Mastering the Wacky Rig for Bass: How to Set It Up and Fish It Right

There are a lot of rigs in the bass fishing world now. The wacky rig stands out, and it can be the difference between a ton of great pictures and going home skunked. 

Today, we’re going to break down everything we can about the wacky rig, how it’s rigged, and all the details for when, why, and how to use it. 

Check it out, because this weird rig can turn your next fishing trip around!

Wacky Rig 101 

The rig earned its name. It breaks from the basic setup for most rigs and opts for something that creates a unique presentation with just a couple of drawbacks. 

Essentially, it's a worm dangling on both sides of the hook, and that’s about it. It sounds super simple, but there’s a lot to it when you start breaking down how it works.

How to Make a Wacky Rig

To make the wacky rig, you’re going to need two pieces of tackle and a third optional piece that we highly recommend.

First, you need a hook. You can experiment, but an offset hook or J-hook will do the job just fine. Due to how the rig works, the hook requirement isn’t quite as specific as it is with other rigs.

Then, you need a worm or stick bait. The rig skyrocketed in popularity years ago thanks to the Yamamoto Senko. For simplicity’s sake, we’re just going to pretend that’s what you’re using throughout this guide. They work really well, too. So, it’s worth trying.

Take the hook, and tie it on with a Palomar knot or an improved clinch knot. The knot doesn’t really matter much in terms of changing the presentation, but we trust both of those knots to stay intact as long as they’re tied right. 

Then, you simply take the point of the hook, punch it right through the middle of the Senko from the side, and let the Senko wobble around right in the belly of the hook. 

That’s it. There’s no weight, lining things up, stoppers, bobbers, or anything else. However, you can do one more thing. 

We recommend getting a small rubber band. Like the little black ones you use to tie off the ends of braids. Take one of those and use it to cinch the Senko to the hook.

This solves one of the major issues with the wacky rig. Without that, you tend to burn through your lures a lot faster than usual. The hook is going through such a small bit of the Senko that the bass can rip it right off. Sometimes, you’ll lose it just by casting. Especially if you’ve already got a bass or two on it. 

You can buy the little hair rubber bands, and since the wacky rig took off, there are fishing brands that offer bands, too. Either way, the couple of bucks it takes to secure the lure saves you a lot when it comes to replacing your Senkos. 

Using the Wacky Rig: Equipment

We’ve covered what you need to make the wacky rig, but let’s take a moment to cover your rod and line. 

You’ll usually cast fairly close with the wacky rig. So, casting distance on this weightless setup isn’t a big issue.

A bait casting rod reel will get the job done. A spinning rod and reel work great and make it easier to throw light baits further.  

One thing we do like is a fast tip on a medium power rod. You don’t need a broomstick for this. In fact, it can hurt your cast to the point that the low weight does end up being a problem.

However, since you’re targeting bass, you do want to have a little backbone. The fast tip is because you’ll mostly be popping it and looking for small signals of a bite.

You can use your favorite line without any issues, but we typically just use a mono line around the 10 to 15-lb range. It sinks a little more slowly than fluorocarbon line, and if you go for a good low-vis line like Ragin’ Cajun, the fish won’t see a thing.

You’ll see what we’re talking about later, but since you’re usually working the lure fairly close to yourself, rod length isn’t as big a factor. If you have a shorter rod, this is a good time to use it. Although a longer rod doesn’t hurt, in case you decide to toss it far out there. 

Using the Wacky Rig: Placement

Like we said, a lot of the time, you’re not working a wacky rig like you do other lures. You can toss it out and work it back, but it’s almost better to get it somewhere you can keep it for a while. Due to that, you really have to watch your placement. 

Dropping the wacky rig near piers, the drop of a boat ramp, weed lines, and structures are all great choices. Another one we love to target is right beneath a tree. 

As you’ll see in the next section, this works great for replicating a worm that has fallen out of the tree. Especially in caterpillar season. 

Because this is not a weedless setup, you really want to watch where you’re dropping it, and work on your cast to make sure you’re precise. If you chuck into a bunch of reeds, you can almost guarantee you’re going to spend a while fighting it out. 

Using the Wacky Rig: The Retrieval

There are two main ways for you to use the wacky rig effectively.  

First, you can lob it out beyond a target point and pop it back in. When you do this, pop it a couple of times to jiggle the Senko, and pause it for a brief second. Don’t let it go all the way to the bottom, though. The trick with this is to really get those ends of the Senko to flop around as it falls. 

However, that’s not the best way a lot of the time. If you’re near a spot that is likely holding bass, we recommend using it like a crappie jig. 

