weight or no weight wacky rig?

[Obi_Wan]

I'd like to hear whether or not you like to use a wacky rig weighted or not weighted.  If you do both, what makes you pick one over the other?

[gimruis]

Anything deeper than 5 feet for me gets a nail weight inserted into the stubby end of the stick bait. Less than 5 feet, nope.

 

This time of year, I am fishing a wacky rigged stick bait in one of two scenarios: skipping under docks, or along a deep weed line. Deep weed lines are generally about 12-16 feet right now. It takes too long without the nail weight to reach bottom. Whereas under docks, the depth is usually about 3 feet or less. The natural sink rate of the stick bait is fine without a weight at those shallow depths.

[Obi_Wan]

13 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Anything deeper than 5 feet for me gets a nail weight inserted into the stubby end of the stick bait. Less than 5 feet, nope.

 

This time of year, I am fishing a wacky rigged stick bait in one of two scenarios: skipping under docks, or along a deep weed line. Deep weed lines are generally about 12-16 feet right now. It takes too long without the nail weight to reach bottom. Whereas under docks, the depth is usually about 3 feet or less. The natural sink rate of the stick bait is fine without a weight at those shallow depths.

Good info.  I haven't fished a weightless wacky rig much, but makes sense.  I'm going to start throwing one in the river here and I think weightless is the main way to go.

[WackyWormNedRig]

I use a tiny bullet weight when fishing the wacky worm helps it get down quicker.

[MN Fisher]

Before you settle totally on weightless all the time - this little tidbit from Steve might open options.

 

[VTFan]

8 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Before you settle totally on weightless all the time - this little tidbit from Steve might open options.

 

This is a really good video.  I watched it just yesterday.  I fish the smallest weighted head I can find and most of the time I will file it down even smaller.  I can see the difference in the action of the worm. That being said, I have found that different brand stick worms have different action.  I guess it's the density of the plastic, don't know.

[GRiver]

Thanks @MN Fisher, it’s nice to see what’s happening underwater.

I use a wire  brush guard hook for wacky rig and will put split shot on the hook near the eye, they come in a ton of different sizes. 

[J Francho]

I'll pinch on some split shot if wind or current  is keeping my bait from sinking. Otherwise it's usually no weight. A better plan is to use a wacky jig when weight is necessary. 

[gimruis]

34 minutes ago, J Francho said:

A better plan is to use a wacky jig when weight is necessary. 

 

The problem is that the fall isn't natural anymore if you use a weighted jig.  If you use a nail weight, the actual stick bait falls first, because that's where the weight is.

 

90% of my strikes are on the fall.

[Bigbox99]

11 hours ago, Obi_Wan said:

I'd like to hear whether or not you like to use a wacky rig weighted or not weighted.  If you do both, what makes you pick one over the other?

Both.  I use a 1/16 oz weedless head with stiffer slower falling worms like BPS Stick-Os to increase the fall rate and trigger the wiggling.  They will actually wiggle harder than a Senko but you have to get the fall rate up.  I also use weighted heads on skinny low weight worms like BPS Flickin Shimmy or floating worms for a weedless but slow wacky worm fall thats actually castable/skipable.  Pretty much, if I'm not using a Senko then I use a 1/16 oz weighted head. 

53 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

The problem is that the fall isn't natural anymore if you use a weighted jig.  If you use a nail weight, the actual stick bait falls first, because that's where the weight is.

 

90% of my strikes are on the fall.

Natural senko fall?  I don't know why bass eat these things but I assume writhing action of the bait as it slowly falls to the bottom and remains motionless is part of the appeal.  I would rather it not fall end 1st to the bottom like a dart.  That's why I don't Texas rig them.

[gimruis]

5 minutes ago, Bigbox99 said:

Natural senko fall?  I don't know why bass eat these things but I assume writhing action of the bait as it slowly falls to the bottom and remains motionless is part of the appeal.  I would rather it not fall end 1st to the bottom like a dart.  That's why I don't Texas rig them.

 

I understand what you're saying here.  I want the stickbait itself, whether its horizontal, or vertical, to fall first.  Not the jig and line.  If you use a weighted jig, that's the part falling first, with the stick bait behind it.  There is nothing natural about that.

 

As I stated, 9 out of 10 bites come when on the fall.  Since its falling much faster, they have to make more of a "reaction" bite rather than one when it settles on the bottom and is dead sticked.  They sit on the weedline and dart out to grab it when it comes past.

 

I don't texas rig my stick baits either.  They aren't durable enough for that.

[J Francho]

@gimruis natural? I have no idea what that means, but my 2nd personal best (7-1) came on a wacky jig. Not sure naturalness is more important on the list than bait placement. 

 

Also, didn't see where this became a "senko thread."

[Functional]

I usually use a small nail weight but I put it in the bait right where my band is. I dont have a good reason why I do it that way but if I'm using a wacky rig I figured why put a nail in one end and make it like a very light Trig. I was looking for a horizontal fall and that seemed like the best spot for it to achieve that.

 

I think this way would achieve @gimruis natural fall comments. 

[gimruis]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

Also, didn't see where this became a "senko thread."

 

I didn't state anything about a senko.

 

The correct term here is a stick bait.  Senko represents the brand of stick bait specific to yamamoto.  I use senkos made by yamamoto but I also use several other brands of stick bait as well.

[Texas Flood]

Always weighted because I have zero patience and I like the fall presentation better. I actually started using a tokyo rig for my wacky setup. It's done pretty well so far.

[Big Swimbait]

I always start with a weighted Core Tackle Wacky Shot, usually the 1/8 oz. I find here in Texas a more agressive fall/action gets more bites after the spawn. Pre-spawn & during the spawn, I throw weightless.  And whatever you do, never wacky a Fluke style bait 😜

[JackstrawIII]

I use a weighted wacky hook 99% of the time. Simply because I feel like it gets bit more. Maybe the faster movement triggers the fish more or something, not sure. 

[Bankbeater]

Weightless.  If I fish with a weight and that exposed hook I tend to get snagged a lot.

[Bass Rutten]

I use weighted (inchi wacky) 99% of the time. It casts better and is more versatile, can control fall rate and action by varying the jigs weight. Finesse worms only though, I never use stickbaits.

[bowhunter63]

If it’s good current I use a fusion weighted hook.1/16 ounce. They work really good otherwise weightless when I can 

[FishTank]

In shallow water, around 3 feet, I use a regular wacky hook. In anything deeper,  I use either 1/16 or 1/8 wacky jig head.