For now, I'll be mostly "bank fishing."

Therefore, when I feel the bite, "yank up and backwards"?

I do wonder if I sometimes pull the worm/hook OUT of the mouth!

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how are your hips ? can you handle a gentle short boat ride yet?

What bait are you using?

I'm using medium/dark green senkos, and sometimes light brown.

Also, chartreuse and black creature baits, lizards.

Yes, my hips are better after the surgeries. I could probably handle a boat ride on nice days in the near future.
I'll message you Tilt.

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k sounds good.

All I care about when setting the hook is getting the rod tip, and therefore the hook, moving fast enough to drive the hook into the fish. I don't try to figure out which direction the hook is pointing because I have no way of knowing that.

Over the many years I have fished and been around tournaments I hear fishermen proclaim a lot of things as facts when I know they are just guessing. Some of them are even fish mind readers and can tell us what the fish was thinking. Interesting to say the least.

First of all I shouldn't be giving any advice since I am pretty much the worse Wacky rig fisherman ever. I would rather be flipping my CrawTube, Jawtec Craw or Jig. Just not patient enough for Wacky fishing. But I do have a son in law that I fish with that is really good so I get to see someone who is really successful with the bait and he generally uses a Senko bait almost all of the time. The one thing I have noticed about him is that when he gets a bite I have seen him wait sometimes for a minimum of 3 to 5 seconds before really reeling up slowly to the fish and then hammers him. Sometimes the fish will move off 4 to 6 feet. There are no real rules in fishing and I know that me lately when I am flipping the bite is really subtle if anything bites at all so I keep thinking it is just the time of year and the bass are really lethargic so that is the only thing I would suggest is try giving them just a little more time to take the bait and see what happens.

+1

Owner rigging hook #1 is another light weight strong hook to use.

Thanks for the responses. IN65

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I wacky rig a lot and use the hook Ray Bob showed. To set the hook I sort of lean back on the rod and start reeling. With those hooks you'll miss about half the fish if you jerk.

Use this hook. Do not cut the wire guide off because it is plastic and does not get in the way of the hook set and it keeps the hook weedless. Put it through the bait (senko type bait) with an O ring.

I would say if you're missing 50% of your bites on a wacky rig setup, you are getting bit a lot by bluegill and/or small bass. The Gamakatsu hook shown is a good hook but the nylon weedguard will cost you a fish or two from time to time. I don't like any hook where the weedguard can fold over the hook point and impede penetration. Had it happen before.

If you've ever had a fish jump and throw the hook and you get it back and the weedguard is still over the point of the hook, that is what has happened.

Both of these are great hooks and the weedguard will never roll over and block the hook point from penetration into a bass' jaw.



Hayabusa Hook



Owner Jungle Hook