Wacky rigging for bass

[Breach]

Going up to my cottage this weekend and interested in trying out wacky rigging to see if I can shake up a few bass. Any suggestions for setups you've found productive? I see that there are now jigheads specifically meant for wacky rigging but Ive yet to find them at canadian tire or le baron

[danbo]

http://www.probass.net/protips/

[Garry2Rs]

My set-up is 10 or 20 pound Power Pro braid, a 3/0 EWG worm hook and a spinning rod with a no-name Senko type worm.

Push the hook point through the centre of the worm so that both ends are about the same length and can wiggle as the bait sinks. I prefer to fish the rig weightless. The weight of the hook will cause the worm to sink slowly.

In deeper water some folks use weighted hooks, to get the bait down faster.

Toss the bait next to docks, boats, rocks and weeds. The open hook point will snag in heavy weeds or if you throw it into fallen trees etc. If you have some heavy cover areas to fish you might want to switch to a Texaposed rigging for those spots, or use a hook with a wire weed guard.

 

Try to throw some slack into your line after the bait hits the water. Watch this slack line as the bait sinks...the slack acts as your strike indicator or "bobber." If the line picks up speed, or starts to straighten out, or moves sideways, tighten the line and set the hook!

 

Smaller Smallmouth Bass in a school will sometimes grab one of the loose ends of the worm and run. If they drop the worm when you set the hook, open the bail, toss slack back into the line and wait a second...they might pick it up again, or a rival might grab the falling bait.

 

If the bait reaches the bottom, do nothing for a few more seconds...The bait appears to be dead or drowning, so unless there is some competition, larger fish aren't always in a rush to get to the bait.

 

If nothing happens, take up the slack and feel for weight. Sometimes a fish will suck the bait up and not move off with it. If there is no weight, lift the rod tip to jump the worm a couple of feet off the bottom and let it sink again...

If nothing happens again, reel-up and cast again.

 

You can retrieve the worm using short tugs and pauses. This works very well for my 9 year old neighbour, who lacks the patience to let the worm sink and rest for very long...grin. She will tell you that the hardest thing about this technique is just doing nothing and letting the worm work for you!

Good Luck

Garry2R's

[singingdog]

Garry's description is good. I use circle hooks. If you are deadsticking the bait, the bass will sometimes swallow it and get gut hooked: a circle hook prevents about 99% of gut hooks.

 

The jigheads you are thinking or are for wacky-jigging. It's a more active version of wacky rigging....kind of a cross between wacky rigging a shaky-head fishing. The specialised jighead are ridiculously expensive. You can get the same effect by crimping a 1/16 or 1/8 oz split shot just below the eye of a 1/0 light-wire offset hook. It's a great technique for bass that are highly pressured and have seen lots of other presentations.

 

Some techniques for making your stick baits/senkos last longer:

1. put an O-ring around the middle of the senko and put the hook through the o-ring. It will move up the line when landing a fish. You can catch lots of fish on one stick-bait like this.

 

2. cut the cheap, thin-walled tubes up into 1/4" wide 'rubber bands' and run the hook through the stick bait and the band.

 

3. if you t-rig stick baits, save the ones that get torn up on the ends and use them for wacky-rigging. If they are torn up in the middle as well, a lighter will fix that in a second.

[jjcanoe]

I had some good sucess this year by using a circle hook double poked through the worm in the middle (down through the top then back up through the bottom with the barb poking just out of the top) didn't miss a hookup or loose a worm yet. You can use them while drifting if you have a bullet sinker and stopper about 24-36" up the line. This gets the worm down fast and keeps it there if there is a bit of a wind or current where you are fishing. This setup worked pretty well for me this summer.

 

jjcanoe

[Radnine]

Some techniques for making your stick baits/senkos last longer:

1. put an O-ring around the middle of the senko and put the hook through the o-ring. It will move up the line when landing a fish. You can catch lots of fish on one stick-bait like this.

 

I'll second the O-ring thing. It works like magic plus you can ring up a bunch of colours for variety and quick change them. If you don't use an o-ring you will find that you will be going through a lot of worms.

[legacey]

"You can get the same effect by crimping a 1/16 or 1/8 oz split shot just below the eye of a 1/0 light-wire offset hook. It's a great technique for bass that are highly pressured and have seen lots of other presentations. "

 

I can't get these hooks anywhere around Kingston......this makes so much sense!

 

Thanks for this tip.

 

Cheers,

 

Paul

[limeyangler]

great post guys, lots of info. Can anyone post a pic of the O-ring thing?

[limeyangler]

great post guys, lots of info. Can anyone post a pic of the O-ring thing?

