Best Worms and Colors
 

I have heard alot about redshad, june bug, or just black worms. Also trick worms and ribbon tailed. Is there really difference between all of them. I would think that a black worm would work the best since most central florida lakes are muddy. Let me hear your thoughts on the subject...

I only use one color...solid black...with a painted red split shot...and 4 mm glass rattle...
Been working for eons.

I 've caught them on other colors..electric blue, red shad, green etc, but black is it for now..

Also up here anyways, we use slamanders in pumkinseed color. That color normally works good.

I don't think color is a big deal....Here's why I use black...in the 1980s when I moved to FL..a fellow in a church I was visiting kept a journal on his bass he caught..he had over a 1000 for the year. I ask what lure..He said a Mann's blackberry worm..I bought some
And did very well.

Last year the local Bass Masters took a vote of their 100 plus members..and black won hands down..

So..I jumped on the band wagon and glad I have

It stands to reason I think.. We have water snakes and the baby ones are normally black in color. So it maybe why black works great on them? Who really knows? Just like our slamanders here that live in the water are a sort of green and are about the same size as the salamanders we use on them.. That maybe why some colors appear to be better than others? It is to hard to say for sure though.

I. Personally don't think it matters .today Matt andi used the same worm and line..I used a red split shot..his was unpainted..I used worm rattles..he didn't .We both had 10 hits each in 4 hours of fishing..I think if I would have used red shad..I would have had the same amount of hits...you use what you have the most confidence in.

You know the largemouths much better than I do Chuck.. No question about it. In part because I never even tried to fish for them until just a few years ago because I got started in this online tourney..LOL I do know smallmouths pretty darn good though and they are very different to fish for. The are a lot of fun to catch with all the jumping and trying to throw the hook ect.. While the largemouths are still fairly new to most up here. They were stocked illegally and now some of our lakes have them along with some streams and rivers are having them turning up in them now as well.

I do know they will react to what the feed is best though. That is the same with all fish. Whatever they are feeding on is what they will be hitting the best on I believe anyways. The one I caught trout fishing was full of water beetles and nothing else.. I was surprised by this. That might be why it hit my trout spinner? When the alwives run up and spawn in the lake here they will be hitting the small ones hard. In the fall the whole lake is bubbling with them. Just before dark you will see them flicker with the silver sides. The fish all over the lake will be feeding on them then. It is like a smorgish board all heading down lake to make thier way out to sea. The entire lake will come to life once they start. It is pretty cool to see, but the fish are harder to get to bite. So even though I do not really know my largemouth bass fishing very well. I do think fishing something close to what they like to feed on will surely help..

No. Doubt Phil..I"m a "Match the hatch " man myself..Bass are for the most part aggressive fish and very territorial. They are also like most of us..opportunist...

I try to fish very quiet and let my black worm wiggle down inside the vegetated water. I believe the fish ..like you have said sees this 7 inch meal as a snake....maybe a giant leech...but for sure a nice easy meal.The rubber worm has always been known as the number one largemouth bass bait....Since I used a worm yesterday I may use a jig today..

Ii caught quite a few small mouths up north when I lived there for 22 years...I either caught them on fishing worms or shad darts ( small buck tail jig)

In my opinion one of the most important ways to catch more fish is to fish the lunar phases , and knowing when to fish the fronts.After today I won't fish until the full moon ..ln the off time is when I make repairs around the house....

I find a lot of fish are that way if the bite is on.. Except for big fish which appear to be more finnicky.. Maybe it's just me that see it that way?? But like in my earlier post I am really just learning largemouth fishing so no arguement from me.

I also believe Chuck gave us Northerners a chance to use live bait? If that holds true I am thinking I now know where the big ones are hiding right now. I am not 100% sure though. I do know last summer I saw one very large fish break water and with bass and pickeral being the largest fish in that lake I am betting on a very large bass. I will be sending down some big shiners to find out if the wind is not blowing to hard. They are hiding around an underwater shoal that is down 14 feet. Although most are just off from it hovering in 22 feet of water at depth of 6 to 19 feeth. If they are bass and I can hook onto what I saw jumping last summer we are talking double digits for weight.. I am hoping this Tuesday will be a decent day to try it on them.. I can fish for white perch while letting a big shiner drift around below them..

Yes sir..your Yankees may use live bait..whatever it takes to beat Buck...lol

I believe color makes a big difference it certain situations of bass fishing. Really depends on the season, activity, pressure, weather, and type of fishing that is occuring. Often times the 'match the hatch' idea works, but there are other times when the other end of the spectrum can be very effective. Often the baits/colors I fish are things I do not expect these fish to have seen anywhere else.

