Ringworms are one of the better action baits you can use for smallmouth bass. These smaller worms will catch lots of small bass, but they will also catch some bigger smallmouth bass too. Ringworms are one of the most popular types of curly tail worms you can use for smallmouth bass.
What Sizes are Best for Smallmouth Bass Fishing?
Most ringworms come in the standard 4 inch size, but if you can find some bigger ones, feel free to upsize to the 5 and 6 inch range.
How to Rig Ringworms
A simple jighead will get the job done. There are a variety of jigheads that anglers will use to fish a ringworm.
Best Techniques
Hop Them Along the Bottom
Smallmouth bass are often found swimming just above the rocky bottoms as they search for crayfish and other food to eat. Ringworms look great when you work them slowly along the bottom on a jighead or drop shot rig.
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Fish Them Slowly Through the Water Column
A lighter jighead or split shot rig works great to fish these ringworms slowly through the water column. When smallmouth bass are suspended up off the bottom, you can catch quite a few of them by fishing a ringworm slowly through the water column.
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Shaky Technique
The shaky technique works great for drawing strikes from smallmouth bass that are not in the mood to chase a faster moving bait. Ringworms look really good with a little shaky action on a drop shot rig, shaky head jig and a variety of other jigheads too.
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Swim Them
Ringworms look great with a slow and steady swimming retrieve.
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Vertical Jig Them
From summer through fall, you can often find smallmouth bass in deeper water. Vertical jigging a ringworm is a great way to target smallmouth bass when they go deep.
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Dead Stick Them
Ringworms have very good action with subtle movements. This makes them great for dead sticking out over deeper water.
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Ringworms as a Chunk Worm
Rip the tail off a ringworm and you have the perfect size chunk worm that has amazing action for these types of worms. If you want to save some money, you can avoid the Ned rig setup and just use your favorite type of jighead with a ringworm as a chunk worm. They work great and are much cheaper than the alternative.
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Ringworms as Trailers
Bass Jig & Ringworms
Bass jigs and ringworms work well together. Hop them or swim them. Both techniques work really well and these bass jigs allow you to fish around all types of cover without getting hung up.
Bladed Swim Jig & Ringworms
Bladed swim jigs and ringworms work awesome together. Fish them slowly around productive areas and you’ll catch some bass.
Spinnerbait & Ringworms
Spinnerbaits and ringworms are an awesome combination for targeting bass.
Underspin & Ringworms
The underspin and ringworm works great for numbers and will occasionally catch a bigger bass too.
