Gut hooked fish on a Wacky Rig

[Doelman]

Use a floating line like braid.  I've never caught a bass on a senko that I couldn't see the line acting strange when bit, I also don't leave it on the bottom for more than a second before popping it.  If I ever even think I may have been bit, I'll reel until I either feel the weight of the fish or bait.  With that said, big bass can inhale these things even when you see them take it and gut hook themselves.  The only thing that will stop that is a hook big enough they can't swallow, but you'll get less bites.

[TOXIC]

The resistance of braid and it's floating characteristic will eliminate the natural action of a weightless senko unless you use a leader.  That is why I like mono for weightless senkos.  10lb mono to be exact.  I caught a 14lb Northern Snakehead on that setup last weekend.  If you set your gear up right then it's possible.  You can't upsize a hook big enough to keep an average size bass (1-4lbs) from inhaling it.  

[CTBassin860]

When you see that line start to swim away,reel up and sweep.Dont wait to set the hook.Im using the VMC Neko hooks size 1 with double O-rings.Every one of my sets are in the upper lip.

[NHBull]

58 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

The resistance of braid and it's floating characteristic will eliminate the natural action of a weightless senko unless you use a leader.  That is why I like mono for weightless senkos.  10lb mono to be exact.  I caught a 14lb Northern Snakehead on that setup last weekend.  If you set your gear up right then it's possible.  You can't upsize a hook big enough to keep an average size bass (1-4lbs) from inhaling it.  

My personal experience is that noobs  that are using mono with wacky rigs have a lot more gut hooks than those using braid or braid with leader.  Sensitivity being the key factor.  On a side note, 10lb 832 will sink faster than 10 lb mono.  If you want braid to sink faster, lob the bait, the velocity helps break water tention

[Glenn]

I never use braid with wacky rigs - not even as a "main line".  Braid is buoyant, and it can inhibit the action of the bait.  Instead, I use fluorocarbon.  It has a slow sink to it, which conveniently matches the slow fall of a weightless Senko, so it pairs well with it.  Plus fluorocarbon has high sensitivity. 

 

 

[Doelman]

3 hours ago, TOXIC said:

The resistance of braid and it's floating characteristic will eliminate the natural action of a weightless senko unless you use a leader.  That is why I like mono for weightless senkos.  10lb mono to be exact.  I caught a 14lb Northern Snakehead on that setup last weekend.  If you set your gear up right then it's possible.  You can't upsize a hook big enough to keep an average size bass (1-4lbs) from inhaling it.  

Why would you use braid without a leader on a finesse rig?  It takes 1 minute to cut off a 6 foot piece of fluoro and uni uni it to your main line.  I've never had an issue getting excellent natural action using braid with a leader, but I only use Gary senkos and they tend to sink faster than most.

 

I would never fish senkos if I couldn't watch the line, gut hooking is a problem if you aren't on top of the bite.

[CTBassin860]

4 hours ago, TOXIC said:

The resistance of braid and it's floating characteristic will eliminate the natural action of a weightless senko unless you use a leader.  That is why I like mono for weightless senkos.  10lb mono to be exact.  I caught a 14lb Northern Snakehead on that setup last weekend.  If you set your gear up right then it's possible.  You can't upsize a hook big enough to keep an average size bass (1-4lbs) from inhaling it.  

I use straight braid and no leader on my weightless wacky rig.I have never noticed any kind of diminished action whatsoever. I also have no problems with hook ups or gut hooks using a size 1 hook.

[Scott F]

1 hour ago, Glenn said:

I never use braid with wacky rigs - not even as a "main line".  Braid is buoyant, and it can inhibit the action of the bait.  Instead, I use fluorocarbon.  It has a slow sink to it, which conveniently matches the slow fall of a weightless Senko, so it pairs well with it.  Plus fluorocarbon has high sensitivity. 

 

 

The fact that braid floats is exactly why I only use it for my weightless senkos. It is so barely buoyant that it really has little to no effect on the fall rate of the bait. But, because it does float, It makes it MUCH easier to watch the line. So many of my bites are detected because I saw the line laying on the surface "twitch". If the line was under water, I'd never have known I had a bite.

