Anglers have developed a wide range of knowledge for a variety of baits and tactics in their pursuit and drive to capture more and bigger fish; and wacky rig is another finesse technique that you should learn as a beginner.
Recognizing how, when, and where to use the wacky rig system can provide you access to one of the most productive fishing strategies for spawn, post-spawn, and even deep fishing. It is simple to learn and an effective way to catch bass, depending on the circumstances, which would be further discussed later.
In this article, we would guide you to some of the specifics of how to execute this fishing technique, as well as some tips and tricks the majority of the anglers use that might have not yet reached the general public. So make sure to keep reading on.
What is a Wacky rig?
The wacky rig, which only requires a hook, an O-ring, and typically a straight-tail soft plastic worm bait, offers you a great deal of versatility and flexibility for such a simple rig. It is perhaps the most effective technique for spawn and post-spawn when fish move up to the shallow parts of the water.
It has the ability to present soft plastic bait worms in an incredibly life-like manner and its capability to approach a fish’s strike zone naturally without driving them away. This enables you to hold on to the bait for a longer period of time, giving you a much higher chance to get a bite and more action with the bait.
A wacky rigged soft plastic works well outside grass lines, pockets in reeds, docks, rock walls, and other areas where fish are spawning or have relocated. It’s also possible to use a wacky worm to fish in deeper waters, particularly when the bass is not in the mood to chase your bait.
Wacky rig vs. Texas rig vs. Carolina rig vs. Drop shot rig
These fishing techniques can be challenging since a beginner angler would barely be able to tell when the fish has taken the bait.
Aside from the wacky rig, the other three are also well-known rigs that combine a soft plastic lure and a weight. However, they differ in application and technique. The most effective strategy will vary depending on the situation and your present skill level.
The Texas Rig is a traditional rigging technique that works best in vertical conditions when you have a specific target cover or where the bottom is a steep slope, catching fish faster.
The Carolina Rig performs well on flat terrain or surfaces with a gradual slope where it is difficult to locate specific fish hiding places. Moreover, the Carolina Rig has the best water coverage (which might be the fastest method for fishing in large areas) and usually uses a smaller hook compared to the Texas Rig’s hook for better drag.
When fishing in clear waters is challenging, the Drop Shot Rig works best. This is also the simplest method for beginners to perform because even if you don’t sense the fish being hooked, it will most probably still be stuck to the hook while being suspended from the bottom.
The wacky rig is the simplest among the previously mentioned rigs. It works best in shallow waters. It is as beginner-friendly as the Drop Shot.
Things You’ll Need for Your Wacky Rig Setup
Wacky Rig Worm Baits
Depending on the worm type you pick, the speed of sinking will vary. While worms with little to no salt will sink very slowly, those that are heavily salted will sink very quickly. Yamamoto senkos are renowned for quickly sinking. The use of a sinking line, such as fluorocarbon, will further accelerate the descent depth of your worm.
We recommend using a senko style bait or a trick worm-style bait. With their good fall performance, both worm baits are good matches for a wacky rig, attracting bass with the pair’s natural impression of a worm. The only difference is that the trick worm-style baits are a bit thinner and longer than senko style baits.
Wacky Rig Hooks
Hooks depend on your preference most of the time. It doesn’t matter what type of hook as long as you land your hook and the fish takes the bite. If you already have your preferred type of hook, you don’t have to change them. You are free to experiment.
However, if you just stick your plastic bait directly to the hook, it is advised to use a little bit thicker gauge wire hook. Thicker gauge wire hooks tend to hold on to the plastic bait better, while thinner gauge wire hooks have a higher possibility of tearing through your plastic bait.
If you’re attaching an O-ring to your hook, then the hook’s thickness won’t matter.
O-Rings
One problem that you might encounter when using a wacky rig is running out of soft plastic bait. This is where O-rings come into play.
O-rings connect your hook to your plastic bait. It has the advantage of enabling you to hold on to your soft plastic bait for a longer period of time, reusing it up to 6 or more times (depending on your luck, of course!) after each catch.
