Gettin' Wacky Jiggy With It
April 15, 2009
What's the best possible action a lure could ever have? Most anglers won't guess the correct answer. The best lure action is a falling action. That falling action's why the weightless Senko is the most successful bass lure ever. It's why flipping jigs are so darn effective. Jigging spoons too. Many lures when the retrieve is paused and they fall, that's the irresistible action that triggers strikes.
The alluring falling action is what makes a wacky rig so productive - and now the "new" wacky jig method further accentuates the falling action of a worm by pulling it down in the middle, like drawing a taut bow, causing way more action than normal due to the downward pull.
About ten years back, I first shared my tips with you for wacky jigging. Here's what I wrote almost a decade ago in Yamamoto's Ezine:
 Wacky Pendulum Jig.Can't say I have ever seen anyone else do this, but watch what happens when you wacky rig a 5-inch Senko with Yamamoto's 1/16th or 1/8th ounce round head jig. The jig head gets a wacky-rigged Senko down to bass suspended deep in mid-water - or on deep water structure. With light line, you'll see the round jig head oscillating back and forth underneath the Senko like a pendulum on an old-fashioned grandfather clock. The two tips of the Senko scull back and forth like a hard-training member of an Olympic rowing team! |
That might have been the first and last word you would have ever (or never) heard about the wacky jigging method. I even demonstrated the tactic to an In-Fisherman editor who had trekked out West to rummage around for obscure, unheard of yet effective Western fishing tactics that hadn't been written about before. As amazed as he was when he saw how the wacky jig acted, the tactic never got into print. I reckon he felt it was a little too unusual to even include in a feature on unorthodox techniques!
But another editor halfway around the world, Hideyuki Nomura of Lure Magazine did get the word out on the wacky jig when top pro anglers in Japan discovered the tactic for themselves. I then collaborated (in 2005) with Optimum Baits CEO Matt Paino to loosely translate and republish Nomura's original story on wacky jigs in English as follows:
What's Brewing in Japan? A New Tactic Named 'Jig Head Wacky'Text by Matt Paino with assistance from Hideyuki Nomura, Editor of Lure Magazine and Russ Bassdozer. (Original photos not included.)"Throughout my years of bass fishing," says Matt Paino, "I’ve always been told there is no wrong way to fish a worm. I still believe this is true. However, I’ve also learned that certain methods will perform better than others at certain times. As anglers we rely on our experience on the water to help decide which method we should use under certain situations." "What I've learned living in Japan and being a part of the Japanese bass fishing industry is that the Japanese anglers are a very studious bunch. They are always working on new and creative techniques. The dropshot technique that the Japanese introduced to America several years back has by now become a household term to US bass anglers. Now the Japanese have created a new technique called ' Jig Head Wacky' or INCHI WACKY," says Paino. He's the president of Optimum Bait Company in Japan. "This technique has taken Japan by storm over the past 12 months and for good reason. Two top Japanese bass pros, Takuma Hata of Zappu Inc. and Toshiro Ono of Jackall Inc have pioneered the craze. Hata introduced the technique to the Japanese press soon after he returned from a tournament in Korea in a feature article with Lure Magazine. Soon thereafter, Toshiro Ono took first place in the 2004 Basser All-Star Classic on the Jig Head Wacky Rig. With the press picking up on the technique it wasn't long before everyone wanted to find out what was behind their success." "As the name suggests, it’s a very straightforward rig and easy to put into practice. The Japanese have been big fans of the 'Wacky Rig' for years and taking that rig one step further made perfect sense." Benefits that Matt says Japanese anglers derive from using the Jig Head Wacky Rig are:
