Wacky Rig

What type and size hook do you use to Wacky Rig? I have never fished this way and would like to try it. Any tips to catch more fish?

Drew, I love wacky rigging. The size of the hook will depend on the size of the worm, but in general you can use a regular worm hook. I generally use a 1/0 red Gamakatsu offset worm hook for wacky rigging. It works well enough for 4-inch to 6-inch stick worms.

Good luck!

My other favorite hook to use, especially with smaller worms fished in an area with less cover, is the octopus style hooks. I go with a #4 red most of the time.

James, Wade and myself wacky rigged Senkos up on Mille Lacs a couple weeks ago. I had a hard time getting a good hook-up percentage. I could catch a couple here and there, but I wasn’t putting half the bites I had in the boat.

What I found was the hook style I was using was too big. In my haste, I assumed the wide gap hooks I had been using would work. Well, I was wrong. I switched over to a Gamakatsu Round Bend w/ an Offset Shank and I was immediately impressed with the hook-up percentage. For the life of me I can’t remember the size of the hook I was using up there. I choose that hook as a replacement because it had a lower profile and in my mind would fit easier into the fishes mouth. The Gammy I had been using was a great hook for flipping plastics, but not suited for wacky rigging Senko type baits. Here’s the hook I had been using. Gamakatsu G-Lock Worm Hook

I don’t typically Wacky Rig Senkos on the river this time of the year. Most times in the spring or up on Mille Lacs. I’m sure there are people here who can give you a better answer.

HA!! Wade beat me to it.

Ya Wade…although standard hook color is fine for me. Also, use a sweeping hookset, to increase your hook-up percentage!

Wade beat me to it also. I really like these hooks too. They are Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap Hooks. The might be my first choice.

Jason

When I take my wife or kids bass fishing, and want them to wacky rig a senko, here is the hook I tie on—same hook as above but weedless–a little more user friendly

a #1 or 1/0 Owner Mosquito hook for me

Wacky worms fish great around docks for largies and the smallies love em too. 90% of the time I use a Jersey Rigg (the original) or a Zoom Double Ringer and always with a nail in one end unless I’ve got money to burn and am throwing Senkos. Not sure why, but I never got on the band wagon with using a small rubber band around the bait to help make it last a little longer.

I fell off the rubber-band bandwagon last year. I lost more worms using them.

I use Berkly Gulp when I wacky rig. Sometimes I use the sinking minnowes and sometimes I use the nightcrawlers (which are thinner and have more action). They are more money than some plastics but I can catch 3-4 fish on one worm before I have to replace it and I have never casted one off or lost one in the weeds like some super soft worms. Plus with the sent trail that they give off it is worth it.

I am a big fan of the Gammie G-Lock series hooks as well. Size 1 or 1/0 is my choice for most of my stickworm presentations. I tried the rubber band thing last year and was not real fond of it, but was loooking for a way to preserve the amount of plastics we were burning through on a daily basis with customers, more of a hassle for me than anything.

I have become a real believer in the YUM Dinger stickworms the last several years. (I am no longer aponsored by YUM). The drop rate is slower than the Senkos and seem to be a bit more durable as well. Most of my applications are in 10″-3′ foot of water.

Senkos only!!! Everything else is imatation. I’ve tried every other alternative, but always found myself resorting back to Senkos. Sure, there are stick baits out there that are cheaper and ones that last longer…but there just isn’t anything out there that gets as many bites.

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Senkos only!!! Everything else is imatation. I’ve tried every other alternative, but always found myself resorting back to Senkos. Sure, there are stick baits out there that are cheaper and ones that last longer…but there just isn’t anything out there that gets as many bites.

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I respectfully disagree. Senkos have there place but they are not, in my opinion, the go-to bait when a slow fall is needed or when fishing ultra-shallow water. They simply sink too fast. I assume it is due to all the salt they pour into their plastics. Anyway… 3 days in a row up[ on mille lacs I had a heck of a time catching anything on a senko and was murdering the fish on dingers. Same color pattern down to the size of the red flake.

In situations when the water is deeper or longer casts are needed… senkos rock the house.

I’ve been using Yum Dingers for about 5yrs now. Haven’t MURDERED any fish, but sure have caught a lot of them!

Question for you guys who use Dingers.

Do you find the “wiggle” is less pronounced with the Dinger than the Senko? Seem to me the Senko has more of that tail shake that makes them such a great bait, at least from tryign to watch them fall in the water. Part of that could be due to the fact mentioned above that the Senkos fall faster, imparting more action I guess.

I will say I have used YUM Dingers, and caught many a fish on them, but when money or pride is on the line I seem to always grab a Senko.

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When I take my wife or kids bass fishing, and want them to wacky rig a senko, here is the hook I tie on—same hook as above but weedless–a little more user friendly

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I use the exact same hook for wacky rigging. My son caught his first legal bass the other night on a Senko rigged on a gammy hook like that. A 14-15 incher fights like hell on a 28 inch Spiderman pole!!

the hook works well in all cover and are super sharp Genuine Yamamoto for me all the way

I use Yum Dingers, Senkos, Cabelas Aquaglow Glo Sticks, BPS Stik-Os, and Berkley Sinking Minnows for wacky rigging. They all have their time and place. In 4 FOW or less, I generally prefer the Dingers. There are other factors that sometimes make them the top bait for me. My last time on a hot bite, the Glo Stick in Watermelon/Purple Flake was the bait the bass preferred. It’s heavily salted like the senko, and has an increased fall rate. One other note, these baits all have a slightly different color selection. Sometimes, what appears to be a minor variation in color makes all the difference on any given outing. “Green Pumpkin” in brand “A” may be dark green, while “Green Pumpkin” in brand “B” may be more of a brown color. There are days it doesn’t matter. But, there are days it does.

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Question for you guys who use Dingers.

Do you find the “wiggle” is less pronounced with the Dinger than the Senko? Seem to me the Senko has more of that tail shake that makes them such a great bait, at least from tryign to watch them fall in the water. Part of that could be due to the fact mentioned above that the Senkos fall faster, imparting more action I guess.

I will say I have used YUM Dingers, and caught many a fish on them, but when money or pride is on the line I seem to always grab a Senko.

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I am not sure if I am qualified to judge the Senkos properly with the limited time fishing them versus the Dingers. I have however had them in the boat many times and the times I have tried them, the fish wanted that slower fall that a Dinger delivers in real shallow water that I am fishing. I do agree that there is a different “wiggle” between the two. Not sure how to describe it, but the Senko appears just a bit more dense and therefore the flex in the center of the worm is less giving the worm a wiggle across the entire worm versus the bendable Dinger…..my observation anyway.
I know a ton of people that will live or die by the Senko though!

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Haven’t MURDERED any fish

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Just a figure of speech. All bass were released in great shape.

I never took you for a Smallieslayer, James!