November 17, 2014
By Ned Kehde
On Sept. 26, 2013, we published a story about Gene Larew Lures' Tattle Tail Worm, which was introduced to the angling world in October of 2013.
Initially, there were nine colors that anglers could employ: Dark Brown/Pumpkin (Laminated),Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin/Purple (Laminated), Junebug Lite, Light Brown/Magenta (Laminated), Morning Dawn (Laminated), Shad Flash, Sooner Run (Laminated), and Watermelon Pepper. But at the behest of John Murray of Phoenix, Arizona, four new colors have been added to the Tattle Tail palette, and they are Junebug Lite, Sand Shad, Sunny Green Pumpkin, and Western Craw.
It is a six-inch worm that was designed by Murray, who has fished the Bassmaster circuits since 1986. Murray's initial aim was to create a drop-shot worm, but during the many field-testing phases with the various prototypes of the Tattle Tail Worm, Murray and other field testers discovered that it allured endless numbers of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass when it was affixed to a shaky-head jig. It was effective on a split-shot rig and Carolina rig. It also allured an array of black bass when it was presented as a swimming worm. Moreover, when they rigged it whacky style on an unweighted hook or on a jig, it inveigled scores of bass. Ultimately, they even attached it to a 3/16-ounce Gene Larew Biffle Hardhead, which sports a 3/0 offset hook.
The first inch and a half is graced with a series of subtle ribs. The clitellum is devoid of ribs, and it is a half of an inch long. Another section of ribs extends from the clitellum for two and three-quarter inches, and this section becomes skinnier as it nears its tail. The tail section does not have ribs, and the tip of the tail is embellished with a unique, tiny, and semi-diamond-shaped paddle. The thickest portion of its torso is the size of a pencil, and the diameter of the tail is slightly thinner than the lead inside a pencil. The entire belly is flat.
According to Andrew Upshaw of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who competes on various FLW and Bassmaster circuits and works for Dollahon PR, which is a public-relations business in Tulsa that represents clients in the tackle and outdoor trade, the Tattle Tail Worm was designed to have a natural quivering action, and that quiver is so alluring that Upshaw always has one at the ready when he is recreationally fishing and competing in a tournament.
Anglers can purchase the Tattle Tail Worm from various fishing tackle dealers and online retailers. A package of 10 retails for around $4.99.
Endnotes:
(1) To read more about Andrew Upshaw and how he uses the Tattle Tail Worm, please read the story at this link: http://www.in-fisherman.com/bass/finesse-ways-andrew-upshaw/#ixzz3HSN7sL8V .
(2) This is the link to the original story about the Tattle Tail Worm: http://www.in-fisherman.com/midwest-finesse/gene-larew-lures-tattle-tail-worm/#ixzz3HRryOgPc .