"The Japanese anglers firmly believe that this irregular action has a very appealing, teasing action that bass cannot resist. Both Hata and Ono believe this bait is ideal for fishing deeper water and tougher conditions. Areas such as rock piles, drop-offs and other vertical structure points are perfect situations where the Jig Head Wacky Rig will produce handsomely." "The key to the Jig Head Wacky Rig is in the rigging. When rigging the worm, it’s vital that you position the hook correctly by inserting the point of the hook in the middle of the worm and have it exit on a 90 degree angle from the insertion point. This is so the worm is fixed good and tight on the hook and it makes for a better irregular action. The Japanese have experimented with different hooks and have found that a V-shape angled hook keeps the worm permanently fixed on the hook. The most commonly used jig head weights are 1/32 to 1/16 oz but vary upon the size of the worm and the depth at which it is being fished. The Zappu fishing brand of Japan was involved in developing this technique, and Zappu has a wide variety of jig heads made specifically for this technique," says Matt Paino. "As with all techniques, the tackle you use plays a huge role in the outcome," explains Matt Paino our mentor on what's new in Japan. "When using the Jig Head Wacky Rig, the Japanese anglers like to use fast tapered rods that are rated light to ultra light. A popular length in Japan is 6 foot because they feel it’s easier to handle lighter worms with a shorter stick. 4-pound fluorocarbon line on a spinning reel is also the choice for many Japanese anglers who have mastered the Jig Head Wacky Rig. When working the rod, it is vital to keep a good rhythm and a constant up and down speed in a 10-11 o’clock positioning." "Japanese will always say that you have to have an image in your head of what you want the jighead and worm to do. The ideal image you want to see is the ball part of the jighead flip flopping up and down and that’s it. If the jighead is doing that, then the worm will be doing its thing. The great part about this rig is that you can create so much action in the worm and the worm doesn’t even have to be moved much at all. In other words, you can keep the bait exactly where you want it to be and impart action to it while it stays there. In order to do this, there is a secret, and that is keeping a good amount of slack in the line. By keeping slack in the line you can shake your rod constantly to produce the wicked irregular action and still keep your bait exactly where you want it," reveals Matt. "When fishing bottom structure you will want to cast out the Jig Head Wacky Rig and let it free fall to the bottom. While the jig falls the weight from the jighead causes the worm to roll back and forth. After it hits the bottom you will want to shake it and continue to wind up slack and then free fall it back to the bottom. The fish will often attack as the bait free falls after you shake it. Remember the jig head is there to create a wild gyrating action. So this is not intended to be a deadsticking technique (although you can do that)," advises Matt. "The Jig Head Wacky Rig is also very effective on suspended fish in mid water. The key to working this bait is again the slack in the line. Cast your line out and as you reach the area the fish are suspending in, slowly shake the bait as you swim or just let the jighead swing back in. The shaking will create the slack so a steady slow crank will wind in the slack and let the lure do what it’s supposed to do." "Discovery of new techniques for using the Jig Head Wacky Rig in Japan is not over yet," says Matt. "Recently, pro anglers have been using a 3/8 to 1/2 oz football-shaped Jig Head Wacky Rig around heavy rock areas and have said that slowly dragging the bottom is also very effective." "The most popular worms used in Japan on Jig Head Wacky Rigs consist of Zoom’s Swamp Crawler, Jackall’s Flick Shake, Gary Yamamoto’s Kut Tail, Optimum Bait’s Twin Teaser, and Berkeley’s Gulp Wacky Crawler," notes Matt. "Many say that the reasons the Japanese are constantly developing new lures and techniques are because the lakes and ponds are so pressured that the bass in Japan see the same lures and techniques over and over and if the anglers don’t change things up they end up getting blanked. Creating something the bass have never seen before improves the odds of catching fish. No matter where you fish, this will hold true. Now, for those of us anglers who truly believe that there is no wrong way to fish a worm, then the Jig Head Wacky Rig from Japan is the perfect new technique to try the next time you’re out on the water," concludes Matt Paino. |
The above was published in the USA in 2005. Shortly thereafter Matt Paino became distributor for Zappu's products in North America, importing the first wacky jigs into the USA.
