Soft Stick Bait Set Up For Shaky Head ?

[ChrisD46]

After doing some straightening up of my tackle room I found a lost box of all sorts of soft plastic (i.e. Senko) stick baits in their original package . Based on a recent up tick in the shaky head bite locally , I got to wondering how many people use a soft plastic stick bait on a shaky head ? If you do , please describe your soft plastic stick bait of choice , shaky head , shaky head weight , rod , line , etc.  *Perhaps this is more of a "power shaky head" set up where I may move from a 7' M / F action rod to the same in a MH / F action ; for main line - perhaps going from #10 lb. braid up to #15 lb. braid + #8 or #10 lb. FC line leader ?

 

As for the soft plastic stick bait itself on a shaky head you have either the traditional soft plastic stick baits (Yamamoto , Yum , BPS , new Zoom Zlinky , etc.) OR you have the elaztech soft plastic stick baits - such as the Strike King Zero or the Z-Man ZinkerZ (essentially the same) which may offer more "stand up ability".

 

As for the shaky head itself - I'm guessing some styles (i.e. spot remover , rhino head , mega strike , etc. ) may offer the soft plastic stick bait in more of a stand up , vertical position to attract more attention  than others -  however too small of a hook / hook gap may be a negative when using some shaky heads with a soft plastic stick bait.

 

To conclude , the above are about as far as I've gotten with the concept of using a soft plastic stick bait on a shaky head - for those with experience of using a soft plastic stick bait - let's hear your set up , approach , etc. Thanks in advance !

[roadwarrior]

GYCB Kut Tail

 

[Fishes in trees]

With the exception of half a Zinker Z on a 1/16 oz or so Mushroom head ( classic Ned Rig), stick baits and shakey head jig heads don't seem to work well for me.  Once upon a time several years ago a tackle shop near me had a large soft plastic close out.  I acquired ( among lots of other stuff ) a dozen bags of YUM forked tail dingers, which seemed at the time to be a great bait to put on a shakey head, what with it would have a little action, different from the trick worms I generally put on shakey heads.

Bu the time summer patterns were established that year, evidence showed that forked tail dingers didn't make good shakey head plastics - 3 different colors - several different times - several different jig head designs - fished in areas where jig heads with a trick worm or the Netbait counterpart were working and I couldn't get bit on the forked tail dinger/shakey head combo.  This experience quashed my desire to try different stick worms.  To be fair, I have put Brush hogs on shakey heads and caught fish, Paca Craws have worked on jig heads for me, Flukes and other similar baits have worked on shakey heads for me, so have lizards.  I'm unlikely to try stick baits on jig heads any time soon.

When it comes to throwing stick baits I do better with an appropriate size offset bent hook and the bait fished without any additional weight (weightless) or tail weighted, with a lead nail or Neko weight inserted in the tail or most effectively with a pegged 3/16 oz tungsten.  For me the tail weighted stick worm shines pre-spawn through early summer, when the weed lines are beginning to form to where they are mostly formed.  I throw the bait into any holes in the weed line I see or any irregular place I notice on the weed line.

 

Shakey heads, per se, and stick worms aren't a decent option for me.  Maybe they will work for you - I don't know.

[ChrisD46]

On 12/22/2019 at 12:56 PM, Fishes in trees said:

With the exception of half a Zinker Z on a 1/16 oz or so Mushroom head ( classic Ned Rig), stick baits and shakey head jig heads don't seem to work well for me.  Once upon a time several years ago a tackle shop near me had a large soft plastic close out.  I acquired ( among lots of other stuff ) a dozen bags of YUM forked tail dingers, which seemed at the time to be a great bait to put on a shakey head, what with it would have a little action, different from the trick worms I generally put on shakey heads.

Bu the time summer patterns were established that year, evidence showed that forked tail dingers didn't make good shakey head plastics - 3 different colors - several different times - several different jig head designs - fished in areas where jig heads with a trick worm or the Netbait counterpart were working and I couldn't get bit on the forked tail dinger/shakey head combo.  This experience quashed my desire to try different stick worms.  To be fair, I have put Brush hogs on shakey heads and caught fish, Paca Craws have worked on jig heads for me, Flukes and other similar baits have worked on shakey heads for me, so have lizards.  I'm unlikely to try stick baits on jig heads any time soon.

When it comes to throwing stick baits I do better with an appropriate size offset bent hook and the bait fished without any additional weight (weightless) or tail weighted, with a lead nail or Neko weight inserted in the tail or most effectively with a pegged 3/16 oz tungsten.  For me the tail weighted stick worm shines pre-spawn through early summer, when the weed lines are beginning to form to where they are mostly formed.  I throw the bait into any holes in the weed line I see or any irregular place I notice on the weed line.

 

Shakey heads, per se, and stick worms aren't a decent option for me.  Maybe they will work for you - I don't know.

Good reply - I bought a couple of green pumpkin variations in the ZMan Big TRD (4") to try on a shaky head - if they don't work out then they get repurposed as a power finesse Ned bait ...

[Bluebasser86]

5" BPS Stick O, 1/16oz homemade screwlock head.

 

The bait itself is heavy, it doesn't need a bunch of additional weight. That tiny lead just glides it along the bottom and keeps it from hanging too much.

 

[Bass Rutten]

It’s not my main way of fishing them but I caught some fish last spring on the zman power finesse head and zinkerz, was surprised at the high hookup rate, I would’ve kept fishing them but the lakes I fish grow thick vegetation by late spring. For all jigworm & shakey worming I use a gloomis nrx 852s, it’s a 7’1” medium power extra fast, 10# power pro to 8# leader, daiwa tatula lt 3000.

[ike8120]

I just bought some Megastrike Pro Series Shakey Heads, some Biospawn Plasma Tail and Zoom Trick worms.Hopefully this will be a good start. Also will be using Braid to FC leader. 8-10# test on both.

[ChrisD46]

On 12/24/2019 at 4:11 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

5" BPS Stick O, 1/16oz homemade screwlock head.

 

The bait itself is heavy, it doesn't need a bunch of additional weight. That tiny lead just glides it along the bottom and keeps it from hanging too much.

 

*That's a great tip - I have seen 1/16th oz. shaky heads with 4/0 hooks before but always bypassed them for heavier 1/18th or 3/16th oz. versions ... I'll have to pick up a pack of Owner (or compatible) in 1/16th oz. plus 5" soft stick baits and just cruise them along at or near the bottom without thinking so much about a stand up tactic  (like a true shaky head) .

[JustJames]

A whole 5” Zman ZinkerZ on 1/8 or 3/16 owner ultra finesse ball head. The ZinkerZ would get soften over time a lot more than Big TRD. Also Zman Mag Fattyz 7.25” on 1/4 or 3/8 should work good.

[lunkerboss923]

5"-6" Senko on on an Owner Ultrahead Shaky Stickbait series 1/8oz. I use a Megabass X-Bites with 14lb Shimano Mastiff Fluorocarbon. 

[Jig Man]

AZman or Strike King Elaztech worm are my go to Shaky baits.  I fish it year round.  I have used many types of heads and hooks.  What I have settled on is a modified Midwest Finesse mold using VMC 1/0 and 2/0 hooks which I get from Zeiners.  I use them from 1/16 oz to 1/4 oz depending on the wind and depth.

 

 I have several colors and I have to try different ones to find the bite.

 

I fish them on 2 custom rods that I have had built expressly for Shaky fishing.  They are rigged with Shimano X70 reels with 12# fluorocarbon line.