Wiggle wart Questions

[Allaroundfishing]

I have heard a lot about the wiggle wart and have recently decided to purchase some. Would you throw one in the winter or is it a better warm water bait? Thanks, Austin

[scaleface]

Thats a good question . I have always thrown them in warmer weather and early spring  , so I guess they are good for both .  

 

 I never understood why   slim baits are suppose to be better cold water lures . I have fished fat  cranks with good success in cold water . Just have to slow them down a lot .

[the reel ess]

The general rule of thumb I've read over the years is you want to use cranks with a wider wiggle in warmer water and those with a tighter wiggle in colder water. I think the Wiggle wart is also better around rocks, maybe? That might change that soft rule. Not sure. I have one and never use it because I don't fish around rocks much anymore. even where I do see rocks, they have moss all over them and weeds around them. I don't fish much of any diving cranks anymore.

[Team9nine]

Cool water - late fall and early spring 

[scaleface]

Wiggle Warts do not have a tight action . They are a wide action bait . So  the rule of thumb on using tight action baits in cold water does not make sense to  me.

[the reel ess]

6 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Wiggle Warts do not have a tight action . They are a wide action bait . So  the rule of thumb on using tight action baits in cold water does not make sense to  me.

I agree. It's a rule, not a law. And the Wiggle Wart might just be the exception.

[WRB]

Any time a shallow 3'-6' small crankbait is working.

Wiggle Warts are now made by a few folks because Rapala retooled the original Storm Wiggle Wart correcting the erratic action that in hind sight was trigger action for this lure.

I use Major Craft Zoner Hunter 9/16 oz  "Wart" and works better then the original for me. 

Tom

[scaleface]

11 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

I agree. It's a rule, not a law. And the Wiggle Wart might just be the exception.

...and so was the Aarbogast Mudbug .

[Allaroundfishing]

17 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Wiggle Warts do not have a tight action . They are a wide action bait . So  the rule of thumb on using tight action baits in cold water does not make sense to  me.

Im fairly new to fishing cold water for bass. where i lived in Nw Penn we had hard water for 4 months of the year and only used suckers to catch bass. Im still just figuring out this whole crankbait thing ?. Thanks for your help

11 minutes ago, WRB said:

Any time a shallow 5'-8' small crankbait is working.

Wiggle Warts are now made by a few folks because Rapala retooled the original Storm Wiggle Wart correcting the erratic action that in hind sight was trigger action for this lure.

I use Major Craft Zoner Hunter 5/8 oz  "Wart" and works better then the original for me. 

Tom

Yes i've vaguely heard of people talking about how hey aren't the same as they used to be, however with the new ones i bought i also have some from the late 80's that my dad used to troll for walleyes so i might have to try them both and see how it goes.

[Heartland]

If you are really interested in the wiggle wart, I would suggest you talk to the men that fish on the clear lakes of Arkansas.  Beaver, Bull Shoals, Table Rock, and Taneycomo.   The men there are masters of the wiggle wart, they will flat out give you a lesson, make you spectator and net holder.

 

[WRB]

Back in the 80's when Storm Warts were becoming popular we bought 6 or so and fished them to see if the hunted (darted off to one side and returned without rolling over), the sold the straight runners. Not all original Warts hunt.

Definately a cult following in the TVA area and the reason Don Iovino introduced his Zoner Hunter.

Tom  

[Boomstick]

2 hours ago, scaleface said:

Thats a good question . I have always thrown them in warmer weather and early spring  , so I guess they are good for both .  

 

 I never understood why   slim baits are suppose to be better cold water lures . I have fished fat  cranks with good success in cold water . Just have to slow them down a lot .

There's two things here. Slimmer baits are smaller in profile, which will naturally be better in early spring when the baitfish are smaller, and they will also naturally have a narrower wobble than a bait the same size but fatter. The other thing you want to pay attention to is the shape of the bait. A bait with flat sides, like your typical lipless crankbaits will have a narrower wobble and a rounder bait like the Wiggle Wart will have a very wide wobble. The wider the wobble, the more water the bait moves and the better it is for more aggressive fish, but early spring fish aren't that aggressive yet.

 

I haven't honestly fished a Wiggle Wart very often, but I have success with the Norman Fat Boy in late spring and early fall. I would wager the Wiggle Wart would be best at the same times, although I would wager it's slightly less aggressive than the Fat Boy so it might due a little better in colder water. I have heard a lot of people say they are good year round cranks, which isn't what I'd guess from their shape at all.

[fishballer06]

Wiggle warts don't listen to the rules (in regards to what works in what temperature water). They just flat out catch fish!

[Boomstick]

9 minutes ago, fishballer06 said:

Wiggle warts don't listen to the rules (in regards to what works in what temperature water). They just flat out catch fish!

The crank that I have had success with in pretty much any condition is the River2Sea Ish Monroe Biggie Smalls in Horizon Shad. Catches them in warm water, cold water, the clearest water I've ever fished, dirty water, etc.

[volzfan59]

4 hours ago, WRB said:

Wiggle Warts are now made by a few folks because Rapala retooled the original Storm Wiggle Wart correcting the erratic action that in hind sight was trigger action for this lure.

I have one of the old Wiggle Warts. It has the old action. Bad thing is, I hate to use it because I don't want to lose it. Got an old Rebel "Humpy", 2 old Rebel "Teeny deep R's" and 1 "Teeny R" square bill that run perfectly too. Don't like to use them much either. Some of the older baits just have it.

[scaleface]

I still have three well used old warts . They still get playing  time .

 

[Mobasser]

2 hours ago, scaleface said:

I still have three well used old warts . They still get playing  time .

 

I have a couple of older ones too. Have you seen the prices on NOS wiggle warts? Way too much! Now, as WRB points out, a cult following bait.

[volzfan59]

Mobasser, If you don't mind my asking, what is NOS?

[The Bassman]

Took a hint from some members recently about the discontinued Sub Wart. Bought a few on e-bay in the small 4 size. Definitely a light tackle lure but a real blast on pond bass.

[rangerjockey]

I have more pre Rapala wiggle warts than I will ever use but some new baits have kind of changed the way  I fish.

When they first start to move up and the water cools to around 55 degrees or so the RK crawler is  probably a little better option down to around 50 or so .

Then the wart or the curve 55 once it's down to about 42° I put the wart away .They have a  cult following for a reason.

[Mobasser]

10 hours ago, volzfan59 said:

Mobasser, If you don't mind my asking, what is NOS?

New Old Stock. Older, original baits in New condition

[volzfan59]

1 hour ago, Mobasser said:

New Old Stock. Older, original baits in New condition

Well heck, I was hoping that you had found a place to buy old stuff. I mean other than ebay. Thanks for replying.

[king fisher]

Wiggle Warts catch fish.  I don't know why, just a fact.  Only way to not catch fish with a Wiggle Wart is to not fish with one.  For variety, only lure I have caught more on is original Rapala.

Here is a short list of fish I have caught on Wiggle Warts.  Some species it is my favorite lure.

large mouth bass

small mouth bass

crappie

perch

carp

walleye

rainbow trout

cutthroat trout

brown trout

char

lake trout

king salmon personal best

sockeye salmon

chum salmon

pink salmon

Artic grayling

white fish

cat fish

dorado

snook

corvina

many different species of rock fish and snapper

amber jack

jack Cravalle

skip jack tuna

bonito

yellow fin tuna

spanish Mackerel

pompano

 

 

 

 

[dszal]

Don't get too dogmatic with crankbaits. Flat-sided and wide wobbling cranks work year-round, just have to see what the fish what. Wiggle warts are one of my favorite crankbaits and I fish them in very cold water.