Zappu Wacky Jigs were the first imported into North America.
| Vendor | Model | oz | gr |
| Zappu | Inchi Wacky - Wire Guard | 1/16 oz | 1.8g |
| Zappu | Inchi Wacky - Wire Guard | 3/32 oz | 2.7g |
| Zappu | Inchi Wacky - Wire Guard | 1/8 oz | 3.5g |
| Jackall | Wacky Jig - Wire Guard | 1/16 oz | 1.8 g |
| Jackall | Wacky Jig - Wire Guard | 3/32 oz | 2.7g |
| Jackall | Wacky Jig - Wire Guard | 1/8 oz | 3.5g |
Jackall Wacky Jigs were imported into the USA shortly thereafter.
Those are the two brands - Zappu and Jackall - that helped pioneer wacky jig fishing in Japan, and these are the two companies that first offered their wacky jigs on the US market as well.
Since the Introduction
In early 2007, Jackall's founder, the legendary lure designer Seiji Kato, won the co-angler title at Lake Amistad with Jackall's Wacky Jig and Flick Shake worm, and that jump-started a flow of fishing media ink and attention for this brand new technique in the USA.
"Inspired by Seiji Kato's win on Amistad, we became committed to rolling out this new technique to the US, and we wanted to come up with a name or a way to help differentiate the technique and draw interest to it," says David Swendseid of Jackall Lures. "If you recall, dropshot (also a technique from Japan) took a long time to become popular in the USA. So we wanted to find a way to inform US anglers and have them quickly embrace the wacky jig tactic here. One thing we feel has helped is by naming and packaging the whole technique as a total system - Flick-Shaking - which refers to Jackall's wacky jig and Flick Shake worm together."
"And we're delighted that 'Flick Shaking' - both the catchy name and the fish-catching tactic have rapidly become popular in the United States now too," smiles David.
But Jackall's namesake Flick Shake worm isn't the only worm that will work swell with wacky jig heads.
What Worms to Use
Many worms will work, depending on the mood of the fish.
The Yamamoto baits that work great with wacky jigs include (as shown from top down: Yamamoto's 9B Senko, 68L Shad Shape Worm, 7-series Kut Tail, 9J Senko, 9S Senko, 7L Kut Tail, 9P Senko, 9M Senko, 7C Kut Tail and 9-series Senko.
For adding action (shaking) on the fall, I like Yamamoto's thinner Senkos (9J, 9M, 9P) and smaller Kut Tails (7-series, 7L) because their slender diameters produce more wicked wiggling action when shaken.
For not shaking, I especially like the fatter 4" 9S Senko, the flagship 5" Senko (9 series) plus the 7C and 7X Kut Tails because the fat bodies offer more water resistance against the downward drag of the wacky jig, hence more squiggling and rocking movement generated from the increased water resistance simply on a dead fall.
I also like Yamamoto's Shad Shape Worm on the deadfall. When rigged as shown below on a wacky jig, it will take your breath away the first time you drop it in the water. It looks more to me like a live minnow action than any bait I've ever seen.
The photo shows the correct way to rig the Shad Shape Worm (color #935) on a wacky jig. It's hooked directly in the middle of the fat body section (excluding the thin tail length). Go in one side and out the flat top for best vibrating action. It comes to life when rigged like shown here.
Also on the Shad Shape Worm, don't neglect to dye that last inch of the thin tail. That thin dyed tail wiggles like wild, pushing bass over the edge.
The 3" 9B Senko is quite minnow-like too. Both the Shad Shape Worm action and the 9B Senko action can only be described as a "minnow swimming on a treadmill" since the body swims, but does not move forward. Just have to see it to believe it. Other Yamamoto bait on wacky jigs also share this movement, but are just not as 'holy cow' as the two mentioned (Shad Shape Worm and 9B Senko).
Q & A with Takafumi Suzuki, General Manager of Zappu in Japan
Q: How popular is the wacky jig in Japan today, compared to the dropshot?
A: Down Shot (Drop Shot), Jig Head Wacky and the Neko Rig (Nail Shot) are the three most prominent light (finesse) rigs in Japan today. I think all three of these light rig methods are used equally by anglers. One is not more prominent than another.
