Pacemaker Fishing Forum

In my experience, the wacky rig tends to get bit by over achieving panfish. My first guess would be that you were getting bit by fish that didn't have mouths big enough to eat the whole worm...and the hook.

There was a certain guide that would say that the first tap was the fish sucking in your worm.  The second was the fish blowing it back out.  The third was a tap on the shoulder telling you that you should have set on the first tap.  I think sometimes for senko type worms,  watch for the line to jump or move.  When it does,  set the hook,  especially with braid which does not really send signals on a slack line like fluoro or mono.

The only time I wacky rig is pink floating worms. I use the same hook I always use .. a wide gap 5/0 EWG in red. . I stick the hook in lengthwise in the center of the worm. Just bury the barb and point in the center of the worm. Ok it is because I do not want to dig in the tackle box and find my cute little red circle hooks. If you try this lazy method with a senko or wacko worm it will fail.. worm will rip in half on the cast. Only on the creme floating worms does it work.

Now that I have come clean on my lazy fishing, I have rigged the cute little red circle hook for wacky fishing with wacko worms. It works OK in my book. The senko's however need the little baseball bat and the o-ring in order to survive the casting and fishing. Wacko's not so much. It is just that a wacky worm and pads are not a great combo.

Oh no that box is just spinner baits and cranks.. The hook box is one of the 8 white boxes in the bed of the trunk in those large milk crates. Not to be confused with 4 white boxes in the red canvas bag for freshwater flies. Or the blue Penn bag for saltwater gear or the even larger green canvas bag with saltwater flies. Then I have the surf bag with all topwater lures..maybe they are in there..

Now where did I put those cute little red circle hooks again?

Never mind I will find them someday.

Capt Mike