ChrisD46

You start to see a trend with these recommended Neko Rig worms , mainly with a bit larger head thickness to make inserting a Neko nose weight easier along with a tapered tail before the tail expands again nearer the tip for more action (especially floating tail options). New worms I want to try (besides those great suggestions listed above) are the Missile Baits Quiver Worm as John Crews designed this especially for the Neko Rig . Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Hit Worm Magnum , BioSpawn PlasmaTail Worm , Bizz Baits Dizzy Diamond Worms andthe Z-Man SMH Shaking My Head Wormz .

All new to me - thanks ! The Daiwa Neko is sort of a Senko hybrid for Neko Rigs . I have a variety of stick worms I use with decent results but seem to have a little more confidence with a 6” to 7” straight tail worms due to the added flex and movement you get from Neko rigging straight tail finesse worms .

What is your current favorite Neko worm (6" to 7") ? ... I mostly use Zoom Trick Worms and Net Bait T-Mac Worms : For the Zoom Trick Worm I have to trim about a 1/4" or so off of the nose to lose that taper so I can insert a nail weight in the head . The Net Bait T-Mack is better in that regard as the head is not tapered at the end plus the action is a little livelier as a Neko worm versus the Zoom Trick Worm . Still , I believe there may be better such as the 6th Sense Devine Shakey Worm or the Xzone Deception Worm or the MB Fat Finesse Worm (both 6") ... Your thoughts and experiences for your current favorite Neko Rig worm ?

I'm still old fashion preferring the Crazy Alberto and Double Uni Knot with braid to FC leader set ups .

Thanks for the lead tips - buying good quality lead ingots is key !

Perhaps a rookie question - what should I be aware of when shopping for lead to make potential jig heads ? I take it there are different led compositions available thus one or two types / compositions would be considered preferred ?

You may decide for yourself if you prefer the newer "PR Knot" better than the FG knot - However , I do believe it is worth taking a serious look at (provided you have the right assembly tools featured in the knot video) :

Thanks for posting Glenn ! I consider the swim jig as part of the "trifecta" of swimming skirted jig lures (Spinnerbait , Vibrating Jig and the Swim Jig) and I use all three according to the water conditions encountered.

Using the Do-It Molds Wacky Weighted Jig Head mold , what are the components you use in terms of hook brand , hook size , metal weed guard and even lead brand / composition ? Lastly any tips / tricks you have learned while making wacky jig heads ? … Thanks I’m advance !

I might color braid with a fat green color sharpie to restore the braid color a bit - but that's about it .

Sufix 832 & Power Pro have the same line diameter in their 30 lb. rated lines - I believe PP is a 4-carrier braid while 832 is an 8-carrier braid - is that correct ?

Here is a color (Ghost Shad) typical of a clear transparent soft plastic color you speak of popular for clear water applications : Strike King Rage Swimmer Swimbait | Tackle Warehouse . I emphasize "clear water" because if you do not have water visibility approaching 3 feet or more - you might as well pick another color .

A 1/16th oz. & 1/8th oz. cover me for various stick worm scenarios (depending on make . salt content , depth and wind) . Currently using VMC Wackey Jig Heads along with the Berkley Fusion Wacky Jig Heads - admittedly , there are other good ones I haven't discovered yet .

Good choice - I use a Zoom plain original 4” Fluke . Some Spinnerbait experts believe a bass will either smash or suck in a Spinnerbait . If a bass smashes a Spinnerbait it doesn’t matter if you have a trailer or not . If a bass chooses instead to suck in a Spinnerbait - then having a soft plastic trailer attached helps a bass suck in a Spinnerbait better versus having just a skirt attached . So why not use a soft plastic trailer to cover both bass Spinnerbait bite scenarios ? For me , using a Fluke on a spinnerbait is a profile and confidence thing .

Darn , you got me wanting to break out a split shot rig seeing those worms !

Very good reply !

Early , late , or cloudy days can be good for a spinner bait . In the South slow rolling a big black or purple single Colorado blade 3/4oz. Spinnerbait was great on hot summer nights deep.

I inherited a number of Yum Dingers (4" & 5") from a friend and found both sizes to be rather poor as a wacky rigged stick worm due to their lighter weight and low salt content (i.e. no action achieved falling through the water column) . *By going to a weighted wacky jig head (Berkley Fusion weedless wacky jig head or a VMC weedless wacky jig head) - both in 1/16th oz. ` 1/8th oz. will add action on the fall , as well as , popping the Yum Dinger off of the bottom (like a startled craw) using weighted wacky jig heads will aid in getting some much needed added movement to the Yum Dinger ends. You can also make your own weighted wacky jig head using your favorite wacky rig hook , a 1/16th oz. 1/8th oz. bullet weight pegged close to the hook eye with a rubber bobber stop . A VMC #1 size weedless Neko hook with a pegged 1/16th oz. to 1/8th oz. bullet weight is very good and cost-effective way to add weight to a wacky rig. *The Yum Dinger is a great stick worm and comes in some great colors - but if you plan to wacky rig the Yum Dinger, I believe it does much better with a little weight added .

Daiwa Fuego CT can be found for around $100 on sale - a reliable , full featured reel.

Good colors - also Electric Shad and Silver Flash are great all-around colors ... Throw in a French Pearl color and you are set for brown or green bass.

In general , I like the 2.8" for cold water months , the 3.3" for spring with water temps warming and the 3.8" for hottest water temp months. If I had to pick just one - the 3.3" tends to be my favorite all-around size Keitech Fat.

In terms of soft stick worm and finesse worm longevity for the do-it-yourself crowd - the heat shrink tubing and flexible silicon tubing approaches offer the longest lasting , best bang for the buck . I like that the heat shrink tubing allows just the right fit depending on how much heat is applied . Conversely some report the edges of the heat shrink tubing may cut into the soft plastic along the edges limiting the life span / catch total of the soft plastics used. The clear silicon tubing (similar to VMC Cross Over Ring material) may be the best IF you can find the right sizes and source for your soft stick worms / finesse worms . A Nasal Speculum ($8.00) is required but after that all that is required is finding a source that sells either the heat shrink tubing or silicon tubing in minimum bulk 10' lengths so you can cut to size as your applications require - otherwise your costs go way up.

30 lb. for small / medium top water 40 lb. for larger spooks

Quick Scum Frog Hack : Apply light pressure with your fingers around the rear weight / frog plastic with your fingers so just enough to get a drop of super glue on both sides of the weight then release your fingers to get contact between the weight and frog plastic . Wait a couple of minutes before fishing the frog and you will not have the weight fall out any longer . I have smaller lakes and ponds near me with vegetation and currently only have the original Scum Launch Frog size , so the Trophy and Launch XS sizes may be better for smaller bodies of water with over all - or does it matter ?

Any fans of the Scum Frog Trophy Series or Launch XS series ?