Here are some of my plastic worm insights:
I love fishing plastic worms it's usually my go to lure when fishing is tough. And why all off the sudden did almost everybody stop using a texas rig? As soon as dropshotting became popular it seemed almost everybody stopped using a texas rigged worm. Ummm they still work
I know I've mentioned it a few times but I'm gonna say it again because I feel anyone who is serious about plastic worm fishing(dropshot or texas) will benifit greatly from it and should have this in their arsenal! Team Daiwa TD-X finesse rod! Best rod I've used for worms (even better than my steez) it shines with 6-12lb line and bullet/dropshot weights 1/4oz and less. 1/8oz is what I use 95% of the time. It's a casting rod specifically designed for dropshotting and finesse techniques. The rods action really helps throw smaller/lighter lures, and because it's a casting rod you get the increased casting control and acuracy. I originally had it paired with a older team daiwa reel that wore out, then a abu garcia revo (both are good matches). If I had to choose one rod for fishing wilson it would be this one because it also works well for med to small topwaters, med diving cranks, soft and hard jerkbaits and it's even alright with finesse jigs like the bitsybug. It's on the pricier side @ $189 but it's well worth it. I've had mine since 2006 and it's held up very well. I'm going to be getting 2 more in the next few months, for top waters and so I don't have to re rig from drop shot to texas rigs. It also has an extremely comfortable handle which might not seem all that important, but after a 8 to 10 hour fishing day where all I used was my worm rod it really helps cut down on the fatigue in my hands.
I'm a fan of the p-line mono flouro line too and I agree that 8lb line is probably the all around best for worming(camo line is another good worming line). I'll go to 6lb in clear water and up to 12lb in dirty water and if I'm fishing heavier cover. If I feel I need more than 12lb line I go to my flipping or pitching rods that have 20lb flouro or 20/30lb braid. I really love the feel of 100% flouro while worming but I break the line way too often on the hookset.
I think a hard powerfull hookset is super important for texas rigged baits especially with lighter lines because they stretch more, I will reel down and drop my rod as soon as soon as I detect a strike, then I even take a step back as I set to get even more more on the hook set. Also depending on how soft and thick the plastic is a hard hook set is key to getting your hook into the fishes mouth. Roboworm rebarb hooks are awesome hooks for finesse worms and regular ribbontails. You don't really have to worry about ripping the hook out like with trebel hook lures either so pull as hard as you want. I don't set as hard when I drop shot because I use much smaller mosquito hooks and I just nose hook my worms, they hook fish without much power but they will pull out if you pull too hard. You could probably just reel and not set much at all but it has become almost thoughtless for me to set as hard as I can.
Unlike filthyfisherman I will go super slow while I worm. But I usually don't use a worm to cover water, I like to use them in areas I know are fish are holding and holding in
deeper water. A plastic worm is probably best for that, a jig is pretty good too. Fliping and pitching is another good way to really pick apart an area but more so in shallow water, fish will usually bite on the initial fall or during the begining of your retieve so it's a great way to cover water quickly.
Hand poured worms I think are far better than mass produced worm. Except maybe roboworms, but they are esentially a mass produced hand pour.
