If you could only choose on or the other.....which would you choose, and why? 

Straight tail, I fish most of my plastics weightless now and I prefer the straight tail worm's action when rigged weightless.

ribbontail for me, since the water is usually pretty murky and you have to move a lot of water for the fish to find it. I like Anacondas and cut-r worms from rage tail.

I like ribbontails more (I think they look cool), but straight tails are more versatile. So straight tail if I could just choose one.

10 in ribbon tail....best of both worlds.

I would have to go with the ribbon tail because I could always cut the ribbon off and alter it to look like a straight tail to still keep both presentations in my arsenal. 

Don't understand why folks ask questions about only having one thing over the other or others. Two totally different baits and actions. Ribbontails are great on texas rigs and where grass and weeds are present. Also they excel when fish are more aggresive. Straight tails are better on shakeyhead and Dropshots. When fish are neutral or non aggressive mood these can help get some bites.

Which would I pick. Both as I see no reason to limit yourself.

If I lived in Florida, I'd go w the ribbontail, but here I'd definitely say straight because I'm more confident shakeyheading it. 

If I could only have one, well put me in the minority but I'll take the straight tail worm. The reason being is I can catch fish in any condition with a straight tail worm, ribbon tails are more warm water oriented but can be used on active fish in cooler water. Not only that but I've been taught some pretty good techniques with a straight tail worm from a good friend that I consider an expert at finesse fishing, he taught me there is a lot more ways to use a straight tail worm than just the normal drop shot and shaky head.

Mostly ribbon tails, but I always have some straight tails ready.

7in straight tail, no questiion

Don't understand why folks ask questions about only having one thing over the other or others. Two totally different baits and actions. Ribbontails are great on texas rigs and where grass and weeds are present. Also they excel when fish are more aggresive. Straight tails are better on shakeyhead and Dropshots. When fish are neutral or non aggressive mood these can help get some bites.

Which would I pick. Both as I see no reason to limit yourself.

 

kickerfish1 you and I share the same opinion . 

Have to carry both, I like the ribbon tail when searching deeper haunts, and the straight tail when they are fussy and need finesse.

If I could only have one, well put me in the minority but I'll take the straight tail worm. The reason being is I can catch fish in any condition with a straight tail worm, ribbon tails are more warm water oriented but can be used on active fish in cooler water. Not only that but I've been taught some pretty good techniques with a straight tail worm from a good friend that I consider an expert at finesse fishing, he taught me there is a lot more ways to use a straight tail worm than just the normal drop shot and shaky head.

 

x2

though i agree with using both, smalljaw and i are on the same page here.

Maybe 70% of the time I fish a worm is a straight tail worm, I fish with ribbon tails/ c tails when the water has very low visibility.

 

 

I´m so 80´s it´s frightening   , what can be more classic than a Texas rigged 7.5 Culprit ribbon tail worm ( black shad in this case ) ?

I love my curly tail worms and I do occasionally fish the straight tail worms, but my all time fav is the Mann's Jelly work in 12 inch. Tech its a paddle tail, but it would be my choice if I could only have one. 

Roboworm straight tails for me. I picked up some robo curly tails but still go for the straight tail first.

Ribbon/Cut tail hands down...

Maybe it's the shallow, mostly tanic, grassy lakes I fish in.

Mike

I use the Zoom Trick Worm TR most of the time and then down to the Zoom Finesse Worm from there on every kind of water and conditions. I keep as a backup in June Bug and Red Shad The Culprit. I'm ready for bear.

 

The Old School Basser....

 

 

I use hand pours ( Roboworms, Iovino, Upton's) 90% of the time, so that reduces injection molded ribbon tail worms to less than 10% use ( Power worm & Culprit).

Straight tails come in several shapes; night crawler, spade, knob, flat paddle, trick etc. Hand pours are also available in curl tails that come in a few different styles. Lots of choices and no reason to select one.

Bass don't have a problem finding straight tail worms at night.

Tom