Wacky Rig Setup for Bass Fishing – How to Fish the Wacky Rig

Posted on November 14, 2022 by admin

The wacky rig is a fantastic way to catch bass that works miracles when you follow the guide for the wacky rig setup for bass fishing. Learn the setup, how to rig it, and my favorite baits to get the best results with this rig. 

Wacky rig setup for bass
Weightless Wacky Rig Setup for Bass

I realize that the wacky rig isn’t anything new, but it is a consistent producer for me and many other anglers. 

First I’ll cover my favorite baits for the wacky rig. Then I’ll show my favorite terminal tackle. Finally, we’ll see my favorite wacky rig setup for bass and how to fish it. 

Best Baits for the Wacky Rig Setup

My number one favorite bait for the wacky rig setup is the stick worm. From the Senko to the Yum Dinger, there are a ton of good options on the market. There is something magical about the quiver and wobble on the fall of these baits. We’ll look at how I rig it for the best results later in this article. 

My next favorite is the straight-tailed worm. There are a ton of brands, but my favorites are the Zoom Trick Worm and the Strike King Baby Fat Finesse worm. These don’t sink or act the same as the stick worm, but sometimes this profile and fall will outproduce when the bass are in a funky mood or are looking for something a little different. 

Terminal Tackle for the Wacky Rig Setup

Weighted Wacky Rig Setup for Bass
Big Bite Baits Wacky Rig Hook Gets Them Deep

If I am going weightless then I am going to go with the VMC Neko hook. Something about the longer shank and the point of the hook that gets a better hookup ratio and keeps them pinned. 

When I have to add weight in deeper water, or when the bass are reacting to a little faster fall, then I go to the Big Bite Baits wacky hook. At first, I didn’t like the big hook and longer shank, but it hooks them so good and deep. I also haven’t noticed any negative effects on my bites. 

The last tip is that sometimes I will actually pinch a split shot weight about an inch above the hook and it gives a little different action than the weighted wacky hook. This can also break your heart if the sinker damages the line. In a pinch, it does produce though. 

How to Fish the Wacky Rig Setup for Bass

As was mentioned above, my wacky rig setup will depend on water depth and the mood of the bass. If it’s super shallow or they are feeding high in the water column then I will go weightless. If they are deeper or reacting on a faster fall I will throw the weighted wacky rig. 

The cool thing about this rig is that it is so easy to fish. I will typically cast it out, let it hit bottom, give it a couple hops or pops and let it sink again. If I’m fishing from a boat at specific targets or structure I will work it a few times and reel in. If I am fishing from the shore, where my options for covering water are more limited, I will fish it all the way back to the bank. 

Wacky Rig Setup for Bass Fishing

Wacky Rig Tips

One of my biggest tips for working the wacky rig is to be a line watcher. Because this rig is worked with some slack in the line, it is easy to lose contact with the bait.

 A lot of the time you can still feel the tic of the bite, but many times you will just see your line do something funny like jump, stop, or start moving sideways. Pay attention to these line movements and when something different happens reel down and lean into them. 

Another quick tip is that if you are in too thick of cover, or are getting too much grass on your hook, then you can switch to a Texas-rigged worm and fish it the same way. If they are keying in on the stick bait, or the straight-tailed worm, fishing it weightless on a Texas rig can kill it. 

Texas Rigged Stick Bait Bass
Texas Rigged Stick Bait Bass

The best way to get good and build confidence in the wacky rig setup for bass is to get out and use it. 

Go grab a couple of packs of hooks and worms and get out and give it a go. Green pumpkin and watermelon are my go-to color bases to start with. You can see what they like in your body of water. If they are keying in a baitfish a white or grey can work well. If the water is murky then darker colors can be better. 

To your wacky rig success,

Jonathan Burke

LiveBassFishing.com

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Weedless Ned Rig for Bass Fishing

Posted on November 1, 2022 by admin

The Ned rig has taken center stage recently, and the weedless net rig takes it to new levels. The ned rig has been fantastic for so simple a setup for bass fishing but it was frustrating to get hung up in certain conditions. 

Ned Rig for Bass Fishing

Why I have fallen in love with the weedless ned rig for bass fishing. I have always been a huge fan of the Texas rig, and still do amazing with it, but sometimes a different look and more finesse approach is needed. This used to mean a shaky head, but now the weedless ned rig is filling that gap more and more. 

