Stick baits like the Senko, made by Gary Yamamoto, have become wildly popular over the last few years. When rigged weightless they have a pronounced wiggle to them as they descend in the water column. Bass find this irresistible and will often inhale the bait on the fall.
Unfortunately, anyone who has used this technique before will attest to how quickly a bait can become ripped and torn up by hungry fish.
It can be quite expensive to go through bait after bait as they become ripped.
Luckily, most of these baits are long enough that they can be turned around and Texas rigged through opposite end. This gives the angler twice the usage from each stick bait.
An equally effective technique using stick baits is the wacky rig. This rig can easily be skipped underneath docks or low hanging trees and it wobbles as it falls. Unfortunately, due to the traditional hooking method, many of these baits are ripped and lost on the hookset.
Try slipping an o-ring of slightly smaller diameter onto the bait and placing the hook underneath the o-ring. This will keep the bait securely on the hook, but will prevent the hook from ripping through the plastic when an angler sets the hook.
Remember these tips next time out on the water and watch the savings add up!
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