wacky rigs

[Jonas Staggs]

how are you guys fishing your wacky rigs? weightless? with a weighted jig? carolina rigged? texas rigged?

 

I have not used the wacky rig much, but the times I have used it, it was carolina rigged, and its caught me a lot of fish this way, but it also gets snagged quite a bit.

 

This had me thinking of "texas" rigging it with a bullet weight, hoping this may help reduce snags, but I am not sure if it would be advisable to fish it this way?

 

What about with standard jig heads?

How about a skirted jig?

What size weights/jigs are you using with the wacky rig?

 

 

[JediAmoeba]

Almost always weightless - any weight kind of kills the action.  

[MN Fisher]

If I fish Wacky - it's unweighted...line-hook-plastic.

Add a weight to one end? It's now a Neko rig.

Jig? That's just a cross-hooked trailer to me.

 

Texas rig? Are you hooking it in the center of the bait? If it's through the nose, it's a T-Rig, not a Wacky...same with Carolina.

[Jason.Domingo]

Haven’t really used a wacky rig much anymore but when I did it was always weightless.

[Finessegenics]

Now that you mention it, a wacky rigged Senko on a Carolina rig sounds deadly...but for me it’s always been weightless. That’s the whole point of a wacky rig. Slow fall and subtle action. 

[Black Hawk Basser]

To me, wacky worming means just the worm and hook, and the worm is hooked in the middle.  I see no reason to complicate it further.  If something that drops faster will work better, I'll switch to a jig or T-Rig.

[Jonas Staggs]

2 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

If I fish Wacky - it's unweighted...line-hook-plastic.

Add a weight to one end? It's now a Neko rig.

Jig? That's just a cross-hooked trailer to me.

 

Texas rig? Are you hooking it in the center of the bait? If it's through the nose, it's a T-Rig, not a Wacky...same with Carolina.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

 

Yes I mean hooking it through the center of the bait, with a unpegged bullet weight. Does anyone fish it this way? I always carolina rigged my wacky rigs because it seems to me that the bullet weight being able to slide all the way down to the bait, is probably not the best way to work this rig, which is why I was carolina rigging them, but get snagged quite a bit carolina rigging them, I was thinking the free moving weight of the T rig it may help reduce snags, despite the bait still being hooked in the center, wacky style.

 

Regarding jig heads, I know they make specific wacky rig weedless jig heads, that are pretty light in weight, but to me, it seems that rigging them on a jig head is probably not the best way either, as its already been mentioned by many, the best way for the rig is weightless. So wouldnt a "T rigged" wacky rig, work better than a jig head wacky rig? Seems the T rig would still allow it to be "weightless"

 

maybe a better question would be which is the best way to add weight to a wacky rig? Jig head, T rig, or carolina rig? I was able to get some really long casts with the wacky carolina rig. 

 

 

2 hours ago, Finessegenics said:

Now that you mention it, a wacky rigged Senko on a Carolina rig sounds deadly...but for me it’s always been weightless. That’s the whole point of a wacky rig. Slow fall and subtle action. 

 

Its worked really well for me, specifically when I needed casting distance.

2 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

Almost always weightless - any weight kind of kills the action.  

Thanks, saw your post in the other thread, but didnt want to hijack the thread. The only draw back I get with weightless is the casting distance. I bank fish so distance can be a factor.  I have been meaning to try the weightless wacky rig on my UL setup, which still gives good distance weightless. 

[MN Fisher]

7 minutes ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Thanks, saw your post in the other thread, but didnt want to hijack the thread. The only draw back I get with weightless is the casting distance.

Spinning gear - I can bomb a wacky with a spinner, but most times I'm skipping it under docks, between docks and moored boats, etc.

[JediAmoeba]

Depends on what size senko you are using.  I use casting gear for 5"+ but anything smaller and a few of the skinnier ones, I use spinning gear.  When bank fishing walking stealthily, casting your shadow away from the water and standing well back from the shore - short, accurate casts are often better than bombs

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, JediAmoeba said:

Depends on what size senko you are using.  I use casting gear for 5"+ but anything smaller and a few of the skinnier ones, I use spinning gear.

Personal preference really. My main wacky tossing is with BPS Stick-Os (5-3/8") on a Trion-30/Medium rod.

[Black Hawk Basser]

Casting distance with a weightless Senko or knockoff shouldn't be a problem. As suggested, just use medium spinning gear.  Especially if you are wacky rigging - there isn't a lot of hook to drive home considering that they're usually of the thin wire variety.

