Straight-tail worm

The plain worm: no tail action, so it does exactly what your rod tells it — the finesse worm on a shaky head, drop shot, Neko or light Texas rig.

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 slim, round worm with a tapered straight tail, 4-10 in. Salt content sets the fall; a floating-tail version stands up on a shaky head.
2. Designed for — Pressured and clear-water fish that refuse action: shaken in place on a shaky head or Neko rig, dragged on a light Texas rig, nose-hooked on a drop shot. The 6-7 in…
3. Trade-offs — It does nothing on its own — a bad choice for covering water or muddy water. That is the point.