these conditions can be readily found in California, the Westy-which was designed for such is still relatively unknown in that area. that was the case until some very successful pros began to take a closer look at the Westy, especially some of those who made the regular summer trip to lake Mead to compete in the U.S. open tournament. arizona’s John Murray, California’s larry Hopper and i who are all former U.S. open champions consider the Westy an easy-to-use bait. anyone can catch fish with it.
Compared to many other lure types, Westy Worms are very easy to use. according to Westfall, and consistent with the training i received while spending several months fishing the arizona lakes in 1985, the best way to fish the bait is with a series of 1- to 2-foot hops, up off the bottom. Normally, the technique would be a pop of the bait with the rod tip, then carefully watch the line while lowering the rod tip and ”following“ the bait back to the bottom. as you might suspect, many of the strikes are detected by a twitch in the line; however, just as many strikes come as you try to hop the bait along again. There is no bump or tap because the fish just “catch” the bait as it sinks back to the bottom. The Westy Worm definitely has a place in your tackle box. There are times that you can’t get a bite on it. it’s one of those baits that the fish are not always hot for; but when they are ready to gulp one down anyone can catch fish on it. it’s a reaction bite while finesse fishing and it is known to catch some big bass. of course there are other variations. at times, i fish the bait with the rod tip high and hop the bait; but also rock it a little bit, as i move along the bottom. The Westy utilizes a super floater worm on a small, 1/8- or 1/4-oz jig head and keeps a “standup profile” each time the head sinks. Unlike the super floats commonly used in Southern California, these are made with a different plastic formula which is much tougher and frankly doesn’t float real well. Because the bait always lands on its head, it does stand the worm up for a moment and by the time it starts to topple over, the lure is hopped or moved again. The tougher plastic is used because it holds the stinger hook better and doesn’t tear up after a number of fish have been caught. admittedly, it’s an against-the-grain worm rig, especially since Californians tend to like the worms
Issue 2
April 2012
that are so soft they melt off your hook. like the leather tough delongs with which San diegans are familiar, bass don’t seem at all offended by the hardness of the Westy Worm. What’s more, since it has a different action on the bottom, California’s moody bass get a look at something out of the ordinary. Fished with spinning gear and 6- to 8- lb test, the Westy sinks fast, giving it plenty of applications for deep water as well as shallow; however, it has some possible drawbacks. its two, exposed hooks offering more chances for hanging up; although, because it is normally picked for rocky terrain such as what might be found on lake oroville and lake Shasta to the north, or lake Castaic in the south, or lake Mead or lake Mojave on the Colorado river, it is surprisingly snag free. That’s probably a good thing because the Westy Worm carries a higher price tag than most other worms, still, the bait is really a jig and worm, and considering the hand labor involved, in threading through a line in order to add a stinger hook, it is a good value. The “doodle King” don iovino said this about the stinger hooks of the Westy, “When the fish are biting short, they’re history.” Considering his comments and reflecting on my observations of the Westy, you may notice it is a bait that may deserve a closer look. You can find the Westy Worm at lobinalures.com
Mike Folkestad is a 3-time US Open champion and well-known finesse fisherman. He is sponsored by Daiwa, Ranger, Mercury, Motorguide, Roboworm, Rico, Reactor Watch, Seaguar Line, and Angler’s Marine. Check out his blog/website at www.MikeFolkestad.net
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