Here are some presentations and tactics using a bait I call a zoomie developed by my fishing buddy Joe, and my wife Connie, as well as myself. Have caught a lot of bass using the following methods…….Good Fishing, Mac
I start with a package of Zoom Speed Worms in Watermelon/Red. I cut off the tails at the narrowest part of the worm. I rig the worm weightless, texposed on a 2/0 bent shaft worm hook. I first tie the hook to the line and then texpose the hook. When texposed properly, the worm will hang very straight on the hook. This lure immediately looks very much like a Senko type bait, but it has no internal salt or sand to weight it down....it has a very natural slow fall on its way to the bottom. This gives the bass a good chance to see it on the way down and not being in a hurry makes it look like easy prey.
The presentation..... I most often use a sidearm skipping cast...... I let it fall to bottom, watching the line at all times....quite often it won't reach bottom meaning a bass will catch it on the fall. But if it does get to the bottom, I simply let it set for 20 or 30 seconds before lifting about two feet s l o w l y, to feel for fish. If I don't feel any fish after this slow lift, I tremor the bait once and let it re-fall.
Tremoring is done by simply grabbing the rod handle suddenly tighter....not trying to move the rod tip, just a sudden micro twitch. After waiting 15 seconds or so and lifting one more time....if still nothing on, reel in at a moderate pace and try another likely spot.
My wife's presentation. Connie casts to a likely spot near cover/structure, lets it sink to bottom and only waits 15 seconds before turning her reel handle one very s l o w turn, pausing again for 15 seconds and then one more s l o w turn. She does this until her bait has traveled 8 to 10 feet across bottom. When pausing, she watches the line very closely with the line over her index finger for feel. She also uses, by preference, a Zebco 33 and I suspect the distance of one slow turn isn't very far compared to most open faced spinning reels such as those I use....so, if using an open face for this retrieve, one may want to use a half turn instead of a full turn.
In weeds, we cast to an opening and let it fall. When it stops we pause for 10 seconds or so then pull it in gently a little and let it fall down to the next level....bump and fall, we call this as when you pull it toward yourself you can sometimes feel it bump the next weed. Working it down to the bottom is often possible and often produces bass.
The weightless zoomie casts like a bullet and skips very well under logs, rocks and docks. It works very well on 6 or8 lb mono.
Zoom also makes an Ultra Vibe Speedworm. If you get those, cut the tail off a half inch up on the body of the worm. The ultra vibe bodies are a little thinner, but longer so losing a half inch makes the final bait a good size. I prefer the plain Zoom Speed Worms myself as they are just a tad fatter.
We fished zoomies up in Canada at Rice Lake, Ontario....using the above presentations and caught a slew of nice smallies and some very nice largemouth three years in a row..... Here in Tennessee, I gave one to my son and on his first cast a nice three pounder. In Canada I gave one to a neighbor in the next cabin and on his first cast a 4.3 lb largemouth.
If you are drifting too fast and the bait isn’t getting down far enough, you can weight the lure by inserting a piece of finishing nail just under the skin even with the exposed hook point . If you place it near the point, the lure acquires a tiny side to side wiggle on the fall, showing off the glitter. If you place the small piece of nail further to the side of the worm but still even with the point of the hook, it will have a slow and wide back and forth movement on the fall.
I start with a package of Zoom Speed Worms in Watermelon/Red. I cut off the tails at the narrowest part of the worm. I rig the worm weightless, texposed on a 2/0 bent shaft worm hook. I first tie the hook to the line and then texpose the hook. When texposed properly, the worm will hang very straight on the hook. This lure immediately looks very much like a Senko type bait, but it has no internal salt or sand to weight it down....it has a very natural slow fall on its way to the bottom. This gives the bass a good chance to see it on the way down and not being in a hurry makes it look like easy prey.
The presentation..... I most often use a sidearm skipping cast...... I let it fall to bottom, watching the line at all times....quite often it won't reach bottom meaning a bass will catch it on the fall. But if it does get to the bottom, I simply let it set for 20 or 30 seconds before lifting about two feet s l o w l y, to feel for fish. If I don't feel any fish after this slow lift, I tremor the bait once and let it re-fall.
Tremoring is done by simply grabbing the rod handle suddenly tighter....not trying to move the rod tip, just a sudden micro twitch. After waiting 15 seconds or so and lifting one more time....if still nothing on, reel in at a moderate pace and try another likely spot.
My wife's presentation. Connie casts to a likely spot near cover/structure, lets it sink to bottom and only waits 15 seconds before turning her reel handle one very s l o w turn, pausing again for 15 seconds and then one more s l o w turn. She does this until her bait has traveled 8 to 10 feet across bottom. When pausing, she watches the line very closely with the line over her index finger for feel. She also uses, by preference, a Zebco 33 and I suspect the distance of one slow turn isn't very far compared to most open faced spinning reels such as those I use....so, if using an open face for this retrieve, one may want to use a half turn instead of a full turn.
In weeds, we cast to an opening and let it fall. When it stops we pause for 10 seconds or so then pull it in gently a little and let it fall down to the next level....bump and fall, we call this as when you pull it toward yourself you can sometimes feel it bump the next weed. Working it down to the bottom is often possible and often produces bass.
The weightless zoomie casts like a bullet and skips very well under logs, rocks and docks. It works very well on 6 or8 lb mono.
Zoom also makes an Ultra Vibe Speedworm. If you get those, cut the tail off a half inch up on the body of the worm. The ultra vibe bodies are a little thinner, but longer so losing a half inch makes the final bait a good size. I prefer the plain Zoom Speed Worms myself as they are just a tad fatter.
We fished zoomies up in Canada at Rice Lake, Ontario....using the above presentations and caught a slew of nice smallies and some very nice largemouth three years in a row..... Here in Tennessee, I gave one to my son and on his first cast a nice three pounder. In Canada I gave one to a neighbor in the next cabin and on his first cast a 4.3 lb largemouth.
If you are drifting too fast and the bait isn’t getting down far enough, you can weight the lure by inserting a piece of finishing nail just under the skin even with the exposed hook point . If you place it near the point, the lure acquires a tiny side to side wiggle on the fall, showing off the glitter. If you place the small piece of nail further to the side of the worm but still even with the point of the hook, it will have a slow and wide back and forth movement on the fall.
