Last summer, success stories began to circulate about wacky-rigging thin worms on finesse jigheads, enabling anglers to catch bass when other techniques failed. Toward the end of the season, I obtained the specialized heads and worms, along with many tips on their use, and eagerly tried them out. I was amazed to catch largemouth and smallmouth bass nearly everywhere I tossed this rig, on my first trip.

I caught bass that were chasing baitfish in open water, casting to rises and letting the worm slowly fall; I caught them deadsticking it on bottom; they bit as I shook the lure nervously, as several experienced wacky-jiggers suggest you do; I caught fish on weedlines, and while retrieving worms just above bottom on deep points and ledges. It seemed almost too easy.

Later I found that wacky jigs also work in current, the jig providing weight to pull the worm into the feeding zone behind bridge abutments and boulders. These initial tests were eye-openers about the potential effectiveness of this tactic, though sometimes other presentations worked better. But I feel that this new rigging wrinkle is so versatile, and at times so irresistible to bass, that it deserves attention from every avid bass angler.

Wacky-rigging is an old trick. I first fished worms rigged this way more than 30 years ago. And ever since Falcon Lures offered their Weighted K-Wacky Hook, I’ve been using weighted versions in windy conditions or to get baits deeper.

Wacky-rigging makes a bait drift as if helplessly. The two ends of a Senko or other soft stickbait throb as it falls. I’ve become convinced that nearly any elongated softbait can score when wacky-rigged.

Wacky jigs, however, offer an entirely new look, especially when manipulated by anglers taking the time to study the presentation in detail. A jig provides a pivot point around which a supple worm can be wiggled by shaking the rod tip. Watch its rolling action in a pool or tank to get an idea of the lifelike appeal possible. Variations in presentation and tackle are expanding rapidly, as often occurs in fishing today.

Wacky-Jig Origins

In-Fisherman Field Editor Ned Kehde, of Lawrence, Kansas, is a die-hard finesse angler, mastering a variety of tactics to catch bass that refuse standard offerings. Kehde’s also known for his detailed observations, which reveal how top professional anglers approach diverse situations. He’s become a student of wacky-jigging and guardian of its lore.

According to Kehde, the wacky-jigging system seems to have originated in Japan around 2004, as Toshiro Ono of Jackall Brothers Tackle and Takuma Hata of Zappu designed jigheads for this presentation. “That year, Masahiro Yanase, a professional bass angler from Nagoya, Japan, also enjoyed success at Lake Biwa and other Japanese waterways,” Kehde reports. “Shin Fukae, ranked among the world’s top-10 bass pros, also began working with wacky jigs about that time.”

Meanwhile, West Coast anglers in the U.S. caught wind of this tactic. David Swendseid of Oregon is a member of Jackall’s pro staff, so received early intelligence on the rig’s effectiveness from Seiji Kato and from Kota Kiriyama, Jackall’s pro staffer who’d been clandestinely using it on the Bassmaster Elite Tournament Trail. Swendseid has used wacky jigs in northwestern reservoirs and rivers, catching big largemouth and smallmouth bass as well as walleyes and trout.

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.

Hook shape is important for holding a worm in place. Jackall’s Wacky-Jig Head is a custom-built 90-degree Owner with a curving bend and point. The Zappu Jighead Wacky sports a special Japanese hook with a 60-degree eye. Matt Paino of Optimum Baits, which imports Zappu products, says that eye position promotes wobble on the fall, as well as solid hook-sets.

Ross Evans notes that the 60-degree eye invokes better worm action, though not everyone agrees. Knowing the appeal of wacky-rigged, full-sized stickbaits, Evans worked with Big Bite Bait Company to design their Wacky Head, with a 60-degree eye and a heavier gauge, wider-gap hook to accommodate 5- and 6-inch soft sticks.

Rod and Line: Since shaking is a critical element of many wacky-jig presentations, rod action and length can be important. At this point, two schools of rod choice exist. Japanese experts including Kato and Ono favor short spinning rods (6 feet to 6 feet 4 inches), rated for 1/16- to 1/4-ounce lures. They feel shorter, supple rods impart better shaking action to the worm.

