Plastic baits come in assorted colors, sizes, shapes, and types such as floating and non-floating. There are paddle tails, gator tails, slim-line curled tails, and even some with no tails. Some of these baits have scent added to the plastic mixture such as salt, garlic, and anise. Whether you use the Berkley Power Baits, dip your own plastics in Spike-It garlic dye, or spray scent on your baits, I believe scented plastic baits catch more fish than unscented.
The versatility of plastics in fishing is unlimited. These baits can duplicate the movement of a swimming snake, be hopped across lily pads, moved slowly over grass beds, or tossed under docks. You can pitch them into buck brush and reeds, jig them at the base of trees, or retrieve them quickly across the top of the water. They can be cast out to do nothing, but float lazily in the water, and when rigged correctly, even make noise.
Plastic baits are designed to resemble worms, grubs, lizards, crawfish, frogs, baitfish, and centipedes. The shape of other baits, such as the infamous French fry, do not resemble any living creature, but bass will gobble them.
Worm fishing does not have to be boring for the impatient person. It isn't necessary to let the worm sit until the bass takes the bait. However, there are times this technique works when nothing else will.
Think of the bass as a cat. If you move the string (bait) a little, it catches the attention of the cat (bass). Slowly change the direction of the string, shake the string, and let it sit for a moment. The cat will watch the string, and, if your are persistent, the cat will attack the string. Bass react in a similar way. This method works well when fishing plastics and the bass seem to have lockjaw.
When it's feeding time for that cat, the sound of a can opener brings the cat to you faster than trying to call it for food. Put a rattle, either glass with beads, or a metal one, in your plastic bait. Shake your rod gently and the rattle will cause sound waves under the water. A hungry bass will investigate and inhale your plastic bait.
Speaking of inhaling, bass do not bite. They actually inhale your bait. They open their gills and inhale water along with your bait. There are times when the bass are aggressively feeding that you can feel a yank or pull on your line. When this occurs, the bass is actually inhaling your bait. Set the hook quickly. Other times, your line will feel mushy, as though you are pulling your bait through slimy grass. Set your hook! It's probably that really big bass you've been trying to catch.
When you fish with artificial baits, it is important to know the type of structure you'll be fishing. Grass beds, rocks, points, reeds, brush, timber, ledges, and docks are some of the structures you will fish. The plastic baits you use fishing these structures differ because of the shape and body of the tail. Gator tail worms and grubs have wide tails and leave a wake in the water as you reel in the line. This action attracts the bass when you are fishing sandy or clean bottom waters, murky water, and grass. Even though the gator tail catches in the grass, the vibration of the large tail attracts the bass. This type of tail is also more visible to the fish under certain conditions.
Slim-tailed plastics such as worms, Slug-gos, and lizards are used when you fish the edges of grass beds, trees, brush piles, and reeds. This tail slides around and over logs, and will not hang up as easily as the gator tail in the same type of structure.
Paddle tailed baits are effective when fishing over grass. The small paddle creates a waving action under the water, getting the attention of the bass hidden under the grass. It does not get hung up as easily as the gator tail.