Larry Nixon - All-time leading B.A.S.S. money winner, four-time Megabucks winner, BASS Masters Classic Champion, and two-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year - on the ways of wormin' and jiggin'.

Wormin' & Jiggin'

You'll find plastic worms and jigs in just about every bass fisherman's tacklebox. Yet, a lot of anglers miss some important points regarding worms and jigs.

The Bottom

The most critical thing about wormin' and jiggin' is learning to read the bottom. You fish your bait differently on different bottoms, so you've got to know the difference between hard bottom, rocks, weeds, soft bottom and so on. For example, in brush and weeds you want to use more of a lift-and-fall type action; with rocks, you want to crawl the bait along.

Sinkers

A lot of fishermen use sinkers that are too light. A heavier sinker will give you a faster fall and better bottom contact.

Slack Line

Almost all strikes occur on the drop and it's natural to want to maintain tension. But if you've got tension on the worm, it won't drop correctly. Always follow the bait down with the rod tip and keep the line slack.

The Right Rod And Reel

Wormin' and jiggin' requires a rod with a highly sensitive tip so you can feel bites in deep water. My rod also has a portion of the rod blank exposed so I can read the bottom and feel bites better. The Team Daiwa TD-HI baitcasting reel works best for me. It fits my hand comfortably, and the Magforce feature helps prevent backlashes so my fishing time is more productive.

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