It goes against conventional wisdom, but sometimes it’s better to add a heavy sinker to a soft-plastic, even when you’re fishing in water only about 10 feet deep or so. Usually you want to use just enough sinker to get your bait to the bottom and keep it there.
In the summer, however, bass stacked up and suspended on ledges can be lethargic, and a fast-falling bait can sometimes trigger a reaction bite. I like to use a big Berkley PowerBait ribbontail worm with a ¾-ounce sinker when I’m trying to coax summer ledge bass into biting.
— Chevy Pro Jay Yelas, Corvallis, Ore.