The Culprit T-Rex worm was actually designed by me long ago and has been around quite a while now. I wanted a finesse-style worm, but with more bulk for better casting, skipping and big fish appeal. The texture was carefully designed and tested to move more water and attract bass in more stained water than finesse worms where intended.
Everything about this worm is great. I use it year round, yet I use it more frequently in the spring and summer months.
In spring I often fish it weightless or wacky with a nail weight. Its bulk allows it to skip and cast easily even when rigged weightless. I fish it in and around spawning areas, and it is often my go-to bait for finding fish, quickly fishing it under water in walk-the-dog fashion.
In summer I fish T-Rex bait in several ways.
First on a Shakey head. The T-Rex is great fished in this manner both offshore when fish get finicky or fished around docks and points. I like spinning gear for this method, but this worm is big enough to use casting gear if preferred.
The Carolina rig is also overlooked by everyone these days it seems, but the T-Rex is my go-to for summer C-rig applications, like shallow ditches, scattered weeds on flats, or big flats and points. The C-rig is good in areas that may have a softer bottom or when searching for little hard spots that hold more fish. C-rigging can be a really fast way to find shell beds and other hard spots if you use a really heavy weight and fish it quickly. I often use a light one for shallow flats. Flats in the 4- to 8-foot range are overlooked and can hold huge schools of feeding fish. You are basically looking for a sweet spot with something different.
The other way I find extremely effective is finesse flipping. This is a method of fishing shallow heavy cover, but with a T-Rex instead of a jig or creature bait. This is a deadly combo especially after you have established a good area, and need to rotate back through, or fish behind other anglers. The T-Rex has the bulk to hold a hook well and the texture to move more water and attract fish in heavy cover. It doesn’t need as heavy of a weight as other flipping baits, and I often just use a 3/16- or 1/4-oz. pegged and a 4/0 offset hook.
There are great color options in the T-Rex, and you will find the perfect choice for all colors of water. I use Sapphire Blue for cloudy days in clearer water. June Bug and Red Shad are my favorite in stained water. Black is my go-to for Muddy Water. When the sun pops out or the water is clear or stained consider using Green Pumpkin, Red Bug, Watermelon and other natural colors.
by Dustin Wilks