benm98 Posted September 18, 2013 Report Share Posted September 18, 2013 Forgive for such an amateur question but I have never rigged a worm 'wacky' and fished it. I understand HOW to rig it but I am assuming that fishing it is similar to jigging? With short, soft, upward jerks of the rod? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted September 18, 2013 Report Share Posted September 18, 2013 Depends on the bite, really. We do a lot of wacky rigging around here and short jerks work when the bite is an aggressive one. When cooler temps hit, we prefer to use long 2 to 3 foot pulls of the rod, wait a couple seconds, and repeat. Most bites will occur when the bait is falling........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted September 18, 2013 Report Share Posted September 18, 2013 Yep and make sure your installing an o-ring in the center to give the bait some longevity, without it you'll go through a small fortune in a day. Also don't forget you can drop shot a wacky rigged worm as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted September 18, 2013 Report Share Posted September 18, 2013 Like Alsworms said it depends on the mood of the fish. I've seen times when they wouldn't take it unless it was laying there motionless. Other times they want it on the fall. Even the speed at which it falls can be a factor as to whether or not they'll bite. It's been my experience that you really have to try different retrieves until the fish tell you what they want. And it seems that this is even more so with the wacky worm. Hope this helps. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benm98 Posted September 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Gon2long, are there specific orings for these worms, I've seen some and a tool to install them but I don't want to spend money on something that is unnecessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 (edited) In my opinion they are absolutely necessary if you don't want to waste a load of baits, just casting can toss one right off your hook. I've seen other alternatives such as surgical tubing or similar materials used with success but a pain making them in my opinion. Once you have the tool which I believe comes with 25 O-rings you can purchase a large quantity of them from an o-ring supply house I believe they are size .011 if I remember correctly but I think I got a 1000 for like $10 or something. again there may be other alternatives but quite often when its time to change your bait you just reuse the o-ring, sometimes you can even loose the bait and still have the o-ring on your hook so they last quite long. They are sized for Senko's so make sure that your bait is of the right diameter for the O-rings being used. Edited September 19, 2013 by Gon2long Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt - NC Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 If you're concerned about the expense of buying the tool and the O rings, consider how much a bag of genuine Senkos cost. As mentioned above, without the O ring, you can go through a bag of baits in no time, costing you almost as much as the tool and the initial supply of O rings that come with it. So even though it might seem cost prohibitive to buy the tool, you're really saving a ton of cash over a very short time. And if you look at it over the long haul, you'll save yourself hundreds of $$ in wasted baits Please note: I mentioned Senkos, but I am not partial to them. I believe there are many, many good baits of similar style that cost much less and catch fish just as well, if not better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleriver Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 This O ring sounds like a good deal. Anyone have a link to the tool your using and a photo or link of how the O ring and worms are rigged wacky? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpageOWACKACC-OWACKYTOOL.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleriver Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Well I gotta admit........I've never used an O-ring either, but you have peaked my curiosity. Hmmmmmmm..................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Wow guys I'm kinda shocked as this has been out for many moons now, I have to admit that I don't know where it originated but the senko is the norm so Gary might have something to do with it? Also I may be naive as it might be some type of local thing, meaning it may not be prevalent in your fishery? Either way you must give it a go it is a fish catching technique for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Thank you! Your welcome and don't worry I'll be asking hard bait questions since I'm a soft bait guy so I'm quite sure we'll be even. I just dropped a ton of money on an airbrush (2) and all the necessary gear as I'll be laid up for months after spinal fusion, can't wait Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 (edited) I doubt Gary Yamamoto had ever been heard of when wacky worming first took the fishing world by storm. It's been around for at least 3 decades that I know of. We used to use the straight tailed worms, like Creme offered, a lot for wacky worming back in the day. @Gon2long....Spinal fusion?.....ouch Good luck with that bud. Ben Edited September 19, 2013 by RayburnGuy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt - NC Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 I remember learning of the wacky worm a very long time ago. Yes.. way before Gary Yamamoto was even heard of. They catch fish using a variety of different types of worms and soft plastics. Funny though... I can honestly say that even though I have tried it a few times, I never stuck with it long enough to catch a single fish with it. Maybe I'll try it again tomorrow and change all of that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleriver Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Your welcome and don't worry I'll be asking hard bait questions since I'm a soft bait guy so I'm quite sure we'll be even. I just dropped a ton of money on an airbrush (2) and all the necessary gear as I'll be laid up for months after spinal fusion, can't wait Sorry to hear about the spinal fusion. I assume it will make life better than it is now. Surgery and sitting around for months isn't fun either. Hope everything goes according to plan with minimal pain. Sure thing on help with hard baits. Glad to help anytime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 (edited) Learning the intricacies of the wacky worm is a lot like learning to fish a jig or any other lure as far as that goes. You just have to build your confidence in it. It work's best for me when fish are in shallow water. Say 8' or less. Any deeper than that and I don't have the patience to fish it properly. And it works better for me when there's some type of vegetation. It also shines in cooler temps when fish are a bit sluggish. Now what I call "cooler temps" might not mean the same thing in Rhode Island as it does in Texas. Down here anything below 70 degrees we consider "cool". And don't let anyone tell you it's not a big fish bait. I've caught them over 8 lbs. before and am pretty sure I've had some on that were bigger than that. We got on a wacky worm bite one December in 5 to 6 feet of water with the temps anywhere from 55 to 58 degrees and it lasted for several weeks. Almost all the fish we caught were anywhere from 4 to 7 lbs. so it will definitely catch some good ones. good luck, Ben Edited September 20, 2013 by RayburnGuy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Thanks guys just want to get it over with very apprehensive for sure, yeah I've been using it for years don't know who came up with it but with the proper bait and honing the technique it's a fish catcher for sure. The O-ring was something newer than the technique though as I don't remember reading up on it till much later and the craze was with the Senko that's why the soft bait guys (me included) can get pretty anal about the weight and softness of our stick worms If you watch a real Senko sink without additional weight it shimmies on the sink kinda like flapping it's wings and has the perfect fall rate. There is a weight system on the market that's unique to this type of fishing, it's a lead ring with a slot in it to facilitate inserting the hook but I tried it and didn't like it at all. To me it's kind of a fish finder as it's a cross between a hard jerk to a fineness presentation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benm98 Posted September 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Does anyone have an alternative they have come up with? I don't have time to order one and if there's a cheap alternative, then it forgoes the need to buy another tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Yes you can use shrink tube with good results you just have to cut it up but you will need to make sure you get the right size so it shrinks well to the bait you also need to take care that you don't melt the bait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benm98 Posted September 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2013 Okay I see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benm98 Posted September 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2013 I'm also going to try very small zip ties this weekend. I'll let update yall on how it works out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 You can buy o rings at lowes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 Not sure but I can tell you that to buy in bulk is the way to go if your manufacturing baits, if it's for personal use well then getting them in any quantity is well worth it if it's just for your use as a technique. You'll still need a method to installing them but if you're creative that's easily achieved by using you skirt pliers or even needle nose pliers can be made to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferree Posted September 28, 2013 Report Share Posted September 28, 2013 Cheap alternative is a sharpie pen lid\top put the o ring on it stick the worm in and roll it back on. Kenneth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...