Bubba drop shot

Mark McDowell’s go-to for night-fishing is a magnum worm, even when he isn’t fishing a Carolina or Texas rig.

“I also like to use a Bubba version of the drop-shot at night with a heavy line and heavy sinker and a 4/0 or 5/0 hook,” McDowell said. “I may use a 6-inch or 3-foot-long leader and suspend the worm off the bottom and just shake the tip of my rod, giving it a little vibration to entice strikes.”

Anglers can also use larger sizes and bigger worms at night.

“The worms I use at night start out at 9 inches and go larger from there,” said McDowell. “And the longer, bulkier worms seem to do better after dark.”

McDowell also uses Zoom worms and Yum products to give fish different choices.

“Another advantage of using the Bubba version (of the drop-shot) is that you can leave the worm in the strike zone longer,” he said. “I’ll still use the Texas-rig version with a hook tied on with a Palomar knot about 30 inches above the weight.”

Another time that the Bubba version comes in handy is fishing lakes with grass.

“I’ll fish that rig over grass, and the weight will be in the grass and the worm suspends over the top and makes it easier for the bass to detect it and eat it,” McDowell said. “And the weight will pull free from the grass with ease once you hook up a big bass.”