The Wacky Rig

The Wacky Rig is possibly the most overlooked Bass fishing rig there is. It is overshadowed by the likes of the Texas and Carolina Rigs. However, it is just as effective if not more effective than it's counterparts. The Wacky Rig consists of a Bass hook and soft plastic bait no weighting system is used. The plastic bait is folded in half and the bass hook is pulled straight through the middle of the bait, leaving the hook exposed (as pictured).

The Wacky Rig primarily catches Largemouth Bass but because of the bending action of the lure, smaller fish can also hit the rig. Sized 3 Bass hooks rigged with a Senko worm got me Largemouth Bass and Rock Bass. Perch were intrigued by the rig and would often bite and nibble at it, with this being the case using a smaller hook and small grub could easily produce Perch. The exposed hook makes setting the fish much easier although it sacrifices the ability for the rig to go weedless.

I fell in love with the Wacky Rig while fishing it. I knew it was an alternative to the Texas Rig, but little did I know that it would produce big Bass after big Bass in areas that are extremely over fished. I pulled three of my biggest four Bass out of the water with this rig and that's why I highly recommend it. It's good around the exterior of weed beds and in thin weed beds. This is another excellent rig for structure fishing. During the dog days of summer this rig is best used with slow presentation. It's a great rig for the shallows in still water, although I caught a Bass on it in deep water with heavy current.

The discredits I have for this rigging system are few. The three main features that are problematic with the rig are it's inability to go weedless, it's weightless system and the fact that it loses a lot of Senko worms. Because the hook in straight through the middle of the rig, not much is holding the worm in place. So when larger fish hit, the worm is shredded and eventually thrown off the rig. When fishing in areas of high weed concentration I found myself taking more clumps of seaweed off the hook than fish. Using a weightless system allows you to bring your line in right above the weeds, but it limits your presentation by keeping it above holes in the weeds.

Although the rig is supposed to be weightless I applied a split shot weight 10-12 inches above the hook and found that it let me reach those hard to reach places without negatively effecting the action of the lure. I recommend using dressed grubs, minnows and Senko worms. On this rig I caught a 20 inch 4lb Largemouth, 17 inch 4lb Largemouth, and 16 inch 3.5lb Largemouth. This rig is highly recommended. Tune in next week for the Shad Rap lure.

Basic Texas Rig

The Texas Rig is one of the simplest, yet most effective rigs out there. The rig is set up by simply taking a soft plastic bait (worm, crayfish, minnow) and Bass hook. Use the Bass hook to make a small incision in the beginning of the lure, and carry the hook through and embed it into the middle of the lure (as pictured).

This rig is limited in the type of fish that it produces, but it should be a mainstay in any serious Bass fisherman's repertoire. It is most effective, when fishing for Large Mouth Bass although smaller fish will chase it. The embedded hook makes the rig weedless, allowing your plastic bait to cover area that baits with exposed hooks can not cover, due to foliage. These areas are often, where the larger Bass hide and feed.

Personally, I enjoy fishing the Texas Rig and it is often the first rig I use, when Bass fishing. This rig has produced Bass for me in areas that were considered to have poor Bass fishing conditions. I recommend fishing this rig in areas with high seaweed concentrations, in or around boat wells, and in areas of high underground structure in your favorite local fishing spot. Try to use crayfish plastic lures or the generic Senco Worm, also use colors that match the water color.

My only qualms about the rig are that bigger fish will often ignore this setup, Bass will generally lose interest after a reaction strike, it loses quite a few fish if you don't set the hook hard, the rig loses effectiveness with current. However, to counter current you can apply a split shot weight 6-12 inches away from the hook. The application of this weight system will catch onto weeds, but I use this to get deeper into weed beds (remember to clean off before your next cast). The more conventional way to apply weight to the rig is add a bullet weight to the beginning of your bass hook. This keeps the rig clear of weeds, though personally I don't use this weighting system.

In the past week this rig has gotten me a 17inch 4lb Large Mouth. I go fishing generally once a day in the summer and will use the rigs and lures in my post for a week at a time and post my analysis of the lures here. Tune in next week for the Wacky Rig, another personal favorite of mine.

Intro

This is my introduction, for the next few weeks I will rate a lure a week and also go over the basic rigs. I have fished with many types of lures and I hope to share my opinions with all of you.