Wacky Or Texas Rig?

[Rookiepilot2003]

Hey everyone,

recently I have been trying to fish mainly soft plastics in order to become more proficient with them. In particular, I have had the most luck with senko style stick baits in the 3 to 5 inch size. All the fish I have caught were hooked when I was fishing wacky style but I never got any bites fishing them weightless texas rigged.

Which rigging methods gets you guys the most fish and is there a way to make a better presentation with the texas rig so that it catches as well as the wacky rig because the weeds are really growing in and I'm starting to pull in too many weeds with the exposed hook of a wacky rig.

As, always, all responses are greatly appreciated. Thanks and have a wonderful day.

[telmomarques]

i suggest you use weedless wacky jighead or gamakatsu weedless finesse hook, they work wonders for me in weeds/heavy covers

[jerzeeD]

I use texas alot..mostly larger baits like 8" lizards and 10" worms. Helps mr get a better cast and a slightly better sink with bulkier baits. I have the patience of Job to work them effectively usually.

[guest]

Have you tried with a small pegged bullet weight?

[Darren.]

I'm a bigger fan of wacky than Texas, but I will do both. In addition to split-shotting, drop-shotting, etc.

Weeds can be a nuisance for wacky rigging, but I still throw non-weedless hooks all the time. Just get used to cleaning it after each cast. Sometimes a few choice words are thrown in for good measure, LOL. Part of the reason is I'm out of weedless hooks...

For me, wacky presentation brings in the most fish - by far. My primary go-to worms are the Zoom Finesse 4.75", Trick 6", and I'm testing the magnum out; other primary is Yamamoto Senkos. I keep trying the off-brands believing they'll work just as well, but they just don't. Not that they won't catch fish, I just have more strikes and hook-ups with Yammies than anything else I've tried.

Got plenty of colors, but the most successful are the stand-bys: watermelon (magic), green pumpkin (magic, and with chartreuse tail). Senkos - watermelon gold flake, magic, green pumpkin/magic, gp/wmln laminate...

Hooks: Gamakatsu Wide Gap Finesse in #4, #2, and #1. I caught my personal best 7 1/2 lber in thick grass on a wacky rigged senko with a #2 hook. Brought in a couple 2 or 3 pounds of grass along with her, not a single issue with the hook whatsoever.

Also use the Split-shot/drop shot Gammies, have some Owner, but prefer Gammies.

For TX rigged, usually stay 1/8oz bullets unpegged or 3/16oz, black, anywhere from a #1-4/0 hook, typically a round bend. Like the smaller profile Zooms here. Senkos typically thrown weightless.

Just need to let them sink, work 'em slowly or vary the retrieve speed. Love to use around timber. Still fish wacky around timber, often to my frustration...glutton.

[Rookiepilot2003]

I will have to try fishing the worms texas rigged but with a small weight instead of weightless and see how that goes.Wacky rigging has always produced when nothing else is but I do not want to limit myself to just using that just because it works. Thanks everyone

[MCS]

Texas rigged weightless. The hardest thing for me fishing texas was learning to SLOW the bait down. I was fishing way too fast, and with way too many hard twitches and jerks. Once I slowed down and let the worm do it's own wiggle is when I started to really get the bites. When I say slow take 2 seconds per revolution on the reel. Just keep trying, vary your speed and presentation and you will find out what works.

[Crestliner2008]

I fish mainly for smallies with the wacky styled presentation. For LM, I prefer the 7" Senko fished Texas style; of course, I'm fishing much heavier cover with these as well.

[JigMe]

Texas rigged weightless. The hardest thing for me fishing texas was learning to SLOW the bait down. I was fishing way too fast, and with way too many hard twitches and jerks. Once I slowed down and let the worm do it's own wiggle is when I started to really get the bites. When I say slow take 2 seconds per revolution on the reel. Just keep trying, vary your speed and presentation and you will find out what works.

x2. I like both wacky and T-rig. I used to fish way too fast with T-rig weightless or pegged, and now I have learned to slow down quiet a bit. Some days I get more bites on wacky, and other days T-rig is doing the job. Keep fishing, and the Bass will tell you what they want.