LOL... It will not be just Buck if I can hook into any of them.. I know that they are in the lake and I am thinking I have found them. I have seen a 10 pounder that a co-worker and his wife caught out of that lake before. It looked like it ate 2 softballs.. LOL So with a whole lot of luck I will bring one or two of those up.. If so it might not count in the tourney because I will be putting it on the mantel over my fireplace..

it will count..hope ya get a 10 pounder Phil..I 'm believing for a 12 pounder..got some I'deas...(-:

I believe black is a great all purpose color...(-: black is beautiful...I heard that somewhere.

Majority of my summertime plastics are a variety of translucent colors.

Well I am planning on heading out in the morning.. It will be quite chilly early and then warming up.. The wind is coming out of the south.. So I will see if the fish will open thier mouth.. The early morning temp is suposed to be around 50 and then start warming up to mid 70s. I hope no wind for a while but even at 9 per hour I think I can handle that ok.

When pitching to the reeds do you just usually just drop it in a hole and jig it a bit and then reel it in, or do you swim it back out to the boat. Just curious on some worming tips. Thanks

Pitching......
I'm lazy..I simply stay about 12-15 feet off the shore...I pitch/try to hit a reed so my worm doesn't make a splash...plus I have a trick..to hard to explain on how to take a lot of the splash out..9/10 times the fish will literally suck up the bait without you even knowing it..so you need to watch and feel..if nothing happens ,don't be in a hurry.wait 2 or 3 seconds ..then slowly pick up the lure..slowly..because sometimes it may have it in her mouth..
Fishing like this..you can easily cover a mile of reeds in 3 hours..i use 10 pound mono fishing like this...I also go very light ALL the time...I use a black Trick worm with about a 1/16th ounce round split shot...The entire worm has a very natural presentation.When the worm is on the bottom I will slowly bounce it about 3 times ..then take it out slowly..many hits are why you are lifting..when that happens...I let her run about 1to 2 seconds then I pop her.
My next pitch will be about 4-5 feet away...When I know a fish is on ..this is what works for me..I visualize a 20 inch 5 pound fish (so I don't under or over set ) the hook...for me..just the right amount..too much..and I've torn the hooks out of their mouth..not enough..the barb is not even in the mouth...Ok..when she has it I reel down the slack and imagine a 5 pounder and bring it home....sometimes you have no time to wind down..you feel fish and she is going through the jungle..your left hand is out 2 feet with the slack line...at these times keep the slack hand out...and with all your might using your right hand set the hook with a QUICK pop

Flipping...also sit..but try to stand..flipping is work..sitting while flipping can cause you to miss fish on the hook set..I try to stand as much as i can..bad back..i use 20 pound Power Pro....now my boat is against the reeds...and I look for silver dollar sized holes to quietly lower the worm into..IF your worm keeps getting hung on the vegetation..I take it off and use a 1/4 ounce black/blue jig with a salty craw trailer r...I use Little Bitsy jigs..I'd rather use the 3/16 ounce but the hooks and that jig are much weaker..The hooks in the 1/4 ounce are perfect..I usually lightly bounce the jig up and down about 3times and SLOWLY lift up and try another spot about 3 feet away..During spawning I will mostly use 40 pound Power Pro..been broke off using 20 a couple times...never broke off using 40. When the bite is off...I will flip in the summer time as well..always a bass looking for a meal of minnows.
Jig fishing is different than the worm..as soon as I feel fish...I pop her..NO delays..when I do this I get perfect hook sets..when I delay..I believe the jig is loosely in her mouth and 9/10 times I ended up pulling the bait right out of her mouth..

Hope this helps,
C7

PS ..rod selection is very important...I was using a MH Gloomis rod last week and lost about 80 percent of my fish...I then used a Fenwick and Team Diawa...both are MH all 3 are 6 1/2 foot long..On the Team Diawa and Fenwick I was 100 per cent...Boated fish...so Use a rod that works.for you...name brand doesn't always mean fish in the boat.I took the Gloomis back to Bass Pro...


ALSO...
Let's do a 5.00 derby this Sat....meet me at 'our' place at Saddle Creek...at 6:15. I will have an extra scale in case you don't ..If you bring your own scale we will compare them. We only count fish 14 inches and bigger. Best 2 heaviest fish win. If you have an honest friend they are welcome..must be 100 per cent honest..with 100 great sportsmanship..99 won't cut it....Also because of possible differences in scales..must win by at least 1/2 pound or greater. This Sat. Should be tough..so one will need to be patient and not lose a single fish..wouldn't surprise me if a 2 pounder wins...

Thanks for the advice chuck. I'll be there this saturday for the derby. I'm gonna be going out tomorrow and thursday to practice up some and see if I can get a game plan for saturday. I'm looking forward to some serious fishing and learning some new stuff.

C ya Sat....at 6:15....same docking place as last year..should be fun...(-:

See ya then. I'm looking forward to it!

I'm all geared up and packed for the morning practice trip tomorrow. Just have to load the kayak in the morning and head out. Hopin to get on those bass.