The versatility of plastic baits is just about unlimited. They can duplicate the movements and wiggle of a swimming snake, be hopped across lily pads looking just like the real thing, or moved slowly over grass beds, or tossed under docks. You can pitch them into buck brush and reeds or any type of aquatic vegetation, drop them straight down at the base of trees, or even retrieve them quickly across the top of the water. They can be cast out to do nothing, but float lazily in the water, and if you add rattles or beads or both to the rig, they'll even make noise.

Some plastic baits are designed to resemble real worms, grubs, lizards, crawfish, frogs, baitfish, and centipedes or other bugs. The shape of some baits however, such as the PHish Stik or Carolina Twig, don't necessarily resemble any real creature, but bass will readily attack them.

Worm fishing does not have to be boring, even for the impatient person. You don't have to just let the worm sit until a bass takes it. There are times this technique works when nothing else will, but the movement you create with reeling, stopping and jerking motions is what will attract the bass. A bass is like a cat. If you drag a string across the floor, a cat immediately pays attention. The game is to catch the string, or in our case we hope the bass catches the bait we have presented. Slowly change the direction of the string, shake the string, or let it sit and then move it again. The bass will watch the bait and even follow the bait. And, if you are persistent, and enticing enough in your movement and action with the bait, it will attack the bait. Adding a rattle or glass beads, or metal rattles and even the round floating rattles can give your plastic bait that extra sound to turn the fish on. Shake your rod gently and the rattle will send sound waves through the water sending out an audible message to nearby hungry bass that will investigate, find your plastic bait and hopefully mistake it for food.

Bass actually do not "bite." They simply inhale the bait. They open their gills and suck in water along with the lure. There are times when the bass are aggressively feeding that you can feel a tug or pull on the line. When this occurs, the bass is actually inhaling your bait. Set the hook!. Other times, your line will feel mushy, as though you are pulling your bait through slimy mud. Set the hook! Either way it's better to be safe than sorry.

When you fish with plastic baits, it is important to know the type of structure you’ll be fishing. Grass beds, rocks, points, reeds, brush, timber, ledges, and docks are some of the structures you will fish. The lures you use fishing these structures differ because of the shape of the body and the tail. Wide-tail worms and grubs leave a wake in the water as you reel in the line. This action attracts the bass when you are fishing sandy or clean-bottom waters, murky water, and grass. Even though the wide tail catches in the grass, the vibration of the large tail attracts bass. This type of tail is also more visible to the fish under certain conditions.

Slim-tailed plastic worms and lizards are used when you fish the edges of grass beds, trees, brush piles, and reeds. This tail slides around and over logs, and will not hang up as easily as thicker tails might in the same type of structure.

Paddle- or flat-tailed baits such as our 6-inch floating worm are effective when fishing over grass. The shape of the tail creates a waving or flapping action under the water, getting the attention of the bass hidden under the grass. It does not get hung up as easily as one with a wider tail because it's flatter in shape and not as likely to cling.

The Twigs have the profile of a caterpillar. Either end can be used as the head when placing it on a hook. When the plastic will no longer stay up on the hook, the bait can be turned upside down, placed on the hook and used again. This can be extremely helpful when the bass are taking only that color of plastic, and it's the last one you have. These baits are used on Carolina and Texas rigs. They can also be fished using a split-shot weight, on light-line rigs, or with no weight at all because they are heavier baits. A 3/0, wide-gap, offset hook with these baits will give maximum penetration when setting the hook.

Scented Swimmin' Frogs or 4-inch Dynamite Frogs hopped over lily pads can attract a bass faster than a topwater bait. Sometimes when the frog slides over the pad, and is allowed to sit on the edge of it, a bass will come straight up out of the water to try to eat it. Be careful and don't set the hook until you feel the bass pull the bait down. It's difficult to stop your immediate reaction of setting the hook, but if you do not wait, the fish will swim away. Use a weed guard-type hook for protection from hooking lily pads and stems, or imbed the point and barb of the hook into the back of the frog to make it weedless.

Fishing with lizards such as our 6-inch scented Smooth Body Lizards, can actually be done year around though many people only fish them in the spring. They can be purchased in any size and color you like to fish with. Real lizards can sit still, run, turn, stop and start on a dime so mimicking this action will get your lure bit. Using lizards in heavy cover can be tedious, but is well worth the patience it takes. Fish them in brush, reeds, and heavy grass. If you fish this bait in deep water, the bass will try to kill and eat the lizard just as it does in shallow water. Just don't forget that year around use of these baits can be very productive, just as they are in the spring. Lizards are normally fished using a Carolina or Texas rig. The Floating Lizard is easily fished in just about any type of cover or structure, lightly weighted or with no weight at all.