I favor the shaky head simply because I don't like to carry much with me and a shaky head is less stuff than a hook and weight.   Do you find one works better than the other?

I like using floating or handpoured worms/baits on shakeyheads and sinking plastics on T-rig set up. The floating plastics lets me pause it longer and get more strikes mostly in colder water

in grass i like t-rig, as it comes through it better and has typically a larger profile, in rock and sand, or sparse cover the shaky head is a good tool, in wood it is a toss up, and typically depends on the size of fish i am targeting, typically t-rigs produce larger fish for me...

 

Mitch

Do weights and hooks really take up that much room????

 

I would think you could put 10 weights and 10 hooks in your pocket.

I like both but usually go shaky head in more open cover type situations and t-rigs in more dense cover.  I prefer slider heads when rigging baits for smallies in rocky rivers.

Texas Rig!

I can cast, flip, pitch, or punch!

Do weights and hooks really take up that much room????

 

I would think you could put 10 weights and 10 hooks in your pocket.

Ha!  It isn't a matter of room.  It's simply a matter of clutter.

Do weights and hooks really take up that much room????

 

I would think you could put 10 weights and 10 hooks in your pocket.

Just don't forget the hooks are in your pocket when you stick your hand in there! haha

 

 

I prefer t-rigged mainly because for whatever reason I haven't had much success fishing anything with a jig head. I know they're good I just haven't had success with them although I'm going to work to change that this year. 

I like both but usually go shaky head in more open cover type situations and t-rigs in more dense cover.  I prefer slider heads when rigging baits for smallies in rocky rivers.

What are slider heads?

T-Rig!  My #1 confidence bait.

 

Shakey wins my favorite new tactic of 2013 award, though.

I've never considered a Texas-rigged worm and a shaky-head worm as mutually exclusive,

but view them as different methods with separate purposes.

 

A T-rigged worm is a highly versatile rig that can be delivered horizontally, diagonally or vertically, and in any cover.

A shaky-head worm is 'normally' fished with a horizontal delivery and laggard coverage. 

In submergent weedbeds, a T-rigged worm is more weedless and more visible than a shaky-head worm,

which I generally reserve for slow days and sparser cover.

 

Roger

Shakyheads suck in heavy cover, be it grass or wood. They also don't work well with certain plastics, especially tubes. I love fishing shakyheads, but you're seriously missing out if you're completely dismissing the Texas rig. 

T-Rig is much more versatile and gets through cover much better than most other rigs.  The shakey head to me is best in sparse cover conditions and when the bite is slow.  With a floating worm it practically catches fish alone when its just sitting there.

I rarely use a t-rig much anymore unless I'm flipping or pitching around cover where they won't bite a jig. I like using a shaky head around deeper sparse cover. I have started using bigger football head with a creature bait more if I think there's bigger fish to be caught in place of a shaky head b/c 90% of the time I'm using a shaky head, I'm using lighter line.

I tried this out a long time ago and I'll give you my take on it. I love shaky heads but I thought, why not use heavy hooks and fish it in place of the Texas rig, well, that just didn't work. The big difference was the head versus the weight, the profile makes it tough to bring through heavier cover, even light weights and too light of a weight didn't always work, especially in tress with limbs as the line would hit a limb and the weight wasn't heavy enough to pull the line over the limb. I can walk a T-rigged worm with a 3/16oz worm weight pegged through most any tree limbs or grass and brush you can think of, the shaky head not so much, the shaky head is much better with light wire hooks and thin worms fished in open water.

What are slider heads?

http://www.sliderfishing.com/Snagless-Pro-Head-3-0-Black-Nickle-Hook-3-per-pack-WSH-U3-WSH-U3.htm

 

I use these or my new favorite that i will be using more frequently, the draggin head...seems to never get snagged in the rocks.

 

http://confidencebaits.3dcartstores.com/Draggin-Head_c_11.html

I prefer a t-rig, but I throw a shakey head a lot

^{TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES THAT HAVE BEEN BASSTARDIZED BY FISHERMEN--  I am guilty as one of them but I made them different for using them for  two totally different applications .}

^{TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES THAT HAVE BEEN BASSTARDIZED BY FISHERMEN--  I am guilty as one of them but I made them different for using them for  two totally different applications .}

...and the question asked here is "which applications for which bait"?

I used shakey heads last year and found that they were a pain to use in the cover tbat I like to fish. Had much better luck with t-rigs in the weeds.

I like using floating or handpoured worms/baits on shakeyheads and sinking plastics on T-rig set up. The floating plastics lets me pause it longer and get more strikes mostly in colder water

I'm with you on this. Trick worms, hags tornadoes, zoom shakey head, etc. on buckeye spot removers; baby brush hogs, senkos, rage tail lobster, u-tail worms, etc. on weighted TX rig.

Shake a T-rigged worm by adding a glass faced bead and painted brass bullet weight. The shaky head jig with screw lock is designed to stand up and be worked with little forward movement, it's not a cover type presentation. T-rig is far more universal.

Clutter, try a boat load of tackle that needs a computer to keep track of!

Tom

Thanks all.  You've all been very helpful.  I think I get the relative advantages of each and will try the Texas rig more this year.

You can use a shakey head worm t rigged and you can use a reg worm shakey head ..for me depends on cover

I used shakey heads last year and found that they were a pain to use in the cover tbat I like to fish. Had much better luck with t-rigs in the weeds.

 

Agree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike