We all know that a wacky-rigged, soft plastic stickbait like a Senko flat-out catches bass. From being a co-angler’s most versatile and effective way to catch bass behind other anglers fishing in the bow, to being able to skip it under boat docks and overhanging trees, it gets the job done!

While at wacky rig undoubtedly catches bass, and at times it seems like bass will eat them regardless if they have seen a thousand of them, there are times when you need to adapt your wacky rigging presentation to get bass to bite.

This may be due to weather conditions, the type of cover bass are holding in, or simply because bass see a lot of wacky rigs!

The first thing that you can change is your hook. Most anglers use some type of specifically-designed wacky rigging or finesse hook, such as the TroKar TK137. But many anglers don’t even realize that many hook manufacturers make weedless versions of their wacky rigging/finesse hooks. With a fiber or fluorocarbon weed guard, wacky rigs become more likely to slide through cover without getting hung up.

One way to fish a wacky rig differently is by fishing it on a casting rod, with braided line, using a 1/0 heavy-wire, extra-wide-gap or standard worm hook, and casting it into vegetation; or if vegetation has become matted, or you are fishing on top of lily pads. You can drag that beefed-up. wacky rig setup over the vegetation; then, when it comes to an open-water pocket in the grass or lily pads, you can drop the wacky rig into that hole and jiggle it. This is a great way to coax bass into biting, despite having seen more than enough topwater frogs that day.

If you want/need to get extra distance in your cast or skip a wacky rig, add a small, tungsten nail weight into the end of your soft plastic stickbait. This is especially important if you are fishing in clear water, or around shallow-water boat docks, and need to get your wacky rig way back under the dock.

You can also change how your weighted wacky rig falls in the water based on where you insert the tungsten nail weight. If you want the Senko to fall with one of the ends down, which is standard, insert the nail weight into that end of the bait. If you want the bait to fall more horizontally, but just quicker, insert two small nail weights in the middle of the bait. 

If you are fishing offshore and need to get your wacky rig down in the water column, or if you are fishing around denser vegetation and need to “punch” it through the vegetation, use a weighted jig to rig the bait.

A weighed jig, like the Weedless Wacky Jig from Northland Tackle, comes in 1/16-, 1/8-, and 3/16-ounce sizes. Depending on the depth of water you are fishing and the wind, choose a size that allows you to effectively present your soft plastic stickbait to bass that hold on deep weed lines. Always use the least amount of weight possible, and just cast out your rig, let it sink and just slowly shake it.

There are two different ways to rig your wacky rig; each allows your soft plastic stickbait to fall differently in the water and have a different action. 

The first is to just put your hook directly through the soft plastic. This allows for a natural fall, but you are going to go through a lot of baits this way as your hook frequently tears through them. 

The next option is to use some type of wacky rigging device; the benefit is that your bait will last a lot longer, so you’ll save money on baits, and valuable time on the water. 

here are two types of wacky rigging options with “devices.” The first is using a rubber band or plastic tube that goes around your bait where your hook is inserted between the plastic band and worm. An example is the Arsenal Fishing Stealth Silicone Tube. 

The other type of “device” is a plastic spear that goes up through the bait; then you put your hook through a small opening in the spear, like the JDM Geecrack Neko Hack.

The common soft plastic stickbait that anglers use on their wacky rig is 5 inches; an easy way to change up your wacky rigging presentation is to change the size of your stickbait. When the bite is tough for pressured bass, or you need to slide your bait through a small opening under a boat dock, drop down to the 4-inch size. 

If the bass prefer a bigger bait to key in on, or if the water is stained, wacky rig bigger, 6- or 7-inch, soft plastic stickbaits. These baits fall faster in the water column and sometimes help generate reaction strikes.

Other soft plastic bait variations for wacky rigging include using new-style “fuzzy” or whisker style baits like the Fuzzy Senko, Fuzzy Nut, or Uni. These baits give bass something different to look at when wacky rigged, as each bait’s profile in the water and sink rate is different.

The next time you look at a wacky rig you have rigged up, think about which of these rigging variations you can use the next time you are on the water.