Wacky rig idea

[Tim Kelly]

I've been thinking about the problems associated with wacky rig fishing, ie. the bait pulling off the hook and the hook getting masked by the bait leading to poor hook ups, anyway I thought that using a european carp idea might help solve some of these difficulties. Let me know what you think.

You would need to learn how to tie a "knotless knot" and use a hitchhiker (small corkscrew shaped piece of wire, like they use to attach banjo minnows). Hopefully the attached picture will help illustrate the idea. The "hair" below the hook can be as long or short as you'd like. Here's a link for tying the knotless knot:

http://www.best-fishing.com/Carp_fishing_and_tackle/snakeskin_hair_rig.htm

[Mike Cork]

Now there is a neat idea, with a lot of possibilities. I would like the "Hair" to be a little shorter but you may be on to something here. My biggest concern would be while you were fighting a bass and all it's jumping and slinging of the bait, that it might throw your cenko off. But that might be solved with a longer screw

[Tim Kelly]

I screwed the hitchhiker down the length of the senko rather than across its width, so I think it actually holds pretty well as the direction on the pulling force is at 90 degrees to the angle of the hitchhiker. The hair can be as short as you like, I only tied it that long to illustrate it more easily.
Glad you think it has potential, it seems like it should be a better rigging to split rings or sections of straw over the body to re-enforce the hookhold, and hopefullt with a better hooking potential. When the "hair rig" first came out and was used for carp fishing it took a long time to gain acceptance. People couldn't imagine that carp could be reliably hooked by a seperate hook. Nowadays, hair rigs are used for almost every species, it allows for better hooking and the ability to use relatively smaller hooks than would be nessecary if you were hooking the baits directly. Smaller hooks penetrate more easily and catch rates have gone up appreciably since its introduction.

[Mike Cork]

It makes a lot of sense and is definately worth a shot. I am always looking for a way to right cenko's as they are my down fall bait. Hook up issues mostly and this just might cure it

[Fishaholic]

having never fished a wacky worm yet, but having read about it and studied illustrations of possible methods of rigging, this looks like the best with the one exception of the worm being lost due to fish thrashing...I have a hard time believing that the screw in bait keeper is going to save the bait...but, other than that I believe since the hook isn't stuck into the bait, through the bait, or even through a ring that the bait goes through you'll get more hook ups. 

[Jared LeBlue]

That does look like a good idea. You can also try using a falcon hook with a weed gaurd. This allows you to rig the bait with the hook exposed and it remains weedless and snagless. Hookups are great and you seldom lose the worm.

[BIG PAPA]

I have a little confusion here. ( I am sure no one is surprised by that)
I have used Senko's since the virtual day they were available to the public. I find the senko no matter how you use it to be one of the surest hookups of all plastic baits. When wacky rigging I use a rubber ring with the hook exposed if in fairly open water and with a wire weed guard with the hook exposed in cover. When texas rigging I simply use a 3 ought hook and just do not miss hits with it, in fact once they bite it you cannot hardly shake them off, yet I am hearing that hookups are a problem for some. Are you fishing them letting them fall weightless? (that is how I use them most of the time) or are you jerking them like a jerk bait when having hookup problems. I really have not had  much luck jerking them. Also with the o-ring your hook up rate is nearly 100% and you can usually catch several fish on one bait. On Grand this month I caught 5 on one senko and used the same bait the next time I went fishing.

papa

[Zuk]

I'd just like to agree with Rattle on the falcon weed guard, however they will through the worm. I'm think about trying a metal or a rubber o-ring,and sliding it over the worm then passing the hook between the worm and the o-ring. This may cause the worm and o-ring to slide up my string.

Has any one tried this method.

[Mike Cork]

Zuk, I believe Papa uses that method quite often and never has a problem.

Papa, I do miss a lot of fish on this bait, but I usually fish it like a fluke type bait. I am going to be doing a lot of experiementing with it this year as it is obvious it can be a fish catching machine

[Fishaholic]

Papa, you made some valid points, so what I'm wondering is this...when people say they're fishing a Senko wacky style, are they in fact using a Senko, or one of the many Senko look-alikes?

This would definitely make a difference in the durability of the product after several hook-ups.

[bass1cpr]

Let me drop in a little info and a couple of pictures. I found a tool for rigging the rubber O rings onto a senko for wacky rigging. It's plastic and has an open wide end that you insert the senko into. The other end is a shaft and ring boss that keeps the Orings from sliding off. Insert the senko to where you want the Oring positioned Roll an Oring up the shaft to the wide end of the tube and roll it off onto the Senko and you have the Oring installed and ready for the hook to slide under it. Ok been a while but I can't add the pictures anymore.

[Mike Cork]

Bass1cpr, I have seen a tool like this and thought you were going to say it, but you didn't.

Papa showed it to me. It's the bottom half of a ball point pen Slide the senko into the empty bottom half of a pen and then slide the o-ring on the pen starting on the pointed end and roll it up onto the senko

[bass1cpr]

It's about the same thing Mike but this is a specially designed tool and will fit the big senkos and the Big Tiki Sticks. Found it in Tackle Retailer magazine. Ordered three of them and kept one for myself. I've still got the name of the company and the phone number.
The neat thing about this tool is that you store the o rings on the shaft of the tool.

[Bassfshr4e]

thats a good idea, im gunna have to try that!

[Randyk]

I have a tool I use for a wacky rig. It's super easy to use. It's like the one mentioned in an earlier post.

If you want to see a picture of it..just go to this website and look at it.

When you run out of O-rings...you can even use the small rubber bands that are used for retainers and braces, and you can get them at almost any drugstore or dentist office.

check it out        www.susquehannafishingtackle.com

[Fish On]

Randy thats a good site.  Two days ago I bought about 500 tubes from them. 

[Randyk]

They have a lot of the hard to find baits and accesories. I like them because they have alot of baits and tackle that you can't find in most stores.

Don't be afraid to ask them questions, advice or opinion on baits either...they will tell you like it is!!

George Jr, one of the owners, is also a 2-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier.

They do alot of guiding, and tournament fishing also...so they sell what they use, and they use what they sell!

[bass1cpr]

Yep that's what it looks like but mine is made from plastic so it floats for a little bit if you drop it and it lands in the water. It's made by Hot Spots Outfitters.