Shadow Pitching Plastic Worms for Bass

With 61 degrees and bluebird skies, I didn't expect to catch any, but soon connected with a bass more than 14 inches, the 7 1/2-inch Culprit watermelon traditional worm (but slender) pitched just beyond line of shadow. The idea is to place the worm in sunlit water just beyond shade. Bass in the relative safety and ambush point of darkness see the worm in the light, rush out and take.

After photographing and releasing this first bass, I tossed the worm to the side, again placing it just beyond shade. The line jumped and swiftly moved out, I let it tighten, set the hook and was into a good fish. I tape measured the bass at 17 inches.

All told, I fished about a half hour. I missed another hit coaxed the same way. I hadn't much time, but today I felt that had I progressed through the sticks, making spot-on pitches and short casts; I could have caught another or two.