Get Ned Jig Heads Here

Another Ned Jig Head Option

Get My Favorite Ned Craw

Get My Favorite Ned Worm

Weedless Ned Rig – My Favorite Hooks 

Owner Blockhead for Weedless Ned

A ned rig started out as a senko-style bait cut down and put on a mushroom jig head on a light wire hook. Since then it has morphed into many other styles of baits and jigheads. My favorite of these has been the Owner Ultrahead Blockhead offset hook. It comes in different weights and the little 1/0 hook is needle-sharp and the Z-Lock shoulder keeps the bait from sliding down the hook. 

Rigged Version Texposed

To rig the plastic bait on this hook, it is just like Texas rigging. When I thread the bait on, I like to texpose the tip of the hook back into the bait. You can see this in the picture when the tip of the hook is skin hooked back into the bait. 

This keeps the bait more weedless and I typically like it better than a weed guard. It looks more streamlined and in my experience comes through the cover better. If I am fishing in heavy wood or cover, I will still Texas rig the bait with a bullet sinker and just peg it. This does change the action though.

Owner Football Finesse Weedless Rigged

If I am dragging the ned rig on a hard bottom I also like the Owner Ultrahead Football Finesse with the 2/0 hook and the VMC Rugby Head as well. These come through rock better than the traditional mushroom head that is on the Blockhead jighead. These are all great options for weedless ned rig bass fishing. 

VMC Rugby Head Ned Rig

Weedless Ned Rig – Fishing Tips

Weedless Ned Rig Tactics for Bass Fishing

One of my favorite ways to fish the weedless ned rig is to simply drag it like I would a football jig and when I feel it hit cover I twitch it or give it a little hop off of the bottom. Try both approaches and let the bass tell you what they like best by paying attention to which one gets more hits. 

Another way to fish it is to hop it off of the bottom and let it pendulum back down on semi slack line. Get ready for the strikes on the fall. Pay close attention as the strike will sometimes just feel mushy, or too much slack in the line. This hop and fall can trigger reaction strikes and can be a great way to cover water. 

The third way I will discuss, but not the only one is to almost swim it back slowly while bumping the bottom and barely twitching your rod tip. This can work for active bass that were chasing a crankbait but turned off and now need a more finesse approach. 

These are not the only approaches so branch out from there. These are some great options to begin fishing the weedless ned rig and catching more bass. It can be a much less frustrating way to catch fish with the power of the “do nothing” ned rig with fewer snags. 

Ned Rig Setup

The ned rig has traditionally fished on spinning tackle. I like a 7’ medium or medium light action rod. I fish the rig with a 6 – 10 pound test. An 8-pound test line is a good place to start. 

With the new Bait Finesse System baitcasting reels, I am starting to transition to casting gear. This allows you to fish the light line and lighter ned rigs on casting gear with much less frustration than before. It is also just a super fun way to fish in my humble opinion. 

Either way, ned rig fishing is a finesse tactic and typically calls for as light line size as you can get away with. Let your drag on your reel do a lot of the work to keep you from breaking off with the lighter lines. 

Ned rigs can be amazing for bass fishing. The weedless options can take your fishing to a new level and give you the confidence to fish it where you would be scared to fish an open hook. 

To your weedless ned rig fishing success,

Jonathan Burke

LiveBassFishing.com

More Info on the Weedless Ned Rig Owner Blockhead
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Wintertime Crankbait Bass Fishing – How To Catch Bass in the Winter

Posted on October 27, 2022 by admin

In most of the country, Fall bass fishing is in progress and soon wintertime bass fishing will be upon us. If you are in an area where that doesn’t mean frozen water, then you will be in for these tips on how to catch crankbait bass in the winter. 

Wintertime crankbait bass fishing.
Wintertime Crankbait Bass Fishing

Winter bass fishing can be frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be. Because the bass metabolism slows down as the water temps drop, you can typically pick from two options. These are a big meal that will last for a long time or something that is small and easy to eat. 

Sometimes you will need to switch to something like a drop shot dragged painstakingly slow on the bottom, but this isn’t always the case nor is it necessary. 

Wintertime Crankbaits for Bass Fishing – Reaction Bite

Reaction baits still come into play and some of the preconceived ideas about wintertime bass fishing are being reconsidered. I will cover a few crankbait tactics that I use to catch wintertime crankbait bass. 

Wintertime Crankbaits for Bass Fishing
Some of my Favorite Rapala Cold Water Crankbaits for Bass Fishing

Wintertime Crankbaits for Bass Fishing – Favorites

One of my favorite ways to catch bass in the winter is the crankbait. Typically in the winter, the flat-sided crankbaits will perform better than some of the wider wobbling cranks of the summer. A few of my favorites in recent days have become the Rapala OG Slim, the Strike King Chick Magnet, and the Berkley Fritzside. If the bass aren’t too deep these are the deal. 

