started using this technique last year. killer in the middle of summer when the waters hot and the bass don't feel like chasing anything. use highviz yellow 8lb braid so you can see the slack line jump when they hit. don't bother with a leader, black sharpi the 1st couple feet of the braid...hope this helps y'all!
Just watched Ike dominate the sudden death round of the summit cup in Maine today. He was 3 ounces from going out in the first period with this technique. Gary Klein caught on to it too and actually went out ahead of him...using the SAME set up. Both used 1/32 ounce wacky jig heads and 4" Berekley General worms in green pumpkin. I told myself i gotta learn more about this...late to the party, but i have been on the ned rig anytime i picked up the spinning rod in the past few years.
Ike, you are a gifted instructor, in fishing techniques. I like the way you explain the details of the specific techniques. Thank you & good fishing. Gary
Please do more with Ike! After watching him on MLF and bassmaster live he takes time out of a tournament and explains everything and goes so in depth on what hes explaining. loved this video!
RSD Outdoors me too! Jumped out of the water & straight into a gob of weeds. Couldn’t get it out of them and lost it. Would have been personal best 4+ Lbs.
A great thing to do to get a slightly different action is to hookt a little to one side of the the worm instead of halfway through, this can make it rock back and forth on the way down and I've had great luck with it
the wacky rig is my go to in every lake because if theres a bass they'll most likely smack is on the drop because that just seems to trigger the feed instinct. so if you like to only let it sink a little before you start jigging try letting it go all the way down first might see some different results
I'm a yuuuge fan of wacky rig fishing. My preferred method is weightless. I love the slow sinking action of a BPS Stick-O. 10 pound test hybrid line is what I use. I use the VMC Ike approved weightless, in 2/0.
I have learned so much from these videos. Thanks for posting it. I have never had much luck with the Wacky Rig set up myself, but I look forward to trying it out this next season more regularly, as I have just recently acquired my first Bass boat. Thanks for the great info. I've been a Huge fan of Mike Iacconelli for years. I think he's one of the most exciting professional fishermen in our sport and a lot of fun to watch fish. Great informative video.
Awesome video. That is a great way to fish the wacky rig. I'm going to try it tomorrow because the lakes around here are so pressured maybe that will make the difference. Thanks for the tips Mike
And put the nail in the head and you don't gotta buy his wacky Jighead....Small carpenter nails are more cost efficient than these hooks he's selling and do same thing making it weedless yet enough weight to let bait fall in wind or current
Complaining about weightless senko wacky rigged.... Try weightless wacky trick worms... You've got to be a magician to throw it more then 20 foot. In all honesty I feel your pain.. I like my weightless wacky trick worms and man does that thing love to come to the surface.... I do very well with them tho. Don't get me wrong I love senkos but that 1 fish/8casts to a worm gets a little crazy when I can burn thru a bag in 35 mins (seriously). I've even bought a thing of o-rings but they seem to just cut thru them faster then without. Could just be that brand tho. I honestly like to keep my broken senkos and use then every now and then. I don't throw them to often as I don't normally get much action on them but if its that day I slay them. I was fishing for a hour today, got 2 baby bass and decided to throw a half senko to save the 1 I have left and back to back to back I got 3 fish in 3 casts. One was a really nice fish as well. As for you weightless wacky fisherman it seems like heresy to throw even the lightest of sinkers on your line but buy some thicker steel hooks. The added weight can help with distance.
I fish a pond that sees a fair amount of pressure, I had pretty much stopped catching bass there, I tried a wacky rig, 1st cast BAM !, I have had good luck with it this summer there. It works.
cheapo approach..hooks size 1 or 2 baitholder..split shot sinkers..two small sizes..very small..put sinker on line at hook eye..too much sinker=take it off in seconds, put smaller one on..great adaptability..fall adjustments..trick worms/ 5-7 inch any worms..even whackeyed a ribbon tail, and it worked..works great...
So, are you slowing the fall of the worm with that semi-slack line, or are you just using the semi-slack line to feel for strikes? Thanks for all the videos, Ike.
One of the best videos on wacky fishing. Thanks. Do you know what size jig head Mike and others prefer on a 4-5" plastic worm? Looks like a 3/16 in the video.
Glad the video was useful Keith, we appreciate the comment. Ike's go-to size is the 3/16 for the broadest range of conditions. It covers down on that 4-10' depth range very well with 4-5'' stick worms. Good luck.
Ike, what am I missing? they work good on smallies. but l pull those little 1/0 hooks through a largemouths mouths where I can stick em with a larger/stouter hooker like Gama wicked wacky. do they/can you make a larger weighted wacky. I'd be much appreciated
Hi Charles, as you noted, the VMC Ike Approved Wacky Jig comes with a 1/0 hook in 4 different weights. We've personally had good hookup success with this jig, but value this input. We'll pass it on to the folks at VMC. Thanks -
I've caught sooo many LMB on a weightless wacky rig. I use the VMC Ike Approved weightless 2/0 hooks. Use an O Ring on the bait. By all means, put a swivel on it to prevent the line twist.
enjoy your video's appreciate the tips what type of pole and line would you recommend someone starting out in Southern California if that makes a difference appreciate your response
Hi David, it works very well around rocks and would be an excellent shore option -- you can keep it suspended in the water column vs. dragging bottom were potential snags life. Just maintain your rod at a 45-degree angle, make initial bottom contact for reference then work it suspended off the bottom. The wacky rigged work gives it a nice slow fall rate. Should be a smallmouth killer, excellent for largemouth too. Just increase or decrease the weight of the jig head accordingly.
you should try this on a football jig. I caught a four and a seven off the same bridge piling and kept catching good quality fish the whole week on it as well.
how many shakes in one sec. 01:18? the tackle setup takes the role here, eh? I really wonder, anybody knows what sem-I? I haven't heard it anywhere. Is this common in American English? semi or sem I.
it looked like he was fishing that bait beyond aggressively to me, i thought finesse fishing was more or less the exact opposite of that. hes gonna scare all the fish away. Ive never seen natural worms move through the water the way he was presenting with those plastics. those bass probably started laughing when they saw that bait, ":dumb humans think were gonna fall for that ole gag again?" - Nine Pound Lunker
I will keep your word in mind. Because I am trying to understand what bass need to hit. I caught a couple of them using my style combine with Ike's style. I will try very smooth actions next time. Thanks. \m/
Ryan Tolley it depends on the conditions and fish. I usually start with an 1/8oz. If I don't get any action I'll go down to 1/16oz. If that don't work....I go home!!! Hahahaha
