Most anglers don’t really think about finesse worms until they need them. I’ve certainly been guilty of this in the past, but I’ve been spending a lot of time getting my finesse gear ready lately. Old Man Winter is coming and when he arrives, fishing is going to get tough in a lot of areas. Those tiny ol’ finesse worms are going to come in handy.
I’ve been testing the new NetBait Contour Worm for the last few weeks and I think it’s certainly something that should be on your radar. It has the action and appearance of a hand-poured worm but it’s more durable and affordable.
Here’s what I think after using them for a while.
The rundown
The NetBait Contour Worm comes in three sizes: 3 1/2-inch, 4 3/4-inch and 6-inch. Regardless of your preferred size, you get 10 per pack for $4.29. After a little tinkering, I’ve found the 3 1/2-inch size is best for drop shotting, the 4 3/4 inch is best for shaky heads and the 6-inch is pretty darn good on a lightweight Texas rig.
It has an attractive, contoured profile—hence the name—and is ribbed throughout. The ribs seem to help the worm bend and flex a bit easier, which is why it has such a lifelike appearance underwater. The colors are also something to behold: There are six to choose from and they all look outstanding, much like custom hand-poured colors. The colors are also consistent, so you’re not digging through your bag looking for the perfect color combination.
My thoughts
I’ve spent a considerable amount of time messing around with this worm in very shallow, clear water and what I’ve found is impressive. It takes very little rod movement—if any—to make this worm dance and undulate underwater. You don’t necessarily have to move the worm with your rod; you can simply pop the slack in your line. It sounds a little weird, but its unique profile allows it to appear quite graceful underwater. It’s mildly hypnotizing.
I think the durability of the Contour Worm will both impress and surprise a lot of anglers. Lots of soft hand-poured worms sacrifice durability to achieve a more lifelike action, but this particular worm strikes an intriguing balance. It’s not uncommon to catch up to 4 or 5 fish on a single Contour Worm.
The colors are really interesting. Each option has a level of translucence to it, so it tends to change colors depending on the type of environment you’re fishing. It’s an interesting concept and one that has caught a lot of fish for me.
When you’re fishing it in clear water, the colors become very natural and non-imposing but when it’s in somewhat stained water, they’ll take on a darker hue and become a bit more visible.
Final impression
This worm has proven to be an outstanding option when you’re faced with finicky bass. Whether you’re drop-shotting over deep rock, casting a shaky head into brush or even skipping boat docks, I think folks are going to get a bunch of bites on this worm.
The NetBait Contour Worm is available at TackleWarehouse.com.