Q: What is the name of this technique, what do most anglers in Japan call it?
A: The term in Japan is called Jig Head Wacky. Zappu`s jig head that was made specifically for this technique is called Inchi Wacky. Originally the point of the hook and the line eye were exactly one inch apart, hence "Inchi".
Q: Do anglers in Japan prefer the wacky jig with or without the wireguard?
A: Japanese anglers like the one with wireguard better.
Q: What are the most popular worms used in Japan today (with the Jig Head Wacky)?
A: In no particular order, the Zoom Swamp Crawler, Jackall Flick Shake, Yamamoto Pro Senko, Yamamoto Kut Tail and Reins Swamp.
Angler-Imparted Action
There is a lot of advice you should read carefully on how to shake wacky jig worms within the article embedded above, originally written for Japan's Lure magazine.
"The shaking part of this method is one piece that US anglers have the hardest time conceptualizing," says David Swendseid of Jackall. "Just let it fall to whatever depth you want and by keeping a lazy shake going, as slow as possible, develop a shake cadence or rhythm interspersed with regular pauses. That causes the bait to pulse through the water. Shaking transmits vibration from the jig head to the center of the worm and then radiates to the outside parts of the worm. It pulses when you shake and stops real quick when you pause, pulses and then the body goes relaxed again. That flare you see is what you are trying to emulate when you refine your shaking. If you get that technique down pat, you'll catch a lot of fish. On the other hand, about 75% of the pros on the US tour fish it simply on the drop. They've completely eradicated any idea of actually shaking it and imparting any action. They're missing that whole dimension, but they're still catching fish regardless," says David.
Like most US pros, I personally don't shake a wacky jig either. I just let it fall. It still works wonders even when not shaken.
When using a deadfall, there is one action, however, that you should apply every ten seconds or so, and that is to "pop" it. When it is jigged or popped once with the rod tip, the jig head is pulled above the bait, rolling the bait 180 degrees so that it flashes it's belly, which is a vulnerable action that tends to trigger a strike reaction right away. To get the most out of the belly flash response, I like to use laminate color wacky worms such as the color #927 (threadfin shad ) I designed for Yamamoto a few years ago. However, the belly flash action will work as a strike trigger even with a monotone (one color) worm with lots of metal sparkles that flashes ambient light when you pop it.
A wacky worm like the world-famous 5" Yamamoto Senko (9-series in color #927) will sink with an upward bow in the body as shown above. The bait will sink with an accentuated vibration in both tips and rocking the entire body at times as the ball head pendulums back and forth beneath. Then when the bait is 'popped', this causes the bait to roll or rotate like when you see a log rolling in water. This doesn't disturb the water that much, but what you get is a bright white belly flash. A very vulnerable signal - the belly flash of a baitfish in distress.
Wacky jig and 4-inch 9S Senko in color #326 (gold shiner) that I designed for Yamamoto a few years ago, has a heavy dose of silver and gold metal flake. When the wacky jig is popped, the jig rotates from below the worm to above the worm. It does a 180 when popped, causing the copious sparkles to suddenly flicker and shimmer (a 'belly flash' effect) which signals that this is a very vulnerable baitfish. It triggers instant, instinctive reaction strikes.
Best on Spinning Tackle
I like to use wacky jigs with 6, 8 and 10 pound test gear. Especially with wacky worms or wacky jigs, spinning gear is best for casting without tearing the wacky worm off the hook in mid-air. With baitcasting, you get a ferocious backlash when a wacky worm flies off the hook during a cast. So spinning is a "must have" for me with wacky jigs. You won't get a backlash with spinning gear when a wacky worm inevitably flies off the hook during a power cast.
The three spinning rods I use for 6, 8 and 10 pound test applications are rods made by Gary Yamamoto:
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Yamamoto 6'6" Rod Model . Yamamoto calls this a 'dropshot' rod, but it performs well with all 6 lb test tactics. I spool it with 6 lb test Yamamoto Sugoi fluorocarbon. This is the outfit I'll use for the calmest, clearest, most difficult conditions.