Best Crankbaits for Bass Fishing
Best Crankbaits for Bass Fishing

To See The Crankbait Equipment I Use See My Crankbait Rod Post. It’s about squrebills, but it holds true for most crankbait fishing.

Two other mentions in this category of crankbait that I’ve used for a long time are the Rapala DT Series and the Rapala Shad Rap. These can never be overlooked and the Shad Rap has been responsible for countless winter bass being caught around the nation. 

Strike King Chick Magnet Crankbaits for Wintertime Bass Fishing
Strike King Chick Magnet Crankbaits for Wintertime Bass Fishing

Wintertime Crankbaits for Bass Fishing – How To Fish Them

So how do you fish these cranks? The answer is much like the summer, except for slowing down and covering high percentage areas. 

Wintertime Crankbaits for Bass Fishing – Line Size

Most of the crankbaits mentioned above aren’t deep divers. The secret is to fish in depths where they are making contact with cover. Many times this means fishing lighter line to get greater depth. The use of lighter line also creates a more natural action in the bait. 

Cold Water Crankbait Fishing – Location

One cool thing about winter bass fishing is that when you find bass they are typically wadded up. This means that you can catch more than one bass in an area when you locate them. The tight wobble of the flat-sided crankbaits seems to be what the bass want during the cold water months. This can be from late fall into early spring. 

Sometimes locating these wintertime bass means just covering water until you get some bites, and then fishing that area thoroughly. Different casting angles can make big differences.

Cold Water Crankbaits for Bass Fishing – Other Options

Another bait that throws all of this tight wobbling, flat-side logic on its head is the Storm Wiggle Wart. This is an erratic bait with a wide wobble and a fat body, but for some reason, it triggers some amazing reaction bites. There are lakes around the country where this is the winter bait to fish. As with other crankbaits, fishing around cover and making contact for deflection is key to fishing the Wiggle Wart. 

The last category of wintertime crankbait bass fishing I will cover is the deep speed crank. I am just keying on to this concept, but the Tactical Bassin guys have it figured out. The idea is that instead of fishing a crankbait slow as I’ve discussed above, you need a specific crank with a tight wobble that won’t blow out when fished fast with erratic pauses. 

This “burn and pause” that the Tactical guys have coined can bring some crazy reaction strikes and trigger big bass into biting. 

Wintertime Crankbaits – Nothing is Set in Stone

As you can see, there are multiple ways, and sometimes old logic is dispelled when it comes to wintertime crankbait bass fishing. I suggest if you are just getting started go with the basics from the beginning of this article. Flatside crankbaits fished fairly slow can produce amazing results. 

If you want to get more technical and specific with gear and baits, then the speed cranking with the River2Sea Tactical Bassin’ DD Crankbait can be the deal. These get a bit deeper and are fished on high-gear ratio reels. I’ll add a video below on speed cranking. 

Wintertime Crankbaits for Bass Fishing

Either way, I suggest you get your hands on some of the crankbaits listed in this article and see how much fun you can have with wintertime crankbait bass fishing. 

To your fishing success this winter,

Jonathan Burke

LiveBassFishing.com

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Finesse Jigs for Bass Fishing – How to Fish a Finesse Jig

Posted on October 20, 2022 by admin

While finesse jigs have become more common for bass fishing they have recently risen in popularity. There is no wonder why when fishing gets tough, or the bait is small, these baits produce both numbers and size. 

Finesse Jig Bass

The really cool thing about it is that due to the rise in popularity the offerings for finesse jigs have expanded too. I began my finesse jig journey with the Strike King Bitsy Bug, but now there are many more options. I still love the Bitsy Bug jig for bass fishing. It still produces and did again for me today on a trip to the local creek. 

Finesse Jigs – What Makes Then Finesse?

Top to Bottom: Cover Jig, Swim Jig, and Finesse Jig for Size Comparison

There are finesse jigs with the top of the skirt trimmed and they are great, but what really makes a finesse jig is the compact size of the bait. They are much smaller than your general jig and this makes them either match the hatch at times or, just produce a more compact meal for bass in a negative mood. 

Finesse Jigs – Versatility for Bass Fishing

The cool thing about jigs is that they are versatile. There is no difference with finesse jigs. While some may have a football head that restricts them to hard-bottom situations, most finesse jigs can be thrown in heavy cover, dragged on hard-bottom, or even swam like a swim jig. 

I have been able to be successful with all of the above. 

Bass Caught on Finesse Jig

The other piece of the versatility puzzle is the abundance of amazing trailers that allow the jig to do so many things. From beaver-style baits, to small swimbaits, to hard thumping flapping craw trailers, they can be equipped to match almost any situation. 

