Floating worm (trick worm, bright)

A buoyant straight worm in white, pink or yellow, twitched just under the surface so you can watch the fish come — the spawn and post-spawn sight bait.

Soft plastics are the biggest family in bass fishing: 36 shapes, each designed for a rig, a depth and a mood.

• Shape = design purpose: fish, worm, craw, creature, tube, frog
• Finesse tier vs power tier: the same shape at 3.5 in and 7 in is two different techniques
• Tail type decides the action; body decides the fall
• Rig it the way it was designed to be rigged

1. What it is — A 6-7 in straight worm moulded to float (or nearly), in colours you can see from the boat. Weightless on a 4/0 offset hook, it swims just under the surface with a…
2. Designed for — Shallow largemouth in spring: bedding fish, cruisers on flats, fish under overhanging cover. You fish it by sight — the bright colour disappears when the fish has it.
3. Trade-offs — A warm, shallow, clear-water bait only; no depth, no wind.