[Garry2Rs]

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O-Wacky Tool

 

 

 

 

 

Ideal for rigging Sink-O style worms wacky style. Prevents the hook from easily tearing out. Just insert the lure into the tool, slide the o-ring over the tool onto the lure, and insert the hook just under the O-ring. Includes 10 black O-Rings.

Replacement O-Rings sold separately and can be found through item search at item number 38-425-800-01 or 38-425-800-00

 

 

 

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Overall Rating 4.6 out of 5

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38-425-802-00 O-WACKY TOOL 1/2" x 5" $5.49

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

 

Simple but effective, July 20, 2008

By BassBusta from New York (read all my reviews)

 

 

"This tool has saved me plenty of senkos and more importantly it does not hinder the falling action of the bait or the hookset in any way. If you fish senkos often you should seriously consider using this tool."

 

 

What is your favorite type of fishing?: Freshwater

How many times a month do you fish on average?: 5+

Do you own a boat?: No

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Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

 

Great tool, June 24, 2008

By basstrack from Cedar Park, Tx (read all my reviews)

 

 

"I really like this tool. It allows you to install an 0 ring without damaging your worm/senko. It allows you to use multiple colors or worm types without damaging the worm and re-use them. I have found I loose less worms and have probably paid for this device through saving of worms."

 

 

What is your favorite type of fishing?: Freshwater

How many times a month do you fish on average?: 5+

Do you own a boat?: Yes

Would you recommend this product as a gift?: Yes

 

 

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Overall Rating: 3 out of 5

 

Clever idea, May 28, 2008

By Greatoutfit from Branson, MO (read all my reviews)

 

 

"It was a good idea but I don't think it saves you any time rigging lures wacky style. I also don't care for the price when its not really much more than a metal tube."

 

 

What is your favorite type of fishing?: Freshwater

How many times a month do you fish on average?: 4

Do you own a boat?: No

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Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

 

Excellent product, April 25, 2008

By BASSFISHINGMASTERMIKEY from sterling heights Michigan (read all my reviews)

 

 

"I recently bought this o-wacky tool at a local fishing show, and I'm very glad that I did.

This wacky tool is simply amazing, it makes it so much easier to rig a wacky-rig. This tool is also very lightweight and small so you never have to worry about loosing it, and if you did lose it, you can easily buy another one because these things are priced great.

 

This tool is something that every fishermen needs in his tackle box.

 

Overall this is an excellent tool,

I would recommend it to everyone."

 

 

What is your favorite type of fishing?: Freshwater

How many times a month do you fish on average?: 2

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[JohnF]

This is an example of lucking out, but it also speaks to the advantage of using an o-ring for wacky rigging. I asked at the CTC parts counter for o-rings. The guy asked "What size?". I said, "Oh, 'bout this big." holding up my fingers.

 

So he came back with a handfull of assorted sizes which he gave to me, gratis, and off i went to play with 'em. They worked great. I rolled them onto the various sized worms and have caught some really decent smallmouths with them , including my PB that I described here a while back. Not one worm has gone missing. It's a great system. Having the BPS rigger just makes it easier to set up, and gives you the right sizes.

 

JF

[singingdog]

"You can get the same effect by crimping a 1/16 or 1/8 oz split shot just below the eye of a 1/0 light-wire offset hook. It's a great technique for bass that are highly pressured and have seen lots of other presentations. "

 

I can't get these hooks anywhere around Kingston......this makes so much sense!

 

Thanks for this tip.

 

Cheers,

 

Paul

 

No problem. I started doing it when I saw the price for those Zappu Inchi jigheads: $2/jighead!

[legacey]

For the "O" ring, I used to buy the ones for fishing at CTC but man, are they expensive. I also found them to be too thin (diameter) and if the fish was holding the worm, the ring would cut thru it.

 

I went to a local medical supply store and picked up a couple of feet of surgical tubing and now cut them into small pieces. In Kingston, it was $0.70 / foot so you can't beat that.

 

I brought in a couple of worms to make sure I was getting the right size.....they sell these tunes in all different sizes so you may want to do the same.

 

....if you're from K-Town and visit the one at the Medical Arts Pharmacy on Princess St. senkos really grosses the girl at the counter.

 

Cheers,

 

Paul

[singingdog]

Here's a cool option to the super-expensive wacky jigs. Still way too expensive, but one of the only viable weedless options I have seen: http://www.northlandtackle.com/Category/main.taf?cat=302

[lunkerbasshunter]

i wacky rig when the bite is slow. i find it works way better dead sticking when the fish arent active. If they are active i tend to toss spinners or top water baits.

 

Cheers!