Ribbon tail: Has a lot of movement and work great in clear and slightly stained water. This worm hangs a lot in cover because it has a tendency to get caught on grass and sometimes never reach the bottom. This style is best used in holes in the grass not for making your own hole in the grass. This style worm drops slow and has a slight vibration.

Hook tail: Gives off more vibration than a ribbon tail and hangs less in cover. This style is best suited for slightly stained water and a great drop bait.

Gator tail: This style is a true flip bait. The tail gives off more vibration than the hook tail and displaces more water on the fall. Stained to slightly muddy water is where this bait shines. This is a great heavy cover bait because it is compact.

Straight tail: This style is a great clear water bait. The floating style can be used as a jerkbait and is a great bait to fish slow under docks. This style has the least vibration because of the tail. Wacky style works best for clear to slightly stained water and will cause the bait to throw off more water displacement.

Paddle tail: This style works great for buzzing over and through weeds and as a drop bait. A paddle tail and gator tail are my top choices for flipping. The tail gives off a vibration much like a spinnerbait.

Ring worms: This style worm gives off a different vibration because of the rings and can be a heck of a worm in stained water and cover.

Straight shank hook: This is the style hook I use for close combat fishing (flipping). With this style hook (sproat hook) the worm has a tendency to slide down the shank on the hook but in close combat fishing it is one of the best hooks for sticking a fish quick.

Offset hook: This style hook helps prevent the worm from sliding down the hook and is the most popular hook. I use this style for my smaller diameter worms.

Wide gap hook: I use this style hook for my wider body worms. This style hook helps prevent the worm from sliding down your hook on the cast.

Beads and Glass rattles: I use beads when I am casting a worm because I can shake it and to make it rattle. In heavy cover I use a glass rattle insert because it will not hinder the bait in heavy cover. Beads tend to hang in cover and will not allow the bait to fall to the bottom.

Chris, when you use beads with a t-rig worm do you use a brass ticker with them?

I just use a single glass bead or two if its muddy. You could use a brass ticker I am just cheap. ;D

Chris, do you have any tips on different retrieves.

Like when you shake a worm how much is too much shakin? Or if I'm hopping it along the bottom how far should I move my rod? Or is this all stuff that's determined by what the fish want?

I'm trying to fish worms more often since they're so versitile.

The hook tail, Gatortail, and paddletail, I like to hop the bait to let the worm free fall. In cover I like to yo yo it in the cover sometimes shaking it on the bottom. I lift my rod to about a 12 o'clock position and drop it to about a 10 o'clock position. I reel up my slack as I drop my rod. After when I pitch the worm into cover I strip off another 3 to 4 ft of line to make sure the bait falls straight down and don't swim to my under line tension. Straight tail worms I like to spook them or swim them. When you spook them your rod is positioned down to the water and you jerk and pause the retrieve. When you swim a worm what I do is let the bait fall to the bottom and then I drag my rod to the side while shaking the tip. The head of the worm will run straight and the tail will swim. You almost shiver the rod as you pull it. Ribbontail worms I like to shake on the bottom as I pull them short distances. Sometimes I shake them in place or quiver them.

Today, I discovered a new way (well, new to me anyway) to rig a floating worm that looks EXACTLY like a baby water snake in distress. I mean the head rides up just a bit out of the water as it darts from left to right and undulates. I won't even try to describe it without a series of pics, but d**n! If it ends up working like I think it will, I can really bring something to the technique table.

Oh thanks alot Chris! LOL! I can see the baitmonkey jumoing on my back REAL soon! LOL! I've just started tinkering with plastic worms so your post will really help me! Good information! Thanks!

Great post Chris. Thanks for all the info ;D

This is a wonderful post!  Thanks Chris!