The Wacky Rig
The Wacky Rigged senko worm has revolutionized fishing. Such a simple bait is capable of producing both high quality and high quantities of bass in a day's fishing. Read on to learn how to rig the Wacky Rig as well as how to fish it.
How to Rig the Wacky Rig
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What you will need:
• Senko style worm (5" Green Pumpkin Z-Man ZinkerZ shown) • Hook (Size 1 Razor Series Wacky Weedless Hook shown) • Harmony Wacky Tool & Wacky Ring (Chartreuse Wacky Ring & Green Pumpkin Wacky Rings on Harmony Wacky Tool pictured) |
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Video: How To Rig The Wacky Rig |
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Optionally, you can install two Wacky Rings on the Worm in order to install the hook perpendicular, at a 90 degree angle to the worm. Simply make an X with the two o-rings, and slide the hook through them at a 90 degree angle to the worm.
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How to Fish the Wacky Rig
Equipment: A medium-light to medium action spinning rod with 6-8 lb monofilament, flourocarbon, or copolymer can be used. You can also use 10-15 lb braid with a 6-8 lb mono, flouro, or copolymer leader. Straight braid can be fished in heavier cover. If using lighter (10-12 lb) line, a Wacky Rig can be effectively fished on a baitcast setup. While baitcasting makes it more efficient to flip/pitch the bait, a spinning setup allows you to much more easily skip the worm under docks/overhanging trees without backlashes.
Working the Wacky Rig: The Wacky Rig produces most bites on the fall, where the worm slowly flutters downward. Many bites will even come on the initial fall immediately following a cast. This is the most important thing to consider when fishing a Wacky Rig, and the way we will fish it will revolve around this principle. Always pay attention to where your line meets the water while fishing a Wacky Rig. If you notice a sudden jump in the line, reel in the slack until you feel the weight of the fish and set the hook.
Simply cast the lure at or past your target and allow it to sink on a semi-slack line. Be sure to give the lure enough slack that it is allowed to fall freely and straight downward. Not enough slack will result in the lure falling unnaturally, gliding toward you instead of straight down. Too much slack will not allow you watch your line for bites on the fall. Experiment with a few casts until you find the sweet spot.
Once the lure has reached the bottom, simply lift or twitch the lure upward and allow it to fall again on a semi-slack line. You can repeat this process as long as your lure is within the desired area, or simply repeat it all the way back to the boat/bank. The angler does not need to impart action into the lure - the Wacky Rig creates its own action as it flutters both ends of the worm on the fall. If you feel the bait bump into a piece of cover during your retrieve (rocks, stumps, etc), stop lifting and let it fall. Try to lift and drop the bait a couple of times against whatever piece of cover that you bumped against, as bass will often be waiting nearby for an easy meal.
For moving baits, it is often advised to cast past the target and retrieve your bait through/past the target area. When fish are easily spooked in very shallow water, this is still a smart approach, but when targeting fish in more than 4' of water, under docks, against pilings, or in heavy brush, you can typically cast directly at the target in order to entice a bite during the initial fall of the lure.
The Wacky Rig does not require a hard hook-set since the hook is exposed and not buried in the plastic. When a bite is detected, simply reel in the slack until you feel the weight of the fish begin to bend the tip of the rod. After that, a simple sweep of the rod upward or to the side will provide plenty of power to penetrate the hook into the fish's mouth.
Simply cast the lure at or past your target and allow it to sink on a semi-slack line. Be sure to give the lure enough slack that it is allowed to fall freely and straight downward. Not enough slack will result in the lure falling unnaturally, gliding toward you instead of straight down. Too much slack will not allow you watch your line for bites on the fall. Experiment with a few casts until you find the sweet spot.
Once the lure has reached the bottom, simply lift or twitch the lure upward and allow it to fall again on a semi-slack line. You can repeat this process as long as your lure is within the desired area, or simply repeat it all the way back to the boat/bank. The angler does not need to impart action into the lure - the Wacky Rig creates its own action as it flutters both ends of the worm on the fall. If you feel the bait bump into a piece of cover during your retrieve (rocks, stumps, etc), stop lifting and let it fall. Try to lift and drop the bait a couple of times against whatever piece of cover that you bumped against, as bass will often be waiting nearby for an easy meal.
For moving baits, it is often advised to cast past the target and retrieve your bait through/past the target area. When fish are easily spooked in very shallow water, this is still a smart approach, but when targeting fish in more than 4' of water, under docks, against pilings, or in heavy brush, you can typically cast directly at the target in order to entice a bite during the initial fall of the lure.
The Wacky Rig does not require a hard hook-set since the hook is exposed and not buried in the plastic. When a bite is detected, simply reel in the slack until you feel the weight of the fish begin to bend the tip of the rod. After that, a simple sweep of the rod upward or to the side will provide plenty of power to penetrate the hook into the fish's mouth.
Fishing the Wacky Rig during different seasons: The Wacky Rig can be fished year round. Below are some techniques that you can adapt throughout the year to catch bass with the Wacky Rig.
