The standard finesse or “trick” worm has been a staple in anglers’ tackle boxes for decades. It’s the bait that shines when fishing gets tough — when you’re just trying to get a bite and salvage the day. There’s a reason nearly every soft-plastic company offers its own 6- to 7-inch finesse, straight-tail worm.
So when the new ownership group at Lake Fork Lures sent me their recently released Pro Flat Finesse Worm, I was particular about what I wanted to see in order to have confidence in this bait. Although the current weather here in Arkansas isn’t ideal for finesse fishing, recent testing tells me this worm is going to find a place quickly in the boxes of anglers who love spinning rod applications.
“Smells Like Money”
The first thing I check with any soft plastic is the smell. Yes, it matters. Just like you appreciate walking into a house smelling dinner after a long day on the water, bass rely heavily on their sense of smell to decide whether they’ll end up in your livewell.
Tearing into the new Pro Flat Finesse Worm, I was immediately hit with a strong aroma of garlic, salt, and that unmistakable “this will catch fish” scent. MLF Pro Jeff Sprague, who has always been big on scenting baits, had a hand in designing this lure, so the heavy scent isn’t surprising. For anglers, that means more time fishing and less time reapplying scent—and more time in the water usually means more bites.
Make no mistake: these baits are loaded.
Those Colors Though…
Lake Fork Lures didn’t hold back on color options. They launched this bait with 10 choices right out of the gate. Some of my go-tos include Red Bug, June Bug Red, and my personal favorite, Green Pumpkin Magic. I’ve always preferred plastics with flakes; I get more bites with a little sparkle, no matter what some dock-talk arguments say. Bass, in my opinion, like things a little bedazzled.
They offer the classics — Green Pumpkin, Junebug, Tomato — and clear-water standbys like Watermelon Candy, Watermelon Red, and Green Pumpkin Swirl. One surprise was the Chartreuse Pepper color. It’s old school, but when the fish move shallow in the spring during the spawn… just tie it on and hold on.
The Whole 9 Yards
The final piece of a great finesse worm is the profile: softness, salt content, thickness, tail size — everything matters. The Pro Flat Finesse Worm checks all the boxes for me.
The plastic is buoyant enough to stand up on a jighead without being so soft that it tears after a fish or two. The head is sized well, so you don’t have to bite any off to rig it cleanly. It’s not too thick or too bulky, so your hookup ratio stays high.
I also love the flat side on the bottom. It gives the worm a more natural motion along the bottom and helps it spiral as it falls — exactly what you want in a finesse presentation.
Shaky Head Anglers: This One’s for You
There are plenty of ways to rig this worm, and you should experiment, but for me the standout is a shaky head. My favorites are the Do-It Molds Howell Finesse Head and the VMC Rugby Head, though screw-lock shaky heads work great too.
After 17 years as a co-angler fishing trails around the country, I’m picky about the finesse worms I use on a shaky head. I’m old-school enough to believe “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” but the Pro Flat Finesse Worm is genuinely an exciting new option. I recommend pairing it with a 1/8- to 1/4-ounce shaky head.
Finesse hooksets can be tricky — light line and soft plastics don’t leave much room for error. I tested both sweep and snap hooksets with this worm, and the best hookup ratio came from reeling down to a tight line and sweeping firmly into the bite.
Give the new Lake Fork Lures Pro Flat Finesse Worm a try. You won’t be disappointed.
