Every time I hit the River I’m killing them on a Wacky Worm. I have been using a 1/16 ounce weighted head to help with the current. When nothing else is working it never fails. One thing I noticed spots are running with Smallies a lot. When I get into Smallies I always get a few spots. Largemouth seem to be by there selfs. Here is one I got this morning 

Real nice. Wacky on the river for me is similar to you. I like to fish 4” & 5” cuttails with a nail weight and light wire mosquito hooks. Nice fish. 

Before moving to North Idaho I was primarily a largemouth guy so Ive been using weightless wacky for years. It's pretty much my main rig and the one I have the most confidence in. I take it out every single day I fish and spend much of my time throwing senkos.

After moving up here I started going after Smallies with grubs, tubes and ned rigs since I was told wacky doesnt seem to work as well.

When I did start throwing my weightless senkos I found they catch not only more fish, but bigger smallmouth.

Im a firm believer the weightless wacky senko would catch a dolphin if need be.

I use a 2/0 drop shot hook, 15lb suffix braid to 8lb leader on a Loomis NRX+ 852 with a 2500 stradic...

Never go fishing without it, wacky is the way!

Awesome wacky haul! Love the rig.

Nice fish……never used one on the river, with current. I’ve use them around structures….docks, standing timber. Most of my bites came on the fall of the bait. Start out weightless and work from there.  Any kind of weed guard? @bowhunter63

Very nice. 5" Senko?

Wacky is extremely productive for me every month after the spawn....... and catches big fish.

I like a 1/16 Wacky head.

Became one of my main rigs last year in the river and weightless. Our rivers aren't very deep so that might help. Toss it out there, maybe an occasional twitch, and wait. 

I’ve wacky rigged about 4 casts in my life, got stuck and broke off all 4 times 

2 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve wacky rigged about 4 casts in my life, got stuck and broke off all 4 times 

Lol sounds like a lot like your spinnerbait success then.  #nonexistent

I’ve actually caught some fish with a spinnerbait . Not many 

17 hours ago, GRiver said:

Nice fish……never used one on the river, with current. I’ve use them around structures….docks, standing timber. Most of my bites came on the fall of the bait. Start out weightless and work from there.  Any kind of weed guard? @bowhunter63

Yes they comes with two wires but I’m in the rocks more then weeds . One fish and there trashed . Sometimes I just cut them off 

Wacky worm always works in the summer.  If I can't get a bite the WW is my go-to.  Plain white Zoom Super Fluke is awesome in the summer as well.

The Wacky rig is best done solo so you don't have to listen to the POWER fisherman in the back of the boat b***h.....I know.

A weightless worm is the shallow water "nuclear option" in bass fishing.  My smallmouth bass experience is limited, but it sure works on largemouth.   There are many ways to rig it besides hooking it in the middle.   You can rig it Texas Rig style in weedy water.  In deeper water, I put a small swivel 12"-18" above the worm like a Carolina Rig without the sinker.  It gives the worm just enough weight to sink without affecting the natural look of the bait.  I fish this rig on 8 pound mono.  The Zoom Trick worm is the best bait I have found for this type of fishing.

 

This is a great rig to fish behind a power fisherman.  You can fan cast it from the back of the boat and catch fish in every direction.  Sometimes it works so well it's rather embarrassing. ?

Weightless weedless I’ve done my whole life , just not wacky 

On 7/25/2023 at 7:31 PM, OG Crankster said:

Very nice. 5" Senko?

Yes

Got my best one last night wading on a wacky rig. It just works. 

Fat bass!

On 7/27/2023 at 8:18 AM, TnRiver46 said:

Weightless weedless I’ve done my whole life , just not wacky 

 

No wacky for me.

 

A wacky rigged stickbait is one of my favorite largemouth presentations. For some reason though, I don’t do so well with stickbaits on smallmouth. I prefer a flickshake rig with a finesse worm when it comes to rivers

Wacky rig with a 4” senko or finesse bait has become a big confidence bait for me last couple years. Especially in summer when the water gets warmer. Seems to pull them out when everything else struggles.

A deadsticked texas rigged  4" GP with a split shot has usually done better for me than the WW

 

What do you do when you are fishing a 1 to 2 mph current? Do you let the wacky just drift or do you weight it?

@Blue Raider Bob

I often throw a wacky rig on a 1/16 head, actually preferred in most cases, especially 4.8 flickShake. " lakes "

In our river i mainly throw craw imitators on 1/8 - 1/4 oz Shakyhead or Texas.

 

My best Smallmouth producing bait for the last several years has been a Zoom speed craw in green pumpkin magic.

Our water is very clear.