Difference Between "the Walking Worm" and "Walking the Worm"

Don't recall what I was researching this week when I somehow stumbled across the difference in these two phrases. I only remember that my target search had absolutely nothing to do with worms in general.

Nevertheless, I learned that "the walking worm" (pictured left) is the title given to one of those "as seen on TV" gimmick lures of the circa late 1990s to early 2000s fame. The commercials of that period claimed the walking worm "out-fished live bait by a 3-to-1 ratio and possibly was going to be banned from tournaments (never happened, though). The secret of this lure was the 'energy recoil action' that allowed it to curl and twist like a real worm in the water," or so the commercials would have had you believe.

It came in a set of 30 or 50 worms (depending on which ad you happened to see), plus five worm hooks, some weights, and a nine-compartment container that retailed for, as you've probably already guessed, $19.95. And you likely could have bought the same number of regular plastic worms at the time for a fraction of that cost, with money left over to pick up an extra crankbait or spinnerbait.

I couldn't help but want to see if there was any evidence whether this lure really worked. After a little additional research, I came across a video that demonstrated it would at least catch some little bass. Check it out for yourself at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYMHe9DY_MY.

So much for "the walking worm." Now I'll share what I learned about "walking the worm." I dare say the vast majority of you probably already have figured out that what we're talking about here is the so-called "trick" worm.

When rigged similar to a floating topwater lure and twitched back and forth during the retrieve, the trick worm performs just under the surface, similar to any other lure designed to be worked in a walking-the-dog manner.

This lure setup is similar to an older one that's called a "swivel worm." In this setup, the worm was tied 18 inches behind a barrel swivel, and the hook was inserted into the worm so that it twisted as you swam it back just under the surface. The barrel swivel was an absolute necessity because of the twisting and turning nature of the lure. It was successful but hard to cast accurately, though similar to the way a trick worm is fished, except the trick worm does not spin. Bass often will hit a trick worm when they refuse other baits.

As I've learned once again, you just never know where you'll end up when you're doing your tracking on the Internet.