I love fishing the wacky rig but have a couple problems and need advice... i currently use a small wacky/finnesse type hook that has a small light weed guard... it does keep me from getting hung up but it seems i miss too many fish.. if i try a regular 2 or 3/0 gammy i dont miss as many but am hung up way too much due to the exposed hook...any help would be great......darren

I got your solution right here: e-mail me at purdum@aol.com for details if interested.

Listen to the advice Wayne gives, from what I've heard and read in the SE forum he's the master of the wacky rig!

thanks wayne.p i e-mailed you for more info i am looking at the attachment and dont really understand how to rig it that way and what hook....darren

it is possible the hits you are missing are smaller pan fish like bream, also in my experience I catch a lot of smaller fish on the wacky rig. I can't recall ever missing a fish that could put the whole bait in it's mouth with the hook you are describing. I catch a ton of fish on the wacky rig.

Sent a PM.  

email sent.

Thanks,

I got your solution right here: e-mail me at purdum@aol.com for details if interested.

That is almost exactly how I wacky rig, except if don't cover the hook eye.  I keep it so the worm lays horizontal, hook point and shank.

I thought the whole idea of a forum was to share info so why the secrecies of PMs & emails why not post it here for all to see?

I thought the whole idea of a forum was to share info so why the secrecies of PMs & emails why not post it here for all to see?

X2

Catt, I can tell you why I'd rather reply with via e-mail with my presentation. I go into a lot of detail including pictures at appropriate junctions and this forum is not suited for that amount of space.

Very nicely detailed info in the email with pics.

Thanks,

It can be done on a forum without any issue at all.  here is one I did for a photography forum: http://photocamel.com/forum/image-editing-color-management/18832-anatomy-product-shoot-part-ii-lots-images.html.  If you need help hosting images, let me know, I have plenty of room on my site.

I am surprised that I haven't seen anyone post anything about the split ring rig.  Basically its a split ring that fits snug around the worm.  You slide it to the middle of the worm.  Then you put your hook in between the worm and the ring.  That way you don't damage your plastic and you can get a few more fish out of them.  Works great.

thanks Wayne P. and Sam.  I really appreciate your time helping me out... i am relatively new at bass fishing and love discussing  things like this with you guys who are obviously very knowledgable of the sport.....darren

I am surprised that I haven't seen anyone post anything about the split ring rig.  Basically its a split ring that fits snug around the worm.  You slide it to the middle of the worm.  Then you put your hook in between the worm and the ring.  That way you don't damage your plastic and you can get a few more fish out of them.  Works great.

I think you mean an o-ring instead of a split ring. It's a good way to extend the life of your worm when wacky rigging.

No, I really did mean split ring.   At least that is what I use.  It works well.  But I imagine you can use anything that fits snuggly around the worm but still allows you to get a hook underneath it.  

I've tried the split ring and O ring for Senkos. I didn't like either one. The electrical shrink tubing works much better and allows for a perpendicular hook position for a better hook-up ratio or a parallel hook position.

The bait is also more weedless in the perpendicular position.

I thought the whole idea of a forum was to share info so why the secrecies of PMs & emails why not post it here for all to see?

Wayne has posted this rig and how to do it a hundred times now since I have been around and continues to post it to anyone who has a wacky question.It really isn't much of a secret.

Another option for minimizing damage to a wacky worm, is to cut off a piece of a straw, and slide it over the worm.  I have found that the straws from dairy queen work good on Zoom Finesse worms.

BassHound, I tried the plastic straws from several fast food places and all of them were too brittle to last even for one hook set. That is how I eventually came up with the electrical shrink tubing method.

I only use the straw method on an exposed hook wacky rig.  I can catch somewhere around 10 bass before the worm finally breaks in half.  I can usally still use the staw piece on another worm though.  

Are the straws the red ones? They were the least fragile of the ones I tried.

The straws I use are clear, and I cut off about a 1/2" piece.  I susspect the chances of cracking are greater in cold weather.