3 Ways to rig a worm for summer
Summertime and worm fishing go together like America and apple pie. One of the reasons worms are so wildly popular year-round, but especially during the summer, is the incredible versatility in the way you can present them.
To get your summer kicked off right, we’ve laid out three ways to rig your worms to keep you catching fish during the hottest months of the year:
Texas-Rigged for Weeds
Vegetation gets thick in the summertime and makes it difficult to fish with any open hook. Rigging your worm weedless makes it perfect to toss right into around cover that you would otherwise get hung up in.
It’s a very simple setup, requiring an offset worm hook and a sliding bullet weight. Depending on the cover you are fishing and the clarity of the water, you can use line anywhere from 10-25 pound test (or even heavy braid in certain circumstances).
Wacky-rigged for Open Water
More action is the name of the game when your wacky rigging. It’s an excellent rig for tossing on the outside of reeds, along weedlines, under docks or around other structure. It’s a little harder to fish through thick weeds, but if you have some clean water it is a perfect choice. The flutter of both sides of the worm, as it falls can be deadly on summer bass.
Multiple options exist for wacky rigging, but the most common is a large circle hook, slipped through an “o-ring,” allowing for the bait to be rigged in the center of the worm (or just off-center). If you want the bait to fall faster, you can insert a small nail weight into the head to give it a different action. With the weighted version, don’t be afraid to go deep on lighter line.
Carolina-Rigged for Deep Structure
Summertime means deep fishing. Get it down on the bottom on the ends and sides of points, drop offs and humps to find those bass that move out when the water is warm. The Carolina rig is a great option for getting your bait where the fish live, with long casts that cover a lot of water.
Rig a 1/2 – 1 ounce egg weight on the main line and glass bead between the weight and barrel swivel. Add a section of leader line about 2-3 feet and an offset worm hook of your choice, based on the size of the worm you’re using. Drag it along the bottom and use a long sweeping hookset when you feel the bite.
