The first rubber worms that were originally cut from old inner tubes might have been considered a blue-plate special on a bass’s table. Today’s menu, however, is more akin to a five-star buffet – limited only by a lure designer’s imagination. Soft-plastic lure production combined with the ease of modern plastic materials has created multitudes of variations on the original plastic worm.
Creatures
Pro angler Basil Bacon of Springfield, Mo., invented the Bacon Rind in the late ’90s, and Gambler Worms began mass-producing the creature-type lure after Davy Hite used it to win a championship title in 1999. It looks like a cross between a worm, crawdad and lizard. Hite flipped it below floating weeds to catch bass that were hanging underneath. You can do a lot with this lure – flip it, pitch it, jig it, use it as a trailer on jigs or Texas- or Carolina-rig it. Its plastic bulk makes it easy to pitch or flip. It sinks slowly, staying in the strike longer.
Zippers
The Zipper Worm is an imitator born at the hands of Greg Stump. He manufactured the first hand-poured Zipper worm utilizing a robotic, hand-pour machine, and soon his zipper-style baits spawned dozens of imitations. The Zipper Worm claims uniqueness in that it is a soft, hand-poured bait offered in colors not matched by injection molding. The bait is flat on both sides. Rig it on the fatter, flat side to give it a slower sink. When rigged on the narrow side, it is good for fishing deep clear-water reservoirs. They are ideal for flipping or pitching, but there are endless ways to effectively fish the lure.
French fries
The French fry baits imitate insect larvae or egg clusters and are produced in lengths from 2 to 6 inches. The 4-inch version is a popular size. When fished in wacky-worm style, the bait is rigged with the hook running directly through the middle of the worm.
Senkos
Perhaps Gary Yamamoto dropped his fountain pen overboard and watched as it sank to the bottom of the lake when he came up with the idea of the Senko lure. He used a fountain pen to design the original mold for this narrowed tapered lure, which looks like an elongated cigar. Senkos are normally fished fluke-style, but they can be Texas- or Carolina-rigged.
Tubes
Tubes are fished with a jig head, with a slip-shot rig or without a weight. It is a baitfish imitation that is effective throughout the year and is often used as a follow-up by anglers who miss fish that strike at surface plugs but do not ingest the bait. Extremely light, this bait is more effective when used with spinning gear and light line so you can cast it when rigged without a weight.
Lizards
Lizards, usually most effective during certain times of the year and on specific bodies of water, are most effective in lakes that have healthy salamander populations. Flip, pitch or drop-shot the lure during the spawn or fish it on a Texas rig like a regular worm.
Flukes
Flukes, or soft jerkbaits, have gained in popularity during the past several years. Flukes are fished with a larger-than-normal worm hook because of rigging requirements involved. The larger, wide-gap hook is necessary to pull through all the plastic, and the additional weight of the hook acts as a keel to keep the bait upright. You can add casting distance or depth to the lure by inserting weights in the nose or body of the bait.
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