On the other hand, many American anglers prefer longer, somewhat stiffer rods that allow greater casting distance and can put additional pressure on bass in cover. From poolside observations, Evans concludes that the more supple the rod, the more dramatic the worm movement. Light dropshot rods from 61⁄2 to 7 feet in length fill the bill.

Evans favors Falcon’s Cenderi 7-foot model SSti-7L, a light dropshot rod that’s well-suited for 8-pound test. I’ve fished Kistler’s 6-foot 9-inch Drop Shot Special (KDSS69), St. Croix’s Avid

7-foot medium-light power (AVS70ULF), and All Star’s Platinum Inshore 7-footer (P843C-TR1), rated moderate power and light action. Models with similar action are available from many top manufacturers, none of which has yet released a specific wacky-jig rod.

In Japan, anglers have primarily used 4-pound-test fluorocarbon line to disguise the presentation in their clear and hard-fished waters. Thin line also allows maximum worm movement. David Swendseid agrees that 4-pound line is best, if you can get away with it. That is, you get more bites, but bigger bass may break off on a hook-set or sudden dive, or by running around underwater cover. I’ve found 6-pound-test fluorocarbon a safer bet, and its diameter is thin enough to create a squirming worm. Evans and other experienced wacky-jiggers favor Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon in 5- or 6-pound test.

Mono works fine, too, and matching a thin superbraid or fused line with a fluorocarbon leader is a great option that provides better feel of the worm, a sure hook-set, and allows more pressure to be applied to bass. Braids float, however, so sink rate is sacrificed. A long leader (10- to 25-foot) alleviates this problem. In getting started with wacky-jigging, experiment with tackle until you find systems you’re comfortable with and achieve success. Experienced wacky-jiggers use an array of tactics that are growing as you read this. I’m sure you’ll immediately get enough bites to inspire confidence in the approach.

Tactics

Reports from experienced wacky-jig tacticians emphasize the importance of shaking the worm. Indeed, the jighead acts as a fulcrum that allows an angler to impart action on the fall or on bottom. Some fish it as a fall bait, casting to targets. Others retrieve it above bottom, shaking to tempt strikes from finicky bass.

In fishing Minnesota lakes, Ross Evans has found that when bass seem aggressive, a large worm and heavier head (3/16- or 1/4-ounce) are more efficient, due to the faster fall and dramatic wobble. “And the larger offering attracts more big bass,” he says.

“One downside to a heavy jig,” he adds, “is that energetic shaking can generate so much movement that finicky bass seem reluctant to eat it. In my experimental fishing last year, the best rod action was a nervous coffee twitch that makes a worm pirouette like a live crawler. At times, however, I did better when I didn’t shake the rod until the worm landed.”

Like other anglers, Evans finds it very effective for enticing bites from key spots that had produced fish on other techniques then turned unproductive. He uses a Humminbird Side Imaging Unit to locate high-percentage spots, then fishes them patiently with a wacky jig. In the clear, weedy, natural lakes of Minnesota, he found his most productive depths to be 8 to 15 feet.

Mark Tyler is a veteran bass pro who’s lived in California, Arizona, and now

in Oklahoma. He holds the mark for the largest bass ever taken in a Bassmaster tournament, a 14-pound 9-ounce behemoth from the California Delta. After fishing with a Japanese co-angler four years ago, Tyler was inspired to try wacky-jigging. His inspiration came as his “amateur” outscored him in bass by an astounding 10:1 ratio. “The key is to use the lightest line and lightest head you can get away with,” he says. “This rig gets you bites in highly pressured waters. You can fish it behind other anglers and catch bass.

“I let it fall on slack line while I shake the rod. A worm like Optimum’s Twin Teaser or Zoom Finesse Worm moves with a dual-cam action when rigged on the Zappu Jighead Wacky. It flickers horizontally and vertically, an action bass haven’t seen. When it lands, keep shaking it and move it along a few feet. Strikes usually come on the initial fall, though.”

While bringing this report together, we received more accounts of new tactics and successes with wacky jigs from pro anglers, tackle industry personnel, and inquisitive anglers across the land. More tactics will be forthcoming. In the meantime, refine your own repertoire with this new and promising presentation.