Bass love plastic.

No species is more suited to soft plastic lures than largemouth and smallmouth bass. Soft plastic lures are irresistible to bass because they look, feel, move, and even taste like the prey they naturally feed on. Spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, crankbaits, and spoons don't exactly meet those standards.

Soft plastic lures come in countless shapes, sizes, and colors, but all these baits have much in common. For the most part, plastic baits are designed to resemble natural bass foods; they are fished slowly; and they are ideally suited to fishing in cover.

With advantages like these, it's not hard to see why plastic baits have become the dominate fishing lures among bass anglers.

Of all the plastic baits available, the six-inch plastic worm is the most recognized by avid and weekend anglers alike. Ironically, according to a top bass fishing professional, this classic bass catcher isn't one of his most important bass-catching tools.

Kevin VanDam is a two-time B.A.S.S. Angler-of-the-Year and one of the hottest sticks in bass fishing. A resident of Kalamazoo, Michigan, VanDam has extensive experience fishing both smallmouth and largemouth bass.

"I rarely fish a six-inch plastic worm these days," says VanDam. "Finesse worms have taken over where I used to fish full-sized worms. My strategy when fishing either for fun or in a tournament is simple, I want to catch every fish I can. Larger worms simply intimidate smaller fish and reduce the number of bites."

Finesse worms are also more effective because many waters in the Great Lakes region are clear. The introduction of the zebra muzzle is responsible for clearing up the Great Lakes and many inland fisheries to the point that smaller baits tend to work better. Add increased fishing pressure and it's easy to see why the pint-sized plastic worm has become so popular.

There are three common ways that finesse worms are rigged and fished: rigged Texas style, threaded on a jighead, and used on a split-shot rig.

With a Texas rig, bullet sinkers ranging from 1/16- to 1/8-ounce are the most popular with thin wire hooks such as the Mustad Finesse Hook.

"When I rig up a Texas-style finesse worm, I push the point of the hook through the worm until it's exposed then push the point back in," says VanDam. "I match up this system with spinning tackle and six- to eight-pound-test line."

Stand-up, round-head, and darter-style jigheads can all be used effectively with finesse worms. The jig should have a collar that holds the plastic bait in place and an extra-sharp hook. The best jig sizes are 1/8 and 1/4 ounce.

"I frequently use the 1/4-ounce jig to make the worm sink quickly," says VanDam. "It's amazing how often a bait that sinks quickly will trigger strikes. Also a little heavier jig is easier to work through cover."

The third form of finesse worming involves the age-old split-shot rig. Split-shotting is actually a form of Carolina rigging designed for use in shallow water. A deadly technique on both largemouth and smallmouth bass, the leader should be about 24 inches and the shot just large enough to maintain contact with bottom.

"The secret to fishing a split-shot rig is not to overwork it," advises VanDam. "Just drag the bait along the bottom and move it slowly. Split-shotting is the ideal presentation after fronts and when fishing is tough."

Some of the situations where finesse worms shine include weed flats with scattered cover, boat docks, and the outside of weedlines.

A wide variety of products are available that meet the needs of the finesse worm fishermen. Some of the more popular baits include the Berkley Finesse Power Worm, Reaction Lures Icicle Worm, Creme Scoundrel Worm, Kalin Western Weenie Worm, and Zoom Finesse Worm.

Carolina rigging is a bass fishing technique that is seldom practiced in the northern states. This simple and effective fishing method works anywhere bass are found in deep water and on hard bottom.

Carolina rigging for bass isn't a lot different than Lindy rigging for walleye. The chief difference is that heavier sinkers and line are used in bass fishing, and plastic bait--not live bait--is used at the business end.

"When Carolina rigging use as much weight as it takes to stay on bottom all the time," suggests VanDam. "In most situations sinkers ranging from 1/2 to one ounce are best. I personally prefer to use bullet style weights because I feel they stay on bottom well and snake through snags and cover better."

The keys to Carolina rigging are making a little noise by clinking the sinker against a glass bead and moving the bait slowly. There are many ways to create the clicking noise. Kalin's Carolina Clacker is a self-contained rig that's built of coated wire and comes complete with brass sinker, beads, and swivels. You only need to add a leader and your favorite terminal tackle.

Do-it-yourself types can make their own Carolina rigs by purchasing a selection of steel or brass weights, glass beads, and barrel swivels. Brass and steel weights give off a more pronounced clicking sound than lead sinkers.

The only finesse about Carolina rigging is the plastic baits used at the business end. "I fish Carolina rigs on 17-pound line and medium-heavy baitcasting tackle," says VanDam. "I also tie my leaders using 24 inches of 14- to 17-pound line to help the baits rise a little off bottom."

A few of the popular plastic baits for Carolina rigging include the Riverside Floating Air Fry and Floating Air Worm, Zoom SS Plus Lizard and Centipede, Berkley Power Lizard, Reaction Lures Double Take Lizard and Craw-Go, and the Lunker City Slug-Go.

The larger-size plastic baits are best rigged on a light-wire wide-bend hook such as Mustad's Carolina Rig Hook or Fin-A'cky series, Mister Twister Kahle, Owner Rig-N-Hook, Berkley Gold Point Wide Gap, and Eagle Claw Featherlite Xwide Gap. Smaller baits can be rigged on thin-wire worm hooks.

Tomorrow, in Part Two, we'll look at other types of soft plastic lures.