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Fishing with grubs can be an effective way to catch bass all year round.
Grubs can be a versatile lure but they can sometimes be overlooked in favor of newer lure styles. There’s always something new that comes along and promises amazing results, right? :/
If you want to catch more bass, having good ole’ traditional grubs in your tackle box can be a big step towards a productive day on the water.
How do you fish them? Read on to find out…
What Sort Of Grubs Should I Use?
Size
Grubs come in a range of sizes, often from around 2 inches to 5 inches. The smaller ones can be ideal for fishing in winter when the temperatures are low, especially if you’re fishing in deeper water.
The larger sizes of grubs can be useful for fishing in and around cover, as well as the ledges next to vegetation or deep water, or both.
Tail Design
Grub lures come in both single tail and double tail designs. The tails are designed to create vibration and movement under the water to attract bass. Both single and double tail grubs provide movement that can often mimic baitfish under the water, with the single tail grub being ideal for slower finesse presentations.
It is also possible to use grubs as trailers, for example on a skirted jig or on a hard bodied lure, as this can often add extra movement to the lure and can make the bass hold the bait for longer because of the texture of the grub.
Color
You’ll find that grub lures come in various colors. The color of grub that will work best will often be similar to the colors that will generally work best with other soft plastic lures.
The best colors will often reflect what the local bass are eating at the time. Natural and light colors can be ideal for fishing in clear water and on bright, sunny days. Dark or bright colors can often work best if the water is murky or if you’re fishing on a cloudy day. Much like worms.
However, each body of water will vary when it comes to what works and what doesn’t, and you may even find that the color of the grub is not important.
What Tackle Is Suited To Grubs?
Rods And Reels
Both baitcasting rods and spinning rods can be used for grub fishing, with a medium heavy power rod being a good choice for a range of presentations. A reel with a gear ratio somewhere in the region of 6:1 can be ideal, but slower reels can also be useful if you’re looking to try slower presentations, for example during the winter.
> Best spinning reels for bass
Line
Light line, around 6 to 10 pounds, can work best when using grub lures.
Braided line might be useful when fishing grubs similar to a swimbait but you could also use a fluorocarbon leader on light braided line if you’re drop shotting, or fishing in particularly clear conditions.
Video: The Ultimate Grub Fishing Finesse Rig
Hooks
When you’re using grub lures, you might want to opt for a lighter hook. A Texas rig or jig head hook can be ideal for a range of presentations, such as in both shallow and deep water and around cover.
Jig heads of around ⅛ to ¼ ounce can be a good choice of size for most presentations.
Rigging Grubs That Bass Will Go For
Drop Shot Rigging
Using a drop shot rig can be an effective way to use grubs, especially if you know the fish are holding out near the bottom.
Smaller grubs may work better in colder water when bass are less active. You may find that making your bait slowly rise and fall rather than move horizontally, could prove to be successful, particularly in the winter.
Texas Rigging
Texas rigging a grub can be a useful way to fish in areas of wood cover or in vegetation, as it can be a weedless presentation. This can be a good choice for rigging larger grubs if you’re targeting larger bass and can be fished alongside weedbeds or ledges.
This can also be a good way to rig your grub if you’re fishing around structure, such as a boat dock.
Jig Head Rigging
This can be a popular way to rig a grub for catching bass, probably because it can be rigged with different weighted heads in order to fish at different depths, giving you more versatility with the lure and your presentation.
Video: How To Rig A Grub / Curl Tail Jig – Basic Angling Tips
This can be an ideal way to rig a grub for fishing in deep water, shallow water or even along the bottom.
Carolina Rigging
A Carolina rig can be ideal for targeting bass that are holding out in deeper water. This can be useful for bass fishing with grubs in the winter, but you might prefer to have your hook exposed rather than weedless so that you can set the hook more easily on lighter bites.
Carolina rigging can also be ideal for trolling in all seasons, as long as you slow down your presentation during the winter, and times when bass may be less active. Most sizes of grubs should work well for this type of rigging.
Video: How To Tie A Carolina Rig
Tips And Techniques To Catch More Bass
1. Try Grubs In Winter
Winter can be a time when bass are less active and will often feed less. However, grubs can be enticing at all times of the year. Carolina rigs can be ideal for winter bass when the water temperatures will tend to be colder and the bass will often be deeper.
Try fishing along ledges between deep water and vegetation.
2. Where To Use Grubs
Grubs can be a versatile lure to use and can generally be used in a range of conditions.
Weedbeds, wood structure, deep and shallow water, ledges and river channels can all be ideal places to use grubs.
3. When To Use Grubs
Again, because of their versatility, grubs can be a productive choice of lure to use at just about any time. You might find that they can be particularly helpful in situations where there is a lot of boat traffic or if the water is frequently fished.
Opting for smaller sized grubs can be useful in busy fishing conditions, as this may encourage bass to bite, as it’s small and may be something it hasn’t been presented with as often as some other baits.
4. Use It As A Swimbait
This can be a great technique to use with grubs, as their tails can often mimic the swimming appearance of baitfish. Cast your grub and give it a minute to sink down a little before you start slowly reeling it in like a swimbait, pausing every so often to give it a life-like appearance.
This technique can be ideal in heavily fished waters or when bass are feeding closer to the surface.
5. Use It As A Trailer
Grubs can be ideal trailers for spinnerbaits, as they can appear like baitfish to bass after the spinnerbait has caught its attention with its noise and vibrations.
Grubs can also be added to skirted jigs to create added dimensions and movement.
> Guide to bass fishing lures 101
In Conclusion
Grubs can be a versatile lure to have with you on any fishing trip. They can be used in a range of conditions and can work well when other baits might not.
Because grubs can be rigged in a variety of ways, it gives you plenty of choice on how you present them.
Try fishing with grubs on your next bass fishing trip and let us know how it goes below. Why not encourage your buddies to give it a go by sharing this with them?