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Winter 2021
page 38
it to set the hook. If you try to set the hook you are going to miss more bass than you will catch.”
ACTION
Kriet explained the action of his swim worm of choice – the Tour Swim. He stated it was designed two different tail actions, giving the worm a lot more versatility.
“Out of the package, the tail is like a paddle tail worm,” he said. “This gives the swim worm more thump as you move it through the water. If I am fishing in dirty water conditions, I will Texas-rig the worm as is and go to work swimming the worm around cover.
“If you want to use it as a swim worm, you can just rip the tail apart (down the dotted line) and you now have a swim tail bait that will call bass to the worm.”
Kriet prefers the 5.5 size in clearwater conditions, representing baitfish.
“When faced with fishing dirty water conditions, I will upsize my worm and fish the 7.5,” he said. “This will create a bigger profile in dirty water and will give off more action helping the bass find the bait so they can bite.”
LET’S EXPAND THIS PLAN
In the last few years swim worm fishing has expanded, so let’s look at some of these added options.
HEAVIER COVER:
Swim worms are being used around heavier cover like lily pads and thicker weeds such as Reeds as an example. For this, you will need to beef up your fishing options a little more. Some fishermen
up their line to 20-pound fluorocarbon and some prefer to switch to a braided line.
BRAID WITH OR WITHOUT A LEADER:
In some circles, braid is becoming the staple pick for these conditions and a fluoro leader will come down to personal preference. In clear water conditions, some fishermen are leaning towards the use of a fluorocarbon leader to help disguise the braid.
For braided line, some fishermen are beefing up their
hook choice. One choice is a Gamakatsu Superline
hook. This one can take the stress that a braided
line hookset adds on the hook.
PEGGING:
If you are fishing your swim worm above, and in the weeds, you can get away with an unpegged sinker like Kriet rigs it. When fishing it down in the cover like lily pads and reeds, Kriet likes pegging the sinker. This will stop the sinker from falling in front of the worm and allow the bait and sinker to fall as one.
SINKER:
An upsized sinker will give the bait a faster fall rate. This is preferred when the bass are active and feeding. This will also allow you to cover the area faster and make a faster fall rate to trigger strikes. It is important not to overpower the rig with too large of a sinker. A good rule of thumb is a 1/8 or 1/4-ounce. •