Have you seen all those different fancy plastic worms they have now? I mean wow! They have ribbontail, grubs, curly tail, gator tail, and many more, all designed to catch lunker bass. Yet, there's one worm that continues to do an amazing job and that no one should be without....the straight tail worm.

Why the straight tail, there are many reasons but here's just one good reason....versatility. The straight tail worm won it's fame from early day anglers fishing it in timber filled lakes and reservoirs. It has more of an erratic fall they other worms and that attracts bass.

The straight tail worm is great for finding pre-spawn bass, for bedding bass and post spawn bass on structure. It's a great lure to locate fish and to catch large numbers of bass, even though they may be a bit smaller than some lures produce.

These worms had a revival, so to speak, in the last few years thanks to the drop-shot techniques but they have always been one of my favorites. When I moved to Florida years ago, I was using a straight tail worm and several of my angler friends were making fun of it. They told me I might catch fish up North on that worm but not in Florida. It wasn't to long before they had a different opinion, to say the least.

There are places to use other worms too, like in muddy water, fishing in hot weather or around heavy cover where vibrations are the key to attracting bass. While many anglers will tell you that using a straight tail worm in cold water in useless, that isn't true. It is one of my favorite lures in late fall and early winter.

While curly tail worms drop straighter on the fall a straight tail worms glides from side to side and drifts. A more erratic movement for sure will usually produce more bass. This is the worm to do just that, catch more bass!

Many anglers will add a 1/4 ounce sinker to their worms, a 1/8 or 3/16 ounce sinker will allow better action. Again, there is always an exception, on windy days or in deep water a 1/4 ounce may be just the ticket you need to catch that lunker.

Hooks need to be smaller too. 3/0 hooks should be the biggest hooks you use in most cases. I personally use hooks from 1/0 to 3/0 depending on the size of the worm I'm using at the time. I also like wide gap hooks instead of longer hooks than can kill the action.

The bite is a little different too, a lot more subtle. Instead of getting the usual tap-tap-tap you might see just line movement with no other indication whatsoever. Other times it just feels like your line is caught on a small leaf and your dragging it through the water.

If you don't have a selection of straight tail worms in your arsenal of lures, you are missing some good fishing. As Mikey says, "Try it you'll like it".

Charles E. White has fished 50 years for bass from California to Florida. In his lifetime, it is estimated that he has caught over 6,000 bass. His biggest bass is a 12 pound 14 ounce that hangs on his wall in his office. His tips and techniques have helped many people who have never fished for bass before become successful anglers. He also has fished with the Pros in Florida. For More Great Fishing Tips and Articles Check out our forum at: http://www.bassfishingweekly.com/bassforum/