I have used the eco-pro tungsten wacky weight.  It gives a good way to hook the worm and also provides a little weight under the worm for less salted baits, like zman and some finesse worms.  https://ecoprotungsten.com/collections/terminal-tackle/products/eco-pro-tungsten-wacky-weights

 

I have used paper clip wire to fashion the same shape and weight with lead wire to save a few bucks with the same results.  

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the issue to prevent pre-mature tearing of a wacky worm is that you need to hook more surface area.  
 

Too many people think that you put an O-ring on and just run the hook through the ring and not the worm. When pulled by the fish, the ring tightens and stretches and tears the worm just like a hook would.  
 

The better solution is a plastic sleeve or shrink tube (see Cadman’s jigs “Wacky Worm Sleeves”).  You not only hook through the sleeve but also meat of the worm too. This extra surface area through both worm and sleeve spread out the strain during the fight with a fish and last much longer than a simple O-ring. 

On 5/15/2021 at 9:32 AM, lynxcat said:

Going straight through the body is your problem. The hook rips your plastic and it’s going to come off almost every time. 
 

O-rings solve this issue completely. When you rig it, you need to get very little plastic with the hook. You are practically just getting the hook under the O-ring  between the plastic. On a bite, the hook doesn’t rip the plastic and the bait slides up the line using the OR. 
 

I catch numerous fish per plastic on wacky or Neko rig. 

☝️This!

On 5/15/2021 at 6:49 AM, BrianMDTX said:

I use a single o-ring. Many times the Senko will be 6” up the line but still held by the o-ring. 
 

Sometimes I lose one or two. They catch bass. I live with it lol! 

use this, but don't force the o-ring onto the bait by hand get one of these

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Fattube_O-Ring_Tool/descpage-FATRIG.html

Any time you go weightless or wacky , expect paramount damage to worm, I've found. 

Expect success but buy in bulk.

3 hours ago, bass4life.... said:

use this, but don't force the o-ring onto the bait by hand get one of these

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Fattube_O-Ring_Tool/descpage-FATRIG.html

My o-rings roll right onto the Senko. I see no need for a tool. 

On 5/15/2021 at 5:34 PM, BassWhole! said:

Same. I'd rather watch grass grow or paint dry than wacky rig, but when I do, I just use a slice of surgical tubing and fish 1 or 2 all day.

 

Same here. I cut off a little piece of surgical tubing and slide that on needle nose pliers. I open the pliers and the hole is big enough to pull the senko through. I then hook up by hooking through the tubing, through the worm and then back out through the tubing on the other side.

 

All day flavor

Caught 12 on a Strike King Ocho last week just hooked through the middle with no special bands or keepers. Still have the bait at home ready to catch more fish ? Since I switched to the Eagle Claw Neko hooks I've been using, I go through way fewer sticks on a wacky rig.

14 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

My o-rings roll right onto the Senko. I see no need for a tool. 

when rolling the o-ring onto the bait it some times damages the bait especially with gary yam senkos

it makes the baits fall apart easier because the salt makes the baits more fragile and delicate

when the salt is touched  it is way more delicate than the already delicate body

Try placing two o rings side by side on the Senko. Then gently cross the rings to form an X, place the hook through the X just barely skinning the worm. Got to be careful crossing the rings, but it does work. I usually rig a few worms at home before I go out.

On 5/15/2021 at 11:25 AM, WRB said:

Everyone over looks the original stick worm the Lunker City  Sluggo. Salt water plastics that stays on the hook and comes in 3” to 12” sizes. Nail/Neko weight a Sluggo and hook it wacky but length in lieu of sideways.

Last trip I caught 9 bass on 1 Sluggo water melon red flake. I like the GYCB 301 and 330 colors that Sluggo doesn’t have, on good bite it doesn’t matter, tough bite it’s the unweighted Senko..

Tom

 

Sluggo has been getting it done a long time   Way Underrated 

1 hour ago, 5/0 said:

Try placing two o rings side by side on the Senko. Then gently cross the rings to form an X, place the hook through the X just barely skinning the worm. Got to be careful crossing the rings, but it does work. I usually rig a few worms at home before I go out.

I did that yesterday.  Caught 3 on the same Senko.  Only got to go for 1/2 hour.

On 5/15/2021 at 8:31 AM, WRB said:

Bass can’t digest soft plastics. Nearly every Senko that gets back into the water without a hook is going to be eaten.

Use o-rings, tubing, harness or something reduce the bass shaking the soft plastic off the hook. 

Vert effect lure just try to keep soft plastic on the hook.

Tom

 

This. I once caught a smaller bass with its mouth filled with senkos.  The greedy bass had 4 in its mouth. I had to gently pull them all out. 
 

 I Hate losing one overboard. 

Had my first good wacky rig day Saturday where I caught a bunch on it. Used the same worm the whole time, Gambler Ace, and used the same one for every fish until the last one finally tore it in half right at the boat ramp. Used the two I rings crossed method and i believe it saved me from changing baits big time. Caught probably five bass before it tore in half. 

