Thread: Things we take for granted ...

Originally Posted by Spoonminnow

Like the lure you used. Wacky rigged?

Funny you should reply about this picture. Just the other day I read a prior post of yours:Wacky rigging isn't just for bass. I have been tailhooking 2 1/2" stick lures using craft needles since panfish will nip at tail of larger diameter bait. I also tried it with small diameter 2 1/2" plastic worms but found that fish inhale the small diameter worms & hooks were buried way down in. Hooking small diameter worms in front seems best as far a removing hooks.

The lure pictured was included in some plastics I purchased years ago. They are about 2 1/2" and super dense. I have bent craft needles trying to thread thru them. Super durable, you can stretch them like a rubber band and they wont snap. They last forever. That is a #10 fly hook that was threaded in with a needle to the middle of body. Right now, I'm messing with making the smaller worms weedless using jig hooks and #4 wide gap worm hooks. Also will try what you referred to in your post about wacky rigging. Thanks for your reply.

Guess great minds DO think alike ! LOL
Who woulda thought a shape that resembles nothing in nature would cause such a ruckus underwater. Action-wise these lures exhibit just that something fish seem to want to attack. Remember the Zara Spook swagger-wake on the surface? If you'll notice, the thick sticks you showed do the same when rod-twitched mid-depth and so do many other shapes regardless of size and diameter.

When it comes to your paddle tails, the action is more whip-like as the lure darts back & forth when given strong rod tip twitches - also like the Spook. Besides that, the worm/stick undulates slightly when fished slowly near surface or mid depth. These are just a few examples of paddle tail worms that have caught buku fish of all species:
This one was formed using a Tom Mann worm body/tail added to a thicker grub body:


I poured the bottom part from a mold and added it to a thicker body at top:

..it caught this foot long crappie:

and bass:


and another using a paper hole punch to make this a cello-tail shape (just for the fun of it):

This bass seemed to like it:



This nose-hooked worm/stick caught a crappie on the first cast:


You can also use your paddle tail worms with a Beetle Spin:

..also used with this Slider Worm:

The blade makes the whole bait quiver on the retrieve.

Gary Yamamoto's Kut Tail worm is in a class all by itself (here it was added to a thicker grub body):

Worms like this have a long taper that goes from top-to-tail when looked at from the side as does this stick/worm I found on Ebay:


Food for thought........