Given that real night crawlers are incidental items in a bass’ natural diet, we are left to speculate why a lure maker first created baits that resembled "worms.” Early fake worms were made of a rubber compound and rigged on a spinner. When a plastic formula came along, a new world of worming opened.

Today there are soft-plastic worms in all lengths, colors, thicknesses and body styles. Most do not resemble a night crawler, but they catch bass because of how and where they are presented.

Professional angler Dave Lefebre of Pennsylvania knows a thing or two about rigging and fishing plastic worms for bass. In a few short years, he has won more than $1 million on the FLW tour alone, with worm presentations figuring prominently in collecting a paycheck.

"As a lure group, worms are incredibly versatile,” Lefebre said. "Depending on rigging, worms can be fished many ways and directed at either aggressive or non-aggressive fish. Bass strike a vibrating, squirming, dancing plastic worm because it looks like live prey to them – but not necessarily a night crawler. The angler’s job is to figure out the best worm rig for the situation.”

Here are five of Lefebre’s must-have rigs.

Texas Rig

Lefebre: "The Texas Rig helped launch the bass-fishing revolution back in the 1960s. Although a classic, this rig gets an update every few years with improved hooks and weight systems. Select a hook size based on the worm’s thickness and length, and one that securely holds the worm in place. I prefer black painted tungsten weights and carry them in (a wide variety of) sizes. I peg the weight with a toothpick 99 percent of the time. Cast, flip, pitch or skip this worm on lines from 10- to 17-pound test. The retrieve is usually some form of lift-drop or pull-shake.”

Application: For fishing heavy cover at any depth, but especially shallow visible targets like vegetation, deadfalls and brush.

Worm: A 6- to 8-inch twister-tail for action and vibration. Examples: Zoom U-Tail, Yum Ribbontail.

Hook: Gamakatsu Round Bend Offset, Eagle Claw Z-Bend, Owner 5135 TwistLOCK are a few, in sizes from 3/0 to 5/0.

Weight: Typically a one-sixteenth- to one-half-ounce cone sinker based on depth and cover.

Rigging: Slip a cone-shaped sliding weight on line and tie on an appropriately sized offset hook.  Thread head of worm onto hook point, bringing point out one-quarter inch down worm, slide worm over knot. Rotate hook, pierce worm again and bring hook through body and out other side. Align hook so the point parallels the outside of the worm, then slip the tip of the point barely under the plastic skin (Tex-posed).

Carolina Rig

Lefebre: "The Carolina Rig has been around almost as long as the Texas Rig, but the 1- to 3-foot separation between the weight and worm offers freer bait movement. For me, this is a deep-water deal, using a heavy weight to interpret the bottom – looking for hard bottom areas that might hold bass. It also allows me to cover ground quickly when searching for bass. With the worm slightly elevated above the bottom, this is the rig when confronted with slimy moss, short grass or other junk that might obscure a worm smack on the bottom. I use a pull-pause retrieve, keeping the sinker in contact with the bottom.”

Application: Water depths from 10 to 30 feet, to find hard bottom, minor breaks or isolated objects that likely hold bass.

Worm: Use a 7- to 12-inch worm, either straight or swimming tail.

Hook: Any hook used with a Texas Rig will work.

Weight: one-half- to 1-ounce egg-style.

Rigging: Use 15-pound fluorocarbon or heavier for main line. Slip a heavy egg-style sinker on the line followed by a bead; tie a strong swivel onto the line. To the other end of the swivel, tie a 24- to 30-inch leader of same pound-test. Tie the hook to the leader and rig the worm Tex-posed on the hook.

Drop-Shot Rig

Lefebre: "What sets the Drop-Shot Rig apart from other rigs is the fact the bait is above the sinker between the weight and the rod tip. This is primarily a vertical presentation that is highly effective in deep water for all three species of bass, but especially for spotted and smallmouth. I see the fish on the sonar, and drop the rig to them; I do not cast and drag it. When the weight settles on the bottom, I let the line go slack so the worm falls. Then I pull it tight, and once again give slack line to the worm. Other times I shake the line – shake the line, not the sinker.”

Application: Generally for deep-water fish visible on the fish finder (depths of 15 to 40 feet).

Worm: A variety of worms in the 3- to 5-inch range may be used. Examples: Berkley Gulp! 5-inch Leech (one of Lefebre’s top picks), 3-inch Yum Dinger.

Hook: Special hooks designed for drop-shotting in sizes 4 to 1/0. Examples: Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap, Owner Mosquito Hook.

Weight: Special clip-on weights ranging from three-sixteenths to one-half ounce. Examples: XCalibur Tungsten Drop-Shot Weights, Lunker City Bakudan Drop-Shot Weights, Owner Down Shot Sinkers.

Rigging: Tie a drop-shot hook on the line with a Palomar knot, allowing a 3-foot tag end. Using a specialized drop-shot weight, clip it to the line from 10 to 30 inches below the worm. The worm is generally nose-hooked leaving the hook point exposed. However, around deep grass or brush, the worm may be rigged Tex-posed on a light-wire offset hook.

Wacky Rigged

Lefebre: "Wacky rigging is simply sticking a hook through the worm’s midsection and out the other side. This allows both ends to wiggle as it falls; sometimes referred to as ‘butterfly’ action. Worms used for wacky rigging are generally blunt-end stick worms, although small straight-tail worms are sometimes employed. Wacky worms may be fished weightless with plain hook or weighted with specially designed jigheads. Weightless wacky-rigged baits are fished in shallow water, while weighted ones on jigheads (referred to as flick shakin’) may be fished down to 20 feet or more.”

Application: For non-aggressive bass. Weightless wacky-rigged worms often are used pre- through post-spawn while bass are shallow but also can be effective any time of year around cover. Weighted wacky-rigged worms target deeper fish through the season.

Worm: Primarily 4- and 5-inch stick worms. Examples: Yamamoto Senko, Yum Dinger, Strike King Ocho.

Hook for weightless rigging: Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap, Mustad Weedless Wacky, Owner Wacky Worm Hook in sizes 1/0 to 3/0.

Heads for weighted rigging: Gamakatsu Wacky Head Hook.

Rigging: Find the halfway point of the worm’s length and run the hook through the center.

Shaky Head

Lefebre: "Shaky-head worm fishing allows anyone to catch bass on light-line spinning tackle. Rig it on a specially designed shaky head, cast it out, let it hit bottom, then drag it a short distance and let it rest. Shake the rod tip a bit to dance the tail. It’s a no-brainer in all depths. Just keep it away from weeds, stumps and brush because it snags easily, especially when using an exposed hook.”

Application: Tough bite situations; popular with anglers fishing behind others.

Worm: Any 4- to 6-inch straight-tail worm. Examples: Crème Scoundrel, Yum Houdini Worm, Berkley Gulp! Shaky Worm.

Head: Round heads with 60 percent flat-eye line tie and light-wire hook, weights from one-eighth to one-quarter ounce. Example: Strike King Shaky Head.

Rigging: Thread the worm on the shank of the jig hook, or rig the worm weedless; be sure worm lies straight.