[SigPig94]

Weightless Senkos with a circle or octopus hook has been my go-to.....but I’ve caught many nice Smallies wacky rigging a Gulp 5” Sinking Minnow.....they’re denser/heavier so I get more casting distance but they smell like s***!
Thanks to the WEALTH of knowledge on this forum, I’ll be switching things up a little this season (EWG worm hooks, weedless wacky rig hooks, etc) so I’m excited to get out there. I wacky rig 90% of the time so it’s great to read about different tactics and tips.

[padon]

weightless in lakes. I do use a 1/16 0z weighted wacky head for rivers just to help get it down a little in current

[wordty]

I use a 7 foot Medium spinning rod and 10 pound Power Pro Braid green with a 8 pound Yozuri Hybrid leader...hook is a 2/0 VMC with weed guard....https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/vmc-wnk-weedless-neko-wide-gap-single-hooks-5-pack. I do not ever use weight....Senkos have plenty of weight to throw and the Bass Pro knock offs are what I use the most along with original Senkos, Yum Dingers, trick sticks, and a few others.

[Jonas Staggs]

6 hours ago, Pickle_Power said:

Casting distance with a weightless Senko or knockoff shouldn't be a problem. As suggested, just use medium spinning gear.  Especially if you are wacky rigging - there isn't a lot of hook to drive home considering that they're usually of the thin wire variety.

Everytime I wacky rigged, it was carolina rigged with a 1/o worm hook. Not the best setup, but its worked for me at 2 different lakes. It was on a ML Rod with #10 test. Next go around Ill try weightless circle hook. 

5 hours ago, SigPig94 said:

Weightless Senkos with a circle or octopus hook has been my go-to.....but I’ve caught many nice Smallies wacky rigging a Gulp 5” Sinking Minnow.....they’re denser/heavier so I get more casting distance but they smell like s***!
Thanks to the WEALTH of knowledge on this forum, I’ll be switching things up a little this season (EWG worm hooks, weedless wacky rig hooks, etc) so I’m excited to get out there. I wacky rig 90% of the time so it’s great to read about different tactics and tips.

I have some of the 3" or gulp minnows I believe. Havent gotten anything on them yet but havent fished them much. I didnt know you could wacky rig them. I been putting them on jig heads. The gulp minnow is basically a fluke isnt it?

[ChrisD46]

*Anyone try the wacky saddle by Frenzy Baits for wacky rigged worms ? I am considering the wacky saddle wondering if it is better than using two "criss crossed" o-rings on a wacky senko ?

[Ogandrews]

Most of the time I will either fish it weightless or with a nail weight in one end which is technically a neko rig although people have been doing that way longer than companies came up with the name neko to sell nail weights. Either way I do it I will always put an O ring on the bait which makes it last 10x longer. I really don’t like weighted wacky hooks, I just don’t think it gets a fraction of the bites of a nail weight. One very under used technique is using a wacky rigged senko as a jig trailer. Some of the biggest jig fish I have ever caught were using a senko as a trailer, either wacky or just threaded on. My number one smallmouth dropshot bait is a 3” senko wacky rigged which is another thing I rarely see people doing. If I am dropshotting I will usually go with an off brand senko as it is more profile and twitching action that gets their attention as opposed to the shimmy on the fall. Usually for off brand I will go with a BPS sticko or a yum dinger but any 3” will work as long as you can get the colors you want.

[Jonas Staggs]

58 minutes ago, Ogandrews said:

Most of the time I will either fish it weightless or with a nail weight in one end which is technically a neko rig although people have been doing that way longer than companies came up with the name neko to sell nail weights. Either way I do it I will always put an O ring on the bait which makes it last 10x longer. I really don’t like weighted wacky hooks, I just don’t think it gets a fraction of the bites of a nail weight. One very under used technique is using a wacky rigged senko as a jig trailer. Some of the biggest jig fish I have ever caught were using a senko as a trailer, either wacky or just threaded on. My number one smallmouth dropshot bait is a 3” senko wacky rigged which is another thing I rarely see people doing. If I am dropshotting I will usually go with an off brand senko as it is more profile and twitching action that gets their attention as opposed to the shimmy on the fall. Usually for off brand I will go with a BPS sticko or a yum dinger but any 3” will work as long as you can get the colors you want.

 

wacky rigged senko as a jig trailer? Do you mean skirted jig? or standard jig like this?

 

I have been meaning to give the nail weights a shot but dont want to waste money on them when I figure just taking a small actual nail, or maybe a very tiny screw, and screwing it into the bait should work just as well, but I have not gotten around to trying it.

 

anyone using skirts like this?

