The little worm that could - try it!

The encounter 15 years ago is still fresh in my mind.

Derek walked up to me in a local tackle store and asked if I was the guy who writes for the Daily Herald and does an outdoors radio talk show?

I quietly answered in the positive because I often become embarrassed when asked that question in public. I didn't want others in the store to hear the conversation.

"I took your advice and bought a couple of those small, plastic worms you described in an article, and I will honestly tell you that was the best lure buy I ever made, all because I've caught lots of big bass," Derek exclaimed. "And I'm here to buy more of them."

It was about 20 years ago when local angler Rich Reinhardt turned me on to these worms. I purchased a dozen in various colors and proceeded to plumb the weed lines of Bangs Lake.

The results were unreal. Friend Roger Pulkka and I caught and released more legitimately 5-pound largemouth bass in one year than I caught in all of my angling years. I also caught my first 7-pounder there as well, and a platoon of 6-pound fish too.

Up until those first outings, I had been a "Texas-rig" bass fisherman, in that I stuck with a bullet-head, slip-sinker, jumbo bass hook and the traditional, 7- to 10-inch plastic worm.

I caught lots of bass with the "older" rig, but when I included the Little Action Mac into my repertoire, it was if the sky had opened and started raining jumbo fish.

I know there are quite a few experienced bass fishermen reading this. I also suspect each and every one of you has a favorite lure setup, a go-to routine with a special lure that has come through for you at various times.

I will never argue with someone's success on the water, especially when the pictures are spread out on a kitchen table. But one unique experience some years back opened the eyes of Ron Lindner on one of his favorite bass lakes near Brainerd, Minn.

Roger drove to the Brainerd area while I took care of some business at the old In-Fisherman Headquarters.

Lindner suggested we "hop" different lakes until we found a suitable bite. The third lake we worked proved to be the clincher.

Ronald maneuvered the boat to weed edge and started casting the old, Minnesota stand by, a plain jig head and a 7-inch worm. Roger and I covered the same area with different colored Little Action Mac worms.

Lindner wasn't having any success, and he was ready to move to another area. I suggested he hold off for a couple of minutes until I finished working some heavy weed pockets.

On my last retrieve, a big largemouth grabbed the Little Action Mac and headed for deeper water. The fish scaled out at 4 pounds. A half-dozen more casts to the same location produced two more nice fish.

By that time Lindner asked me if I had any more of these worms. I gave him a handful.

Look, this worm is not the cure-all lure. The corkscrewing action is what apparently triggers strikes. I suggest going to this worm when your regular routine isn't coming through for you.

By the way. Before I gave Lindner the worms, he pooh-poohed my suggestion that he switch baits.

I even went as far to offer a wager of $5 to the one who caught the biggest bass.

I didn't have the heart to keep his money, but it sure was fun watching him catch fish.

angler88@comcast.net