Never underestimate the 5" wacky rig

[ErieCan]

Is the 5" senko the GOAT?  Fishing this weekend I was set up to target both Largemouth and Smallmouth. I was making my way between a couple of my largemouth spots when I saw some smallmouth cruising around in open water about 8 feet deep.  I threw every smallie bait I had rigged at them. Ned craw, tube, dropshot and jerkbait. They'd investigate then bugger off. 

 

For the hell of it, I threw a weighted wacky rig I was using on the Largies. They'd follow it down, let it settle, stare at if for a second, then suck it in.  Four smallmouth in that same area did this.  

 

If I didn't have that rig ready to go, I probably would have never thought to try it. Maybe a 4" Senko, but that's not on my top 5 either. 

 

P. S. MY buddy was fishing the bay at the same time and said most of the smallmouth were even snubbing live leeches.

 

 

[PaulVE64]

Its wacky, but they just hit it.

[bowhunter63]

It kills on the river when nothing else will. Crazy but i learned not to question it. Just throw it. 

[Bird]

If you have the patience to throw it year around, you'll catch fish.

I have to power fish to get it out of my system but Wacky is a producer in the very clear water I fish.

[Will Wetline]

Thanks for this post, ErieCan. I throw a 4" unweighted wacky rigged Senko more often (after a 2 3/4" Z-Man bait has been ignored), but I'll remember to try deadsticking a weighted 5" when nothing else works.

[Dwight Hottle]

Just because they are labeled smallmouth doesn't mean they don't like bigger baits. For some reason bigger baits seem to challenge smallmouth into biting. 

[gim]

13 hours ago, Bird said:

I have to power fish to get it out of my system but Wacky is a producer

When I go fishing this weekend, this is exactly how I'll be fishing.  A fast, aggressive approach will be my first tactic but my secondary approach is going to be a wacky rig around and under docks.  I would prefer to catch some with the first approach but you gotta do what you gotta do.

[Sphynx]

That's something I will have to try next time I get out and they have lock jaw on me, on most days where I fish, you'll miss tons of bites fishing a wacky rig because it's just too slow, but I guess on days where they aren't hammering power techniques, what do you have to lose? 

[Bdnoble84]

Never a first option but always in my bag of tricks. I’ll wacky a 5” finesse worm as well. Dont be afraid to dropshot it wacky either

[padon]

one of my best producers for river smallmouth in summer is the 4 inch. but  i was thinking last week im gonna try the 5. i dont think it will matter.

[Bdnoble84]

I only ever wacky, you all t-rig it as well?

[throttleplate]

I threw the 5 in general on a long shank hook with metal cage and hooked through 2 crossed o-rings.

Brand new hook and when i reeled it back in while sittin on a rock with my waders on and feet dangling in the water i was just an eyelash of pulling it out when a pike flew out of the water and in mid air snatched my hook and all clean of my #30 flouro leader.

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, Bdnoble84 said:

I only ever wacky, you all t-rig it as well?

I’ve only wacky rigged a few times, got stuck 

[T-Billy]

5 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve only wacky rigged a few times, got stuck 

Berkley fusion weedless wacky. It'll come through the jungle.

[Bdnoble84]

6 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Berkley fusion weedless wacky. It'll come through the jungle.

Im big on the o-ring. Also, dont be afraid to use a smaller hook. Same thing goes for the neko rig. In my opinion, a 1/0 hook is overkill. If you oring it, the hook doesnt have to push through plastic.

[TnRiver46]

17 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Berkley fusion weedless wacky. It'll come through the jungle.

That looks a lot like the ones I got stuck and lost hahaha. 
 

but that was well before the fusion line came out, maybe I should revisit one day 

[throttleplate]

17 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Berkley fusion weedless wacky. It'll come through the jungle.

 

I use the circle hook with the wire cage and the cage gets bent all up after a couple hookups so next time i may try the one you use. How stiff is the deflector?

[ErieCan]

1 hour ago, throttleplate said:

 

I use the circle hook with the wire cage and the cage gets bent all up after a couple hookups so next time i may try the one you use. How stiff is the deflector?

 

These are what I use as well.  The weed guard is pretty flexible but the way it's designed it just plain old works. 

[T-Billy]

4 hours ago, throttleplate said:

 

I use the circle hook with the wire cage and the cage gets bent all up after a couple hookups so next time i may try the one you use. How stiff is the deflector?

 

3 hours ago, ErieCan said:

 

These are what I use as well.  The weed guard is pretty flexible but the way it's designed it just plain old works. 

^THIS^ The weedguard is pretty durable too. Made of flourocarbon. They grenerally hold up through a bunch of fish.

[Further North]

On 6/29/2022 at 7:01 AM, Dwight Hottle said:

Just because they are labeled smallmouth doesn't mean they don't like bigger baits. For some reason bigger baits seem to challenge smallmouth into biting. 

This fish ate a 9" pink and white Buford fly I was casting for muskies...

 

On 7/1/2022 at 6:51 PM, Bdnoble84 said:

I only ever wacky, you all t-rig it as well?

Yes.  I seldom Wacky Rig.

It works great.

[Dogface]

On 7/2/2022 at 3:39 AM, T-Billy said:

Berkley fusion weedless wacky. It'll come through the jungle.

 

I wacky rig often. Most of the time with an open hook but I do have and use hooks similar to Berkley fusion weedless wacky. There are some spots that I could not fish without it.