I recently won some packets of Elzatech plastics including some finesse worms. On Saturday I was using a shaky head (home poured) with a screw lock keeper. I tried rigging one of the new worms on it but gave up after I couldn't get it rigged on the spring. Any advice would be highly appreciated as always.

They're pretty much impossible to rig on a screw lock unless you modify it. I cut the lock so it's about 1/3 of it's original length and then use pliers to straighten it out and put a 90 degree bend in the very end. Then you just push the worm onto the spike you just created and rig the rest as usual. Works very well with plastics that are too thin to rig on the screw lock also.

Thanks, I will give that a go. I also made a couple of jig heads without the screw lock to try superglueing the plastic to the hook. I'm glad for the modified keeper idea as super glue is one of my pet hates.

You could try heating up the screw lock then twisting it on, seems to work for me.

What sharpshooter said. Heat up the screw lock and melt it on. It'll hold once it cools off. Works great.

Last two nailed, put a lighter to the hook or screw lock, and it''ll cut through like butter.

I will throw a lighter in my shaky head box and try this as well. Thanks

wow, that lighter idea is so simple, yet so smart. an AHA! moment for sure. sick and tired of gettin my robo worms tore up after 2 fish. awesome idea.

In addition to heating up the screw-lock, run your sharpening file across the very tip of the spring. The sharper the spring the easier it penetrates elaztech.

Zman just introduced a new jig head with a barbed spike for holding their soft plastics.

Next year I'm going all out with Zman plastics for shakey and texas rigging. The high floatation tail is just too much for the bass to take!

Heating the jig head spring may severely damage the line if tied to the jig at the time your are rigging it. You could use a Wormizer tool that heats up a wire that could pre drill the worm heads or make up a tool with a spring, heat that and pre drill the worms before putting them on the jig head spring. The straight wire with the end bent goes back to mid 80's and pre dates springs, worked back then and should work on the harder plastics. 2 bass per Robowrm, about 20 cents a bass.....better than fishing for hours with 1 worm and no bass.

Tom

I have tried heating the spring today. It took a bit of time retying but I feel the durability of the Elzatech makes up for that. It might be my imagination but I am sure the floating tail gets more bites as well. I will also try the spike as soon as I get the chance to modify some jig heads. Thanks again for the tips.

It's not your imagination. They definitely get more bites! =0)