Missing a lot of Smallies on a Wacky Rig Senko

[Leatherneck]

I have a hard time getting a good hookup percentage with a Wacky Rig Senko for Smallmouth. Any tips for worm size and hook size and style for Smallmouth? Alternatively, do you think there are alternative lures or hooking styles that likely attract just as many bites as a Wacky Rig Senko?

[gim]

You could try down sizing hooks and use a 4 inch senko instead of a standard 5 inch.  They do have smaller mouths than largies so that might help.

[NHBull]

1 hour ago, Leatherneck said:

I have a hard time getting a good hookup percentage with a Wacky Rig Senko for Smallmouth. Any tips for worm size and hook size and style for Smallmouth? Alternatively, do you think there are alternative lures or hooking styles that likely attract just as many bites as a Wacky Rig Senko?

Add a nail weight and throw the NEKO .  1/0 trokar hook. Braid to FC.....I use wacky for less than 5 fow, NEKO for up to 15 fow

[FryDog62]

I switched to a VMC Size 2 (not 2/0) Neko hook for wacky rigging two years ago and my hook percentage went way up.  I think as close to 100% as you can get.  The slightly longer shank makes the difference and you almost always hook the fish in the roof of the mouth.  
 

As NHBull says above, wacky in shallower water and Neko in deeper. I use 4 or 5 inch for wacky-rigging smallies, they bite both equally IMO.  

 

For Neko rigging smallies, I really like the Big Bite 6 inch Shaking Squirrel in Bold Gill/Chartreuse tipped tail (smallmouth key in on this tail!).  Again, I use the VMC #2 Neko hook and a 1/16 oz nail weight in most lake situations, 1/8 on a windy day or in river current.  This 6 inch worm is very slender and NOT too big for a smallie to inhale. 

[kayaking_kev]

How are you putting the hook on the Senko, with or without an o-ring? That could be a factor, along with the type of hook you're using. Some people use double o-rings and overlap them or buy specific double cross wrap o-rings so their hooks faces the same as if you just hook through the work. I always use a nail weight because I'm too impatient for a wacky rig, so my worm looks it's feeding on the bottom with one end down as I hop it, so fish usually grab it from behind, so I use one o-ring and face my hook parallel with the worm and usually hook them on top the top lip.

 

I've tried a lot of different hooks, I caught my P.B. last year using a circle hook, but I find it fails often on smaller fish. I've tried different weedless hooks and didn't care much for them, I tried small hooks with short shanks and missed fish with those too, big hooks, etc.. I have yet to find a perfect one, but right now I'm using Gamakatsu Octopus hooks, I believe in 1/0 and they seem to being working good, but I just switched to them.

[Coldbasser]

Great information on hook size and type of bait, and FOW.

what size of line do you use on your set ups? Is it braid or floro?

thanks 

Rick 

[FryDog62]

3 hours ago, Coldbasser said:

Great information on hook size and type of bait, and FOW.

what size of line do you use on your set ups? Is it braid or floro?

thanks 

Rick 

For wacky I use 20 lb Sufix 832 yellow main line and tie an 7-8 lb fluorocarbon leader for fishing more open water, or 8-10 lb Yo-Ziri Hybrid if I’m around cover or skipping under docks.  
 

For Neko I throw on straight fluorocarbon - 10 lb Berkley Vanish Transition.  I like the above water line visibility since many of the bites happen on the way down.  

[Coldbasser]

I'm rigging up a wacky rig rod & a niko rig rod to give them both a honest try both with #2 hooks.  That means more than 10 minutes of not catching a fish and not changing back to my go to baits. :-))

Rick

 

[Waterford]

When fishing wacky style with the circle hook I usually let the fish swim with the bait a couple of extra seconds before lifting up my rod to set the hook. 

[slonezp]

I use circle hooks for wacky rigs

[NHBull]

I think I have used every circle and short shank hook on the market and most performed well

since I tried these I have not looked back

seldom get gut hooked and very easy to remove going through the gills if it isn’t in the roof of the mouth

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/VMC_Ike_Approved_Wacky_Hooks/descpage-VMCW.html

 

this is my NEKO hook

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/VMC_Ike_Approved_Neko_Hook/descpage-VMCNH.html

[MickD]

Uh OH!  That hook has a California toxicity warning !!  

 

As does seemingly every piece of fishing tackle I own.  :-)

 

I like the Gama Octopus hooks , cannot remember the size, but pretty small.  I get a pretty good hookup ratio, IMO.  Depending on how the fish are hitting, usually it works better to let the fish have a few seconds, and just reel down on them or lift the rod and reel down.

[wis bang]

O rings and Gama Circle hooks [the point is curved back towards the eye]  end of the day I put the worms back in their bags.

 

4 of the last 6 bass were on the same worm, always hooked in the upper lip.

 

Feel the fish and just start winding, the hook themselves. worm slides up the line, sometimes you think the dinks are weeds till they start to fight back.... 

[pdxfisher]

I use Gamakatsu Octopus hooks. I cut a thin slice of surgical tubing and slide it onto the middle of my worm. I hook through the tubing, through the worm, through the tubing on the other side. I like this because the worm is fixed securely in position and orthogonal to the worm. With the rubber band the hook is inline with the worm and I can believe this can occasionally cause a missed fish. I can often catch 5 to 10 bass off a single 3" senko.

[drakesndrum]

1/0 or 2/0 VMC EWG for either 4" or 5" stickbaits.  The 2/0 works well with 4-5" flukes as well.  No o-rings, just direct hook through the middle of the baits, I hook most of my bites.  Bought some 2/0 Neko hooks to experiment with, but the EWGs work very well for me.

[Further North]

Keep your line tight and watch it like a hungry hawk.