Neko troubles

[Beetlebz]

So I just recently got some nail weights to see what this neko business is all about. To my disbelief it actually works.  I've never had wild success with the NED or shakey head. Some success with the drop shot, more recently that I've spent more time with it... but overall great success on finesse techniques typically elude me. 

 

Today it was high pressure, hot, sunny, cloudless and I was still getting chomped on the neko. I used a #2 drop shot / neko hook a 3/64ths nail weight and a 5.8" jackall flickshake worm om 6lb YZH. I was getting hit every cast. The problem is this... I lost my worm on 90% of the hits. Even if I didn't hook the fish. I put a senko o ring around the worm to rig the hook through, I brought up just the o ring on the hook a couple times. The o ring wasn't squeezed on there, but it didn't slide around either. I feel like if I used a smaller o-ring it might help, but I'm not so sure. I dont normally have durability issues with flickshake worms, I can't imagine why the hooks would just pull out like that. But they did, every strike. I lost a ton of nail weights today. Thoughts?

[J Francho]

It's the weight of the nail at the end.  Price of admission.

[Dirtyeggroll]

I have had success with prolonging my bait use with a wacky saddle, kind of like this... https://www.cabelas.com/product/FREDS-WACKY-SADDLE-O-RINGS/2429094.uts

[Beetlebz]

In the interim im going to hit the store and try to find some finesse worms with a fatter mid section. My hope is that a more secure fit for the o rings and resist tearing a little more. I ordered some #1 hooks also in the Hope's that the heavier gauge wire will help resist tearing too. Those jackall worms aren't cheap!

[Bass Turd]

I've been experimenting with stainless split rings in #3, #4, and #5 size depending on the worm diameter. Also hooking more of the worm and not just the ring. They seem to last a little longer but I can't find a weedless hook that won't get hung up in the rocks as I fish a highland type reservoir. 

[The Dogman]

I use the roboworm size o-rings, one amazon seller has a variety pack of 300+ wacky o-rings for around $6 and the smallest size works perfect. You could also try putting a small screwlock in the body and hook through it.

[fishwizzard]

Switch to a cheaper worm.  Mann's 6" Jelly worms are amazing neco rigged, as are Trickworms if you don't need them to float.  

[IgotWood]

The zman big TRD is pretty nice on the neko. I also like a Senko on the neko rig. I use the Big Bite Bait Salt Trick Stick. I think you can buy a pack of 30 for around $10. They have some really good colors too. They don’t hold up any better, but they are a heck of a lot cheaper and work just as good as a Senko. 

[Beetlebz]

14 hours ago, IgotWood said:

The zman big TRD is pretty nice on the neko. I also like a Senko on the neko rig. I use the Big Bite Bait Salt Trick Stick. I think you can buy a pack of 30 for around $10. They have some really good colors too. They don’t hold up any better, but they are a heck of a lot cheaper and work just as good as a Senko. 

I have a couple packs of the big TRD, but I don't smoke anymore so I never have a lighter on hand to melt the weights into the nose. I'll experiment with that this week. 

 

I have a ton of various brands and styles of stick worms, all left overs from my hunting to find the perfect senko replacement, as well as a couple with paddle tails. I'll try some of those on neko rigs for giggles, at least the o rings will fit.

[ChrisD46]

Get more of the worm with your hook (along with your o-ring ) ; VMC #2 Neko hooks ...

[ww2farmer]

My basic Neko rig consists of: 4"+ 5" stick baits, 1/16th oz, or 1/8th oz nail sinkers, wacky o-rings, and #1 VMC Neko hooks.

 

Sometimes I will catch 10+ bass without losing a bait/o-ring/sinker.....sometimes I will lose them every fish. It is what it is, and I don't lose too much sleep over it. 

[Beetlebz]

I'm going to use stick baits, but I'm also going to try the stainless split ring business. I'll see if my local walmart carries split rings in their big wall of eagle claw hooks and stinkers. I really want to use a smaller diameter finesse worm, or at least have the option to. Maybe I can get away with smaller diameter o rings on my wacky tool. I'll report back when I figure something out!

