Weedless Wacky Hook Issues

[Felix77]

I have had decent success with the wacky worm in open water/sparse cover situations.  As a result I decided to try wacky worming with a weedless wacky hook to get it in places I wouldn't dare cast an open hook before.  I went out fishing and for over an hour I tried fishing the weedless wacky hook the whole time.  VMC Ike Approved in 1/0 with a 5 inch senko.  

 

In about that time I had about 6 strikes and zero hook ups.  The last fish I brought all the way to the bank just to have it come off.  The hook and keeper firmly in place so the fish was just holding on.  

 

It feels like I am pulling the lure right out of their mouth and the hook is not even coming close to getting them.

 

 Maybe I need a bigger hook?  Maybe a different hook?  Am I doing something wrong?

 

 

Thoughts?

[gobig]

What rod are you throwing it on. Sounds to me like it might be to light. Around heavy cover like the delta I use a med/heavy rod with 17lb floro. It also takes a  fairly good hook set  to drive in a weedless hook.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

I use a 7,3 m/h... I don't use those hooks.. I only fish my senkos wacky with 3/0 mustad, trokar , laser sharps.. hook up ratio is very high.. I watch my line so if the bass is taking off with it to the left I'll wait a second until I feel he's got then I'll set the hook straight up and to the right. Again I only fish senkos wacky just a condifdence thing...give normal wide gaps a try.. if.your getting weeds you can easily pop them off with your rod tip. Or just find the. Depth of seeds and I like dropping it right on top.and fish above them.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

Confidence **

[Grizzn N Bassin]

Weeds ** sorry my phone is crapping the bed with the spell check

[Felix77]

What rod are you throwing it on. Sounds to me like it might be to light. Around heavy cover like the delta I use a med/heavy rod with 17lb floro. It also takes a  fairly good hook set  to drive in a weedless hook.

 

I use a 6'6" MH Spinning rod with 10lb Braid.   Should be solid enough to set the hook on them.  That is what puzzles me.  This new hook goes through the heavy weeds perfectly but when the bite occurs it seems to slip right through their mouth.

[kylek]

Are you sure that the fish have it all in their mouth and not just part of it?

 

I use the same style of hook, but gamakatsu brand.  I find that if i just reel in the slack line and pull into the fish I have a better hook up ratio. I think if you try to do a normal hard hookset it is just blowing it out of their mouth.

 

I use mine on a 7' M power spinning rod with 6lb Yo zuri hybrid line.

[Darren.]

I have had decent success with the wacky worm in open water/sparse cover situations.  As a result I decided to try wacky worming with a weedless wacky hook to get it in places I wouldn't dare cast an open hook before.  I went out fishing and for over an hour I tried fishing the weedless wacky hook the whole time.  VMC Ike Approved in 1/0 with a 5 inch senko.  

 

In about that time I had about 6 strikes and zero hook ups.  The last fish I brought all the way to the bank just to have it come off.  The hook and keeper firmly in place so the fish was just holding on.  

 

It feels like I am pulling the lure right out of their mouth and the hook is not even coming close to getting them.

 

 Maybe I need a bigger hook?  Maybe a different hook?  Am I doing something wrong?

 

Thoughts?

Those hooks are awful, IMO. I tried them the other day, thought the wire weed guard was way too stiff so I clipped the ends, made two straight guards that didn't wrap into the hook.

I caught a bass, lost it while bringing in. Then another. That was it. I cut the hook off and went back to my gammy and Hayabusa hooks. Problem solved...

I found reviews on the VMC wacky weedless hooks and nearly every one had the same issues...

FWIW

[Lip 'em!]

I use the same style of hook, but gamakatsu brand. I find that if i just reel in the slack line and pull into the fish I have a better hook up ratio. I think if you try to do a normal hard hookset it is just blowing it out of their mouth.

^^^^^ this. When i first started fishing 1/0 weedless wacky hooks i had the same problem. But i stopped really whacking them with a hard hook set, instead just reeling down and kind of pulling into them from the side and have had alot better hookup percentage. That small of a hook and the shape will do alot of the setting for you. Alot like circle hooks.

[Felix77]

Since I have them I will try the side hookset on them.  I need to check out the reviews to see what others are saying.  

 

Maybe I don't such as much as I thought.  

[Felix77]

Ouch ... I just went to TW and read the reviews.  The exact same complaints that I have.  Not good.

[Tim Cianciola]

i have some also, the hook is just small so no room for error, i reel down the slack watch my line and pull the opposite way the fish is going. but in all honesty i  use my 4/0 circle/finesse hooks 99% of the time.

[Jay Ell Gee]

Felix,

I can't speak from experience on that particular hook, but I wanted to drop off my .02, as I have really gotten into the wacky rig in the last year.

I frequently use the Owner weedless wacky hooks with flick shakes on a very particular pond that I kayak fish. The bottom is completely covered with a type of moss that simply wants to eat any lure that falls through it. We typically resort to burning spinnerbaits, swim jigs, swimbaits and frogs to keep weedless. If it sinks into the grass that cast is ruined.

