Strike King OCHO-More Fluke/Sluggo Than Senko?

[primetime]

I often forget about certain soft baits and lures because I love to buy the latest and greatest, and I recently decided to tie on a 5" SK- Rage? Ocho Stick worm which I had used several years ago with good success, but somehow forgot about them since I often lack the patience to fish a "Senko" the Standard way.

As soon as I tied on the Ocho which was in a Watermelon Red color, I dropped it in the water and realized that the sides of the worm made it similar to a "Flat sided crankbait" in terms of flash.

I started fishing it like a Fluke/Sluggo, near the surface, killing it near ambush points, and basically just fishing it much faster than I would a Texas Rigged Worm. I am not sure if Strike King Designed this worm to be worked like a Sluggo, but I ended up going through my pack of watermelon red, and then finished off a pack of Baby Bass color and I was fishing in the pouring Rain, in Stained water, without any weight or sound, just the standard Scent and Salt from Strike King. 

One of the things that was impressive was how hard the fish were hitting this worm when I worked it like a "Subwalk" and I clipped on a piece of a D.O.A. Pinch Weight to the back of the hook to make it glide a bit more, and the extra weight seemed to trigger more strikes while it was falling.

Does anyone else fish the Ocho as a main part of your soft bait arsenal? I can't believe I forgot about this worm, It really is different than almost any other stick bait I have come across, and yet I almost never hear of anyone using it?

One other note......Like all Rage, GYB, Keitech's etc...They are soft and will Rip easily. Do not throw them away. I put a few small 2" pieces on a light jighead and was catching fish just as fast as I would with any other worm on the "Ned Rig". I also think that this worm may be great for the MJ rig as well, the added flash that this worm gives off may not be great for every situation, but I am heading out to Dicks today to buy some more since they are the only company around that stocks the Rage baits. 

I would recommend this worm to anyone who is like me....Sometimes you lack the patience to fish a Senko slowly, or always like to experiment with different rigs etc. I would imagine this would be a great Swim Jig trailer as well, if one rips in half, put it on a swim Jig and it would give it more flash and more bulk. 

Is the Ocho a bait that just never received the marketing or attention due to all the different options? Curious to see if other people fish this worm on a consistent basis. Glad I tied one on instead of grabbing the "Caffiene Shad" which has always been my favorite fluke for many reasons but mainly for the casting distance, but this worm offers something different imo.

Thanks. Any tips on how you use the Ocho would be appreciated. Curious to see if anyone fishes this instead of a Senko for wacky rigging etc.

[J Francho]

I use it like any other senko.  I don't generally associate "flash" with the shape of a soft plastic.  They get their flash deom the flakes in the plastic.

[primetime]

Either way, It seems to look different than a regular senko when you work it fast. Maybe Strike King just adds more flake than other companies or maybe the bag I had had extra flake, But it seemed to have more flash than most Watermelon Red worms I fish, same with the green on white. Strike King Colors in general are usually very good as far as the amount of flake they include, or the Magic colors that change color in the water.

The Ocho seems to move with a different action, maybe it is in my mind, but I really like the worm. I hope they make it in that blue Magic color SK makes. Probably have to order from TW if they do.

[J Francho]

I like them too.  They're good variation on the senko theme. 

[j bab]

A Candy Craw 5" Ocho is probably my favorite stick bait to throw. I hooked a "DD" on one a couple years ago and lost it, and that's been my favorite plastic ever since. (I say "DD" in quotes because I have no proof that it was 10+ since I didn't land it, but I know it was a giant either way.)

I throw it as a senko though.

[lo n slo]

i have some of them and have caught bass with them. i texas rig them with no weight. they have a coffee type of scent. it's been a while since i've thrown one though. i might have to dig them back out now!

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

6 hours ago, primetime said:

 

As soon as I tied on the Ocho which was in a Watermelon Red color,

One other note......Like all Rage, GYB, Keitech's etc...They are soft and will Rip easily. Do not throw them away. I put a few small 2" pieces on a light jighead and was catching fish just as fast as I would with any other worm on the "Ned Rig". I also think that this worm may be great for the MJ rig as well, the added flash that this worm gives off may not be great for every situation, but I am heading out to Dicks today to buy some more since they are the only company around that stocks the Rage baits.

Thanks. Any tips on how you use the Ocho would be appreciated. Curious to see if anyone fishes this instead of a Senko for wacky rigging etc.

I have used the watermelon red&black flake 7" size wacky for throwing on slop. Its actually held up quite well for me not seeing the durability issue like a senko. Couple packs of 5's hang on the pegboard but just dont ever seem to use those.

can just see the ocho on top of my thumb

slop cleared off

 

[timsford]

I use this and all other senko type baits and fish them like soft jerkbaits a lot. I pause more and for longer periods between twitches usually. I experiment with them and usually start out fishing them kind of fast Texas rigged and skipping under docks, trees, and around cover. I like white and smoke color variations for imitating shad if I'm on the lake or in the river. In ponds I like green pumpkin and watermelon colors to imitate bluegill. I still use them in greens, browns, and blacks sometimes when dead sticking or fishing wacky on flick shake heads, but I catch a lot of bass working them kind of fast like a bigger floating worm. I've even used a white bps sticko during the post spawn in murky water and inserted a rattle in the tail. It was during a tournament and I ended up catching 19 that day and best 5 weighed 17 lbs, good enough for second place. 

[primetime]

I didn't know they made a big 7" Ocho? 

On 9/1/2016 at 7:41 PM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:

I have used the watermelon red&black flake 7" size wacky for throwing on slop. Its actually held up quite well for me not seeing the durability issue like a senko. Couple packs of 5's hang on the pegboard but just dont ever seem to use those.

can just see the ocho on top of my thumb

slop cleared off

 

I had no idea that they made a 7" Ocho. I use the big Stick O's like a Topwater Spook on top of slop and do kind of the same thing you do although I have never rigged it wacky.

How do you keep it weedless? Do you just use a Wacky Hook with weedguard or bury the hook points?  I rarely fish worms rigged wacky, but I fish a ton of water that looks exactly like what you are fishing. I usually work the senko on top like a frog, then let it fall through which actually works well, Wacky is a good idea I never thought of doing on the slop.....I bet the fall rate and action is something those fish rarely see. Please let me know how you rig the worm as I want to try this technique.

 

Thanks.

[herruberraschen]

Yes they are super soft and tear easy but it makes a difference in the action and fish spitting the bait. When they bite an Ocho they will not let go. 

[NYWayfarer]

Ocho's are great. That coffee salt scent really gets them going. 

I fish mine with a wacky rig tool O ring and a VMC weedless hook.

My only complaint is they are soft and when I used to Texas rig them they would shred easy. I used the bits left over on Ned rigs and they work great.

 

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

2 o-rings crossed run hook under them hook is at 90 degrees a wired weedless is my choice.

 

[JayKumar]

Ocho is different from Senkos because it's not round -- has 8 flat sides, so I guess it could flash. Interesting post, tx!