wiggle warts

[bocabasser]

i have about 15 of these cranks, some have the snap swivel in front, some have split rings. when i swim them in my pool, they don't swim right (imo) are they supposed to have an over erratic wiggle? i also throw them on braid--does that effect they way they swim? when and where would you use a wiggle wart?

 

[Guest whittler]

If they are original Storm Wiggle warts you are a lucky man, great fish catchers and yes they will have an erratic wiggle. The snap or split ring will not make a whole lot of difference and the line type will not effect the action, might change the running depth but no problem with action. The originals will bring some premium prices on e-bay, they will be molded in two halves, the Rapala version will have the lip molded in seperate.

[L-Train]

i have about 15 of these cranks, some have the snap swivel in front, some have split rings. when i swim them in my pool, they don't swim right (imo) are they supposed to have an over erratic wiggle? i also throw them on braid--does that effect they way they swim? when and where would you use a wiggle wart?

I love wiggle warts this time of year (prespawn). They are supposed to have a wide wobble. About 90% of the bass I catch on cranks are caught by deflecting it off of wood or some other type of cover. If there is a lot of wood around mono is the way to go with crankbaits. The stretch in the line makes the bait less suseptable to hanging up. Hope it helps.

[Stringjam]

Ah the dance of the Wiggle Wart - - over-erratic is a good definition.    

BTW....use a snap (not a snap swivel) on these - - the line tie on the lip is very small, and split rings (unless they are fairly fine wire/appropriate sized) can foul up in it.  

[cart7t]

If you're using the original, pre-rapala version of the wiggle warts you're best to use the snap that came on the lure (in the later versions) or take the ring off the old versions (if they have them) and go with a snap on those.  

Original WW's can be notoriously difficult to tune correctly and often take a little work to get them just right.  Keep working with them.  

WW's are great pre-spawn lures BTW.

[bocabasser]

thank you gentlemen. how can i tell if they are original? as far as tuning goes cart, how do i tune these baits? thanks for all of your help.

[cart7t]

thank you gentlemen. how can i tell if they are original? as far as tuning goes cart, how do i tune these baits? thanks for all of your help.

The originals have a seam down the back, rather ruff.  The rapala's will either have a seperate bill for the first version Wiggle warts or a one piece design with a smooth back for the newer "original" wiggle warts.  Wiggle warts tune like any other crankbait. They're just more time consuming.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

THESE CAN BE QUITE PAINFUL DEPENEDING ON WHERE YOU GOT THEM. THEY CAN FREEZE THEM OR BURN THEM OFF WHAT OHOH SORRY my mistake I MISUNDERSTOOD THE POST OOPSS

[boondocks]

i have about 15 of these cranks, some have the snap swivel in front, some have split rings. when i swim them in my pool, they don't swim right (imo) are they supposed to have an over erratic wiggle? i also throw them on braid--does that effect they way they swim? when and where would you use a wiggle wart?

Don't let that erratic wiggle scare you, thats what makes them effective. I have had awsome luck fishing for smallies with these lures skimming them over weed tops.

Here is a good cranking technique with any crank not just wiggle warts.  Make sure you know the running depth of your crank and pick one that will run right over the tops of the weeds, occasionally getting hung up. Its important to get it stuck in the tops of the weeds, not buried in them, just stuck in the top. Its also important to use a no-stretch line like Fireline or Power Pro for this method so you can feel what your crank is doing and when it gets hung up. When you fell your crank hit some weeds stop reeling jiggle your rod tip a little to free your lure(a bouyant crank is a good idea)usaully it will float up and away from the weeds and when it does and even if it don't give the lure a couple of rips to free any remaining weeds off the crank or to free it from the weeds in general. The strikes will occur when your shaking the lure, when you rip it(and I don't mean fart) or when your just reeling it in.

This method has been deadly for me.

Concentrate on getting your lure back to the boat without any weeds. You'd be suprised how weedless a crankbait really is. Of all fishing techniques this is by far my favorite.

[boondocks]

As already mentioned I can't stress enough the importance of running your crank into something whether it be rocks, wood, or weeds. I'd also recommend getting a lure retreiver of some sort. They are worth their wieght in gold. I have saved myself literally hundreds of dollars because of these goofy looking little gadgets.

[deepsessions]

funny I picked up about 15 of them last year when Sportmart was liquidating them for around $2! They are the newer ones but really bring back some memories of when I was younger. They have stood the test of time they might not have all the color selections that the Lucky Crafts have but they are proven and are a 1/3 of the price. add some suspend dots/strips to the lower bill if you want to get it to dive a little faster/deeper