So on to the best soft plastic riggings and colors for springtime bass — a loaded topic for Gerald “GMAN” Swindle, as regional preferences are many, but the boss shares some genius that will help you catch more bass this spring (and beyond). Swindle starts by sharing his go-to wacky rigging setup when fishing around cover (namely grass and wood). His “Texas rig wacky rig” (a slight misnomer, but we like it! ) adds a pegged bullet weight to an otherwise weedless setup, which delivers faster fall rates and accuracy, a plus around the spawn.
TACKLE USED
Wacky Worm Setup
- WORM – Zoom Trick Worm, color – Red Bug
- HOOK – VMC Ike Approved Weedless Wacky Hook
- O-RING – VMC Crossover Ring, size 4mm
- WEIGHT – VMC Tungsten Worm Weight
- PEG – VMC Sinker Stop
Floating Worm Setup
- WORM – Zoom Magnum Trick Work
- HOOK – VMC Drop Dead Weighted Hook, 4/0
- ROD – 13 Fishing Prototype currently under development, 6’9″ MH
- ROD (alternate) – 13 Fishing Omen Black 3 Spinning Rods, 6’10” Med Lt
- REEL – Shimano Vanford (replaces Stradic)
- LINE (braided mainline) – Sunline SX1 Braided Line Hi-Vis Yellow, 10-pound
- LINE (fluorocarbon leader) – Sunline Shooter Fluorocarbon, 8- to 10-pound
In addition to his terminal tackle setup, Swindle discusses why he prefers wacky rigging with a Trick Worm over a standard stickbait. Color can also have a significant impact when wacky rigging in the spring, with natural colors being a safe all-around bet and shades of red performing well during low light. Swindle’s color preference shifts to brighter colors when fishing floating worms. He prefers shad-imitating colors in hues of white when fishing floating worms and flukes.
