Wacky Worms

[Richard Prager]

I use a pair of needle nose to stretch open the o-ring and slide the stick through. The bottom 1/2 of a pen would probably work the same as the tool if the stick fits in it.

[benm98]

So I did use zip ties and they did work well. I would suggest making a loose loop on the worm, slipping on the hook, then tightening the zip tie up.

[gone2long]

So I did use zip ties and they did work well. I would suggest making a loose loop on the worm, slipping on the hook, then tightening the zip tie up.

Just curious are you putting the hook through the worm or just hanging it on the pull tie? With the o-ring you put the hook through the worm and under the o-ring.

[Curt - NC]

Just curious are you putting the hook through the worm or just hanging it on the pull tie? With the o-ring you put the hook through the worm and under the o-ring.

 

I was under the impression that the hook was supposed to be slid under the o-ring, but not through the worm. Thus the whole idea of not tearing the plastic with the hook.

[benm98]

I did just hang the worm on the zip ties. I used a hook with a barb, eliminating the danger of the worm sliding off.

[RayburnGuy]

I was under the impression that the hook was supposed to be slid under the o-ring, but not through the worm. Thus the whole idea of not tearing the plastic with the hook.

 

Exactly.

[gone2long]

Not quite, you can do it that way but I assure you, more often than not you will come up with an empty hook with an o-ring hanging from it. I've fished this method for years  and found as many have that hooking into the meat of the worm is still required for longevity. The original wacky rig was simply the hook through the worm but as stated would cause a high loss rate due to tear out, with the ring installed it gives it enough resistance to get several fish to the boat before change out.

 

Now with all the other options coming to market they provide other rigging options such as the stickbaits that have a rubber insert in the middle of the bait that you actually hook into or some of the homemade techniques such as the pull tie if you pull tight enough on the tie you can get away with just hooking the tie instead of the worm just not sure if the tie is a hinderance to catching fish seems a little too big of profile to me but hey if it works for you go for it.

 

There is also a weight system on the market which looks like a ring you put on the center of the worm and allows the hook to go through the bait and inserted into a slot holding it in place, tried them too didn't like the system seemed a little too loose for my liking. I think the best homemade system still is the shrink tube method as you can get a tight and proper fit and the hook will easily go through it making it all but indestructible for the day.

Edited September 30, 2013 by Gon2long

[BobP]

You can also cut up a tube bait into several 1/4" rings and use them like you would an O ring.  Not as durable but it improves the durability of the worm and you can match the colors of the tube and the stick bait if you want a more stealth presentation.  Just another option.

[Curt - NC]

You can also cut up a tube bait into several 1/4" rings and use them like you would an O ring.  Not as durable but it improves the durability of the worm and you can match the colors of the tube and the stick bait if you want a more stealth presentation.  Just another option.

 

Great idea!! This is the type of creativity that helps people think outside the box

[RayburnGuy]

Here's something else that will get you on the fast track to learning how to fish a wacky worm. It's the way I learned and trust me when I say it's extremely effective.

 

When you hear about a wacky worm bite going on in your area find someone that fishes a wacky worm quite a bit and invite him to go fishing with you. Multiple trips may be called for depending on how hard headed you are. After he cleans your clock a few times it will become an obsession to learn more about the wacky worm. In no time at all you'll be fairly proficient at wacky worming.

 

Ben

[Geoff]

How about trying split rings I use them for wacky rigs and they work well. They also add tiny bit of flash. Don't forget super glue it makes great repairs!

[Curt - NC]

Here's something else that will get you on the fast track to learning how to fish a wacky worm. It's the way I learned and trust me when I say it's extremely effective.

 

When you hear about a wacky worm bite going on in your area find someone that fishes a wacky worm quite a bit and invite him to go fishing with you. Multiple trips may be called for depending on how hard headed you are. After he cleans your clock a few times it will become an obsession to learn more about the wacky worm. In no time at all you'll be fairly proficient at wacky worming.

 

Ben

 

Great idea Ben!

 

I fished with a friend of mine this past weekend who likes to fish the wacky rig for the "Senkos" he makes himself. He refuses to use the O rings or anything else. He says that using any kind of ring alters the action significantly when moving the bait.

 

His thinking is that hooking the bait under the o ring instead of through the bait causes the bait to turn when being lifted, instead of just moving horizontally, because the hook is actually at a completely different angle. Made sense to me and I had never thought about that aspect of it.

 

But... as of today I have NEVER caught a fish on a wacky rigged anything

[RayburnGuy]

Great idea Ben!

 

I fished with a friend of mine this past weekend who likes to fish the wacky rig for the "Senkos" he makes himself. He refuses to use the O rings or anything else. He says that using any kind of ring alters the action significantly when moving the bait.

 

His thinking is that hooking the bait under the o ring instead of through the bait causes the bait to turn when being lifted, instead of just moving horizontally, because the hook is actually at a completely different angle. Made sense to me and I had never thought about that aspect of it.

