Need some shakey-head advice

[jdw174]

Rod -  6'10" MH spinning

Line - 20lb Stealth Braid w/short 10lb leader

Jighead - 1/8oz football head with spring molded in.

Was fishing 14' of water this AM with the above setup.  (Worm was a Hag's Tornado).  Within a five minute period, I hooked and LOST  one that was at least 5, and another that was almost that big (had them both to the boat when they came unglued). >

I had popped a good hookset on both of them, yet the hook had barely came thru the worm and wasn't buried in the fish at all.  It is my theory that the spring keeper in the head is perhaps TOO good and doesn't allow movement of the hook on the set.  I had threaded the hook thru the worm to ensure that it didn't meet much resistance on the hookset.

I'd like to know what kind of heads you guys use and what suggestions you might have.  If this had been a tournament this morning I'd have just about broke the rod after losing the second one.

[5bass]

When I use the spring type heads I will take my pliers and cut at least half the spring off, if not more than half, leaving just enough to secure the worm just a little bit. I WANT the worm to come off when I set the hook.

I prefer the peg type holders (like the Spot Remover) but they're hard to find with a wide gap hook. I never have your problem when using the peg type. Cutting the spring off some will help your problem tremendously.

[MMan16]

Buckeye spot removers pro model. I"ve had good luck with them. Never had a problem with a fish coming unpinned.

[Josh Bassman]

I love the spot remover.

My biggest problem are the dinks dragging my robo worm around my the tip of the tail.

[RandySBreth]

I like a simple ball head jig with a long shank hook. I don't like the "keeper" type because I hear about this problem with them a lot.

I mostly use Luck "E" Strike ones (1/8th ounce) I get at Wally World. Gamakatsu hooks in them, so they aren't cheap, just inexpensive.

Yeah, I know a worm won't stand straight up most of time on a ball head, but most of time I'm working a shaky head, not letting it sit there. If the fish want something sitting right on the bottom with very little action I switch to a Texas-rigged finesse worm or finesse jig and do better than on the shaky.

Most of the time.

[jdw174]

Thanks for the advice guys.  Some of my ball head types have clip-on springs...I'll take some of them off and give them a try.  On the football heads with molded in springs, I'll snip most of them off and try that.

[bocabasser]

When I use the spring type heads I will take my pliers and cut at least half the spring off, if not more than half, leaving just enough to secure the worm just a little bit. I WANT the worm to come off when I set the hook.

I prefer the peg type holders (like the Spot Remover) but they're hard to find with a wide gap hook. I never have your problem when using the peg type. Cutting the spring off some will help your problem tremendously.

x2. i also like the gambler giggy head. the only problem with the giggy head though is the hook is too thin. i also think your 20# braid (even with a leader) is overkill. just use mono or flouro. i also use a jig loop as my knot. it makes my trick worm dance a lot better.

[5bass]

Technically, the Spot Remover is not a shaky head. It is a 'stand up' head. I will use them in the same situations that I would a shaky head just to see whats goin' on but usually one or the other will win out on a day on the water. I get a lot of bites with the Spot Remover on the drop which most of the time tells me that the fish are suspended. I usually dont get bit on the drop too often with a regular shaky head.

Like I said, usually one is better than the other at the end of the day. Just depends on what the fish are doing and what kind of mood they are in. The Spot Remover with a worm is more of a reaction bait for me.

[CWB]

I use Strike King's tour grade football heads, mostly 1/8 oz., and they work great. Try the Shakee Heads from Megastrike. They are great for working real slow. Bait stands up when at rest.

[Randall]

The Gambler heads with the spring (giggy with the spring keeper and the one that is football shaped with the big hook) are the only ones I will use that have a keeper. All the others I have tried or seen are not designed well enough to give a good hookup ratio because of the angle of the keepers and not enough gap. 

[philsoreel]

When shaking higher up in the water column not on the bottom, I like Picasso Shakedowns. Very small, limber spring retainer with good hook-ups. When I'm on the bottom I use their football jig and Megastrike's Shake2 Pro Model. I feel like I get better hook-ups with the Picasso but more bites with the Megastrike.

[WanderLust]

When I use the spring type heads I will take my pliers and cut at least half the spring off, if not more than half, leaving just enough to secure the worm just a little bit. I WANT the worm to come off when I set the hook.

I prefer the peg type holders (like the Spot Remover) but they're hard to find with a wide gap hook. I never have your problem when using the peg type. Cutting the spring off some will help your problem tremendously.

Seriously good advice. Thanks!!!

Just started using the Shakey-head and was having a few issues.

[helms83]

When I use the spring type heads I will take my pliers and cut at least half the spring off, if not more than half, leaving just enough to secure the worm just a little bit. I WANT the worm to come off when I set the hook.

I prefer the peg type holders (like the Spot Remover) but they're hard to find with a wide gap hook. I never have your problem when using the peg type. Cutting the spring off some will help your problem tremendously.

Seriously good advice. Thanks!!!

Just started using the Shakey-head and was having a few issues.

Same here! I'm new to the Shakey technique, but it's quickly becoming my favorite!

I too have had a few hook ups come undone, so I'm going to try this as well.