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Yamamoto 7' Medium/Light Model. If you want to use only one spinning rod for wacky jigs or wacky worms, this is it. Get a reel that comes with a spare spool. Pack 8 lb test Sugoi fluorocarbon on one spool, and 15 lb test PowerPro braid on the other spool.
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Yamamoto 7' Medium Rod. Fill one spool filled with 10 lb test monofilament. and the spare spool with 15 or 20 lb PowerPro braid.
Braid is really the way to go, but for many anglers, there's one looming concern with braid. It's the knot used to attach a trace of leader line at the business end. The critical point to many anglers is at the end of the fight, when a bass is at boatside, and the knot is out in between the reel and the fish. With a longer leader, say 15 feet, the knot's onto the reel spool at that point, so you're fighting on uninterrupted line. With anything shorter, the knot is out in between you and the fish, and you may be at the mercy of your knot-tying skill (or lack thereof) at that point. The key is to make a correct knot in the first place. In addition to tying a good knot, the longer the leader, the less stress there is on the knot. Distance or length of the leader dissipates or absorbs stress on the knot. From 10 to 15 feet is a sufficient distance to dissipate much of the stress that would otherwise be on the knot with a shorter leader.
Visibility of braid is a second concern, except in dingy water where it doesn't matter, you may tie direct. Otherwise, where it's possible that bass can see braided line, I really never go less than 5-6 feet with the leader in any case. On a perfectly still day and clear water, I'm probably going to use an 8, 10 or longer leader. On tough days when I can see bottom in 25 feet of water, you better believe I'll be using a 15 foot leader. Keep in mind, we're talking slow-moving wacky jigs here. Leaders for fast-moving reaction baits (topwaters, spinnerbaits and so on) rarely need to be that long.
I recommend Yamamoto's 7" medium/light rod with a 2500-series reel that fits your budget, one with a spare spool so you can easily switch spools to match the conditions at hand. You may want to consider one spool filled with braided line and an 8-15 foot Sugoi fluorocarbon leader, plus a second spool with 8 lb Sugoi fluorocarbon (no braid) for clear water where fish have visual acuity and you can lose your nerve with braid.
I am a big fan of Shimano spinning reels. For freshwater bass fishing, the Shimano 2500 series handles all of my spinning applications.
All Shimano 2500 series spinning reel models work swell. The quality is consistently high across all Shimano 2500 series models. Honestly, as far as I can tell, the main difference between models is price and budget. So you really cannot go wrong with whatever Shimano 2500 spinning reel you can afford, you should be pleased with the performance.
How NOT to Set the Hook
With the wacky jigs you see here, there is an extremely high hook-up ratio, incredibly close to 100% or as perfect a hook-up ratio as a lure can achieve. The trick is to simply tighten up on a fish until the fish pulls down and sets the hook itself.
There's an easy way to 'not set the hook' when you detest a pick-up. As a result, the hook slips behind the upper jaw or corner jaw hinge every time, resulting in an incredibly high hook-up ratio. Learn to NEVER set the hook, just let the fish pull down and set it. Practice makes perfect, and once you get the knack, you will land almost every fish with the hook right behind the upper jaw bone or right behind the corner hinge of the mouth. The hook acts like a "circle hook" in the case of these wacky jigs.
Here's a little more advice to describe how I like to (not) set the hook with these things...
You really need to get the fish at least clamping down or pursing its mouth down on it first to grip it. This is something you do by putting a little pull on the line, not really pull, almost holding the line and therefore the bait so the fish can't be in full, unfettered control of it. You need to get the fish to grip it tighter - best of all would be ideally moving down or away with it. Then you just pull back against that. It's almost like the fish will hook itself - most often dead center between the nostrils in the upper lip, not the corner of the mouth. Once you get the hang of it, you'll do it every time.
Don't Start out Fishing Wacky Jigs. End up Fishing Them.
