Outdoor Type: A finesse fishing technique

Like most bass fishermen, I've had good success over the years with plastic worms.

I'm so old that I can recall slim packages of Creme three-hook worms with the worm rigged stinger in front. Lots of fish were caught on those in the 50s and 60s. Company founders Nick and Cosma Creme had started pouring the Wiggle Worm by hand in their basement and selling them through the mail in 1949, a buck for five worms.

I fished recently with a fellow who still had one and used it to catch a three-pound bass, bigger than anything I caught that day. Back in the day, I used them more than my dad did when I first started fishing because my lighter spinning outfit would cast it. His stiff bass rod and heavy line were too much for the light worms.

A trip to Kentucky Lake later in the 60s introduced me to the so-called "Texas rigged" worm. A retired military guy, who fished the lake regularly and successfully, and who was staying at the same resort near Big Sandy Tennessee, told us that this specially rigged worm was the way to go. He gave me some packages of eight-inch ones with the hook and sinker included. I thought it was a huge black. The sinker with a hole in it looked too heavy and the hook too big. What do you mean insert the hook back into the worm. And only one hook! This is but one was something completely new to us. Half after a lot of trial and error, over the years my dad and I learned to love plastic worms and pretty much swore by them.

I caught my third or fourth biggest bass ever, a 6.21 largemouth on a good old plastic sinker, Texas rigged curly tail red Culprit, one of my favorite worms. Now that it's summer and water temps will be warmer, some fishermen have hung up for the and are still feeding. It will be a while time to get out there, with whatever style of fishing you prefer. You might try going wacky, if fish are not super deep. This bait will get bass to move up from the depths to get it. The hook is placed in the middle of the worm, not at the head. With this rig, right worm, the action is perfect. The key is to slow down.

Several years ago, my cousin and I were fishing a private lake that had a good bass population and had been releasing all our bass. Fishing and releasing had its usual this was well, before good that morning, but as usual the bite died when the sun came out hot and bright. It was 11 a.m. Time to take in our rods and call outing a success. Not the bass went in siesta mode until evening, or so we thought.

"Before we leave, let's hit that spot where we were getting them earlier," Ron said. "I have a new bait I'd like to try."

We trolled over to the west bank near some sunken brush, and Ron rigged up a fat, six-inch, straight tail, red and black Strike King worm with his hook inserted into the middle.

Before then, I had tried the wacky rigging, but I'd had little success. I'd always go back to the standard straight rig after a few casts. The thing looked clumsy in the water. Do fish Does a curious or hungry largemouth care?

Cousin Ron rigged up his wacky rig, tossed it out and did almost nothing with his rod. He retrieved it oh so slowly—one cast took forever. I was observing his technique and marveling at his patience. Then he set the hook on a nice 4-inch bass and brought it to the boat. All right—that thing does work. In about 45 minutes, in the middle of a hot, sunny day, he caught six or seven bass from a spot we had given up on earlier. He's better than I am at it because he's more patient and methodical. This lure takes slow hands.

Ever since then, I've been a believer in wacky style. I'm confident that if a bass is in the vicinity of a wacky rigged worm, or she is going to attack it. Fish it slowly, as if a curious largemouth is studying your bait, which is likely the case. More next month on this technique.