“For Bass on Home Lakes, Fish Mister Twister Plastics with Michael Andres”

Part 1: Bet on the Mister Twister Ribbon Tail Worm

Editor’s Note: Michael Andres of Green Bay, Wisconsin, an avid bass fisherman, fishes the waters near his home, like most bass fishermen these days, because of higher gas prices. Fishing close to home often will produce more big bass than major reservoirs because smaller waters receive less fishing pressure. Too, you can fish them more intensely and learn where to find bass in them during all seasons. This week, Andres will tell us the techniques he’s developed that produce bass in both small and big waters.

Question: Mike, what’s your No. 1 lure for catching bass?

Andres: Most of the time I fish the Mister Twister 7-1/2-inch Ribbon Tail Worm. But toward the summer, I prefer the bigger 9-1/2-inch Ribbon Tail Worm. In the past, my favorite color was red shad, but this year, I’ve caught more bass on the watermelon-seed-colored Ribbon Tail Worm.

Question: How do you decide when to change from a 7-1/2- to a 9-1/2-inch worm?

Andres: When the water temperature warms-up, the grass gets thicker, and the bass hold more to the weedlines than in the weeds. Then the 9-1/2-inch worm produces more bass than the 7-1/2-inch worm, because the bass are more active and want bigger baits at that time of year. Too, in the fall, if the bass bite is on, the bass prefer the 9-1/2-inch worm. Of course, because I like to fish for big bass, I tend to fish bigger worms.

Question: What rod, reel and line do you use when fishing the 7-1/2-inch worm?

Andres: I like a 3/16- or a 1/4-ounce slip sinker Texas-rigged. If we get into a heavy wind, I’ll fish a 3/8-ounce slip sinker. I’m using from a No. 3/0 to a No. 5/0 wide-gap hook on 14-pound-test line with Falcon or St. Croix rods and Shimano reels. But if the grass is beginning to thicken, I’ll use 20- or 40-pound-test braided line. If the milfoil is really heavy, I may use a 3/4-ounce slip sinker to get the worm through the milfoil.

Question: When you use the 7-1/2-inch Ribbon Tail Worm, what size bass do you catch?

Andres: If the bite’s on, and the bass are really hitting the bait well, we can catch largemouth bass from 3- to 5-pounds each.

Question: When you move up to the 9-1/2-inch Ribbon Tail Worm, how do you change the size of your tackle?

Andres: When I’m casting the 9-1/2-inch Ribbon Tail Worm, I’ll be using a No. 5/0 hook on heavier line, like 40-pound-test braided line. Our bigger bass usually will weigh from 3- to 5-pounds each, and in a good day of fishing, I often can catch six bass that will average 3 pounds.