Gone
Wacky
By Jim Noah
Go Wacky Worm if you want to catch shallow bass, even heavy
pressured spring bass. I used this trick to place 11th in BASSMASTER’s
MegaBucks Tournament from the back of the boat on South Carolina’s Lake Murray March
21, 22, & 23. The MegaBucks Tournament was the week after the FLW boys pounded Murray
for eight days. I had never even been to SC and I had three aggressive Pros running the
boat each day that didn’t want me to catch a bass! All three were throwing the same
wacky rig before the day ended because it was catching bass. Alton Jones (my third day
Pro) even went on to win the big dance, a fully rigged Ranger 488 Boat, a Chevy Truck, and
$76,000.00.
Must have materials:
Super Floating worms (Bass Assassin 7 inch Floating Charms
are my choice)
2/0 Wide Gap SHARP Hook (Xpoint Hooks are my choice)
1 Inch Finishing Nails (Baits other than the Charms may
require different sized nails)
Kick’n Bass Garlic Scent
Freeze Zip Lock Bag
8 Pound Test Line
Light 6" to 7" Spinning Rod (All Star AST844S is
my choice)
Spinning Reel (Daiwa RG-Z3500IA is my choice)
Assembly Instructions:
Assemble Daiwa reel on All Star Rod
Spool the line on the Daiwa reel
Attach the Xpoint hook to the line using a well wetted
Palomar Knot
Push finish nail into the larger head section of the Charm
length ways (the nail causes the Charm to stand straight up on its head on the lakes
bottom)
Rig 6 – 12 Charms as above and put in the zip lock bag,
add about ½ teaspoon of Kick’n Bass and seal for later use (I usually make these up
the night before)
Hook the Xpoint about 2.5 inches from the fat
end of the Charm through the center of the round part (see photo). I leave the point
exposed in sparse cover for a greater catching ratio and hooked back into the body of the
Charm in heavier cover.
Fish the Wacky Rig in shallow areas (less than 6 foot deep)
where bass are spawning until they have moved deep. I catch larger females prior to and
during the spawn and the males as long as they are guarding and later eating the bass fry.
You have to make long casts and let the Charm set on the bottom just verily moving with
the current for up to a minute. After the initial setting time gently pick-up the Charm
and weight it with the rod. If it feels like it has a leaf resting on it – SET THE
HOOK! You will not feel a hit or even see your line move most of the time, the bass will
just be there. The bite requires a sensitive rod and the All Star AST844S Rod is perfect
for this technique. When the Charm weights the same twitch it slightly and then let it
rest again for a long twenty count. The twitch causes the Charm to bend and then gently
rest it’s head back on the bottom. Repeat the weighting process and hook setting. I
general twitch the Charm and wait at least a dozen times before just reeling in and
starting over. The real key is to make the Charm such an easy target that just won’t
move out of the bass’s nesting area. The exposed hook almost guarantees a solid
hookup.
I refined this wacky finesse way of fishing over the winter
doing seminars on the bass tubs around the country. In the clear water it was easy to see
how bass reacted to the different presentations and I learn while I worked. Even I was
surprised how a bass would suck in the charm and hold on. Big Crappie will eat the charms
like candy and they swim off with them!
This is a slow finesse way to catch a lot of bass without
all the work some anglers think they have to do. I’ve watched anglers try for two
hours to catch a female on the nest and then let me have one cast. The Charm is so subtle
just setting in the nest, the Bass just suck them in hook and all. I have added a lot of
bass to the Ranger livewell with the Charm hooked wacky style and you can too. I got the
check and the plaque to prove it at MegaBucks.
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