em yet any help would be great 
Congratulations on your 7 LB Bass Luke! Nice catch!
Depends on how big the worms are.
When I fish a 10" worm I generally never put more than a 1/16 OZ worm weight on it, (and usually no weight at all-depending on structure and time of year).
The more weight you add to a Texas-rigged worm, the more it kills the natural action of the worm. A general rule is- Only use enough weight to stay in contact with the bottom OR enough weight to make the worm sink at a natural pace.
And you might want to try using screw-in worm weights (or pegging your bullet weights). Here's an example of a "screw-in worm weight"- http://www.angelfire.com/tn2/jsrtspnrs/gamflrgswrmwts.html
By (pegging) or using a Gambler Florida Worm Weight you increase the sensitivity of any "light bites" because the weight is a "part" of the lure......
However, my Fav large worm ( a Berkley 10") I usually fish with only a Gamakatsu 5/0 EWG hook- http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_73982____SearchResults
You may also want to add some fish attractant to your worms. Believe it or not, a Bass can inhale and spit out a worm in under a second! By adding fish attractant to any lure, your not really "attracting them", your just making the lure taste like the human equivalent of the finest "Steak & Lobster Dinner", (lol).
Now, who the heck would spit out that dinner?!!!! (lol)
This allows you to feel the fish better, (and that's it!) Heck, you might have been getting strikes this whole time, but because your worm isn't pegged and your not using an attractant you can't feel them strike!
Also, like I mentioned before, you've got to use Fluorocarbon leaders (or line) in certain areas. You could also use a low diameter Braid, (such as Power Pro 6/20). Or BOTH! (depending on tackle) Florida shore-fishing Bass are so pressured they almost always turn their nose up to anything that looks even slightly "fishy"...
So, try taking off the weight and casting your larger worm with only the Offset hook. This should bring you better luck.....along with some attractant and maybe a 2 ft leader of Berkley 100% Fluro........
By the way- you sound like you got a good handle on the retrieve. However, some advice? When you think your fishing your worm too slow, slow down a little more........
Also, when the worm hits the water, generally you shouldn't move it until it completely sinks. Bass are attracted to the initial "splash" of your lure- you need to give them time to investigate it.....A good rule? Count 7-10 seconds after the worm hits the water before starting your retrieve.
Hope this info helps ya?
Go check out this website. It's the premiere Bass fishing site online. It's got some good info- http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/bass-fishing-articles.html#lures