Another flexible aspect of the jig is the wide variety of colors available. From white, to green pumpkin, to black and blue and everything in between, there is a color for every situation. Between different colored trailers and skirts, finesse jigs can really be fished in almost any water color or condition. 

If you are fishing a shad lake, white jigs with swim jig trailers can be the ticket. If you are fishing for bass where the major forage is bluegill then you can match a skirt with greens and blues to it with a bulkier craw trailer. If you are fishing crawfish, match the color of the craws with green pumpkins, or cinnamon brown colors. You get the idea…

Finesse Jigs – How to Fish them for Bass

There are countless ways to fish a finesse jig as have been lightly touched on above. I will cover four of my favorite presentations. These will work well at different times and conditions. 

Finesse Jig Bass – See Jig on the Left
  1. Throw a finesse jig into or around heavy cover such as laydowns or reeds and drag it back out with little pops of the rod tip. Sometimes, I just slowly drag them out and give it slack for them to fall back down after they come over a branch or reed. At other times I will be more aggressive and pop it over cover to seek a reaction strike. Both work at different times. 
  2. Another way the finesse jig shines is to be drug on hard bottoms. This can be sand and rock, or an arm that juts out into the water. There are so many times when simply dragging a jig on the bottom with sweeps of the rod tip can produce amazing results. Think of a crawfish, or baitfish just feeding along the bottom. 
  3. The next tactic kind of falls in line with the second, but with a twist. This is a variation of dragging where I will hop the jig and let it fall. I have found that sometimes this approach will trigger a response when simply dragging won’t. If a fish is trailing your jig as it crawls across the bottom but isn’t committing, sometimes a strong reaction can be triggered by popping the jig off of the bottom. This can look like a fleeing crawfish or baitfish, making the bass commit if it doesn’t want to lose its prey. Again, this comes down to experimenting until one approach works better than another. 
  4. The last in this list, but not the only other one is swimming a finesse jig for bass. You can put on either a small swimbait trailer or a flapping craw-style trailer and swim your jig through cover by simply reeling it in, or gently pumping your rod tip while you reel. For more details on swim jig fishing go here. 

Finesse Jigs – Bass Fishing Story

Swim Jig Fishing

This isn’t an isolated incident, but today the conditions were rough and I was able to get the bass to commit by downsizing to a finesse jig and saving a fishing trip. 

I went to a local creek today and started with a full-sized jig. I had one follow it to the surface but wasn’t getting any bass to commit. This is when I remembered that I had some Strike King Bitsy Bugs in my bag and made the switch. I threw on a cut-down Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw for a trailer and it did the trick.

I was able to catch four bass in 15 minutes whereas I had just spent 30 minutes with a big fat zero. The finesse swim jig saved the day. This has happened on many occasions. 

I was able to catch all of my bass by casting right to the edge of the bank, where the reeds were thick and giving it light hops off of the bottom. After I got about three feet off of the bank, I would reel in and make another cast. All the bass were tucked up in the thick cover but were coaxed out by a tasty finesse jig. 

Finesse Jigs – Final Thoughts

If you haven’t tried jigs, finesse jigs are a great way to start. They fish well on a medium or medium heavy rod so you don’t need special gear. 

A lot of the time the bite feels like a tick on your line. When this happens give them heck. Don’t give them time to spit that bait. If you don’t have confidence just focus on fishing the jig for a while and you will become familiar with the feel and the bite. The finesse jig could become a favorite bait for you like it is for me when I’m bass fishing. 

To your fishing success, 

Jonathan Burke 

LiveBassFishing.com

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Squarebill Crankbaits for Bass Fishing – How To Catch More Bass on Squarebill Crankbaits

Posted on October 4, 2022 by admin

Since their inception, Squarebill Crankbaits have been deadly for bass fishing. Find out how to increase your odds with squarebill crankbaits, some of my favorites, the best equipment, and where they shine the most. 

Get Your Squarebills Here Today!

Squarebill Crankbaits for Bass Fishing

Squarebill Crankbaits – How to Fish Them

This could be an article in itself, but I will try to keep it short. When the bass have moved shallow and they are up in cover like trees or rocky banks, the squarebill shines. 

Get Your Squarebills Here Today!

If you are new to squarebill crankbait fishing, it can be intimidating to cast one over a shallow submerged tree or a laydown and bring it back through the branches, but that is how they shine. It is incredible how well you can crawl a crankbait through a tree, deflecting it off of branches without getting snagged. 

