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Senko worms are one of my favorite baits to use because they can work great in pretty much any situation. They’ll catch all types of fish in almost all conditions and in this post, I’m going to be showing you the best ways to rig a Senko worm.
Here are my favorite ways to rig a Senko worm:
- Weightless.
- Drop shot.
- Wacky rig.
- Texas rig.
- Split shot.
The rig you use will all depend on what you want the bait to do, how the fish are feeling, and the area you’re fishing. Continue reading or watch the video below to learn how to rig each of these setups. See our favorite Senko worms here.
Weightless
If you’ve ever used a Texas rig then you’ll already know how to do this because it’s exactly the same but you take the weight off. It’s a great way to fish areas where snags are common because the hook is buried in the worm.
You’ll want to use this rig if you want the worm to slowly fall to the bottom. When you throw it in the water it’ll slowly shimmy down and create a decent amount of action. It’s good for both open water and areas with cover.
How do you set up a weightless rig?
The first thing you’ll want to do is use a wide hook where the hook and the eye are in a straight line. Put the hook in the nose of the worm and slide the worm up the hook to the eye. You can use a piece of heavy line to secure the worm if you want (check the video).
The next thing you’ll want to do is put the hook through the worm so it’s sticking out of the top. You can then bury the tip of the hook back in the worm to make it weedless. Your worm should be sitting on the hook in a straight line.
Drop Shot
This is a great rig if you’re fishing clearer water and the fish aren’t biting very much. It uses a weight but the worm itself will be floating a foot or two above the ground. The hook is through the bottom of the worm only so it’ll give it more action.
This will be perfect for when the fish aren’t feeding directly on the bottom. They’re looking for baitfish instead of something crawling along the bottom and that’s where you’ll want to use this.
How do you set up a drop shot?
The first thing you’ll want to do is attach your hook. Slide the hook on your line and leave a 1-2 foot tag end (which will be attached to your weight). Secure the hook with your favorite knot and tie on your weight.
Then you’ll want to attach the worm. Put the hook through the bottom of the worm and out the top. You can rig it weedless like the weightless or Texas rig if you’re fishing in heavy cover but the majority of the time you can just use a standard hook.
Wacky Rig
Another way you can rig a Senko is to use a wacky rig. This is the easiest way to do it and it works really well if you’re in deeper water. The action is completely different than the rest and sometimes you need to change it up to get the fish to bite.
With all the other rigs, the worm will shimmy down to the bottom with only the tail moving around. With a wacky rig, you put the hook through the middle of the worm so that it floats down and both sides of the worm will move around. There are no weights so it’ll fall down slowly.
How do you set up a wacky rig?
All you have to do to rig this up is take your hook and put it through the center of the worm. You can use a standard hook but if you want a bit more action then you can toss on a weighted jig. I like using a hook that has some sort of weed guard but if you’re in open water then you shouldn’t have any issues.
Texas Rig
The next option is going to be a Texas rig. This is exactly the same as the weightless rig above but the only difference is that this has a bullet weight above the hook. It’ll fall quicker and give the worm a bit more action.
The reason you’d use this over weightless is if you want the worm to stand up on the bottom. With a weightless rig, the worm will be pretty flat on the ground but because this one is more top-heavy it’ll stand upright on the bottom.
All you have to do to set this up is put a bullet weight on your line, attach the hook, and then attach the worm just like we did with the weightless setup.
Split Shot
This rig is very similar to the drop shot rig but the main difference is that the weight is above the hook (the weight is below the hook on a drop shot). I find this one easier to set up and that’s why I use it more often.
This will work really well in deeper water because the weight will sink fast and then you’ll have the worm fluttering down after it. It’s all about changing up the action and this one will be a bit different than the drop shot.
How do you set up a split shot?
The first thing you’ll want to do is attach everything just like you would on the weightless rig. Attach your worm so it’s in a straight line and bury the tip of the hook so you won’t get snagged up in the weeds. Then you’ll want to attach and secure a weight about 2 feet above the hook. The weight will fall to the bottom first and then the worm will slowly follow.
You can drag it along the bottom or lift it up and down. It’ll all depend on what the fish prefer that day so try out a few things to see what’s working best. If you want to see some more of our favorite bass gear you can click here.
Until next time, happy fishing. If you want to catch more fish, use more hooks.
Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Like this article? Feel free to give it a share!
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