Winter: In natural lakes and reservoirs, bass will be relating to steeper sloping structure, such as bluffs, channel drop-offs, standing timber, or steep 45+ degree banks when water temperature is below 48 degrees. Cast the Wacky Rig into these areas and slowly work it back to the boat/bank. Bites will be subtle in colder water, so pay attention where your line meets the water for sudden line movements. The key to winter is to slow down. Move the bait slower, twitch it slower, and incorporate pauses (where the worm sits motionless on the bottom), anywhere from a couple seconds to a whole minute, into your retrieve. Toward the end of winter and into the prespawn (50+ degrees), crawfish will begin to emerge from their winter rock-crevice hide-outs. Combine orange Wacky Rings with crawfish colored worms and target rocky areas for bass that are searching for these emerging crawfish.
Prespawn: Bass will begin their movement from deeper, steeper areas to their spawning areas. Fish steeper drop-offs that are located near shallower 2-8' deep flats (spawning flats). Bass will begin on the steeper areas earlier in the prespawn (48-52 degree water), but will eventually work their way up to these flats as the water warms. Target any pieces of cover that lay in this area between the deeper winter areas and the shallower spawning areas, as bass will stage on these pieces of cover during their seasonal movement. This is an excellent time to fish the Wacky Rig near these pieces of cover.
Spawn: Once the water reaches 55-65 degrees (warmer down south, colder up north), bass will for the most part be found on shallower flats that are protected from wind and current. These areas will often be less than 10' deep (often 2-8'), but can be up to 20' deep in clear water. During the spawn, the Wacky Rig is an excellent sight-fishing bait. Cruise the shallows in a boat or on the bank and looking for spawning beds, which are usually visibly lighter, circular areas about 1-2' in diameter seen on the bottom. Sight fishing involves finding beds like these that have bass sitting on them. Cast the worm beyond the bed, and hop it into the bed near the bass. Once within the strike zone of the bass, you can twitch the lure in-place for a tempting presentation.
Post Spawn: As the water creeps into the 70-75 range, most bass will be finished spawning. Bass will leave their beds in the shallow flats. Some will hang around these flats for a while, finding shallow cover, and others will retreat to deeper water, using the same transition areas and pieces of cover that were used in the prespawn. While many fish are less active at this time, there are still fish to be caught, and the Wacky Rig is an excellent finesse presentation that is not overbearing for exhausted bass during this seasonal period.
Summer: After a few weeks of less active bass in the post spawn, summer will begin and bass will again become more active. Docks, swim platforms, laydowns, weed edges, and lily pads are all areas that the Wacky Rig will catch fish all summer long in shallower water. Skip the Wacky Rig underneath of boat docks and into the hanging branches of lay-down trees, and hop it through grassy patches. You can also target points, drop-offs, and underwater humps in deeper water. In rivers, cast the Wacky Rig up-river of stumps, rocks, docks, and other large objects that break the current. Allow the current to pull the falling Wacky Rig to the sheltered side of the rock where smallmouth often wait for an easy meal.
Fall: Once the water cools about 10-12 degrees below its hottest point of the summer (this can vary from lake to lake), fall will begin to set in. Deeper bass will begin to move to shallower water this time of year and will begin focusing most of their feeding efforts on baitfish. This is an excellent time to adjust your Wacky Rig color combination to match the forage of the body of water. For lakes with shad or white perch, white Wacky Rings with white/partial white worms are an unbeatable combination. Chartreuse and orange Wacky Rings can be combined with different color worms to mimic bluegill/bream, and yellow perch. Fish the Wacky rig against wood cover and boat docks in tributary creeks and other shallow areas. Slow-tapering points are also excellent areas to target. As fall progresses, many weeds will recede. Find any remaining live/green weeds, as baitfish will be attracted to these areas and bass will be close behind.
Winter: In natural lakes and reservoirs, bass will be relating to steeper sloping structure, such as bluffs, channel drop-offs, standing timber, or steep 45+ degree banks when water temperature is below 48 degrees. Cast the Wacky Rig into these areas and slowly work it back to the boat/bank. Bites will be subtle in colder water, so pay attention where your line meets the water for sudden line movements. The key to winter is to slow down. Move the bait slower, twitch it slower, and incorporate pauses (where the worm sits motionless on the bottom), anywhere from a couple seconds to a whole minute, into your retrieve. Toward the end of winter and into the prespawn (50+ degrees), crawfish will begin to emerge from their winter rock-crevice hide-outs. Combine orange Wacky Rings with crawfish colored worms and target rocky areas for bass that are searching for these emerging crawfish.
Prespawn: Bass will begin their movement from deeper, steeper areas to their spawning areas. Fish steeper drop-offs that are located near shallower 2-8' deep flats (spawning flats). Bass will begin on the steeper areas earlier in the prespawn (48-52 degree water), but will eventually work their way up to these flats as the water warms. Target any pieces of cover that lay in this area between the deeper winter areas and the shallower spawning areas, as bass will stage on these pieces of cover during their seasonal movement. This is an excellent time to fish the Wacky Rig near these pieces of cover.