 

[Ogandrews]

21 minutes ago, Jonas Staggs said:

 

wacky rigged senko as a jig trailer? Do you mean skirted jig? or standard jig like this?

 

I have been meaning to give the nail weights a shot but dont want to waste money on them when I figure just taking a small actual nail, or maybe a very tiny screw, and screwing it into the bait should work just as well, but I have not gotten around to trying it.

 

anyone using skirts like this?

 

Yea like on a pitching or football jig 

[SigPig94]

7 hours ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Everytime I wacky rigged, it was carolina rigged with a 1/o worm hook. Not the best setup, but its worked for me at 2 different lakes. It was on a ML Rod with #10 test. Next go around Ill try weightless circle hook. 

I have some of the 3" or gulp minnows I believe. Havent gotten anything on them yet but havent fished them much. I didnt know you could wacky rig them. I been putting them on jig heads. The gulp minnow is basically a fluke isnt it?

Yeah, at first look and feel, the 5” Gulp Sinking Minnow doesn’t look like something one would wacky rig...it certainly doesn’t have the flexibility of a Senko or other soft plastics, but the denser build definitely gets me more casting distance which is a MAJOR plus at one of the “shore-fishing only” reservoirs I fish here in MA.  I primarily use the Watermelon-Red-Glitter color and I’ve had success with Smallies and Largies...not sure if it’s the presentation, rigidity, or just the nasty stink of it!?  I also like that it’s APPARENTLY bio-degradable...the packaging says 100% natural ingredients.

[Jonas Staggs]

19 hours ago, SigPig94 said:

Yeah, at first look and feel, the 5” Gulp Sinking Minnow doesn’t look like something one would wacky rig...it certainly doesn’t have the flexibility of a Senko or other soft plastics, but the denser build definitely gets me more casting distance which is a MAJOR plus at one of the “shore-fishing only” reservoirs I fish here in MA.  I primarily use the Watermelon-Red-Glitter color and I’ve had success with Smallies and Largies...not sure if it’s the presentation, rigidity, or just the nasty stink of it!?  I also like that it’s APPARENTLY bio-degradable...the packaging says 100% natural ingredients.

 

IMO its their scent, not their action. They have a action just like any other fluke or jerkbait or similar soft plastic

[JustJames]

Gulp minnow usually fish like senko. If you like scent worm, try missile bait 48z

 

I normally don’t use weight when wacky rig senko, but will use weight (1/16oz) for finesse worm, thick worm or knock off senko.

But if you use 1/32oz weight on senko/knock off, that would enchant the action of fall, good for 10’ of water.

 

You can also try dropshot with wacky rig.

 

Get weedless wacky rig hook, that will help with snag also. I use trokar #1 and 1/0 weedless. 
 

for weight you can try split shot and clip at the hook shrank. I use eco pro tungsten wacky weight 1/16 and 1/32

[SigPig94]

3 hours ago, Jonas Staggs said:

 

IMO its their scent, not their action. They have a action just like any other fluke or jerkbait or similar soft plastic

Yeah I agree the scent definitely helps.  But I don’t think the Gulp is anything like a fluke, etc when it’s WACKY rigged.  It’s way more rigid and you don’t get that “hang” or “droop” on either side of the hook when rigged.  Looks pretty straight on the hook and performs waaaaay differently when retrieved.  I almost wonder what the attraction is for fish.....it kinda looks like a stick moving sideways!

[Jonas Staggs]

9 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

Gulp minnow usually fish like senko. If you like scent worm, try missile bait 48z

 

I normally don’t use weight when wacky rig senko, but will use weight (1/16oz) for finesse worm, thick worm or knock off senko.

But if you use 1/32oz weight on senko/knock off, that would enchant the action of fall, good for 10’ of water.

 

You can also try dropshot with wacky rig.

 

Get weedless wacky rig hook, that will help with snag also. I use trokar #1 and 1/0 weedless. 
 

for weight you can try split shot and clip at the hook shrank. I use eco pro tungsten wacky weight 1/16 and 1/32

 

 

thanks my friend, helpful info like always. 

[NorcalBassin]

When I wacky rig a senko or ocho it's always on a light jig head. I used to use the red Gamkatsus but the head would eventually break and spin on the hook and I lost more fish than I'd like, including what would have been a PB teener just a few feet from the boat. The Owners are pretty much all I use now and they've been great as long as you don't keep your drag too tight. Caught my PB on it last year plus catfish 10+ pounds and a carp that had to be 30+ pounds. Love that setup.

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Ultrahead_Wacky_Jig_Head_4pk/descpage-OWJH.html#customer_reviews