To be successful with a squarebill, you need to give this a try. If you hit something and feel like you are going to hang up, pause for a second or two and give your rod an upwards pop, 9 times out of 10 you will come right through it. This is because the baits flow and will rise up. The square bill on the crankbait is also amazing at bouncing off of the cover and protecting the hooks from snagging. 

If you haven’t had the lightbulb go off yet, the key to catching more bass on squarebill crankbaits is that most of your fish will come when that bait deflects off of the cover. This can be a branch, or a rock on a rip rap bank, but it will be magical. 

This is why it is so important to get the fear of getting it hung up out of your mind. Experience will tell you that you will hang up, but much less than you thought you would. 

I have a fishing buddy who is always afraid to lose his baits and so he will cast by cover in the open water. He will never be as effective as he can be until he overcomes this fear. When they are up in the submerged trees I will always outfish him because he is too scared to get his bait into the jungle. 

The key is to get your bait to run into as much cover as you can. This can even happen when fishing weeds by letting your bait get into the weeds and then ripping it out. To be effective in this tactic the crankbait needs to be above the weeds most of the time or it will get too bogged down.

That is why the squarebill is often referred to as the 4×4 of crankbaits.

Squarebill Crankbaits – Some of My Favorites

There are a ton of squarebill crankbaits on the market. I’m going to share some of my favorites and the ones that you will most often see tied on. These are also not too hard on the wallet. The ones I share are in the picture above. Rapala’s on the left Strike Kings on the right.

Rapala DT-3 Fat Squarebill Crankbaits

This crankbait is awesome. It is one from my favorite series of crankbaits of all time. This bait is made of balsa so it is extremely buoyant. It doesn’t dive very deep, about three feet. It has a big profile in the water and gets good bites. It comes through cover with amazing ease and floats out of most snags. One thing that you will notice about this crankbait is the incredible thump it gives off in the water. If you are super shallow and don’t need to downsize this is one of the best. 

Rapala BX Brat Squarebill Crankbaits

I included two BX Brats in the picture above. One is the three-foot diver and the other is the six-foot diver. I use them based on the depth of the water. These have become my favorite squarebill in the past few years and the one I reach for the most. From bass to walleye, these get it done. The cool thing about the Brat is that they are balsa coated in some type of polymer to make them more durable than normal balsa cranks. Put them up in the wood and crank them out. The key is deflection. They won’t disappoint. 

Strike King KVD 2.5 Squarebill Crankbaits

If you need a little bigger presence the KVD 2.5 is a great choice. These baits are really affordable and really get the job done. When it comes to squarebills these are probably the most available on the market. They have the ability to come through cover and have a hunting action when they deflect. They are so popular because they work.

Strike King KVD 1.5  Squarebill Crankbaits

The KVD 1.5 is probably the most popular squarebill in the world. It flat-out produces and has the same great deflection and erratic action of the 2.5. It comes in a smaller package and sometimes that is what you need to get short strikers or finicky bass to commit. You can see the difference in size on the right side of the picture above. The 2.5 is on top and the 1.5 is on the bottom. These baits work well. 

Since the KVD series is so available and so common, sometimes the BX Brat and the DT-3 Fat will be something just different enough to get you those bites in pressured lakes. At least that is what I have found. 

As for colors, I like to keep shad patterns, craw patterns, and bluegill patterns. I seem to get the job done with these with the occasional chartreuse for super-stained water. 

Squarebill Crankbaits – The Equipment

I have an article on picking the best squarebill crankbait rod here so I will not cover that much here. I will say that I like a moderate action in most cases with the sqaurebill. I always fish my squarebills on casting gear. I like a 6.3 to 7.1 gear ratio reel in most cases for this type of fishing. 

The Best Squrebill Crankbait Rod
What is the best squarebill crankbait rod.

The line size varies on the cover I’m fishing and the depth I’m trying to reach. These aren’t really deep fishing baits, but if you are trying to get a little more depth then go with a 12-pound test line. Many times I go with 14-16 pound test with squarebill crankbaits because of the heavy cover that I am fishing them in. If you hook into a big bass it is a lot easier to get them out with 16-pound test than 12. 

Squrebill Crankbaits for Bass Fishing – Conclusion

 If you are on the fence about trying squarebill crankbaits and getting them into the laydown trees, or submerged trees or bushes, I encourage you to give it a go. Hopefully, you can feel a little more confident. In conditions where they are up shallow unless the water just gets too cold and you need to switch to a flatside crankbait like the Rapala OG Slim, then you have a great shot at a good day. 

Best Squarebill Crankbaits for Bass
Bass Caught on DT-3 Fat Squarebill Crankbait

To Your Squarebill Fishing Success,

Jonathan Burke 

LiveBassFishing.com

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