I often start fishing with another rod and lure to find fish first and to be able to cast out an area rapidly. However, I leave a spinning rod (preferably the Yamamoto medium/light model) on the deck at my feet, with the wacky jig ready to cast. This is either if I am in the front or back of the boat, I will have the wacky jig rod ready to pick up and cast. If I miss a hit, have a follow or have chasers, bring up a school or see fish on the graph, I drop the first rod ASAP and cast back with the wacky jig rod. At that point, I then actively fish the wacky jig rod, having found one or more fish on the electronics or on the other rod first.
Therefore, one of the big keys to me is to find fish first by other means, then start fishing the wacky jig. It is an incredible follow-up bait to anything else. If you learn to follow-up (practice makes perfect), you will add many more and bigger bass to your day's catch. I say bigger because you can cherry-pick the bigger chasers on the follow-up. It's as important to sense where the fish went when it left your view, and understanding what's on the bottom helps you determine that. Often, straight down under the boat is where they go, using the boat as a substitute for other cover. Often, chasers will not hit until the wacky jig hits bottom. So do not end a follow-up until the lure hits bottom. I'd reckon the bass feels the bait is easier to trap and pin it against the bottom rather than try to hit it in mid-water where it has 360 degrees to avoid the bass strike. Whatever the reason, a very high percentage of follow-up strikes happen when the bait hits bottom, even if it's 30 or more feet deep. So be patient, and once the line finally goes slack (meaning it hit bottom), set the hook!
Most anglers are not good at follow-up - and you'll never get good at it unless you deliberately spend time to train yourself how to do it. If you fish team tournaments, train each other. Practice, practice, practice following up every active fish with the wacky jig, and you'll score more. If one side of the livewell is empty, leave it running and one lid open. This way, any fish can be swung right into the livewell, and if you do not need to cull at that point, pick up the follow-up rod and instantly cast back. The window you have to get a follow-up bite may only last a few seconds. So you must be ready. The wacky jig and worm must already be ready. You must know the way you left the rod on the deck, that you don't have to untangle it first.
A key point that can't be stressed enough is to have the follow-up rod ready to fire back right away. If you have to fix the bait, fix the line or do anything else before casting, you're missing the moment when the fish is hot. When you lay the follow-up rod on the front or back deck, it has to be prepared to pick up and cast faultlessly without fumbling or adjusting anything. That's a big key.
Even when I have found a body of fish and settle into fishing the spot with a wacky jig, I rig a second wacky jig rod to follow-up the first wacky jig. Reason is, you will be pulling up hot chasers and even the entire school will come up with every fish you bring to boatside. You may not want to catch them all (well, maybe that would be nice) but you're certainly going to see some you would want that are bigger than others. So follow-up, follow-up, follow-up everything, even another wacky jig, either fishing by yourself or with a partner - that is the key to maximizing use of the wacky jig.
Octopus Rig
I got a great tip not long ago from Jackall pro Takuma Hata from Japan. At times, he'll wacky rig two or even three of Jackall's Flick Shake worms on a single wacky jig. With two, Hata often prefers both the same color, in the 5.8" Flick Shake size. He'll start out to make the three worm wacky jig rig the same way, and then adds the third wacky worm in the smaller 4.8" Flick Shake size, making it a different color than the other two.
"They call this the 'octopus rig' because it looks like one coming through the water," says David Swendseid. "The key to this type of presentation is using smaller diameter worms - that's very important in trying to get the most action out of any multi-worm presentation. But even though a worm may be thin, it needs to have some resistance to stand up against the downward pull of the wacky jig head. Many thin worms collapse, especially super soft hand-pours collapse and fold in half - more of a ribbon effect - like a ribbon streaming in the wind - and you lose a lot of the vibration with a worm that collapses on a wacky jig. Even some worms that are fantastic choices for weightless wacky rigging, they cave in when pulled down from the center by a jig. You need worms that will keep their arms far out, in effect becoming high-vibration wings. So any worm that has an ability to show some resistance as it's falling, it will start to bow back but not collapse, and get good action at the ends of the worm."
Octopus rig with two 9P Senkos (colors #301 and #938).