 

But... as of today I have NEVER caught a fish on a wacky rigged anything

 

Wacky worming is one of those techniques that I have to force myself to use and then it's only after I've tried everything else. I have to just grit my teeth until I start catching fish on it. If your like most

folks who are used to using moving baits, or baits you have to impart action to, it's hard to get used to the slow pace that's necessary for wacky worming. The guy that taught me said that if I couldn't resist moving the wacky worm then it was best to just throw it out there and let it go to the bottom and let it sit for as long as I could stand it before reeling it back in and making another cast.

 

Once I started catching a few fish that way it gave me the confidence to fish it at a slow pace. And it works great around vegetation that hasn't topped out yet. Trust me when I tell you a bass will come along and pick it up while it's setting there motionless. And it will catch big fish as well. My best on a wacky worm was over 8 lbs. and I was lucky enough that day to be fishing a tournament. Didn't get big fish, but did cash a decent check.

 

It may take you a while to really get the hang of it so don't give up on it. There will be a time and place where it will really pay off.

 

Ben

[alsworms]

Interesting read, Ben.  I wacky rig primarily with Senkos, but rarely do with any other soft plastic.  I need to start changing my mindset a little.........

 

And you're right about it being a tough technique to get used to.  Once you stick that first one, though, it seems to get a lot easier. 

 

Thanks for sharing.  I've learned a ton from just this thread alone! 

[RayburnGuy]

My pleasure Al. I'll share pretty much anything I know about fishing with the exception of my favorite honey holes.

 

There was some doubt earlier in this thread as to how wacky worming got started so here is what I've always been told. Two guys were visiting Toledo Bend for several days of fishing and they asked the folks at the marina what the bass were biting. They were told the fish were biting plastic worms so they bought some. Supposedly these guys had never fished worms before and didn't know how to rig them so they just threaded them on like you would a live worm by hooking it through the belly. Needless to say these two novice fishermen caught so may fish that even the local guides were asking them how they did it. They showed everyone how they were rigging the worms and at first nobody believed them. That is until a few others started trying their way of rigging them. Back then we didn't have Senkos or many of the other baits available today so the old straight tailed Creme Scoundrels were what was used by most folks.

 

And here's a tip on making your own weights for wacky worming. Get a roll of solid core solder and you can cut it into various lengths to adjust the rate of fall. When cutting the solder alternate between a diagonal cut and a square cut. This will give each weight a pointed end and a square end. The sharp end makes it easier to push into the worm and the square end will help keep the weight inside the worm.

 

Ben

[Curt - NC]

Wow.. we've got some great info here. If it wasn't on the verge of being winter here I'd be heading right out with wacky rigged worms ready to go!

 

I'm glad you mentioned the subject of weights. I was wondering it would be possible to weight a wacky worm and how it was done. I'm assuming that the weight should be inserted into the bait somewhere near the center??

 

How about hook sizes and styles? What do you prefer to use for wacky worms when it comes to hooks?

 

And speaking of winter, do you find wacky worms to be more effective during specific seasons or in a specific water temperature range?

 

Thanks in advance

[RayburnGuy]

You can weight the bait in multiple positions according to what your wanting it to do. You can also position the hook in different places to make the wacky worm fall different. It doesn't necessarily have to be placed in the middle of the worm although that's normally where I place it. If you want the worm to have more of a gliding fall then the hook can be moved a little closer to one end with the weight added closer to the end as well. Can't really say one is better than the other as bass can be fairly finicky at times and prefer one method over another. As far as inserting the weight into the plastic I would push the sharpened end of the solid core solder  into the worm in such a way that it ended up running lengthwise with the bait and as close to the centerline as possible.  (see last post for how to cut the solder) By pushing the sharpened end into the plastic first the square cut back end of the solder would keep the weight from flying out of the plastic when casting.

 

As far as hooks I'm pretty much old school and prefer a straight shank worm hook in a 1/0 size. This is something else that can be played around with as it will have an effect on the fall as well. Some guys forgo using a weight and instead go to a heavier hook.

 

When the offset hooks first came out I started using them since they kept the plastic from sliding down the hook and did away with the need to toothpick the worm. This made rigging faster and easier, but after a while I noticed I was missing more fish and very rarely would an offset hook have the bass hooked in the hard, bony, upper part of the mouth. I come to the conclusion that when setting the hook in the closed mouth of a bass the offset bend in the hooks meant that when the offset was pulled through the closed lips it could turn the bend of the hook parallel to the opening of the mouth. I went back to using straight shank hooks and pegging the worm with a toothpick and noticed my hookup ratio was better and that the point of the hook was once again buried in the hard upper part of the mouth. These are just my own opinions with no scientific studies to back it up so I'm not telling anyone to throw their offset hooks away if they are happy with them. But in all reality I can't see why anyone would use an offset hook in a wacky worm anyway since the offset isn't inside the plastic.