[TOXIC]

First, let me say this and I am being honest, I say it in every seminar I give regarding Senkos.  

 

"There is no wrong way to fish a Senko."

 

Fish a Senko in whatever way gives you the most confidence.  All the years of my being sponsored and and my trips to the factory interacting the the folks that make them in Page, AZ, allow me to get a little of the inside scoop on "why" they are made the way they are and "how" they were intended to be fished but that in no way means there aren't other ways to fish them that aren't productive.   I've seen this topic get pretty heated on other sites and it always starts off with the Senko vs knockoffs debate.  Just like the different rigging methods, there is no one right answer.  

[RPreeb]

On 6/11/2017 at 4:47 AM, BrackishBassin said:

I would have kept the bass if it had been legal, but it wasn't. So, I had to toss it back. 

 

 

 

This is certainly an issue here in Colorado.  In most of the state water, size limit for largemouth is 15", but finding one that size can be a challenge (Colorado isn't exactly a major bass fishery  ).  I fish catch and release, but it puts the fisherman in an ethical quandary when he knows that the hook has killed the fish, yet he can't risk keeping it because of the large fine imposed for having an undersized fish in his possession.

[NHBull]

2 minutes ago, RPreeb said:

 

This is certainly an issue here in Colorado.  In most of the state water, size limit for largemouth is 15", but finding one that size can be a challenge (Colorado isn't exactly a major bass fishery  ).  I fish catch and release, but it puts the fisherman in an ethical quandary when he knows that the hook has killed the fish, yet he can't risk keeping it because of the large fine imposed for having an undersized fish in his possession.

Fish are part of the food chain and little sleep should be lost on the occasional premature death.

Last yr, one of mine died and an eagle promptly dove and brought it back to the nest...life goes on...

[RPreeb]

9 minutes ago, NHBull said:

Fish are part of the food chain and little sleep should be lost on the occasional premature death.

Last yr, one of mine died and an eagle promptly dove and brought it back to the nest...life goes on...

 

Good point.  Hopefully a badger or raccoon or coyote - we have all three around town here - will get it before it's too far gone.  Most of my evening fishing is in a very small pond 4 blocks from home.  Not much going on with it, but I get to practice new techniques there, and now and then I actually hook one.

[NYWayfarer]

1 hour ago, TOXIC said:

First, let me say this and I am being honest, I say it in every seminar I give regarding Senkos.  

 

"There is no wrong way to fish a Senko."

 

 

 

I have to agree.

 

A story comes to mind. My fishing partner was using a Senko with a offset 3/0 worm hook. Problem was he rigged it wacky style and went through the worm twice so it was bunched up in the middle.

 

Before I could give him some advice, he caught the first and biggest Bass of the day on that mess.

[earthworm77]

The bottom line is, on a weightless presentation you just have to really pay attention to what is going on or you will continue to have this issue.

[BrackishBassin]

Appreciate all the input! In spite of paying close attention to my line, it seems like it's an inevitable part of wacky rigging trick worms. I'll stick to my weightless senkos and drop shot for a while. Don't have issues with either of those two presentations and they catch plenty of fish. Thanks all!

[The Bassman]

On 6/10/2017 at 7:55 PM, Scott F said:

If you pinch down the barb on the hook you use, you can easily remove the hook even if the bass is gut hooked. Before you say I think I'd loose too many fish, the pinched barb penetrates more easily and if you keep good pressure on, you'll land just about as many fish and most importantly most if not all with swim off alive.

 

I've always pinched barbs on trebles but didn't think to on singles.  Used your tip this morning during some great wacky action. It kept me out of trouble several times and fish stayed buttoned just fine. Also, started fishing Mepps plain lately. Smallmouth hit them just fine.  Come to think of it the dressed ones don't look any different in the water than when I pick up slop. Thanks so much for your input.

