Bass fishing is either in full gear or will soon be opening, depending on what area of the country you reside in. At some point in time, we all experience the maiden journey of the year onto the body of water that invigorates our fish catching senses.

This year, my journey began on the southern waters of Lake Fork. Yours may be on the neighborhood pond that harbors your favorite quarry. For others, it may be on the meandering river that cuts a path through an area that is called home.

Whatever your motivation or situation this spring, make sure you're prepared to maximize your fishing time through using the proper bait and techniques.

Plastic stick baits are the most versatile option in my tackle box. If you're not using them, you are definitely missing the boat. In fact, you're just fallen out of the boat.

The OutKast stick worm provides versatility through features that are implemented through technique. Features include carefully created 3,4, and 5 inch options, a hook slot to prevent snags and promote rock solid hookups, infused salt so that fish hold on, quality materials to prolong fishability, extensive color selections for any condition, and proper length to thickness ratios to maximize your bites no matter which size bait you choose to use.

Each size of the OutKast stick worm provides enough weight and bulk to be cast and fished using a weightless technique. Skipping docks, subtle presentations to cruising fish, sight fishing bedding fish, deadsticking, flipping into timber, twitching, and swimming are all techniques that will accommodate and maximize the stick worm and it's variety of sizes.

Micro weighting is the term I like to use when referring to an ultralight Texas rig. This is usually done with a 1/64 or 1/32 oz. bullet type weight.

This rig is awesome to present the stick worm on specific targets in the shallows during a windy day. It also aids in making long range casts to fish that are spooking far ahead of the boat in what is usually a pressured area. Micro weighting excels when probing mid depths of 3-8 ft. in early spawn or pre-spawn conditions. Staging fish eat this bait up when others simply don't get any bites. Make a long cast and drag it across a mid depth flat that leads to a spawning area. Drag it down an inside weedline or bottom transition area. You'll be surprised at the effectiveness of this bait and will wonder what you ever did without it.

Texas rigging is something we're all familiar with, but rarely try a plastic stick bait when fishing. That's easy to understand. It has little or no action. Boring, right? Ask yourself this: What would fish eat that are in either a positive or negative feeding mood? That's right-a bait like the stick worm. It will dupe the meanest greenback and will entice a hawg waking up from it's wintertime lull. Better get some of those in your box.

Equate Carolina-rigging to that of visiting your favorite buffet restaurant. At the buffet, there's a line of hungry people shuffling along until they find something they like. When they find it, they take it. Now, consider your cast with a Carolina rig the 'buffet'. The fish are the hungry people. You are moving your 'buffet' through areas that hold the hungry fish. You want to be able to offer them something that when they find it, they take it.

The stick worm is my favorite buffet item. It's the fish's as well. The three size choices, multitude of color choices, along with it's salty flavor, satisfy any hunger.

Shallow or deep, weightless or weighted, positive or negative moods, the Outkast stickworm produces bites when other baits won't. It has unsurpassed versatility and should be a staple when striving to succeed in recreational or tournament fishing situations.