I recently read an article that had a poll asking what has been your most productive bait/confidence bait?

To my surprise nearly all responses were some sort of worm or soft plastics. Wacky worm, shaky head, Texas rig I can do it and maybe catch one now and then..but i can't gain confidence in any of it... I am an avid fisherman (at least once a week) and I have to say mine is quite the opposite. I am more of a crankbait,top water, jig, flipping guy.... Deep or shallow I hardly ever have a worm tied on. I have fished worms before with minimal success. I am not sure if it's the slow approach or the fact that I can't feel what my bait is doing. But I can never find myself reaching for a worm come Saturday morning.

My question to you guys is.... How can i gain confidence in soft plastics? Deep or shallow across the board..

. Do you guys swim your worms?

Or hop them?

Drag them?

When I do fish them, am I missing the bites because I am not feeling them? I fish with pretty expensive tackle so I can't blame it on the rods or the line. I know and feel confident what a dead on bite is... (tap,tap,tug,tug). But what ab subltle bites? Am I just not being patient enough? What do I do when they aren't biting crankbaits and jigs, etc....????

Thanks guys

With t-rigged plastics both weighted and weightless I use hopping, sweeping or dragging or slow rolling, mix in pauses. Things started to click when I went as slow as possible then work your way to a faster speed. But the tortise didn't lie, slow and steady will usually win the race.  

I'd say 80-90 percent of my hits with soft plastics are on the fall. I rarely have a bass hit on the retrieve. So I watch the line closely as the lure falls for hint of a tap. If I see even the slightest jerk I set.  Similarly, if I go to begin the retrieve and feel the slightest bit of resistance, I set. Sometimes it's a false alarm, but more often than not it's fish on.

 

On the retrieve its swim, hop, drag, whatever seems to be working, but these days I mostly work all plastics the way I work a Senko.  Cast, fall, lift, let fall, reel in slack, repeat.

 

My question to you guys is.... How can i gain confidence in soft plastics?

 

My answer would be the same for soft plastics or any other type of lure. USE THEM!

 

Seriously, years ago I'd bring out my no-confidence lures when the usual stuff wasn't working. That's the worst thing to do since I'd already established that the fishing was tough that day. When you start fishing go to spots where you have a high degree of confidence in bass being present there and use the soft plastics first to maximize the chances of catching something.

 

It only takes a few fish to develop confidence in a lure.

Very informative guys. I appreciate it. Good strategy Marty. keep em coming,

My problem is that I can't catch fish on hard baits.

My problem is that I can't catch fish on hard baits.

Crankbaits..... Just cast and retrieve. Natural colors for clear water bright colors for stained. Don't be afraid to get hung up on stumps etc. run right into them with a square bill. Deeper cranks fish off of major points ledges and wind blown structure. Top water. Fish around cover kinda slow. Or methodical rather.

Now trade me ! Lol.

 Not sure of your what type of line you are using. But for me once I changed to braid with a flouro leader my feel for the bottom increased immensely Suddenly I could tell the difference between going through the grass and being in the open. I use different retrieves all of the time, I do not believe that a worm is something that you can pattern. Craws and creatures maybe, but worms not so much. As previously stated practice and slowing down are the keys. And when in doubt swing away and remember the feel when you connect.  .

What pound braid? I fish flouro on my spinning rod now

My problem is that I can't catch fish on hard baits.

 

 

Same here, other than topwater.  I have very little success with deep diving cranks.