Rigging Berkley Worms

Going out to Cambria on Sat, decided to give the Berkley gulp worms a try since they're all the rage

Problem is, not sure how to rig it up.  Carolina/Texas rig?   Hi-Low with a swimbait?  Targeting your standard rockfish (reds, lings, cabbies, etc.).  Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jon

 You need something to get it down past the blacks and blues and work the bottom. So I would use something like a hair-raiser(striper jig with bucktail collar) If the worms have a paddle tail the action would help. Swim it and bump the bottom once in a while, make sure you have weight to match the drift. Most Black bass techniques that hit the bottom work on lings,reds,cabs,coppers,if you want blacks and blues you could swim it higher in the water column as a spinnerbait trailer (fun on lite tackle).
 

You need something to get it down past the blacks and blues and work the bottom. So I would use something like a hair-raiser(striper jig with bucktail collar) If the worms have a paddle tail the action would help. Swim it and bump the bottom once in a while, make sure you have weight to match the drift. Most Black bass techniques that hit the bottom work on lings,reds,cabs,coppers,if you want blacks and blues you could swim it higher in the water column as a spinnerbait trailer (fun on lite tackle).
 

Hmmm, interesting, but I would think a 1.5 to 2oz jig head look a bit weird on such a small plastic (6" sandworm).  I was thinking the weight would need to be more be away from the lure.  Here's something like what I've got.  Would that kind of setup still work?

Going out to Cambria on Sat, decided to give the Berkley gulp worms a try since they're all the rage

Problem is, not sure how to rig it up.  Carolina/Texas rig?   Hi-Low with a swimbait?  Targeting your standard rockfish (reds, lings, cabbies, etc.).  Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jon

 Your high, low approach with a swimbait is probably your best option. The carolina and texas rigs will probably snag too much if fished normally(on the bottom ,slow).
 Up here in norcal I fish 3-4oz in water depths 50-100ft to drop through the blues and blacks and get on the bottom, sometimes up to 12oz if conditions warrant it.
 A party boat trick is to use the 2-2.5oz heads on swimbaits and cast up against kelp or rocks and let it swim down as you drift.Customer doesn't have to work the lure, just reel when you feel a bite and don't set till it pulls(if you feel the need).
 
 

Hey Jon,

I use the gulp 5" squid on a leadhead and the 3&4" gulp shrimp on a leadhead, that work really well for me. I have caught quite a few big reds out of leffingwell on the 3" gulp shrimp on a 1.5 to 2 ounce leadhead.  have not tried the sand worms yet.  I would think if you filed down the barbs right below the leadhead to make the hook shaft skinny you could rig those right on the leadhead and they would look like a sand eel or something.  I wish I could get out there with you on sat, but I  thinking i'm heading up to mill Creek either sat or sun.  Good luck out there.