ribbon tail worm without ribs?

[Les Young]

Do you guys think it matters if a worm has  a big thumping ribbon tail that it  would work just as  good at night in summer even without  ribs? Thanks

[efishnc]

I do far more night fishing for walleyes than anything else nowadays, but I have also done plenty of bass and musky fishing after the sun went down... and my advice -- in a single word -- is presence.

Although you can catch fish on any bait at any time, matching your lure to the conditions at hand will always produce more strikes.  When sight becomes less of a factor, sound becomes a bigger part of the equation, so the more water you move, the better = go with ribs.

[Les Young]

  Actually a fellow on another forum   told me that  he  fished a smooth bodied  ribbon tail worm that he  makes & couldn't tell a bit of difference & he  thought it was because the tail thumped really hard.  Said he used  a big pencil for the body & a big ribbon tail off of another lure & attached them together & poured a mold & after it worked so good he had a cnc mold made of it for his own use.  I  know i use to use a short  bodied worm  called a flipping worm made by a local guy & it flat caught fish. You could feel the tail thumping when retrieving it slowly. I haven't saw one in years because they're not making baits anymore & got rid of all their molds.

[efishnc]

When I hear "ribbon tail", I don't think of that as having any thump, but if what you are fishing has thump, then I would say you're on the right track.  If I were to pick a worm (from the Do-it line up) for night fishing, my first choice probably would be the Kutter based on its smaller size and aggressive tail, my second choice would be the 6.5" Ringed Ribbontail (which is only available in a pro model) because the ribs are much more pronounced than on the 7" giving a very prominent body while still keeping its overall size down, and my third choice would be the Stump Thumper (but I would pinch it down to 8" or less).  As an alternate to a worm, you could also fish a swimbait successfully at night (depending on your cover).

[Les Young]

No doubt about the swim bait working, but the fish sure like a big worm like the zoom ole monster here in summer. I’ll probably fish the swimbait a lot this summer at night too. 

[Lamar]

  I fish a ten inch ribbon tail on a 5/8 oz shaky head on my home lake in the summer. When they get out on the humps in the summer for some reason they just want a big bait. We fish it day or night. I believe that 5/8 lead banging on the rocks makes enough noise that it gets their attention.

[efishnc]

I believe that 5/8 lead banging on the rocks makes enough noise that it gets their attention.

I'll buy that... (though I feel a long worm Texas rigged at night has less hook-ups than during the day).

[Les Young]

I'll buy that... (though I feel a long worm Texas rigged at night has less hook-ups than during the day).

Not around here they don’t, but we’re talking a highland lake that gets insane pleasure boater traffic too. The lakes around here you can forget day time. I usually start night fishing late March or early April & do nights until around the first of November.

[efishnc]

Not around here they don’t, but we’re talking a highland lake that gets insane pleasure boater traffic too. The lakes around here you can forget day time.

That's the way musky fishing gets on most developed lakes here in the summer and the best way to connect during the day time is to finesse them with plastics. 

My point with the long worm (now speaking about bass) is that they can target the head (hook) of the worm better in the day whereas it seems they miss it more at night and just grab the body of the worm.

[Lamar]

  Anytime you fish a long worm you got to let them run with it.

[bassinfool]

  I fish a ten inch ribbon tail on a 5/8 oz shaky head on my home lake in the summer. When they get out on the humps in the summer for some reason they just want a big bait. We fish it day or night. I believe that 5/8 lead banging on the rocks makes enough noise that it gets their attention.

Summer time in the deep South calls for big ribbon tail worms and magnum trick worms.  During the peak summer months you won't catch me without a 10-13" Ribbon tail (usually in plum, blue fleck or black) and a magnum shaky head in those same colors with the addition of green pumpkin.  Throw the ribbon tail with a 3/8 to 3/4oz tungsten worm weight and a 5-7/0 hook depending on worm length; the magnum shaky head I tend to go 3/8-1/2 oz head.  It still amazes me how many dink bass you can catch throwing the upsized baits.

[WALLEYE WACKER]

Flippin Zip worm is one of my Is the one I like the most 

[Les Young]

Summer time in the deep South calls for big ribbon tail worms and magnum trick worms.  During the peak summer months you won't catch me without a 10-13" Ribbon tail (usually in plum, blue fleck or black) and a magnum shaky head in those same colors with the addition of green pumpkin.  Throw the ribbon tail with a 3/8 to 3/4oz tungsten worm weight and a 5-7/0 hook depending on worm length; the magnum shaky head I tend to go 3/8-1/2 oz head.  It still amazes me how many dink bass you can catch throwing the upsized baits.

Yep I agree about size. I’ve actually caught a lot of 10”  smallmouth on a June bug ole monster.  Seem weird catching fish the same size or smaller than your bait, but I’m pretty dang good at it at times. 

[efishnc]

Another bait I would recommend for night fishing would be the 5" Mad Dad Craw... it absolutely DWARFS the other craw molds out there, yet most any bass (2lbs and up) should be able find the hook on the initial strike.

 

[Les Young]

My favorite creature baits are the baby brush hog & super hogs. Thsnkfully I have molds to make my own as many as I go through in a summer.