“Working With Your Worms”

 

Darn few if any bass baits have put a bigger dent in the bass population than those made of plastic.

I’m talking about the plastic worms, grubs, lizards and all the rest of the realistic replicas of things bass, both largemouth and smallmouth, just love to eat. You’re a cinch to find an assortment of them in the tackle boxes of every bassin’ man who knows the difference between a catfish and a clinch knot.

I’ve known plastic bait makers who weren’t all that deeply into bass fishing. They had to depend on somebody else to tell them what lures did this and those that did that. There are exceptions, of course, and one of them supervises the production of the plastic baits I’ve personally used to put a bunch of bass in my boat.

That individual is Tony Tantalo, the vice president of Outlaw Baits. Outlaw Baits, as more and more anglers around the country are discovering, is based in Florence, Oregon. That’s no accident. Florence, you see, is located right on the Oregon Coast and smack in the middle of about 20 lakes. Darn near all of those lakes have bass populations.

When Tony Tantalo isn’t up to his elbows supervising the production of Outlaw Bait’s plastic fish-catchers he’ll likely be out fishing. He’ll be on one or another of the area’s lakes pitching his own baits at bass. I know what I’m talking about because I’ve shared a boat with him. Participating as an observer time after time in some of the nation’s most prestigious bass fishing tournaments gives me reason to think I know an expert bass angler when I see one. Though he’s not a tournament angler himself, Tantalo would hang right in there if he were.

I always enjoy spending time with bait builders who spend as much time fishing their products as you and I do. Tantalo does exactly that. The last time I visited with this friendly bait-building expert I asked him about some of the most common mistakes he sees bass anglers make in handling soft plastic lures.

“There are a number of basic points to consider if you want to get the best of your plastic baits,” Tantalo says. “They’re things you should get into the habit of doing every time you’re on the water. Newcomers to bass fishing are especially prone to have problems. Most of the time their problems could easily have been avoided.”

What are some of those problems? “One,” Tantalo says, “is when you leave your plastic lures laying around on the deck of your boat where the sun’s rays can get at them.”

As Tantalo points out, light colored worms will sometimes fade if so exposed. “Lures of a watermelon shade are especially sensitive,” he says. “Leave them out in the sun for extended periods and they’ll change colors.”

Tantalo also urges anglers to separate their worms in suitable containers. “Keep your light colors together,” he says. “If you mix different colored worms there’s a chance some of those worms will “bleed” into others. I favor the see-through type of containers that enable you to tell at a glance the type and color of baits a box contains.”

Separate your plastic worm colors and use a container that lets them lay straight when stored.

Tantalo says there are others things a thoughtful angler will do. One is to always make certain the containers they’re using for their plastics permit the lures to lay out straight. Don’t store them in a bent or twisted position. If you do, especially when the weather is hot, you might be disappointed when it’s time to put those lures to work. It may be impossible to straighten them out.

Don't do what you see here.  Keep your light and dark plastics in separate parts of your tackle containers.

Using care with plastics became even more important when bait-builders started mixing salt with the other ingredients. Outlaw Baits are loaded with salt. Salt, of course, will rust things in a hurry and that applies to fish hooks and other angling gear every bit as much as anything else.

“Always take time to remove salted lures from your hooks and jig heads when you’re done fishing,” Tantalo says. “If you fail to do so you’ll likely wind up with a lot of rust and it only takes a couple of days for it to happen. It’s a darn good idea to also let your salt impregnated lures dry out before you put them away. When they are stored, keep your salted baits in separate containers.”

Outlaw Baits plastic baits are loaded with salt.  Remove hooks or jig heads from your plastic baits when the fishing trip is over.  You run the risk of rusted hooks if you don't.

Today’s angler needn’t worry about placing his plastic lures in the plastic boxes designed to hold them. Believe me, that is not how it was when plastic worms first came on the scene many years ago. At that time not all tackle boxes were “worm proof.” I remember what happened the first time I got my hands on some plastic worms. I stuck them in one of my tackle boxes for winter storage. When I opened that box in the spring I discovered those new worms had melted the trays they were in. What a mess!

Similar things can still happen. Those little plastic boxes that hold Tic-Tac breath mints make dandy containers for small tackle items like snaps, split shot, etc. I often use them for that purpose. But don’t put one of them in your tackle box where it can come in contact with plastic baits. I did and again wound up with an unnecessary problem. The worms ate their way through the Tic-Tac box and left a gooey mess in the process. I won’t make that mistake again.

Not all plastic containers are worm proof.  Tic Tac breath mint boxes like the one pictured here are an example.  When empty these little boxes make dandy containers for small items of gear like snaps, small weights, etc., but be sure they don't come in contact with your plastic baits. The worms will melt the plastic container if stored where they touch.

That’s why, as Tantalo points out, it’s still a darn good idea to use care with your plastic baits. “Don’t let them make contact with other plastic items you’re not sure about,” he says. “Keep them in containers designed for their storage and you’ll be in good shape.”

Plastic lures are here to stay. Day in and day out they are as effective as anything you can hang on a hook. Give them the care they deserve. The bass might not be all that happy about it---but you will.

-end-

copyright 2005 Outlaw Baits  Florence, Oregon    EMAIL