Fat Ika Backwards or Average?

[BassFishingMachine]

Which rigging style do you find more productive? Is there a better time to rig backwards and a better time to rig average? Or is it just preferance? I understand how the backwards rig lets the Fat Ika fall away from you, im just curious which style works best for you.

[Brad_Coovert]

I find that I tend to fish them backwards more than normal.

Brad

[slappy]

mostly backwards but, not just backwards.

[roadwarrior]

The Fat Ika has been my most productive lure for the past two years and accounted for my biggest bass at Lake Fork last week. I fish the bait tentacles forward, weightless and weedless on a Gamakatsu or X-Point 4/0 EWG Offset Worm Hook and Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft #6.

[Bass Bass Bass]

I always fish it backward because I feel you get better action with the tenticles.  I have caught a ton of fish after I have lifted the bait or started reeling it back to the boat.  The one thing I will say with the ika is be patient, I have caught fish when I have least expected them to strike.  

[huskertko]

This is definitely my go to bait now, and predominantly I fish it skirt up.  I will turn it around and fish it skirt down when it is too tore up to fish it any other way, and it still catches fish, but skirt up is my first choice.

[.ghoti.]

The Fat Ika will catch fish in either direction. One of the differences between the two rigging directions is how deep you can effectively fish the bait. When reversed, you can fish it much deeper. I caught a bunch of smallies last year, on Table Rock, in 25+ feet of water with the Ika rigged skirt up. I may have been able to get them with the bait rigged the other direction, but it takes more patience than I have to fish it, rigged that way, that deep.

Here's another rigging/retrieveing technique. I can't claim the credit for this. My #2 fishing partner came up with this. Rig it in the conventional way, with the skirt down, and add an 1/8oz shot about 5 or 6 inches in front of the bait. Now retrieve it like a Spook. You can make this thing walk-the-dog underwater. The size and placement of the shot is crucial. He said 4". I found somewhere between 5" and 6" to about right for an 1/8oz shot.  I have not experimented enough to know for sure, but, I suspect the shot size and placement will vary with line size.

Cheers,

GK

[VABasser]

Yeah I've noticed too that the Ika will fall faster with skirt up.  I wasn't sure if that was what it was supposed to be doing or if I had done something wrong.  But since you mentioned it then I guess it does fall faster and there was nothing wrong.

[Raul]

Here 's an example of how the way you rig a bait can make a world of difference in how the bait behaves, screw the fall rate, fall DIRECTION is what counts. Rig it backwards the bait will sink AWAY from you, rig it average the bait will sink vertically; that sinking away makes the bait a true bass killer and allows you to fish places you can 't fish with the average rigging.

[Deuceu72]

I "palm tree" the Ika 90% of the time, but I will turn it around if I have worn that paticular Ika out.......A little xtra mileage never hurts and it catches fish either way so.........

[Brad_Coovert]

ghoti - The Fat Ika "spook" is a great way to fish these.  I've been doing it for a few years and it has been a killer rig at times.  I've never used a weight as weightless has always worked for me in the shallow water I use it in.  The smallies in the White River here in town tear it up.

Brad

[Dan:]

I don't fish ikas anymore, I fish West Coast Custom Tackle's Western Hula Sticks because I think they are an advancement on the ika design-- but I fish them "backwards." honestly, I haven't even really tried them rigged forwards and I don't really feel the need to.

[Avalonjohn44]

The fish where I am don't seem to care for it backwards, but like some others here, I have found that it walks the dog really well.  On a spinning rig, 6 to 8 lb test, I rig it weightless and then walk it like a spook.  Most of the time it is just under the surface, but sometimes that skirt breaks the surface and softly gurgles - bass seem to love that sound.   I plan to try a slower retrieve walk this year, trying to get it down a couple of feet.  I also plan to give the skirt up method a few more shots...