I have to really sock it to the fish with the rod butt and the line hand in order to pull the hook point through the plastic bait and into the bass' jaw and any slack at all will thwart that effort. This is probably the most highly-skilled aspect of the whole operation and the most important. Anyone intending to bass fish with the fly rod should attend one of Dave Whitlock's seminars or watch his videos. In addition to the meaty texture, the next best thing about soft plastic imitations is the fact that they are absolutely weedless, which doubtless accounts for a significant part of their success. I find four-inch baits completely satisfactory.
Some soft plastic is formulated to either sink or float.
Since we use no weight, we must be sure to get the sinking versions. There are scores, maybe hundreds of brands. It's a multimillion dollar business and the industry produces an endless variety of plastic lures of every kind. All rights reserved.