Berkley Havoc Bottom Hopper Worm

[WRB]

I have been posting for about 2 years that the nail weighted worms are winning tournaments out west and had no replies about this rig.

Howard Hugh's won the Clear lake a Open June 10-12 with a 3 day total weight of 69.79 lbs using Berkely's Havoc Bottom Hopper worm nail weighed.

Tom

[OkobojiEagle]

Are they weighting them for a horizontal fall?

oe

[CPBassFishing]

Where are they inserting the nail weight? Neko rig? Tail weighted for a backwards fall? Middle for a horizontaly falling T-rig?

[Brian6428]

Can you give a more clear explanation of how it was weighted? I love the bottom hopper on a dropshot so will definitely try any new methods.

[WRB]

There are 2 popular nail weights available, the expensive tungsten R2Sea 3/32 oz and the less expensive and some what larger Lunker City lead nail weight. The system also may include the worm saddle harness. All these item are available from TW.

The rig is very simple; cut 1/4" off the worms nose to create a flat spot. Install the worm saddle harness about 1 1/2" above the worm nose. Insert the 3/32 oz nail weight flush with the worm nose flat spot. Use an Owner or Gamakatsu wacky weedless size 1/0 hooks and wacky hook about 1 1/2" above rhe worm nose or use the saddle. This rig is best used on 8 to 10lb FC line with either spinning or bait casting. Drop shot rods work very well.

Cast, let sink while line wactching for strikes like a Senko. When the worm hits bottom it will stand up and you just make little shaky hops along the bottom. Very effective rig for all sizes of bass, water depths to 25'.

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

There are 2 popular nail weights available, the expensive tungsten R2Sea 3/32 oz and the less expensive and some what larger Lunker City lead nail weight. The system also may include the worm saddle harness. All these item are available from TW.

The rig is very simple; cut 1/4" off the worms nose to create a flat spot. Install the worm saddle harness about 1 1/2" above the worm nose. Insert the 3/32 oz nail weight flush with the worm nose flat spot. Use an Owner or Gamakatsu wacky weedless size 1/0 hooks and wacky hook about 1 1/2" above rhe worm nose or use the saddle. This rig is best used on 8 to 10lb FC line with either spinning or bait casting. Drop shot rods work very well.

Cast, let sink while line wactching for strikes like a Senko. When the worm hits bottom it will stand up and you just make little shaky hops along the bottom. Very effective rig for all sizes of bass, water depths to 25'.

Tom

So basically you wrap the wacky saddle about 1.5" back from the head of the worm and you end up with something like a wacky rig that is weighted at one end and isn't hooked directly in the middle of the worm? I could see where the gliding action would be very good. 

[OkobojiEagle]

Around what cover are they finding this rigging option effective?

oe

[CPBassFishing]

So its a neko rig. Make sure you use a wacky saddle or piece of elastic tubing to put your hook through so if you get a short bite you don't lose the nail weight and worm.

[WRB]

So its a neko rig. Make sure you use a wacky saddle or piece of elastic tubing to put your hook through so if you get a short bite you don't lose the nail weight and worm.

A Neko rig is a nail weight Senko, the nail weighted worm has been around over 30 years! The saddle helps to save worms when fighting the bass, saves the worm and weight. It also important to cut the worm nose flat, it helps the worm to stand up and lay on the bottom.

Tom

[WRB]

Around what cover are they finding this rigging option effective?oe

Weed beads edges or breaks, it's a weedless rig and can go into cover, but you are fishing light line.

Rocky structure is very good.

Tom

[OkobojiEagle]

Tom... I'm picturing the action to be a subtle "wacky action" with a smooth forward glide and standing posture on the bottom. I've been fishing very lightly weighted jig-worms (both exposed point and buried point) for many years. Is the difference in action between a nose weighted worm with a nail weight and a similarly weighted jig-worm significant?

oe

[WRB]

The verticle descent with a lightweight shaky head jig is straight down with little worm action of it's own. The Berkley Havoc worm has some modifications that allow it to swiim with what I can describe as a Senko shuttle.

Don Iovino's hand poured worms have a very similar action on the sink with this rig and whatever it is the bass react to it. Anytime a tournament angler is putting 6 to 7 lb average weight bass in the baot over 3 days with a finesse rig tells it all...big bass are eating this rig up and down the state. The hot worm has been Iovino's Honey worm with this rig, the Havoc worm is also working.

Tom

[ChicagoEd]

Can someone post a picture of this setup. Or point me to a YouTube clip on how to rig it? Thanks, this sounds promising and would love to try it.

[xbacksideslider]

The trick is that these rigs, on a slow retrieve, bounce along on the nose with the tail high, almost vertical; it looks as if the worm is face down, feeding.  The weight is in the nose and the eye of the hook, being 1.25 or 1.5 inches from the nose, tends to pull the worm up onto its nose.  Even a salty sinking worm will tend to stand up but a floating worm has better presentation, more vertical, less tilt off to either side.

 

So . . . I sort my worms, not only by color and size but also by whether they float or sink. 

 

WRB is referring to Iovino's S120 color, "Honeycomb." 

 

Here's a picture of the rig:

http://www.iovino.com/nailworm

[basshole8190]

the missile baits fuze 4.0 works well on the neko type rig. I havent used it since late spring tho.

[KayakBasser]

Sounds like a productive way to fish, never really been into a wacky rig.

[smalljaw67]

It is a modified Neko rig, and the Senko isn't used on a Neko because it sinks. Jackall has a worm right now on the JDM made just for Neko rigging and another popular one was the Kickerfish hole shot. Pete Gluszek told us that at a seminar, the popular story is that it was developed as an ultra finesse way to fish a 4" Senko when the fish wouldn't hit it wacky rig but the worm needs to float for it to really be a Neko rig. A couple years after the Neko rig became popular, anglers began modifiying the rig to use with the 4" Senko and other worms that didn't float, the rig falls like a Neko rig and it allows to the worm to have action when drug along the bottom.