Heh all!!!

I have been talking to some local guys who suggest worm rattles for poor visability conditions, over cast days, and evenings. I've been using metal and glass beads on the line up from the plastic bait as apposed to tinkering with the worm itself. Any views or opinions on the two different tactics???

Yeah if you are fishing low vis water, and a bass's sight will be handicapped. You want to work his other senses. By all means using a glass bead a brass ticker won't hurt. Using scent or even GULP would prove helpful. Also opt for a lure like a spinnerbait or jerkbait that will give off lot's of vibration and attract fish that way. Fish have a key feature called their lateral line that pick's up on the slightest vibratiosn and movement of water. This is typically how they locate their prey. Then they see it and eat it. I also believe that scent has a role in catching fish with atrificials. Mainly on bright sunny days, I have seen fish swim up to my lure in a hurry only to take off after getting a quick look. I don;t know if they see me, notice that the lure is not real food, or smell soemthing wrong. I heard that a fish's sense of smell is more than 100 times better than a dogs. That is some strong sniffing power. So, I personally don;t think using a scent can do anything but good. Neither does that Roland Martin, every show he plugs Mega Strike. I have yet to use it, is it worth buying?

I use mega strike and catch fish, but no more so then any of the other scents I've put on. I just use it to mask the human scent from my hands touching the bait, nothing else.

I tried the rattles designed to be inserted in the plastic, and found them useless. I then went with the brass and glass approach until I had the problem of the glass cracking and damaging the line.

I now use Ultra Steel weight and tickers. I have some of these in my terminal box that are at least 4 years old, and they're as smooth as the day I bought them. No more lead weights with the holes pinched shut, or bent over, or nicked so they cut the line. The steel retains it's shape and smoothness better than anything else I've tried. The ticker is a small steel bead, placed between the weight and the hook. The combination produces a subtle clicking, quieter than brass and glass, but better than the inserted rattles.

I like the tungsten weights, but they're too expensive. Ultra Steel's are an affordable alternative.

Cheers,

GK