Drop your wacky rig right into the spot a few feet away and just pop it. Let it hover at the right depth, twitch that rod a couple times, let it sit, twitch it some more, and just keep doing that until you feel a tug. 

We prefer this way for two reasons. 

The main reason is that this method keeps the lure in the water. Every second your lure is not in the water, you cannot catch a fish. That’s just a fact of life, but when we find these twitch method lures that work great without actually being retrieved, it’s a huge plus. Just don’t get so caught up in it that you waste time. 

The other reason is that it maximizes the lure’s wackiness in the water, for lack of a better term. When you retrieve it normally, the Senko tends to form a “U” shape as it’s pulled forward, and it doesn’t have much action until you let it fall.

With the twitch method, it’s constantly wobbling around unpredictably. That can trigger reaction bites reliably.

Making the Most of the Wacky Rig

We’ve covered all the basics. It’s not a complicated rig to use, and you should end up getting bites on it fairly quickly, even with zero experience. 

However, other finer details can help you out. The team at BassForecast has learned a lot about the wacky rig over the years, and we’re going to help you make the most of it. 

1: It Slays the Spawn

Just like the drop shot, the wacky rig slays the spawn. Especially if you can get right next to the beds and drop it on top. 

That wacky, intimidating, and erratic action of a twitched wacky rig will anger every bass in the area while they’re protecting their beds. 

Even better, it’s easier to set up than the drop shot. 

We think every angler should learn the drop shot, but this is a great lazy way to do it and still be effective. So, if you’re out of drop shot weights or have trouble with the unique hook tying method, this is a great alternative to get the most out of the spawn.

2: Watch the Drop

With a lot of rigs, especially fast-falling rigs, anglers develop an unconscious habit. They chuck their lure out, and as soon as they know it hit the right spot, they zone out to flip their bail, stare off into the distance, etc.

It’s the same thing that happens during the last few feet of a retrieval when they don’t expect a bite. Well, you miss bites that way. 

It’s worse with the wacky rig. A Texas rig or similar rig isn’t likely to get that type of bite unless it’s the absolute perfect conditions for it to happen.

The wacky rig falls slowly, wobbles around sporadically, and emulates one of the best items on the menu for bass. A fallen worm. They get hit on the drop all the time. 

By taking that second-long break to fuss about, you can easily lose a bass. Considering how delicate the rig can be, you might even lose your lure. 

Stay focused and watch the drop. 

3: Use the 4-inch

Senkos come in a lot of lengths now, and we greatly prefer the 5 to 6-inch option for most wacky rig applications. It seems to be just the right length for each end to wobble around a lot, but the bass can still get it all in with one gulp. 

Although the shorter ones can be great for high-pressure situations.

4: Bring Back Ups

Even with the rubber band hack, you can easily blow through a bag of Senkos in an hour or two. Especially if the bite is good. 

The last thing you want to do is get into a back-to-back bite pattern and run out because you only brought one bag of Senkos with you. 

5: Focus on the Most Popular Colors

Green pumpkin, watermelon seed, and blue with silver flakes are some of the most commonly used colors Senko lures come in, and that’s because they work. 

You can, and probably should, pick up other colors. However, when you’re getting your stash together for the wacky rig, focus on those three first. 

6: Fish in Calm Waters

The wacky rig doesn’t work as well in choppy waters. It interferes with the action. You want to toss this rig when the water is nice and calm for a subtle fluttering motion. 

7: Post-Spawn Slayer

While the wacky rig can get some action during the spawn, it really slays right after the spawn ends. 

After the spawn, the bass are looking for easy meals, and they are often guarding fry. When you drop a limp, worm-like thing in front of them, and it looks like it can barely move around, they can’t resist it. And, if it is anywhere near their fry, by hanging and twitching in the area, it looks like a threat, and a bass will hammer it.

Right after the spawn, you can expect a high-octane day on the water with the wacky rig.

8: Fish it Shallow

The wacky rig really shines in shallow water. It’s not a lure that we like to toss out in the deeper parts of the lake. It’ll do well close to the bank, in runoff areas, etc. 

It just looks like food that should be there, and the bass tear it up. It also takes forever to sink. 

9: Use it in High-Pressure Water

We all deal with this on the lake. You go out to fish, and the weekend warriors are there making tons of noise, taking up all the best spots, and making the fish very cautious. 

Well, the wacky rig is perfect for that situation. 

The wacky rig performs extremely well in high-pressure water, and you’ll have all those other anglers wondering what your secret is when you’re the only one pulling them out. 

Try the Wacky Rig Today

The wacky rig might not be as well-known as the Texas rig, but it needs to be in every angler’s skill set. Grab some Senkos and get wacky for your next personal best.

And, if you want to improve chances of landing that big bass, download the BassForecast app today!