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Fishing a wacky rig is one of the more basic techniques you can use but it’s still extremely effective. It has a bit of a funny look to it but the action is what the fish are looking for and in this post, I’m going to be showing you how to rig a wacky worm fishing lure to catch more fish.
This is going to be a pretty basic post and suited more towards the beginner but we’ll be talking about what a wacky rig is, why you might want to use it, and then some additional tips you need to know before you get started.
This setup is something that works all year round and is one of my favorite ways to fish when nothing else is working. I’m sure you’ve been out one day and everything was great but you got skunked the next. Continue reading or watch the video below for the full details on how to rig a wacky worm.
How To Rig A Wacky Worm
Like I was saying before, using a wacky rig is one of the better options when things are slow. It’s a great option for beginners as well because it’s extremely easy to get set up. All you need is a hook and a worm and you’re ready to go.
It’s quite a bit different than other lures on the market and sometimes changing things up is a good thing. It’ll have a slow fall in the water and it’ll look exactly like a sinking worm or caterpillar. Here are the two things you’ll need:
- An open hook (I prefer one with a weed guard).
- A Senko style worm.
All you have to do is put your hook through the center of the worm. There’s no complicated rigging and it’s one of the more effective ways to fish. I like using a weed guard and even though it doesn’t make it completely weedless, it still helps prevent snags. See our favorite worms here.
Where do you fish a wacky worm?
The best place to fish bait like this would be in a little bit deeper water (5 feet plus). You’ll get most of the action when the worm is falling so you’ll need a bit of water to let it do its thing. You can use it in open water but it works really well around cover. If you can find some deeper water with grass beds, fallen trees, or rocks then you’ll have a pretty good shot of catching something.
How do you fish a wacky rig?
The good thing about using a wacky rig is that it’s pretty simple and will do a lot of the work for you. All you need to do is cast it out and let it sink down to the bottom. A lot of the time you’ll get a bite as it’s falling. Once it hits the ground, you’ll want to lift your rod tip up (which will bring it off the bottom) and let it fall back down. You just have to be patient and repeat this.
You can experiment with twitching the rod to give it a little more action but a lot of the time they won’t be able to resist (as long as there’s fish in the area). If you’re fishing a little bit deeper then you can toss on weight if you want. You can put a ring weight in the middle of the worm and that’ll help it get down deeper.
Wacky Worm Tips You Need To Know
The first thing you’ll want to have is patience. This isn’t the most exciting form of fishing and it can get kind of boring at times. All you’re doing is casting and retrieving which isn’t much fun when you’re getting nothing. If there’s anything in the water then this is one of the best ways to get it to bite. Just be patient and the bite will come.
The second thing is letting the worm do the work. I’ve seen some guys using this and they try to give it a bunch of extra action by aggressively shaking the rod and jigging it up and down. You don’t need to do that. You want to keep things as natural as possible and it’ll do that by sinking on its own. Lift and lower your rod and give it a few twitches every now and then but that’s it.
If you’re fishing an area with a bunch of cover then you can hook the worm longways. It’ll give it a slightly different action and it’s not going to get caught up as easily. I prefer the standard way but this will come in handy sometimes.
Another thing you’ll want is a fishing rod with a decent backbone. Using a light rod isn’t going to land you as many fish because it won’t give you a good hookset. You’ll need at least a medium-heavy rod to be able to set the hook effectively. You can either go with a baitcasting or spinning rod.
If you’re fishing pretty deep water then you’ll want to use fluorocarbon fishing line. Braided and monofilament line float and your worm won’t be able to sink as well. Sometimes I’ll use a braided line with a fluoro leader if it’s fairly shallow (since this is my normal setup) but if it’s deep then I’ll go straight fluoro.
If you’re someone who’s never tried a wacky rig then I’d highly recommend you do. It’s one of the easiest and most effective ways to catch all different kinds of fish. Give it a try and see for yourself.
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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