Lake fork's wacky hook/weight. I don't use the hook, because I don't want the weight. It's a simple little wide metal ring with two holes. Senkos last a really long time. Probably works about like the surgical tubing, definitely works better than the o-rings. Needs no tools. 

14 minutes ago, txchaser said:

Lake fork's wacky hook/weight. I don't use the hook, because I don't want the weight. It's a simple little wide metal ring with two holes. Senkos last a really long time. Probably works about like the surgical tubing, definitely works better than the o-rings. Needs no tools. 

cool!!!

 

I rarely fish Senkos.  last time, I got 9 bass on the same worm using an o-ring.  some bigger fish as well.  the o-ring is simple and effective for me.  at least in my experience.  

Use a 5" Yum Dinger in Green Pumpkin wacky rigged perpendicular through the middle using either a Berkley Fusion 19 Wacky Jig Head (1/16th oz.  , 1/8th oz. , ) or the same weights using the VMC Wacky Jig Head . The Yum Dinger is tougher than the Stik-O and Senko but the downside is it does not have as much action on it's own than the Stik - O or Senko . However with the above mentioned wacky jig heads the Yum Dunger comes to life with short pops and pulses along the bottom . As A-Jay and Team9nine pointed out , the Z-Man or Strike King Elaztec stick worms are also great and catch many , many fish on a single stick worm as the elaztec is not only almost indestructible but also gets better with age !   Try the Strike King Zero 5" or the ZMan Zinkerz 5" (same material licensed from ZMan)  in Green Pumpkin Red , Dirt , or Bama Bug colors and again rig with one of the Berkley or VMC wacky jig heads above . *Please note that the more a Elaztec stick worm is in the water - the more buoyant it becomes thus you may want to move up to the 1/8th wacky jig head size to get that slow fall again . Lastly when putting the wacky jig head hook through the elaztec material - pull the hook out and slightly , rotate the stick worm slightly for a new hook penetration point before inserting the hook  back through the stick worm . This video explains the technique well :

 

I’ve never wacky rigged ?

3 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve never wacky rigged ?

It's been a very productive pattern for me using a Yumdinger (Watermelon/Red Flake).  I was dubious at first but it's out produced texas rig for me.  Either it's the technique, or I've just gotten better at putting the bait where it needs to be.

15 minutes ago, gunsinger said:

It's been a very productive pattern for me using a Yumdinger (Watermelon/Red Flake).  I was dubious at first but it's out produced texas rig for me.  Either it's the technique, or I've just gotten better at putting the bait where it needs to be.

Oh I’m sure it works, just like all kinds of other techniques I don’t use haha. I just can’t cast a worm out there hooked like that, no sir I don’t like it . 

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Oh I’m sure it works, just like all kinds of other techniques I don’t use haha. I just can’t cast a worm out there hooked like that, no sir I don’t like it . 

I was a big skeptic for years about the wacky rig until this year I decided to dedicate a combo to wacky/Neko and I'll be darned if it doesnt catch fish. Pressured pond it produced, lake it produced even better. I used a green pumpkin (which ive also boycotted until now) Gambler Ace stick bait using o rings and it worked. It worked when the t rig was too heavy and sank too fast. I pitched the wacky by the grass and they would pick it up and start swimming and i would set the hook and bring them in. Trust me I was a skeptic big time, but not anymore. 

The clear silicone tubing works wonders. I also use it to repair Keitech heads and split jig trailers.

29 minutes ago, Luke Barnes said:

I was a big skeptic for years about the wacky rig until this year I decided to dedicate a combo to wacky/Neko and I'll be darned if it doesnt catch fish. Pressured pond it produced, lake it produced even better. I used a green pumpkin (which ive also boycotted until now) Gambler Ace stick bait using o rings and it worked. It worked when the t rig was too heavy and sank too fast. I pitched the wacky by the grass and they would pick it up and start swimming and i would set the hook and bring them in. Trust me I was a skeptic big time, but not anymore. 

I’m not a skeptic, I just hook them weedless instead of wacky. No sinker. 
 

ive witnessed the power of the wacky for over a decade now, I just don’t want to waste all my worms, fiddle with rings or tubing, and get hung up all the time 

I like the new VMC Crossover Ring. It has two hook holes so you can rig it vertically (Neko) of horizontally (Wacky)

On 5/15/2021 at 11:09 AM, A-Jay said:

I have never used the 5 inch Zinkerz bait so I can not comment if this effectiveness translates to the smaller bait.

 

I like zman's eltaztech products because of their durability, however, they are buoyant.  My primary use of a senko is weightless with just a hook and o-ring.  It has a nice slow sink rate.  I did buy a pack of zinkerz to try but I think they are going to be too buyoant for just a hook and o-ring.  I have a wacky jig I might try to make it sink though.

 

I don't go through a lot because I use the o-ring which prevents "hooking" the actual plastic, but as some have mentioned, on occasion they still do come off for one reason or another.