Cross Worm Rig
The multiple worm approach has caught on in Japan, and one thing that savvy Japanese anglers have been doing themselves is to melt two worms together crosswise to form an X-shaped worm. This became so popular that the Reins tackle company there has introduced a 'double worm' molded in the shape of an X, called the Reins Cross Swamp. The wacky jig is just inserted into the center of this cluster, and with twice as many arms, has twice as much flicker and vibration as a single worm. Best of all, bass love it.
Shakey Wacky Combo
In this version, I incorporate Yamamoto Swim Jig Head. It's long shank is desirable in order to rig one worm shakey style and rig a second worm wacky style. This hook is not self-setting. So you do need to exert some force on the hook set with this jig head.
Shakey wacky combo with 9P Senko body and 9M Senko wings (colors #305 and #306) on Yamamoto's Swim Jig Head.
Wacky Kickin' Jig by Fred Roumbanis
FLW and Bassmaster Elite pro Fred Roumbanis says, "The picture shows the two ways I fish the Zappu jig head wacky. The left shows the traditional wacky rigging method with the bait hooked in the middle of the egg sack allowing for a balanced fall, with an amazing quivering action. On the right is what I call "wacky kicking" and works best with the Zappu jig because of the shape of the angled wide gap hook. The bait rigged this way kicks, shakes, veers off and darts. This is a more aggressive way to fish because it kicks up dust, mud and silt on the bottom. This works with just about any stubby-headed bait that won't collapse as it kicks up the bottom, such as the Yamamoto Senko (9S series shown) or Yamamoto Kut Tail."
Traditional jig head wacky (left) and Wacky Kickin' Jig (right) with 9S Senko (color #301).
Cuckoo Bird Rig
This rigging method is not wacky. It's cuckoo. The difference is, instead of hooking a worm in the middle wacky style, you hook a worm closer to the head. This is my preferred method with Yamamoto Kut Tails. They have a fat head that tapers quickly into a very slender tail with a paddle tail tip. As the cuckoo-rigged Kut Tail is pulled down through the water by the wacky jig, the water hits the most resistant part of the worm's thick head section. As water rolls over the head section of the worm, it has to find the path of least resistance, and that's the slender, trailing tail which starts to wag like a happy puppy dog's.
To get the very best tail waggle out of this set-up, rig the Kut Tail with the paddle tail flat, pointing left or right, not up or down. Embed the hook about an inch back on the 7C and almost an 1-1/4" back on the 7X. You'll know you've hooked the right spot when you see it swim forward in the direction its nose is pointing like a minnow wriggling toward the bottom.
Cuckoo Bird rig with 7X (color #922) and 7C (color #021) Kut Tails.
Wacky Flippin' Jigs
One tactic that is rarely done for fishing wacky-rigged Senkos in dense cover (brush, weeds, trees, rocks) is to use Yamamoto's Flippin' Jig in the lightest 1/4 oz size for a slow fall. Just wacky rig the Senko on the bend of the Flippin' Jig hook, and flip it right into the heart of the densest cover on the heaviest tackle you desire. The fiberguard on the jig will make it snagless, and it has a heavy duty 4/0 Gamakatsu hook that is ideal for making solid hooksets. Of course this is a flipping jig head, so you do have to haul of and whack them when you get a hit.
Benefits that anglers can get from using the jig head wacky rig are you get more accuracy when flipping. The wacky Senko falls quicker, with more end tip vibration and more directly down into the cover. You can keep in better contact with the wacky Senko, especially when it is windy. You can shake it as it falls or after it comes to rest on the bottom, creating an irregular wiggling action that bass cannot resist. It has all the benefits of wacky-jigging, with the added benefit of using the heaviest tackle in the thickest cover.
Yamamoto's Flippin Jig Head with 9X Senko (color #900).
So grab some wacky jig heads. Get some Yamamoto baits and start fishing Octopus, Wacky Kickin', Cuckoo Bird or Cross Worm style, whatever you like. Just get wacky jiggy with it!