What size are wacky O-rings
Wacky O-rings with sizes 4-5” have an inside diameter of around a quarter of an inch (¼ inch). These sizes usually would snuggly fit a soft plastic worm bait with around 1/2″ to 3/8″ diameter (an ideal size for 4” to 5” senkos or any soft-stick baits with similar diameter).
O-Ring Tools
Majority of the time, you can just lubricate the O-ring or the soft plastic bait to slide and attach them both, but for some of the smaller O-rings and thicker soft plastic worms, a wacky rigging tool might come in handy. These tools allow you to effortlessly insert and remove an O-ring onto your soft plastics.
There are two common types of tools. You can use an O-ring worm installation tool or an O-ring plier to insert your O-rings. For removing, you can use an O-ring pick tool.
How to Insert an O-Ring to bait with O-Ring Tool
Step 1: Insert your soft plastic worm into the hollow opening end of the O-ring tool.
Step 2: Slide the O-ring over the O-ring tool from its tapered end towards the opening end.
Step 3: Slip the O-ring off the end of the O-ring tool onto the middle section of your soft plastic worm.
How to Insert an O-Ring to bait with O-Ring Pliers
Step 1: Insert your O-ring into your O-ring Pliers.
Step 2: Squeeze the O-ring Pliers’ handle like you’re snipping with a scissor to stretch the O-ring.
Step 3: Slip about half of your soft plastic worm towards the stretched O-ring.
Note: The center part is not always the most balanced. Different types of soft plastic worm baits have different balance points. Adjust the position accordingly.
How to Setup a Weightless Wacky Rig
Weightless Wacky Rig (Hook and Worm Only): Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Tie your line to your hook using a knot. Have a leader length of about 10 to 12 ft.
Step 2: Hold your soft plastic worm bait horizontally. Find the part where it is balanced.
Note: The center part is not always the most balanced. Different types of soft plastic worm baits have different balance points. Adjust the position accordingly.
Step 4: Once you’ve found the right balance, attach that part of the soft plastic directly to your hook.
Weightless Wacky Rig with O-ring: Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Insert the soft plastic worm into your O-ring using an O-ring tool.
Note: Refer to the O-ring tools section for a detailed step guide for inserting o-rings into your bait.
Step 2: Once inserted, pull the soft plastic worm and slide through the O-ring until you’ve found the right balance.
Note: The center part is not always the most balanced. Different soft plastic worm baits have different balance points. Adjust the position accordingly.
Step 3: Tie your line to your hook using a knot. Have a leader length of about 10 to 12 ft.
Step 4: Attach your hook to the O-ring.
Should I Put a Weight on My Wacky Rig?
You can attach a weight to your wacky rig. However, we only recommend that you use weights on wacky rigs when the fish are on the bottom and you want to be more efficient in deeper water.
When the fish are suspended or you’re fishing on shallow waters, it’s best not to use a weight for your wacky rig.
How to Setup a Weighted Wacky Rig
Here are some additional wacky rig setups with varying weight applications that you might want to try:
Weighted Wacky Rig: Quick Step-by-Step Guide
A wacky rig with an attached weight will help descend your bait a bit faster. The advantage of this faster descent makes your soft plastic worm wobble more, attracting and enticing a potential catch faster too.
Step 1: Tie your line to your weedless wacky jig hook using a knot. Have a leader length of about 10 to 12 ft.
Note: It is essential to use a weedless wacky jig hook or any hook that comes with a weight.
Step 2: Hold your soft plastic worm bait horizontally. Find the part where it is balanced.
Note: The center part is not always the most balanced. Different types of soft plastic worm baits have different balance points. Adjust the position accordingly.
Step 4: Once you’ve found the right balance, attach that part of the soft plastic directly to your hook.
Wacky Rigged Drop Shot: Quick Step-by-Step Guide
When bass are deep, and you need to descend a few more feet to get to them, the drop shot wacky worm executes this technique well. This approach also works if you are struggling to grab a successful bite from bass because they are being tight-lipped. Combining the two most beginner-friendly techniques would definitely secure you a catch.
