Greetings all-

I fish with t-rigged plastic worms a lot from the banks here in DFW. I've had good, consistent success with straight tailed worms (senkos?) but not so much with those worms with the squiggly tails.

Are you supposed to cast & reel them slowly? Or do you fish 'em like a senko by popping them off the bottom?

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And I guess while I've got your attention, what are the pros & cons of going with a lighter bullet weight than I currently use (3/16oz)? And what's the deal with fishing with weightless worms? Why would or wouldn't I do this?

I'm grateful...

Richard

sickle tail or you tail worms are pretty versatile.

you can fish them about any way you want. twitches, steady, slow, fast, hopping etc...

i personally fish them at a slow steady retrieve, then "kill" them near cover or structure, if im fishing from the bank.

bass will nail them on the fall so watch for line movement.

hopping them works well if you peg the weight, then jig it a little around cover.

Vary your retrieve!! I like to just drag mine with 3/16!! Trying to keep contact with the bottom!! The Bites will tell you if u are doin the right thing or if u need to change it up a little!! If you are slowly draging w/ short pauses and no bites!! Try just giving it a couple twitches w/ a pause!! or drag/twitch all in one motion!! The fish will tell you very quickly how they like it!! As far as the weights go. . . I like to use to lightest possible weight I can get away with refering to the wind!! I'm not big on weightless rigs so i cant help you there!!

first of all when fishing a curly tail worm i retrieve by wivgling my rod tip while draging it... only way i will inless its windy i pop it hard

next the change in weight this just has to do with if your fishing heavy grass or its windy outside you want a bigger wait si it drops faster and the wind wont effect itas much... and throsing.a senko weightless or any worm takez it lot lonnger to hit bottom... this beig said it also means the worm is falling on its own with alot more action nothing pilling it down.

remember on the retrieve what skeeter ronnie recently stated "let the fish tell you what they want they can tell you better than any person"

goodluck

Fishing with a weightless rig gives a more natural fall and sometimes is more effective. Usually fishing shallow or along grass beds, boat docks or other places that have structure for fish to hide is a good location. Alot of times the straight tail worms work better weightless (but not always). Just throw it out and let it sink on a slack line and watch for your line to twitch or start moving away. Wacky Worm fishing is a very very deadly weightless technique. Texas rigging Flukes, Senko's or the Zoom Trick worms are other effective methods. You can also put a small black swivel approx. 12"-14" up your line and fish a fluke or straight tailed worm. This is called a swivel rig and the swivel adds a VERY small amount of weight up the line, keeps the line from twisting, and allows the bait to fall more evenly than just straight nose down (as with a bullet weight.)
If you need to get your bait to the bottom and stay on the bottom then a good rule of thumb is to use the LEAST amount of sinker weight to keep it on the bottom and that you can still feel.
There is soooo much to learn about fishing plastics that you can spend a lifetime learning tips and new techniques. Just like you are doing now. You can get lots of good info here so don't be shy about trying them out.

I agree with all of the info in this response. good job bass fisherman.I just try different techniques. slow retreval fast . But im not for just realing a worm in, you need a little bump , twitch, jerk in there somewhere. but the key is trial and error but with worm fishing , jig fishing, or fishing period you are constantly listening and learning. luckily i had a great grandpa who was one of the best texas wormers alive and all he needed most of the time was a black renegade lizard and he was money...

It is not only the size of the weight but your line and hook that have an effect on your presentation. Go with the lightest line, smallest hook, and smallest weight you can get away with for T-rigs. The lighter your gear the more natural your presentation will be. I have caught many fish on just dead sticking and on top water with this setup. Good luck.