How to Swim Speed Worms For Bass

Swimming a worm such as the Zoom Speed Worm is an excellent tactic for fishing expansive grass flats. When rigged correctly, it allows you to cover loads of water with minimal fowling. Pro bass angler Wes Logan shows us how to fish the Zoom Speed Worm through scattered hydrilla in open water, but the tactic fishes well through most grass types anywhere in the country, so long as it isn't too thick.
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• PLASTIC - Zoom Ultravibe Speed Worm, color - Junebug, Buy At Omnia Fishing: wired2.fish/3W...
• WEIGHT - ARK Fishing No Chip Insert Tungsten Worm Weights, 1/8- and 1/4-ounce: Buy At Tackle Warehouse: wired2.fish/3k...
• HOOK - Gamakatsu Finesse Heavy Cover Worm Hook, 3/0, Buy At Omnia Fishing: wired2.fish/3H...
• ROD - ARK Invoker Pro Casting Rod, 7'4 Med Heavy Regular Action, Buy At Omnia Fishing: wired2.fish/3R...
• REEL - Lew's Pro Ti SLP Casting Reel, 7.5:1, Buy At Tackle Warehouse: wired2.fish/3B...
• LINE - Sunline Shooter Fluorocarbon,18-pound, Buy At Tackle Warehouse: wired2.fish/2B...
While you can alter your retrieve speed and let it sink into holes or off grass edges like any conventional Texas-rigged worm setup, the swimming tactic is all about covering water in search of roaming or isolated bedding fish that you can't see with the naked eye.
WHERE TO FISH A SPEED WORM
At its core, swimming a worm is nothing more than a Texas-rigged worm straight-retrieved through the water column, like a swim jig or weedless swimbait. That said, you can fish it anywhere you would a conventional weedless Texas rig, such as grass flats, grass edges, and around laydowns and brush piles. The Speed Worm tactic focuses on covering water across grass flats.
It's more subtle than ChatterBaits or swim jigs, so it tends to appeal to a broader range of fish, such as pressured and generally spooky shallow water bass, while having more versatility. You can let it slowly sink into the grass, into holes, and the bait is always in play, whereas bladed jigs lose their effectiveness. You don't let a ChatterBait sink to the bottom and expect to get many bites with it just lying there. You can expect bites on a slow sink and even resting on the bottom with a speed worm, which expands its utility, especially during the spawn.
HOW TO FISH A SPEED WORM
Logan details how to fish a speed worm using a simple straight retrieve. As mentioned, he's constantly feeling and "worming" it through cover, trying to find edges and holes in the grass. He'll slow his retrieve and let it sink into holes, but most of the time, he casts it out and reels it back in. Logan attributes a Speed Worm's popularity to this ease of use. Generally, reel it not too fast, not too slow. We can all do that!
HOW TO RIG A SPEED WORM
Use a 1/8- or 1/4-ounce weight when fishing Speed Worm across grass flats. Naturally, go lighter in shallower water or when you want to keep the lure closer to the surface and heavier when you're fishing deeper or want more depth control, such as in mixed-depth areas. Logan strongly advises using a straight-shank hook over a wide-gap variety. The bend in wide gap hooks is prone to hanging on grass stalks, whereas the straight shank maintains a sleek and streamlined profile that slides through without handing.
BEST ROD AND REEL SETUP
Fishing Speed Worms excels in open water areas, so Logan favors longer rods for improved casting distance and control. His go-to setup is a 7-foot, 4-inch medium heavy rod, but with some give. A powerful crankbait or ChatterBait rod is ideal for Logan, who characterizes himself as jittery and apt to set the hook fast and hard. A more forgiving rod gives the fish a second or two longer with the bait, with the straight shank hook usually buried deep in the mouth or lip. A reel in the 7.1 range is an excellent blend of speed and power for a technique that requires both.
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[@swamp_rat_fla1126]

Staple bait all year here in Florida. Bass Assassin makes a beefy speed worm called the RSB worm. A lot of different colors that Zoom does not offer. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@zachg5356]

How do you retrieve it?

[@BOOTEDUPFLORIDAOUTDOORS]

Only thang I don’t like about the bass assassin RSB is that tail seems to be much more fragile. Maybe I fish it a lil too aggressively through cover though who knows lol

[@live2fishofficial]

I’m going to have to give these more time this year with these tips. I’ve NEVER done well on them here in MI, but maybe I wasn’t fishing them as well as I could have. Definitely going to give them another go this season.

[@tims_always_fishing7117]

I just bought some Yamamoto speed senkos, gonna give em a toss. 🤞

[@JackcatsandbassYT]

I like the regular zoom speed worms with a cut in the tail fished weightless topwater.

[@jacobalbright3715]

Do you just burn it on the surface?

[@JackcatsandbassYT]

@@jacobalbright3715 you can reel it relatively slow. Its a fun technique.

[@arthurdirindinjr1792]

Thanks to YT fisherman channels like this one I have learned more in the last 6 years about bass fishing last 3 years at least 2x more than any previous years than I learned in the previous 50
My knowledge and abilities as a bass fisherman have gone up tremendously and so has my success as a bass fisherman as well talking a 350-400% improvement in not only the numbers of bass I catch but the average size of those bass went way up and most importantly I now catch them all year from March till deer season ends my bass fishing ends come October
Three years ago I was 100% shore fishing a decent sized private lake during peek bass spawn only rule was I couldn't keep ANY bass which was 100% ok with me I stopped keeping any bass over 20 years ago
Along one section of very well shaded shore that was ideal bass spawning habit I spoted over a dozen spawning pairs of bass where ALL the females were 6+ pounds IMO
I T-rigged up a 7" worm and went to work
Made more successful casts into those bedding big momas than I could count and every single time I watched the smaller

[@fishmadpro7210]

I appreciate the tips you've shared on worm. Nice catch BTW👍

[@phoenixw2w]

Speed worms are my go to in heavy timber lakes!

[@phoenixw2w]

@Texxtt1114 bot⬆️

[@gregchilders7643]

I use the mustad 91768 it's a 30 degree wide gap hook with a scewlock

[@paulbowman3845]

Tail should be pointing down though. JS.

[@matthall8378]

Just bought some and that's what I thought??

[@marcuspierantozzi]

Fish that thing weightless.. its LETHAL!

[@garysanderford1572]

You are exactly 💯 I caught tons of fish on this worm

[@davidwilliams1805]

Appreciate the info 👍

[@DFWdarin]

The new Gary speed senko is badass in my opinion

[@johnbutler307]

Thanks for the great tips.

[@Wired2Fish]

You are welcome! Thanks for stoppin by the channel-

[@douglasspickler4925]

NICE WELL DONE. Thanks for sharing.

[@Wired2Fish]

Thanks for tuning in Douglas-

[@douglasspickler4925]

@@Wired2Fish you are welcome, I am hooked 😁

[@bungamawarmerahfishing2708]

Wowww thats so cool my friend

[@Gerberd4936]

What color do people use in these to best imitate a bluegill?

[@zachg5356]

Watermelon red, I typically dye the tail just a little chartreuse to make it pop