Lets finish up our look at the basics of lure selection, with soft plastics.

Soft plastic baits cover a wide range of applications and have the greatest number of variables. And, like the previous baits we’ve covered, have more uses than we will cover, but the thought with these columns is along the lines of  basics.

The first group we will look at is worms. I will reference mostly Zoom baits, but you can cross reference to a similar bait of another brand. The Finesse and Trick worms are a staple. The U-tale worm is another constant through the years. These worms can be fished Texas rig, Carolina rig, drop shot, etc.

Translucent colors are very good for our mostly clear waters of Western North Carolina. Green Pumpkin, Watermelon, Pumpkinseed, June bug, and Salt and Pepper are excellent choices. The Trick worm is also good in Bubble Gum, White, Merthiolate and Black.

The 6-inch SS lizard in the above translucent colors is a very good choice as well. Along with pumpkinseed/Chartruese tail or Firetail.
The fluke style soft jerkbaits are one of my favorite baits. The Super Fluke and Super Fluke Jr. are the best sizes. Albino Shad, White, Watermelon, Smokin’ Shad and Baby Bass are the colors to get. Fluke baits can be fished from the surface to the bottom, and anywhere in between.

Creature baits change from year to year, but the Yum Wooly Bug, a Sweet Beaver imitation works good as a stand alone bait or trailer. Zoom Brush Hogs work well too. The green colors are a good choice, (sounds like a broken record right?)

The Ultra vibe baits put out much more vibration than the more subtle baits mentioned above; these baits work when the fish need a little something extra to provoke a bite. The Speed craw and Speed worm are good to have when the fish quit biting. These baits can sometimes get you bites when fished fast enough to make the tails thump.

The last soft plastic we will look at is the Senko. This worm looks rather dull in the pack, but it is something extraordinary when it is fished properly. The extra heavy worm is designed to be fished wieghtless where it will slowly wobble on the fall. Wacky rigging and Texas rigged/no sinker is the most effective. Green Pumpkin, Watermelon and June Bug colors are hard to beat.

Don’t be overwhelmed by all the choices in baits and colors. Will they all catch fish? Believe it or not they will. But the tried and true baits and colors are what you want to spend most of your time fishing. Time on the water is valuable, and most of us don’t have enough of it. And while I recommend and practice experimenting on the water, you will more than likely catch more fish by sticking to the basics.