Kiriyama used Jackall’s Wacky Jig and Flick Shake Worm at tournaments across the U.S., from the Mexico border to the Canadian waters of Lake Erie. “Versatility is its strong suit and lure action is the trump card,” Kiriyama says. “From sight-fishing largemouths on Alabama reservoirs to hunting lunkers at California’s Clear Lake, or working open-water structure in New York for smallmouth bass, the Wacky Jig and Flick Shake Worm can do it all. It particularly shines in tough fishing conditions, but it’s also a way to tempt big bass that seem to refuse standard lures.”

In Minnesota, Ross Evans, a tackle rep and tournament angler, got the inside scoop and spent much of last summer working wacky jigs on Minnesota waters. His findings show their effectiveness extends to natural lakes. He also worked with designers at Big Bite Baits to develop worms and heads for this technique.

Wacky Tackle

Bait: Straight-tail worms are a natural for wacky-jigging, since shaking imparts a lifelike writhing to the presentation. Jackall’s Flick Shake Worm has a subtle curve at the head and tail, designed to create remarkable undulations. It comes in 4.8- and 5.8-inch versions, with generous salt content for added weight and flavor.

I’ve also had success with Berkley’s Gulp! Wacky Crawler, a thin 5-inch worm. Gulp! substance is rubbery in texture, which creates fine action, too. Gulp’s powerful flavor also is a plus in finesse situations, and this material resists tearing more than most plastisol-based baits. Nearly any finesse-style worm can work. Fukae has found success with two new Yamamoto baits, the Fall Shaker and pointy-tail Pro Senko.

Buoyant baits have a place in wacky-rigging, since the head and tail ride up as the jig falls or is worked on bottom. Strike King’s 3-X material is tough and buoyant, and their Finesse Worm makes a good wacky-jig bait. Berkley’s latest Gulp! additions include the Floating Dover Crawler, a thin symmetrical worm and the Floating Crawler, a bulkier finesse-style worm, both infused with Gulp! flavor.

Some anglers new to wacky-jigging have employed Senkos, Zeros, and other soft stickbaits, a natural switch since they work so well when wacky-rigged on a hook. They exhibit a throbbing motion on the fall, though their stubbier shape limits the amount of wiggle that can be imparted by shaking, a key component of many presentations. Moreover, standard stickworms require jigheads with a larger gap than those available from Japanese makers.

Pro anglers including Fukae and Yanase also use small shad-like worms featuring a thin tail that wiggles as the rig is shaken. Yanase rigs Yamamoto’s Shad Shape Worm, and Fukae uses Castaic’s Baby Jerky J on a jig.

Jighead Design: Wacky jigheads lack collars or barbs, since they’re intended to hold a bait straight on the shank. When wacky-jigging, the worm should set in the bend of the hook and not slide to the head. Jackall and Zappu heads are crafted of tungsten to reduce profile.