 

As far as specific times to use a wacky worm I've caught them in late winter and early spring (December-January) when the fish first start moving up shallow with water temps between 53 and 58 degrees. This was a pretty strong bite with lots of fish in the 4 to 7 pound range and a few that felt much bigger but broke off. Wacky worming was also the only way we could get these fish to bite having tried pretty much everything else in the tackle box to no avail. And I've got onto some really strong bites in the summer time when it was so hot sweat drops as big as golf balls would be dripping off your elbows. The summer bite was best for me (caught my biggest wacky wormed bass this way) when fished around hydrilla beds early, or late in the day. Once the sun got up and light penetration got strong the fish would bury up under the hydrilla beds and it was time to dig out the heavy jigs. At what temps bass become active is probably a lot different here in Texas than it is in Rhode Island so this is something you'll need to take into consideration. At whatever temps your fish start moving shallow would probably be a better indicator than specific water temps.

 

Another thing to take under consideration is line size and type. When I first learned about wacky worming we didn't have fluorocarbon line so we fished them on mono. I started out using 15 pound Big Game and when P-Line came out I switched to it in the same pound test. At the time there was an abundance of big fish in Rayburn and even 15 pound test made me feel like I was fishing with sewing thread. Line size and type is something you'll have to make a judgement call on depending on the size of the fish your after as well as water clarity and type of cover found in your lakes.

 

hope this helps,

Ben

[toadfrog]

Heck I just hang a bass casting sinker off the hook for weight . When and if I ever use a wacky worm .I also use a zip tie around the bait since I have loads of them running around here. Bet I still got half of the first 2 packs of baits I ever bought .

[alsworms]

Wow.......now THAT'S some information. 

 

Thanks again, Ben!

 

Quick question on the hydrilla since our river has a TON of it...........are you saying you wacky rig the tops of the hydrilla before the heavy sun hits?  Reason I ask is I can't seem to find a consistent way of doing it without losing a bunch of worms.  Are you somehow rigging them weedless?  I've tried tearing off small pieces of worms and placing them on the barb of the hook, but even with that method I'll lose more than my share.  I've also tried running the barb back into the worm, but it changes the action and I lose confidence in the bait. 

[Curt - NC]

Wow

 

What a ton of great info! Thanks Ben. I appreciate you taking the time to write all of this down

 

Makes me wish it wasn't so cold outside right now. I'd hook up the boat and go do some wacky rigging!

[RayburnGuy]

My pleasure guys. I didn't invent wacky worming and don't claim that my way is the best way. It's just what works for me.

 

Most of the time my best wacky worming around grass was before it topped out on the surface Al. I'm sure you've seen bass cruising around on top of the hydrilla when it's still a foot or so under the surface. They'll also sit right under the top of the grass in an ambush mode. Under these conditions is when I did the best with the wacky worm. I didn't do anything special as far as trying to hide the hook point. Just like you I tried several different things to make it weedless, but this ultimately led to fewer bites.

 

Using just enough weight to be able to cast the rig works better than using heavier weights. At least around grass. It will tend to lay on top of the grass instead of burying up in it. Your still going to get hung in the grass occasionally and your going to lose a few worms, but most of the time you can just start putting gentle pressure against the bait and it will pop free undamaged. Sometimes the hook will only have one stalk of grass in the bend of the hook. By gently increasing the pressure on the bait a lot of times it will pull that one stalk of grass loose and the bait will just slide up the stalk of grass. And the wacky worm is just like any other bait that's suddenly pulled loose. It will draw a reaction strike.

 

From what I hear about wacky worming these days most folks are using Senko type worms. Given the expense of some plastics these days I would recommend using the same type of worm I learned with. The old 6 inch straight tailed Creme Scoundrel type of plastic. I had a butt load of different colors, but the solid purple worked best for me year in and year out.They'll still catch fish and they aren't nearly as expensive so it doesn't hurt as much when  you lose a few. And cutting your own weights out of solid core solder is much cheaper than buying them. I tried the small finish nails, but didn't like the rust that inevitably collected on them as well as the rust staining your storage box. Not sure what a roll of solid core solder costs these days, but a roll will make enough weights to last a number of years. They don't rust and are easily cut into different lengths to adjust the rate of fall.

 

Slower has always been better for me than faster with a wacky rig. I'm talking about throwing it out, grabbing a coke, cleaning your glasses, eating a cookie...........you get the idea. When you do move it start with your rod tip down and just swing it up so it raises the rig 3 feet or so before letting it sink back to the bottom. This is the hardest thing for most people to get over. It's hard to imagine a bass picking up something lying motionless like it was dead. One thing that helped me accept this was when a friend and I were night fishing Texas rigged worms. Fishing was slow so I threw my bait out and laid down to catch a nap. I crossed my legs and stuck the rod butt between my legs with the rod laying between my feet. I was awakened later by the rod butt slapping me in the "berries". How in the world that fish found a black worm lying dead on the bottom in the middle of the night I'll never know, but it just goes to show they can and do.

[alsworms]

Another great one, Ben.  Thanks a million!

 

This probably explains why my son catches more fish than I do. LOL  He has the patience to let a worm sit for a LOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGG time before moving it.  Me.......I've always gotta be moving the bait.  Guess the old man needs to work on that. 

[RayburnGuy]

Glad to help Al.

 

I was the same way when I first started. And I still have to exhaust all other possible means of catching a fish before the wacky worms come out because it IS such a slow method. You can't argue with the results though because there are times when it will out fish everything in the boat.