A standard Trick Worm, or straight tail worm, is a soft bait that has stood the test of time and is a consistent producer at every level year in and year out. It’s place in bass fishing is not underrated in anyway as it has landed many bass, and many big bass. With such a versatile bait, it’s hard to list all the many ways that it can be fished, but I’ll attempt to assemble my top three ways to rig this bait throughout the fall, as well as any other time of year.

Weightless T-Rig

This classic option is a classic for a reason! It’s simple to rig, simple to fish, and will straight up catch plenty of bass hanging around shallow cover. In fact, it’s so simple that whenever I recommend gear and advice to new anglers and kids, this is where I start them. No weight is needed, simply attach an EWG worm hook to your line and thread the worm on as with any other Texas Rigged bait. I will change hook size depending on conditions and how the fish bite. A 3/0 will allow you to work the bait higher in the water column while a 5/0 gets it a little deeper and helps hook a few more fish if they’re short striking your bait.

Neko Rig

I was slow to come around to the Neko fad because that’s how I am with anything new, but as it turns out this is one effective rig that can be useful in shallow water as well as deeper water. All a Neko rig is, is a wacky rig with a nail or screw weight in the nose of the bait. It offers a deadly, finesse approach to targeting pressured or finicky bass and by simply adding a little heavier weight, it becomes extremely effective on fish hanging around the deeper edge of docks or any other cover.

Shaky Head

Especially as we head into fall, a shaky head finds a special place on the deck of my boat. It has been a life saver many times for myself, and others I am sure. The Buckeye Spot Remover is a fantastic option as far as shaky heads go, as is the Buckeye Spot remover Pro which I prefer due to the screw lock to securely hold your worm better. Anytime that I am targeting slightly deeper fish, say 8-10’ and deeper, this rig is within arm’s length at all times.

While this list only scratches the surface, these rigging options for this bass fishing staple are simple, effective, and productive for beginners as well as seasoned pros.