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The Ultimate Bass Worm and How to Fish It
Why Bass don't get equal representation in the fly fishing world is beyond me. They are such an incredible game species, in fact they are the #1 game fish in America. With thousands upon thousands of little bass lakes and ponds in this country it is beyond me why more fly fisherman are not targeting these fish. They are a great challenge for the caster and precision while placing flies into empty spaces between structure is paramount.
Ok, enough ranting. Let's get down to business. The Rich's Ultimate Bass worm has become one of my favorite flies for Largemouth Bass. I love the neutral sink rate, crazy action, and the simplicity. It looks good from every angle. Without a bunch of eyes, flash, and weird colors to confuse the profile of the fly.
Why This Simple Looking Fly for Largemouth Bass?
I have had a hard time finding a fly that sinks slowly and holds an "intermediate" density. When fishing Largemouth you are going to be far more effective working the fly slow than fast. If you have heavy flies then you'll often be forced to move the fly quickly. Food running away isn't as appealing as a wriggly meal squirming around right in front of you. If you're a bass that is.
Rich's Ultimate Bass worm fills the gap here with a fly that is incredibly active at rest without having to strip it like made. The fly wriggles and moves between strips, while at rest! During the strip it zooms around all over the place. It's freaking nuts. It's like a toddler on a sugar high.
Leader and Line Setup for Fishing the Ultimate Bass Worm
Floating Lines - I often fish this fly on a floating line, especially if the bass are tight to reeds or other bankside structure. A longer leader, like 9' is my preferred setup. I absolutely LOVE this rig. If you can land this fly perfectly with a nice "splat" its like when a fat kid hears the ice cream truck coming down the street. Bass hear it, lick their lips, then see it, then gobble that thing up. If your cast hits sloppy with line, leader, and fly in a big pile... forget about it. That's like a creepy guy trying to sell kids candy. Something just ain't right.
Make a good shot with a floating line and just let that fly sink right next to the structure. Often it won't last 3-4 seconds. Bass will eat it on the sink. More often however, 1 good strip after a few seconds of sinking, pause.... WHOOSH. Watch for the boil. I love bass fishing on a floating line.
Sinking Lines - Just this year I've started fishing this fly on a slow sinking tip and have had great results. The line doesn't sink so fast that I have to speed it up, so it's a good combo. I can fish the fly 3-4' deep quite patiently. It's an outstanding combo. The primary difference is if I think the bass are holding "off shore" on ledges or in suspended cover I'll grab the sink tip.
Fly Line for Bass Fishing
Floating or "Floating, Hover, Intermediate". I love this sinking line for Bass. Slow sink, plenty of control, VERY fishy.
RIO Predator Elite Fly Line for Bass Fishing - this line is engineered to cast large flies with ease and control. Fly lines designed for dry flies or nymphs simply won't provide the necessary control to accurately place large bass flies.
Leaders for Rich's Ultimate Bass Worm
Floating Line Setup - I like the 9' 10# RIO Tapered Bass Leader. I don't typically use super heavy line, the 10# seems to sink well enough and give me control. If you tend to hang up in the brush a lot, go heavier. Lighter would just be silly.
Sink Tip Setup - This is best fished on a shorter leader. I like the RIO Big Nasty 6' 10# Tapered Leader. Again, for me - a bit lighter than some textbooks suggest is preferred.
Tie a Loop Knot to This Fly
To insure great action, be sure to tie a "Non Slip Mono Loop" to the fly. This provides hinging action, wiggles, woggles, and crazy good pivot action.