[LxVE Bassin]

On 6/16/2017 at 10:46 AM, Doelman said:

Why would you use braid without a leader on a finesse rig?  It takes 1 minute to cut off a 6 foot piece of fluoro and uni uni it to your main line.  I've never had an issue getting excellent natural action using braid with a leader, but I only use Gary senkos and they tend to sink faster than most.

 

I would never fish senkos if I couldn't watch the line, gut hooking is a problem if you aren't on top of the bite.

 

I usually fish senkos on braid with a leader, but occasionally I will fish with straight braid. I've caught my biggest bass on a senko with straight braid. I have caught fish on straight braid in clear and stained water. The sink rate is slower with straight braid but it still has it purpose. 

[Saki]

A few weeks ago I was with two friends testing braid to mono for the first time and a wacky worm, since I'm not familiar with knoting two lines I tried a Uni knot but somehow it wasn't a right knot.

First cast I set the hook and lose my leader + tackle, I rigged a new set and resumed my fishing walking along the shore of the pond. Forward 20 minutes and I'm casting back at the same stump structure with a spinnerbait and I get a fish

 

It was the same that ate the wacky earlier. As I was about to free the spinnerbait I noticed it had a line hanging from the mouth and there was the worm+hook inside, I felt so relieved as she did not swallow it but was keeping it inside her mouth, I was so puzzled and it was a small one so I didn't thought about taking pictures, but the 3 of us were shocked for the rest of the fishing trip.

 

Once I was fishing on a small dam and as I lifted the fish out ot the water it freed and came down hitting the rocks and landing on the shore of the small creek on the other side, 5mt.

She died from the fall and two minutes later it was being ripped of by the craws but I felt so down all the day.

[Doelman]

3 hours ago, Saki said:

A few weeks ago I was with two friends testing braid to mono for the first time and a wacky worm, since I'm not familiar with knoting two lines I tried a Uni knot but somehow it wasn't a right knot.

First cast I set the hook and lose my leader + tackle, I rigged a new set and resumed my fishing walking along the shore of the pond. Forward 20 minutes and I'm casting back at the same stump structure with a spinnerbait and I get a fish

 

It was the same that ate the wacky earlier. As I was about to free the spinnerbait I noticed it had a line hanging from the mouth and there was the worm+hook inside, I felt so relieved as she did not swallow it but was keeping it inside her mouth, I was so puzzled and it was a small one so I didn't thought about taking pictures, but the 3 of us were shocked for the rest of the fishing trip.

 

Once I was fishing on a small dam and as I lifted the fish out ot the water it freed and came down hitting the rocks and landing on the shore of the small creek on the other side, 5mt.

She died from the fall and two minutes later it was being ripped of by the craws but I felt so down all the day.

 

I had a similar experience, I was bass fishing and hooked into a pike, it ended up biting the bait off.  My dad caught a pike a few minutes later and what did it have in it's mouth?  My lure lol

[earthworm77]

On 6/17/2017 at 6:41 PM, BrackishBassin said:

Appreciate all the input! In spite of paying close attention to my line, it seems like it's an inevitable part of wacky rigging trick worms. I'll stick to my weightless senkos and drop shot for a while. Don't have issues with either of those two presentations and they catch plenty of fish. Thanks all!

I fish some gin clear water here in Fl and I use the wacky rig a lot. For me personally, I keep in contact with the bait at all times, meaning I control slack line. I would estimate I catch over 600 to 800 fish a season on this rig. I can't remember having a gut hook hooked fish in many years. I watch how people I fish with use the technique and generally, I see them picking up a ton of slack line to keep up with the bait or a bite, I think that is where the issue comes in. They don't realize how long the fish actually was on the bait. They don't instantly swallow it, that takes a few seconds.

[soflabasser]

Bass get gut hooked all the time when using soft plastics, and even the best of best bass fishermen has gut hooked a couple bass on senkos, flukes, worms, etc. Many of these gut hooked bass die after the release and a good percentage of them have their intestines packed with soft plastics. Over time these bass will become malnourished and die from having too many soft plastics in their intestines.There's several pictures and videos online showing bass filled with soft plastics, check these videos out. Setting the hook as quickly as possible helps lower the chance of a gut hooked fish, but that's easier said than done.