Entry 115-1

Mark Davis - Don't Forget the Worm

The Wacky Worm

Editor's Note: At the Elite 50 BASS tournament on the Tombigbee River in Columbus, Mississippi, Mark Davis had a wire-to-wire victory. The front-runner after the first day, Davis continued to lead the tournament all three days and won. He won the tournament primarily with a Strike King Ribbon Tail Worm, fishing it the old way. This week Davis will tell us five of his best worm-fishing tactics.

Davis: I know several different ways to fish a plastic worm wacky style. I like to fish a Floating Worm or a straight-tail worm like the Strike King Zero. I'll put the point of a straight-shanked hook through what would be the egg sack of a swimming worm or directly in the middle of the Zero worm. I like to use a No. 2/0 hook, which is a fairly small hook. Sometimes I'll either use a weighted hook or put a piece of split shot on the shank of the hook or on the line. If you want to fish this technique in 4 or 5 feet of water, you may want to add weight to the hook or the line. If you're fishing the worm in less than 4 feet of water, you don't want to use any weight.

Another advantage to adding weight to either the hook or the line is being able to cast more accurately on windy days. The major technique for fishing the wacky worm that causes the bass to bite is that you don't give the worm any action at all. That slow-falling motion of the worm and the built-in natural wiggle that both the Zero and the swimming worm have as they fall to the bottom is what attract the bass.

The trick to fishing the wacky-worm tactic is to cast to a target, let the wacky worm fall and don't do anything until you see your line twitch. This method can be extremely deadly when you're fishing for bass that have experienced a lot of fishing pressure, when you're fishing cold-weather conditions, or when bass are biting slowly. This tactic requires that you slow down, take your time and let the worm do the work. I believe that because most fishermen won't or can't fish slowly, this tactic can be one of the most-deadly techniques you can use when fishing on reservoirs with a lot of boat traffic and fishing pressure.

Next: The Swivel Worm

Contents:

• Part 1: The Wacky Worm
• Part 2: The Swivel Worm
• Part 3: The Davis Carolina-Rigged Worm
• Part 4: Don't Forget the Old Way
• Part 5: Drop Shotting