What types of hooks would you suggest for this?
I’ve had great success texas rigging Senkos for smallies up here in NW WI. I’d like to add “wacky” rigging to my bag of tricks. I’ve bought a good supply of Creme’ stickbaits, 5″ long. Do you add weight? Any success?
when i have wacky rigged with senkos i just take the same 2 ot hook i use in my senko and run it threw the egg sack
another trick is to use a split ring like on a crank bait i think its a #5 slide it over the senko and run the hook under the split ring this is supposed to save baits if i was doing it this way id use a 1 ot or smaller hook just cause you dont have to run the hook threw the bait
Steve,
I have actually thrown Wacky rigged Senkos around the
marinas on your section of the St. Croix. Sometimes
the fish prefer a weightless Texas rig, and sometimes
they prefer a Wacky rig. The split ring method is my
preference. I use a #4 Split Shot hook, but an Octupus,
or a Kahle, hook would be good choices, too. If I want
a slow flat fall, I use Senkos, or Wackos, which are both
heavy salt loaded plastics sticks, so no weight is needed.
If I want to fish a stick in true wacky form, with a nail
weight in one end, I use something like the Tiki stick, or
one of the other budget sticks that are soft but do not
have the weight of a Senko. For no other reason that they
are cheaper, and since I am going to jam a nail weight in
them, their weight has little to do with the fall.
The rule of thumb I use, to determine which to fish, is
when in cover, fish Texas rig, and when in open water,
and preferable clear water, then I will fish Wacky. But
this is just a rule of thumb. Pulling a wacky rig over
grass, or darting a Texas rig, in open water, can often
be a good choice, too.
Big Bass Bane
thanks bbbane,
very good answer. I’m looking forward to trying it out.
Here is an article that I helped out with:
A New Breed Of Worming — Wacky Rigs By Joe Albert
Minnesota bass pro Ross Taylor was fishing a tournament on Green Lake in Minnesota last fall. He and his partner were working docks, and catching a lot of bass. But Taylor was badly outfishing his partner. Together, the two took 25 bass from those docks, of which his partner caught four.
Logic would say that Taylor was fishing a tube — one of the most renowned dock baits on the market today. However, it was Taylor’s partner who was throwing the tube, which often went untouched as Taylor boated quality bass after quality bass, throwing a wacky-rigged worm.
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Underneath boat docks and along inside weedlines are high percentage areas for a wacky-rigged worm. Minnesota bass pro Ross Taylor keeps one rigged up all the time.
“I have one rigged all the time, anytime,” Taylor says. “They work particularly well in the springtime along the inside weededge and they shine in the summertime underneath docks.”
The Wacky Rig
As its name implies, the Wacky Rig doesn’t look like your typically rigged worm. In fact, it better resembles the way a youngster new to the fishing world might impale the lure.
The rig itself is rather simple. It consists of a hook and a certain kind of worm. The worm is hooked near the center with the hook exposed. That’s it. But this oddly simplistic lure is anything but a last resort. To fish the rig, Taylor uses a 6-foot, 6-inch Fenwick Techna AV rod, 14-pound Berkley Fireline and 15-pound Berkley Vanish for the leader. A 1/0 Owner Wide-Gap Riggin’ hook completes the setup.
The worms he uses are as simple as the rig itself.
“I typically use a 5-inch Outkast Stick Worm,” Taylor says. “But lately I’ve been experimenting with a 5-inch Sinking Minnow from Berkley Gulp! The Gulp! seems to have a lot of action to it. The fish hang onto it real well because of the scent, and the Outkast Stick is real durable.”
For colors, Taylor prefers natural tones such as green pumpkin and watermelon, though white also can work well. Any weight will kill the action that makes the rig so effective.
The last consideration is hooking the worm. To make the worm quiver, which is arguably its most important trait, it must be hooked right at the worm’s balance point. To find the spot, Taylor holds the worm with two fingers until he finds its center point.
“If it is off balance it won’t fall right (in the water) and it will rock or sink in one direction,” Taylor says. “When it is hooked right, it will sink straight down and it will quiver — that’s what the fish are looking for.”
Another tip Taylor offers is to douse the worm in Berkley’s bass scent. He’ll put that in with a bag of worms the night before a trip to let the scent soak in. The added scent helps fish hang on longer, Taylor says.
Now that the rig is complete, fishing the bait is easy. Whether you are fishing docks or weedlines, the routine is much the same.
“Basically, I let it fall, watch my line, do a slow pull and let it sink again. You just watch your line. It will either tighten up, jump or not move at all,” Taylor says. “Anytime you notice something different, you reel down and make a slow sweep. You can’t set the hook hard.
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Though wacky rigs are a finesse presentation, they will take their fair share of big bass, like this one caught early in the morning while the fish were cruising the inside weedline.
“Why? I don’t know. All I can tell you is I don’t set the hook hard because you lose fish,” he says.
A Look At Spots
Inside weedlines and docks are Taylor’s primary Wacky Rig locations.
“It will out-produce a tube or jig underneath docks,” Taylor says. “When it falls through the water it will rock a little bit, and when it starts to settle down it will quiver. The fish go nuts as soon as it starts to quiver. It starts ringing the dinner bell.”
Another consideration is to fish the rig near deep weedlines. Since the rig sinks very slowly, it is not meant for use as a search bait. However, Taylor will utilize it if he knows fish are in the area and they have quit biting more traditional deep baits such as jigs or Texas and Carolina rigs.
“If you have been catching a bunch of fish on the deep weedline on a jig and they suddenly shut off, throw a Wacky Rig and just let it sink,” Taylor says. “It works great as long as you know the fish are there.”
The rig will catch big and small fish alike. It is particularly attractive because of the super slow sink of the rig.
“It’s real subtle, it’s not a big and loud bait,” Taylor says. “It’s real slow and looks like an easy meal to the fish. It looks natural.”
While rigging a worm wacky style may not look like much, it can be ultra effective on fish in a variety of situations. Next time you’re fishing a dock, untie the tube or jig and tie on a Wacky Rig — you’ll like the results.
Very good article. I would only add that it works very well in river/current situations especially letting it flow into an eddy or over a wingdam and then begin the quivering desent in the reduced current. I also like it for riprap as it does not snag in the rocks like weighted baits can. Another presentation for a stick worm is to use it on a light jighead as a jigworm. Only the tail flutters but this is usually more than enough action for bass.
Al Lindner used a wacky rig set up on his show (Angler’s Edge) this past weekend when fishing smallies. He presented it as one of three good ways to rig, so it is catching on as a presentation.
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