Big Wormin’ During The Postspawn
from The Fishing Wire

“I always have a 10″ Power Worm tied on during the postspawn because it’s just one of those baits that the bass will eat.” – Scott Ashmore

Broken Arrow, OK – Elite Series pro Scott Ashmore lists a 10″ Berkley PowerBait Power Worm as his confidence bait when it comes to targeting postspawn largemouth.

“The big worm really starts to shine when the water temperature approaches 80-degrees, regardless of where you’re fishing across the country,” explains the Oklahoman, who has amassed over $120,000 in career earnings. “After spawning, the bass begin migrating to main lake points and ledges, and a 10″ Power Worm is the best bait that I’ve found to intercept bass during that transition period.”

Ashmore begins his search for schools of postspawn largemouth by looking at prime spawning areas in the backs of creeks or pockets. “Bass will use the same routes to leave the spawning areas that they used to enter the spawning areas earlier in the spring,” states Ashmore. “If you can identify where they spawned, you have a starting point where you can slowly begin working towards the main lake, combing classic postspawn areas like secondary points and subtle ledges.”

Another key underwater feature that Ashmore likes to target when searching for postspawners on manmade fisheries is ditches or creek beds running into pockets that were created before the lake was filled. “They’re natural migration routes that the bass use year after year,” he points out.

Covering water is a key component to success during the postspawn, and Ashmore believes that there’s not better tool for the job than a Carolina-rigged 10″ worm fished with a 2′ to 3′ leader and ¾ oz. tungsten weight. “In the heat of the summer, I’ll throw a Texas-rigged 10″ worm with a ½ oz. bullet weight and catch fish all day long out of isolated brushpiles,” he explains. “But during the postspawn when the fish are not as target oriented, a Carolina-rig allows me to cover more water and find those groups of cruising bass that are in transition.”

The majority of the time, Ashmore relies on 20-pound-test Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon line for both his main line and Carolina-rig leader. “I like 20-pound-test fluorocarbon because most of the time my line is dragging across rocks and the weight is bouncing on the line,” he states. “If I’m fishing in really clear water, I’ll drop down to 15-pound-test 100% Fluorocarbon for my leader.”

As a general rule, darker colors like Red Shad and Plumb get the nod. “Red Bug seems to work well on some of the southern fisheries like the St. Johns River, and Blue Fleck is probably my favorite color on Oklahoma lakes,” explains Ashmore.

When it comes to hook selection, he pairs the meaty 10″ worm with a light wire 5/0 or 6/0 wide gap worm hook. Ashmore believes that the light wire allows for easier hook penetration when setting the hook at long distances, and it also gives the worm a more realistic action and allows the bait to flow naturally through the water.

On the topic of a natural appearance, Ashmore has difficulty explaining exactly why bass have an affinity for 10″ worms. “All I can say is that I guess a 10″ worm puts a little mystery in the ballgame,” he states with a chuckle. “I don’t think the bass really know what they’re looking at when they see a big worm, so it generates a reaction bite. All I know is that they eat the bait and that I have a lot of confidence in it. Beyond that, I don’t try to over think it.”