Bass Fishing Using Curly Tail Grubs

Curly tail grubs are soft plastic lures that mimic the movement and appearance of small prey, such as worms and insects. They are commonly used for bass fishing because they are versatile, affordable, and effective at attracting fish. 

Bass are attracted to the movement and action of the grub, which can be rigged on a jig head or on a variety of different rigs. Grubs can be fished on the bottom, vertically pitched, or cast and retrieved, plus they come in a variety of colors and sizes, making them an essential lure for bass fishing, especially under tough conditions.

The size and color of curly tail grubs used for bass fishing can vary based on the fishing conditions, water clarity, and the preference of the angler. However, some popular grub sizes for bass fishing range from 3 to 6 inches long, with 4 or 5 inches being the most common sizes. 

As for colors, popular options include watermelon, green pumpkin, white, black, chartreuse, and smoke. It's also a good idea to match the color of the grub to the hatch of the local forage or to use a color that contrasts with the water clarity. In murky water, brighter colors such as chartreuse or hot pink may be more visible to fish, while in clear water natural colors like watermelon or green pumpkin may be more effective.

Curly Tail Grub Rigging Methods

There are several ways to rig a 5" curly tail grub for bass fishing:

Open jig head rig: This is one of the most popular rigging methods for curly tail grubs. It involves threading the grub onto a jig head hook, with the hook point exposed through the grub's head. This allows the grub to swim naturally and triggering bass into striking.

Weedless jig head rig: This is one of my favorite rigging methods for curly tail grubs. It involves threading the grub onto a weedless jighead with an EWG offset hook and the hook point Tex-posed through the grub's body then the hook point skin hooked to make it snag resistant. This allows the grub to still swim naturally, work in and around different types of cover while still enticing bass to strike.

Quick Tip for Using EWG Worm Hooks with Soft Stickbaits

Ever since I started fishing soft stickbaits over 20 years ago, it became one of my go-to baits from the first trip after ice out until the last before ice in. Though I haven't formally tracked the numbers, the soft stickbait likely accounts for more than half the bass I catch each season. It’s definitely a bass catcher.

Most of the time, I use a 5" (some brands produce slightly longer versions) bait though I also use 4 and 6 inch lengths under certain conditions.

Rigging Soft Stickbaits with EWG-style Hooks

When fishing a soft stickbait, I often switch between a Texas and wacky rig depending on the type of cover being fished and the mood of the bass. A few trips each season, I have several rods rigged with the baits I use for an outing; one rod with a 5” soft stickbait Texas rigged on a 3/0 EWG hook and a second stickbait wacky rigged on a #1 or #1/0 wacky style hook.

Most of the time however, I fish from the bank or a kayak and only carry a couple of rods with me. During those trips, I use a 3/0 EWG hook for both rigs when regularly switching back and forth between the Texas and wacky rigs. That way I don’t spend extra time retying baits during short trips and when I have limited tackle available due to space concerns.

This approach works well when fishing cover like sparse weed patches, rocks/boulders, open docks or logs/stumps without lots of branches. When fishing heavier cover however, I’ll re-rig when switching since the wacky-EWG rig is far from snag proof.

Is this the best system when wacky rigging soft stickbaits?

Perhaps not but when time and gear are short and I want to quickly switch between a Texas and wacky rig, it works for me! :)

Fishing the Whopper Plopper for Spring Bass

Spring is a great time for fishing and the Whopper Plopper can be a great lure to use as both bass and prey move into the shallows to feed. 

Here are several tips for using the Whopper Plopper and similar plopper-style baits for spring bass fishing:

Choose the right size plopper and gear: It’s often important to choose the right size Whopper Plopper, when fishing for spring bass. The size of the lure should match the size of the bass forage and gear being used during your spring outing. The #60 size Whopper Plopper is usually best fished with light spinning tackle and when bass are eating small forage; the #75 & #90 sizes fished with medium power casting or spinning gear and when bass are targeting mid-sized forage; and the #110 & #130 sizes should be fished on M/H to H power casting gear when bass are on larger forage or you're targeting larger bass. As with all topwater baits, it's usually best to use either monofilament or braided line when fishing plopper-style baits.

Enhanced Bank Bass Fishing Tips

Bass fishing from the shore can be a rewarding experience for anglers of all skill levels.

Here are several tips to help you catch more fish when on your next bank fishing trip:

1. Learn the water: Before you start fishing, take the time to study the water and learn about the different types of structure and cover present in the water you’re fishing that bass prefer. Look for deeper areas, surface and submerged weed beds, laydowns, docks, boulders, and any other structure or cover where bass are likely to be holding.
2. Use snagless rigs and baits: If you are fishing in an area with a lot of weeds or wood, it is important to use a snagless bait. This will prevent your bait from getting hung allowing you to keep fishing despite the presence of bait snagging cover.
3. Consider using live bait: Live bait, such as worms or minnows, can be very effective when fishing for bass from the shore. The scent and movement of live bait can attract bass and entice them to bite.
4. Try different lures: Popular baits when fishing from the bank include spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, various soft plastic baits, jigs with trailers, and topwater lures. When the water is clear, use color patterns that mimic the types of bait present in that water body. When the water is stained to dirty, use brighter colors (yellow, red, orange) or black to create a visual contrast with surrounding water conditions.

Fishing Spinnerbaits for Early Spring Bass

There is little doubt that spinnerbaits are a great bait and enhance early spring bass fishing success.  One of the key features relating to the effectiveness of spinnerbaits when fishing for bass is the versatility of spinnerbait styles and color patterns.

As a matter of fact, not only are spinnerbaits great for early spring bass, they also shine throughout the entire spring, summer, fall and yes even into the winter fishing seasons!

What are some of the reasons behind this versatility?

1. Spinnerbaits come in a variety of sizes, colors, blade combination and styles allowing bass anglers to chose a bait for almost any seasonal situation when on the water;
2. Spinnerbaits can be fished at almost any depth level by varying the speed of retrieve, lure weight and blade combination; &