[J Francho]

On 8/25/2018 at 9:02 PM, Beetlebz said:

I have a couple packs of the big TRD, but I don't smoke anymore so I never have a lighter on hand to melt the weights into the nose. I'll experiment with that this week.

I consider a lighter mandatory tackle, whether you smoke or not.

[Beetlebz]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

I consider a lighter mandatory tackle, whether you smoke or not.

I do now! I can think of a few times it might come in handy.

[Beetlebz]

Spent some time today nailing down the ins and outs as best I can. This time I changed things up a bit... 2/0 d/s hook (all I had!) Instead of a #2 neko hook. I still used a senko o-ring but ran the flat section of the hook bend through the bait lengthwise to increase my hook-worm contact ratio.

 

The most important adjustment as it turns out was using a 6.5" zoom trick worm. Conditions were terrible today but I still caught a bunch of squeakers. I broke 1 trick worm in half, still had both halves. Didn't lose 1. I feel like I had more bites using the jackall flick shake worm so I swapped out to one... immediately got bit and immediately lost my worm like the other day. Looks like it's just those flick shake worms that were the culprit. 

[Team9nine]

ZMan Finesse WormZ 4"...I'm averaging 50-60 bass per worm hooking them right through the middle. Just keep rotating the worm every so often ?

[Beetlebz]

2 hours ago, Team9nine said:

ZMan Finesse WormZ 4"...I'm averaging 50-60 bass per worm hooking them right through the middle. Just keep rotating the worm every so often ?

I have a couple bags of them. I gotta grab a lighter on my way up to the reservoir in the morning and try them out ?

[Team9nine]

10 minutes ago, Beetlebz said:

I have a couple bags of them. I gotta grab a lighter on my way up to the reservoir in the morning and try them out ?

Save yourself the headache and either use a weighted jighead or take whatever weight/color ShroomZ head you prefer and cut the hook off just below the keeper barb, then insert into worm's head. Much faster and simpler.

[MickD]

What's the lighter for?  I seem to have missed that.

[Beetlebz]

Just now, MickD said:

What's the lighter for?  I seem to have missed that.

Melting the weight into the elaztech plastic. You can't just push a nail weight in, it flies right back out!

1 hour ago, Team9nine said:

Save yourself the headache and either use a weighted jighead or take whatever weight/color ShroomZ head you prefer and cut the hook off just below the keeper barb, then insert into worm's head. Much faster and simpler.

That's not a bad idea. I have some tiny unpainted lead jigs I can use too. I'll give it a whirl tomorrow. 

[MickD]

Got it, thanks.  Yes, without some trick sticking a nail weight into a elaztech bait would be impossible.

[Bass Turd]

46 minutes ago, MickD said:

Got it, thanks.  Yes, without some trick sticking a nail weight into a elaztech bait would be impossible.

Use a paperclip. Bend out the first wire ninety degrees and heat it with a lighter. Immediately push it straight into the head of the elaztech. This will form channel for the nail weight. If you use a true nail weight after you push it in you can actually light the end of the elaztech for a second or two and it will close up. 

[Team9nine]

52 minutes ago, Beetlebz said:

 

That's not a bad idea. I have some tiny unpainted lead jigs I can use too. I'll give it a whirl tomorrow. 

The trick is the metal keeper barb. Once inserted, it won't back out of Elaztech. Regular jigheads won't work well.

[fishwizzard]

Has anyone tried a small drywall screw?  They might be sharp enough to cut into the worm.  

 

The "stacked cone"-style pf generic tungsten nail weights are sharp enough to drive into eleztech, but a 1/16oz one is like $0.30, so it ups the cost of the rig a lot more then a $0.01 nail.  But, if one can get enough bass off of a single rig, then it could be worth it to save the fuss of heating up a pin.  

[MickD]

If one knows in advance he is going to fish this method he can easily prep the worms in the garage, out of the wind, under better control.  I think that's what I will do with the elaztech.