The point of all of this: when the bite gets slow, I toss flick shakes weightless because they won't sink through. These hooks have literally never fouled up in this stuff. I don't use a lot of owner stuff but I was extremely impressed with these.

For what it's worth, I throw mine on a St. Croix Mojo Bass, 6'8 M/XF with 20lb PowerPro. My hookset is exactly the same as a drop shot setup.. Simply a nice, quick (abrupt) upward snap of the rod tip. I usually stall the hookset by just a hair though. When I feel that "tap tap tap" sensation, I set the hook as soon as I quit feeling the taps. Either they spit it or its in that mouth! It's usually in the mouth though. The megastrike may help with that. Works for me, anyway.

Good luck man!

Link to the hooks:

http://www.***.com/Owner_Weedless_Wacky_Hook_4pk/descpage-OWWH.html

[Marty]

I haven't used either yet, but I bought weedless wacky hooks, VMC 3/0 and another brand which I forgot in 4/0. Sorry to hear about the negative comments about the VMC. But regardless, I wouldn't have confidence using something as small as 1/0 with a 5" Senko.

[ww2farmer]

I must be the only person in the world who likes the wire weedguards. Here is the key to them. KEEP THEM ABOVE THE BARB!!!! You also have to "flex" them a little, to soften them up. Straight out of the package they are too stiff. AND...open them up a bit too. I have a very high hooking % on both the VMC and Falcon Lures "K" wacky hooks that every one else seem to hate.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

WOW you guys use HUGE hooks to me. I have all the confidence in my preferred hook that being a #2 Lazer Sharp. Ill say my hook-up ratio is outstanding & this being on my ML St Croix with 10# braid or 6# Nanofil. The 6# in open and 10# in weeds. In amongst weedmats Ill use M criox 10# braid and still great results.

Your hook 90 degrees or in-line with senko?

 

 

 

Below This pic is just for showing where Ill toss the senko in the pockets or drag overtop and let fall at edge. I have seen bass strike my senko in areas that are very clear and they will at times not fully engulf the senko but grap it take half of it swim a bit and then open up and inhale it.

 

[Felix77]

I must be the only person in the world who likes the wire weedguards. Here is the key to them. KEEP THEM ABOVE THE BARB!!!! You also have to "flex" them a little, to soften them up. Straight out of the package they are too stiff. AND...open them up a bit too. I have a very high hooking % on both the VMC and Falcon Lures "K" wacky hooks that every one else seem to hate.

 

Definitely going to give these a try considering I have a bunch to work through.  I will update the group once I have a chance to try them out with these tweaks.

 

Thanks for the tips!!!

[bassin is addicting]

this is what i use and it flat out works..

 

 

Mustad W37754R weedless fishing hooks

[Felix77]

I must be the only person in the world who likes the wire weedguards. Here is the key to them. KEEP THEM ABOVE THE BARB!!!! You also have to "flex" them a little, to soften them up. Straight out of the package they are too stiff. AND...open them up a bit too. I have a very high hooking % on both the VMC and Falcon Lures "K" wacky hooks that every one else seem to hate.

 

Dude ... you were spot on with these tips.  I dedicated yesterday to fishing these wacky hooks and I didn't miss a single fish!  

 

The wire keeper didn't last too long though.  About 3 fish and then one end snapped off.  Now I have a non-weedless hook.  

 

I will take that over a missed fish any day!

[NWBasslover]

Good to hear it worked out man. Nothing worse then missing the fish.

[lmbfisherman]

Are you sure that the fish have it all in their mouth and not just part of it?

 

I use the same style of hook, but gamakatsu brand.  I find that if i just reel in the slack line and pull into the fish I have a better hook up ratio. I think if you try to do a normal hard hookset it is just blowing it out of their mouth.

 

I use mine on a 7' M power spinning rod with 6lb Yo zuri hybrid line.

This, I use the same Gamakatsu brand.  I found when I did a sweeping hookset I was getting success.  At first I tried to do a hard hookset and believe what was happening is that I was pulling it from their mouth too as kylek stated.  I also found before I set the hook, I slightly reeled in the slack and then did a sweeping set.  I think this is the other problem, going through the motion (delay) ensures the bass has engulfed your bait. 

 

I was using this a 6'8" M/XF spinning rod spooled with 10lb braid and 8 lb p line.

[lmbfisherman]

Dude ... you were spot on with these tips.  I dedicated yesterday to fishing these wacky hooks and I didn't miss a single fish!  

 

The wire keeper didn't last too long though.  About 3 fish and then one end snapped off.  Now I have a non-weedless hook.  

 

I will take that over a missed fish any day!

Try the Gamakatsu, I hooked 20+ bass on it and the the only issue I had was it slid down.  It was still going strong until I lost it in a tree.  I was peeved, stupid wind. 

[gallowaypt]

Yeah the tips from ww2 is what I would have suggested as well. Now if the VMC wire guards would last more than a few fish..

[BenB54]

I like the gamakatsu weedless finesse hooks. I've had really good success with a smaller #2 hook. You really don't have to set the hook, just a light sweeping turn to the side and start reeling and that light wire hook penetrates really easily. Also, with it being smaller, you don't pick up as much gunk from the bottom. At least this has been my experience.