Step 1: Create a Drop shot rig first by attaching a weight to the tag end of your line.
Step 2: Tie your line to your hook using a knot about 6 inches from the weight.
Note: Have a leader line length of about 18 inches.
Step 3: Attach the most balanced part of the soft plastic directly to your hook or indirectly with an O-ring.
Wacky Style Carolina-Texas Rig: Quick Step-by-Step Guide
This is another combination rig that would help your wacky rig reach more depth. What’s fun about this rig is that you can combine Texas rig, Carolina rig, and Wacky rig’s different techniques. You might think it’s complicated, but it is actually easy and simple. Here’s how:
Step 1: First, create a Carolina Rig by attaching a sliding weight above a barrel swivel and bead onto your leader line (have a leader line length of about 18 inches to 6 feet).
Step 2: With the tag end of your line, tie your line to your hook using a knot.
Note: For your hook, it is essential to use a weedless wacky hook since this rig has a great chance of reaching the bottom, picking up a lot of grass along the way.
Step 3: Attach the most balanced part of the soft plastic directly to your hook through a Texas rig hook style.
Texas rig hook: Puncture the hook all the way through the worm’s body. Then pull your worm up tight to the offset of your hook, burying the hook’s tip back to the body. You’ve done it right when only the hook’s curve is visible, and the hook’s tip is buried in the body. This gives the worm its wacky impression when descending.
How to Work a Wacky Rig
There are two ways to work a bait: letting the bait do the work or the floating worm style.
By letting the bait do the work, you’ll only have to cast to the target and let the bait slowly and naturally fall with a completely slack line.
Step 1: First, let the bait hit the bottom and hold it there for a few seconds.
Step 2: Tug the line back and then let the bait glide down again naturally.
Step 3: Repeat 2 or 3 more times until you move on to your next target.
For the floating worm style, you’ll just have to work your bait quickly just below the surface. You can visibly see your soft plastic bait with this technique by working it just below the surface of the water. This is a fun and a must-try technique when bass are active to chase your bait.
Step 1: Cast your bait out.
Step 2: As soon as it hits the water, tug the bait 2 or 3 times.
Step 3: Let the bait sink just about 6 inches.
Step 4: Repeat.
Frequently Asked Questions (Tips and Tricks)
Where to Use a Wacky Rig?
The most common place to use a wacky rig is under the docks. With this rig, you can skip well easily underneath the docks without any issues.
You can also use a wacky rig on riprap banks, where you might often get hung ups when using sinking lures. Since wacky rigs don’t typically have weights/sinkers, they only fall on top of the rocks, whereas rigs with weights (like jigs, drop shot, texas rig, etc.) can get easily caught in between openings and losing your bait. However, this only works best in calm weather conditions.
Where Do You Hook a Wacky Rig?
Different types of soft plastic worm baits have different balance points. The center or middle part of a soft plastic worm bait is not always the most balanced area.
To identify the most balanced part, hold your soft plastic worm bait horizontally. You can start at the middle section if you want and find it from there. Adjust the position accordingly.
What is the Best Rod Type for Wacky Rig?
When using a wacky rig, it is best to use a spinning reel more often than not since it is better for flipping. However, it is best to use a casting rod when you’re fishing on covers and bushes, that requires less flipping for your wacky rig.
How many Soft Plastics, O-rings, and Hooks do you Need?
Stock up on those Soft Plastics, O-rings, and Hooks! Make sure that you have enough before going on a fishing trip.
Conclusion
Although there are many types of setups for a wacky rig, it is simple and easy to learn at its core. Even though a wacky rig is ideal for shallow waters, you can experiment and combine different techniques along the way. Do what works best for you!
Remember that executing how to work a wacky rig is as important as setting it up for a successful catch. So don’t forget to practice and have fun too! Now that we’ve reached the conclusion, we hope that these tips and tricks were helpful for you.