Gamakatsu’s Wacky Head is laterally flattened to impart a side-to-side rolling action to a worm. It’s coated with red epoxy and sports a short-shank wide-gap #2 hook, in 1/32-, 1/16-, and 1/8-ounce weights. Big Bite Baits’ Wacky Head comes in 1/16-, 1/8-, 3/16-, and 1/4-ounce weights, built on a wide-gap Gamakatsu hook to match thicker lures like a Senko or Berkley Gulp! Sinking Minnow. The Zappu has a V-shape to hold a worm for optimal shaking.
Fish the lightest heads in shallow areas, increasing weight with depth and wind. Breezes above 12 or 15 mph can render the rig less effective, as sense of feel, as well as casting distance and accuracy, are lost. Submerging the rod tip and line helps to keep wind from creating an excessive bow in the line, but feel is still subdued.
Line: David Swendseid gives the nod to 4-pound-test fluorocarbon line for his best finesse presentations. “You can impart more action to the worm with thin line,” he notes, “and in clear conditions, you get more bites, too.” He also uses 4- and 6-pound-test copolymer line, preferring Gamma High Performance, and upsizes to 8-pound test in snaggy situations.
Rod: Two schools of rod choice exist. Japanese anglers like Kato and Ono favor short spinning rods (6 feet to 6 feet 4 inches), rated for 1/16- to 1/4-ounce lures. Examples include Falcon Rod’s Lowrider Spinning rod, model LFS-2-163 (6 feet 3 inches), Shakespeare’s Synergy SP2960, and Berkley’s Tactix TXS601M, both 6-footers. They feel that shorter rods impart better shaking action to the worm.
On the other hand, Evans, Swendseid, and many American anglers prefer longer rods, which allow greater casting distance and can put more pressure on bass around cover. “My new favorite is Falcon’s Cenderi Spinning rod SSti-7L, a 7-footer that’s lighter than what’s usually called a drop-shot action,” Evans notes. “It works great with 8-pound-test fluorocarbon, but is a bit stiff for 6-pound. It has parabolic action, which helps shake the jig, and you don’t have to worry about breaking the line when a bass runs.” I’ve found Kistler’s 6-foot 9-inch Drop Shot Special (KDSS69), St. Croix’s Avid 7-foot medium-light power (AVS70ULF), and All Star’s Platinum Inshore 7-foot (P843C-TR1) model, rated moderate power and light action, fine for this technique; and a good selection of rods with similar attributes is available.
Reels: You’ll put the drag through its paces, so match with a smooth reel. Again, two schools of thought exist: Larger-spool models allow longer casts, have fewer problems with coiled line, and tend to have smoother drags, thanks to larger washers. On the other hand, the little ones are lightest, and you can have a blast using a true ultralight with this technique.
Beyond catching a lot of bass, what fascinated me most about the wacky jig was its multifaceted attraction. Bass bite it on the fall or when sitting on the bottom; when it’s retrieved like a crankbait, or shaken near cover. As you read this, innovative anglers are discovering new ways to make it work. Plan to be among them this spring.