[LunkerLust]

I try to keep it simple, clear open water-wacky. Weeds, pads, deadfall, T-rig.

I especially like senkos T-rigged for skipping under docks and over hanging trees. It's more of a reaction bait this way.

[A-Rob]

I get better hook up ratio with a t-rig senko

The only thing I don't like about the t-rig is after letting it sink I go to lift my rod trip to "pick up" the lure...I don't feel it flutter like I can with it rigged wacky...but otherwise the fall is similar and thats when you catch them...I just feel a bit "disconnected"

[NoBassPro]

Here's my input. When fishing weightless with a T-Rig watch your bait and twitch it back. At least where I fish the water tends toward clear and you can see what your bait is doing. I do well with an erratic back and forth, almost walk the dog type action, but with pauses. Start experimenting and you'll be amazed what you can do with soft plastics.

[detroit1]

I start the season t-rig, i don't want too much movement in my cold, clear waters. June is usually when i get wacky. Sometimes in the summer i'll go back to t-rig for underwater dog walkin' on a glass-smooth morning...

[Sam]

Try Eagle Claw Weedless 449WA-1 size 1 hooks for Wacky and Texas rigging.

Hook Senko backwards. That is, put hook in tapered end.

After trying the backwards hookup, put a small nail in the fat end of the Senko and try that.

[hookset on 3]

Try Eagle Claw Weedless 449WA-1 size 1 hooks for Wacky and Texas rigging.

Hook Senko backwards. That is, put hook in tapered end.

After trying the backwards hookup, put a small nail in the fat end of the Senko and try that.

I agree with Sam. This is a look that bass are not accustomed to and they really like it. I read that Gary Yamamoto has been using this technique with a small wood screw, because it is less likely to lose the screw when a bass jumps and shakes their head.

hookset on 3

[Geomendo]

Personally I almost exclusively wacky rig worms on a dropshot. Weedless t-rig with/without weight or Carolina rig all senkos, swimming senkos, lizards and creature types.

[out_doors_guy]

As far as Senkos what works for me is texas rigged weightless if I'm using it to skip under docks and weightless wacky style in all other situations, using a weedless finesse hook when necessary. Other soft plastics generally texas style, depth and lure size determines weight, size of bait determines hook size.

[logan9209]

I fish darn near all my soft plastics texas rigged, including Netbait's version of the Senko (Salt Lick/ red bug). That last one weightless for sure. I need to start doing some wacky rig but weeds are a big issue at my lake. The thing about texas rigging a Senko is that it still falls slowly and wiggles on the way down, but once it's down it turns into a jerkbait. My favorite of worms is the trick worm (Zoom/ black). I'm like you though, I'm trying to expand my arsenal by learning how to fish the other soft plastic lures.

[Rookiepilot2003]

Well, yesterday I tried fishing a yum dinger rigged weighless t-rigged and I ended up catching fish on it. I think it was just a lack of confidence in it that kept me from being successful. I did have more luck wacky rigging afterwards which leads me to believe that when the structure and conditions allow you to wacky rig, that is in fact the way to go with stick baits and the texas rig is ideal for most other soft plastics.

Thanks everyone for the replies and help, it is always appreciated.

[logan9209]

Great job Rookiepilot2003. The one thing that I have learned the last few days from everyone on this forum is not to get stuck fishing a lure the "traditional" way. The swim jig got it's start because a bass hit it on the retrieve (quickly reeling it back in to make another pitch/flip). Sometimes if you fish a lure differently from everyone else the bass will nail it because it's different from everything else they seen. That's one of Iaconelli's big things: change is a key to catch bass. Sounds, looks, and smells. The slightest change will some times trigger strikes that wasn't happening before.