Spawn: Once the water reaches 55-65 degrees (warmer down south, colder up north), bass will for the most part be found on shallower flats that are protected from wind and current. These areas will often be less than 10' deep (often 2-8'), but can be up to 20' deep in clear water. During the spawn, the Wacky Rig is an excellent sight-fishing bait. Cruise the shallows in a boat or on the bank and looking for spawning beds, which are usually visibly lighter, circular areas about 1-2' in diameter seen on the bottom. Sight fishing involves finding beds like these that have bass sitting on them. Cast the worm beyond the bed, and hop it into the bed near the bass. Once within the strike zone of the bass, you can twitch the lure in-place for a tempting presentation.
Post Spawn: As the water creeps into the 70-75 range, most bass will be finished spawning. Bass will leave their beds in the shallow flats. Some will hang around these flats for a while, finding shallow cover, and others will retreat to deeper water, using the same transition areas and pieces of cover that were used in the prespawn. While many fish are less active at this time, there are still fish to be caught, and the Wacky Rig is an excellent finesse presentation that is not overbearing for exhausted bass during this seasonal period.
Summer: After a few weeks of less active bass in the post spawn, summer will begin and bass will again become more active. Docks, swim platforms, laydowns, weed edges, and lily pads are all areas that the Wacky Rig will catch fish all summer long in shallower water. Skip the Wacky Rig underneath of boat docks and into the hanging branches of lay-down trees, and hop it through grassy patches. You can also target points, drop-offs, and underwater humps in deeper water. In rivers, cast the Wacky Rig up-river of stumps, rocks, docks, and other large objects that break the current. Allow the current to pull the falling Wacky Rig to the sheltered side of the rock where smallmouth often wait for an easy meal.
Fall: Once the water cools about 10-12 degrees below its hottest point of the summer (this can vary from lake to lake), fall will begin to set in. Deeper bass will begin to move to shallower water this time of year and will begin focusing most of their feeding efforts on baitfish. This is an excellent time to adjust your Wacky Rig color combination to match the forage of the body of water. For lakes with shad or white perch, white Wacky Rings with white/partial white worms are an unbeatable combination. Chartreuse and orange Wacky Rings can be combined with different color worms to mimic bluegill/bream, and yellow perch. Fish the Wacky rig against wood cover and boat docks in tributary creeks and other shallow areas. Slow-tapering points are also excellent areas to target. As fall progresses, many weeds will recede. Find any remaining live/green weeds, as baitfish will be attracted to these areas and bass will be close behind.
Pro-Grade Wacky Tool (Wacky Rig O-Ring Tool w/ 10 Wacky Rings for 4&5" Senkos)
$6.79
- Pro-Grade Aluminum Construction w/ Stainless Steel Screw won't rust like the other tools out there
- Fits Senkos up to 6+", as well as any soft plastic with a thickness/diameter up to 1/2"
- Compatible with all size Wacky Rings (3"/Finesse, 4-5", and 6").
- Fishing wacky style with an o-ring allows one soft plastic lure to last all day
- Light weight of o-ring allows the bait to fall naturally - the way fish want it
- Includes 10 o-rings for 4&5" senkos (available in black o-rings or green pumpkin o-rings)
Wacky Rings 3" & Finesse [100 Pack, Select Color]
$6.99 - $7.99
- Flip senkos under docks and into cover without fear of tearing/losing baits. Catch tons of fish on one senko bait, stop wasting your money losing bait every fish.
- Superior to the cheaper silicone hardware store o-rings sold by other companies. Wacky Rings are tougher and less flimsy, so your bait stays rigged tightly all day.
- The 3" size is the smallest Wacky Ring, best for rigging 3" Senko worms as well as finesse worms
- Light weight allows bait to fall naturally
Wacky Rings 4&5" [100 Pack, Select a Color]
$6.99 - $24.99
- Flip senkos under docks and into cover without fear of tearing/losing baits. Catch tons of fish on one senko bait, stop wasting your money losing bait every fish.
- Superior to the cheaper silicone hardware store o-rings sold by other companies. Wacky Rings are tougher and less flimsy, so your bait stays rigged tightly all day.
- Light weight allows bait to fall naturally
Wacky Rings 6" [100 Pack, Select Color]
$6.99 - $7.99
- Flip senkos under docks and into cover without fear of tearing/losing baits. Catch tons of fish on one senko bait, stop wasting your money losing bait every fish.
- Superior to the cheaper silicone hardware store o-rings sold by other companies. Wacky Rings are tougher and less flimsy, so your bait stays rigged tightly all day.
- Light weight allows bait to fall naturally
Wacky Skirts (10 Pack) [13 Colors Available]
$6.99
- (10 Pack) 5" Silicone Wacky Skirts & 10 Wacky Rings for 4-5" Senkos
- Adds additional action and flare to your senkos/worms
- Easily install on a worm using the Harmony Wacky Tool & Wacky Rings
- Can be fished Texas Rigged, Wacky Rigged, Neko Rigged, and more
Razor Series Wacky Weedless WG Hooks
$7.49 - $14.19
- The Wacky Weedless WG (Wide Gap) hook offers a wider gap than standard wacky hooks
- Wire weed guard keeps your lure snag-free
- Sure-Crimp Hook Eye
- Chemically Sharpened Razor Sharp Point
