I've been worm fishing all spring using no weight at all in a spring fed pond with lots of undergrowth. I calculate the worm sinks about a foot / second. Just wondering why I would even need a weight on the line at all. Seems to me that when I do rig a light weight bullet weight as suggested in a Texas or Carolina rig, it just causes me to get more tangled up in the undergrowth. Any comments?

I only use a weight when necesary.

 

Weight = Fast Fall = Reaction Bite in warmer waters.

Sometimes a weightless pink or white trick worm will drive them crazy.

Minus Ones and shallow running crankbaits can work, too.

Try a Mojo or Split-Shot rig in lieu of the Carolina Rig.

If you are going to throw a Texas setup consider changing to the Shaky Head presentation.

If you can fish over the grass consider a weightless Wacky Senko offering.

You will have to experiment to see what works.

Just because it's the traditional way or the way everyone else is doing it doesn't mean you have to do it that way. If you're catching fish with a weightless worm then fish a weightless worm! With heavy vegetation on the bottom that may very well be the best option going.

I tried out my first carolina rig this weekend. Loved it. Caught a 4lb 10 oz slob. Big bass for a small lake in central NY anyways.

split shot rig gets the call when I need so weight generally. Heavy cover is normally a pegged bullet weight.

Weightless plastics is by far my most productive.

Carolina rigs and Dropshot rigs are "bottom-oriented" rigs, they are not sink-rate intensive.

The weight attached to a Carolina rig is only used to reach the bottom quickly and to maintain bottom contact.

However, once the weight makes bottom contact, the C-rig is presenting an "unweighted" lure.

While your "unweighted" T-rigged worm is sinking one-foot per second, a C-rigged 3x worm may actually be lofting upward..

The same applies to a dropshot rig, once the weight makes bottom contact, you're presenting an "unweighted" soft-plastic.

Roger

If you can get away with weightless then I would keep it up. In your scenario that is how I would do it or go with a weighted hook so the bait falls horizontal. Use a very light weight.

This may be a newbie question, but can someone explain/illustrate the slip-shot rig and the mojo rig? I am also presented with a lot of undergrowth in one of the small lakes I fish.

I have lived in Carolina all my life, but I prefer Texas rigging. LOL. I can feel the strikes alot better. Good Fishing.

If it works stick with it. I once wouldn't dream of fishing an unweighted worm. Now I fish them unweighted about 70 percent of the time.