I have spent the majority of my life in Kansas where I fished quite a bit. During that time I also fished quite a bit in OK,MO, and some in TX. Then I lived in TN for a year or so. Now I'm living in FL. I've noticed some baits/presentation methods/techniques differ from location to location. Here in Florida in the mid to upper part of the state everyone raves and uses Zoom U-vibe Mag Speedworms in a particular color. The preferred method is to cast the worm T-rigged and wind it back like a crank or spinnerbait. It works well but I had never seen anyone really use this particular brand & model of worm in this fashion. Have any of you fished this particular worm in this method in TX ? What are some other differences you've noticed in other locations that could have applications in TX but are not commonly used there ?

I have used watermelon red and June bug on a Carolina rig a caught a few on it. Several years ago I went fishin in the Everglades with a guide and he had us fishin with watermelon red speed worms texas rigged with no weight. Reel em on top like a buzz bait. Didn't catch much doing it.

I think if it works at one place it should work to some extent just about anywhere else. If it's something ppl don't throw anywhere else and you have confidence in it, it could be a great hidden secret that a lot of fish haven't seen. It takes something different to figure out how to win tournaments and going out on a limb by trying new techniques in unproven areas could be the key. A good example to me is the Biffle Bug. That thing has won tournaments north, south, middle, smallmouth, largemouth, and so on

Mann's Dragon worm, & Speed worm on a Darter jig head
works very well in Texas.

I do that exact thing. I also tear those worms in half and use them as trailers.

Just got back from California yesterday and we were using swim baits.

I realize some people use them here, but not like out there.

Of four rods on the deck, three of them had different varieties of swim baits on them.

I've had success swimmin' a Zoom speed craw with an 1/8oz weight in areas where a lot of people would throw a spinnerbait/chatterbait. Just gives the fish a smaller, compact profile, but you get a ton of vibration from the pinchers.

There is definitely regional/lake variances in that fisherman on one lake have a strong belief in one technique/bait and others buy into it and to a certain extent there is validity to it. OTOH, if one technique/bait works on catching fish on one lake/area, I doubt the fish knows he's on one lake/technique.

I have heard of others swimming the Zoom speed craw. I'm going over to Rodman tomorrow and maybe I'll throw them some instead of squarebills.

I lived and fished in Texas all my life (until 13 years ago)...now in East Tennessee..I fish the Tennessee River system....here the main "go to" bait for me is a 10" power worm. I never fished a big worm in Texas, but, then I never fished 50' deep either....

Years ago a friend from Florida spanked me pretty good with a Johnson Silver Minnow with a pork frog trailer. We were fishing pads at Palestine at the time. ( I lived there and he had never been on the lake) I was fishing frogs, plastic twitch baits, punch jigs, and other typical pad-fishing stuff. Until that time I just thought of a pork frog as a jig trailer.
It was an eye-opener.

Florida probably has more topwater critters that the bass feed on. Texas has plenty of snakes, but I imagine that Florida has more. Roland Martin writes a lot about using a Johnson weedless surface spoon/big worm trailer when fishing in Florida.